21 hours

21 hours



Yesterday was extremely long. I left home very early, met up with Piki and together we sailed down towards the Dead Sea.

Despite the dire state of the shrinking Dead Sea, , Sixth Extinction, Donald Trump etc., I find the view of the sun rising over the Edom Mountains of Jordan, above the Dead Sea, always heartening.

First thing we birded Wadi Mishmar. After a couple of good winter floods, vegetation in the wadi looks great. The Ochradenus bacatus bushes look very happy, and the Sylvia warblers were feasting on them.

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Cyprus Warbler, male, in Ochradenus baccatus bush

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Most prominent was Sardinian Warbler, several tens, including quite a few of the nominate subspecies. Among them we had at least 9 Cyprus Warblers. At first they weren’t easy to pin down, but eventually I managed to get some photos of a few. Still not the perfect photos I’m hoping for, but I guess they ain’t too shabby.

Cyprus Warbler, female

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Also a couple each of and Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat

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Tristram’s Starlings were present in some large flocks. One flock mobbed a passing Long-legged Buzzard. Others were just feeding on the baccatus fruit and other fruiting trees in the wadi. I find them uber-charismatic, despite being very common in this part of the country, including trash-bird behaviour at some tourist sites. They are most attractive when they fly, exposing their brilliant wing pattern:

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We bumped into Shlomi, another Israeli birder. While exchanging information we spotted a large raptor soaring over the high cliffs:

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! What a pleasant surprise (though unknowingly at that moment it had been present for a couple of days at least):

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We had a couple of Striolated Bunting flying high over the cliffs, and Shlomi told us of a waterhole up the wadi that they come down to drink in. We walked up there, sat down quietly for a few minutes and indeed a single bunting, a female, graced us with its beautiful presence:

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Since my return from the UK, my appreciation for our local species, especially range-restricted species like and , has increased. The aerobatic flight of the ravens, their unique high-pitched calls echoing off the mighty cliffs, is an epic symbol of the Judean Desert.

Fan-tailed Raven

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On the way out we spent a couple of minutes with an oddly-plumaged Blackstart. I’m not sure whether it’s oil-stained or melanistic. In real life it felt much darker than how it looks in these images.

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Golden Spiny Mouse – indeed golden and spiny

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While there were saddeningly few Eurasian Griffons, it was nice to have a 3-vulture species morning, including . There were first signs of soaring bird migration, with a northbound movement of Black Kites, first mini-flock of 8 White Storks and a single . Soon it will be thousands.

Our next stop was Heimar Reservoir. We met up there with two Swiss friends, Martin and Michael. Another very pleasant surprise was a stonking male that hopped on the ugly fence surrounding the reservoir – what a beautiful bird:

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Full frame

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Crop

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Getting the priorities right – at this location these could be ‘wild-type’ Rock Pigeons:

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There was also a maurus Siberian Stonechat, Penduline Tit, Dead Sea Sparrows and some migrant hirundines – Red-rumped, Barn and House Martins.

Then we moved on down the road to Navit Pools. I don’t fully understand why, but this site is absolutely jam-packed with birds. Contrastingly, adjacent reservoirs are quite empty. Navit Pools had many hundreds of ducks, including 20 Fudge Ducks (they breed there), 4 African Swamphens and much more. Combine that with stunning scenery and one gets 47 minutes of fun.

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Then we continued down into the bottom of the valley at Ne’ot Hakikar. It was a beautiful, mild, moonlit evening. Nubian Nightjars were very active: we had at least 9 individuals, including a few that put on quite a show. Over the years I have had countless intimate encounters with these fascinating birds, yet every time the excitement is still on. Wow.

‘Tamarisk’ Nubian Nightjar

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On the way back home we had rather casual encounters with (heard only) Desert Owl by the main road, and Pallid . Back home, 21 hours after leaving, I felt quite satisfied, and totally knackered.

Piki, Martin, Michael – thanks.

 

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Yoav Perlman

Yoav Perlman

I have been birding since the age of 9, and from the age of 15 I started working professionally in birding. I have been working for the Israeli Ornithological Center since 1998. I was a member of the Israeli rarities committee between 2001 - 2007. I have an MSc in Ecology from the Ben Gurion University. I did my research on the ecology of Nubian Nightjars in Israel, and spent hundreds of nights with these fascinating birds. I lead tours in Israel, and especially focus on Nubian Nightjars obviously. I traveled and birded Asia extensively, and also Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and North America. I am married to my lovely wife Adva and father to two sons - Uri and Noam, and one daughter - Libby. Currently I live in Norwich, where I am starting a PhD project at UEA.

Yoav Perlman

Yoav Perlman

I have been birding since the age of 9, and from the age of 15 I started working professionally in birding. I have been working for the Israeli Ornithological Center since 1998. I was a member of the Israeli rarities committee between 2001 - 2007. I have an MSc in Ecology from the Ben Gurion University. I did my research on the ecology of Nubian Nightjars in Israel, and spent hundreds of nights with these fascinating birds. I lead tours in Israel, and especially focus on Nubian Nightjars obviously. I traveled and birded Asia extensively, and also Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and North America. I am married to my lovely wife Adva and father to two sons - Uri and Noam, and one daughter - Libby. Currently I live in Norwich, where I am starting a PhD project at UEA.

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