Day Thirteen 16/04/2004 - Eilat mountains raptor watchpoints 0800-100; Eilat Bird Reserve 1015 - 1200; Lotan & Quetera Sewage pools 1400 - 1530; Yotvata & Sewage pools 1600- 1830

Another day off from the ringing and a 0630 start and away after breakfast at 0715. We arrived at a 'lower watchpoint' below Mount Yoash at just after 0800. Johnathan recommended starting lower down, as a good day the birds pass low down, giving better views in the first hours. Fairly immediately, we had a steady passage of birds, many less than on the 13th, but much lower and better views, many of the birds level and just above our elevation against the rock face. Over the next couple of hours we recorded; 1 HONEY BUZZARD, BLACK KITE, 2 EGYPTIAN VULTURE, 1 SHORT-TOED EAGLE, 2 SPARROWHAWK, 50+ STEPPE BUZZARD, 1 LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE, 1 STEPPE EAGLE, 1 BOOTED EAGLE, 3 OSPREY & 10 WHITE STORK. Also noted nearby 1 WHITE-CROWNED BLACK WHEATEAR.

Around 10.00 we decided to head over to the Eilat Bird Reserve, on arrival we visited the ringing station where a busy stream of birds were being processed. We then took the next couple of hours wandering the various paths around the vegetation and pools, mostly similar species to K20 & K19, but noteworthy were 1 BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER, 1 WHISKERED TERN, 1 BLUE CHEEKED BEE-EATER, 500+ HOUSE MARTIN, 1 WATER RAIL,1M RED-BACKED SHRIKE, 1 MASKED SHRIKE & 1 'showy' BLUETHROAT.

A return visit to the falafel bar in Eilat, and we re-fuelled for the afternoon's birding. We headed back to Lotan, and visited the Quetera sewage pools, just south of Lotan, (take the same track as described for Quetera organic garden, the obvious fencing is visible before you reach the date palms). These small pools and surrounding scrub held 2 SQUACCO, 2 LITTLE EGRET, 2 LITTLE STINT, 5 GREEN SANDPIPER, 2 COMMON SANDPIPER, 2 WOOD SANDPIPER, 1 WRYNECK & 2 RUFOUS BUSHCHAT.

We then headed on to Yotvata again, this was an area that was worth checking each day and again today it provided another new species for the trip WATER PIPIT (coutelli race). Other nice birds around the disused holiday camp area, were 2 OLIVACEOUS WARBLER, 3 BONELLI'S WARBLER, 2 HOOPOE, 1 SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER 1M RED-BACKED SHRIKE.

By this stage finding WHITE-THROATED ROBIN had lost some of it's kudos, even so the discovery of yet another seemed quite amazing, considering in 9 previous visits I had failed to record any! We finished the day at the circular fields which, yet again, produced a satisfying selection of birds to finish the day on; PALLID HARRIER 1R/T (v.close views), 2 HOBBY demonstrated just how fast these birds are capable of moving, as they screamed past us in full flapping flight, 50+ RED-THROATED PIPIT , 1 M BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR & 20 ORTOLAN BUNTINGS

Caspian Tern	Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Bluethroat	Greater Sandplover
Kentish Plover	Red-backed Shrike

Day Fourteen 17/04/2004 - Kibbutz Lotan 0530 -1200; Lotan Bird Reserve 1300- 1500; Yotvata 1600-1915

The alarms went off at 0500, and the nets were opened at Lotan organic garden and muck heaps at 0530.

Whilst ringing there was a good passage of raptors, most of the birds fairly low and passing straight up the centre of the valley floor. Our estimates are probably low as the following counts were during a busy ringing seesion; 5 BLACK STORK, 2 HONEY BUZZARD, 1M LEVANTS SPARROWHAWK, 500+ STEPPE BUZZARD, 1 STEPPE EAGLE , 1 LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE, 2 MARSH HARRIER. Still present were 1F SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER & WHITE-THROATED ROBIN, with a similar mix of passerines, but noticeably less wheatears. After lunch we visited the Bird Reserve, incredibly another WHITE-THROATED ROBIN was present, the alp alpha grass produced a couple of QUAIL, and there was also 1 LESSER GREY SHRIKE & 1 WOODCHAT SHRIKE present in the area. After getting all out gear together, ready for leaving, we decided to finish our trip at Yotvata. The edge of the redundant holiday camp held 2 BONELLI'S WARBLER, 2+ OLIVACEOUS WARBLER, & NIGHTINGALE. We headed for our 'favourite' circular fields, a leisurely stroll along the edge of the field produced; 50+ ORTOLAN BUNTING, 25+ RED-THROATED PIPIT, 1 ISABELLINE WHEATEAR, 1M WHINCHAT, 5+ QUAIL, 40+ TURTLE DOVE, 2 MARSH HARRIER, 1R/T PALLID HARRIER, 2 BOOTED EAGLE & 20 STEPPE BUZZARD.

Just as we were leaving the Turtle Dove flock rose up, Oscar shouted to stop the car, there appeared to be a wader flying amongst them. As the wader turned belly on, hearts all missed a beat, it banked round and eventually landed 500 yards away and so we finished a fantastic trip with yet another fantastic bird...a superb male CASPIAN PLOVER.

Namaqua Dove	Great Reed Warbler

Return to first page