As the season progress more and more migrants are found on a daily basis. In fact it is so hectic that I cant find the time to sit and write all the updates, so below is a very quick review of what was seen in the past 10 days:
On 13th while guiding a happy grouporiginallyfrom UK and Australia, but all living at present in the quiet country in the Alps -Switzerland, also known as BBC – Birds Beer & Chips. As we arrived to Ovda Valley, we spotted many white dots on the ground which later found out to be no less than 4000 White Storks,here seen only some of them as they took off over the hills.
Later down at Yotveta, the Bimaculated Larks that were “promised” did not wait, but instead we had the first Blue-cheeked Bee-eater for the season…
Few more days passed and once again we gotBimaculated Larks at Yotveta fields, this timeaccompaniedby Hill Sparrows (which by the way, were heard also when i was with the BBC team).
And then came the Desert Agamawhich was found while enjoying some Cyprus Warblers and many Ruppell’s Warblers
Meanwhile after few more days have passed on the 17th, 2 Black Bush Robinswere found, one at Hai-bar and one at Lotan (where a ringing station is operating this season which helped the bird get married…)
And later few Semi-collared Flycatcherswere reported both from Lotan and Eilat. While Citrine Wagtailsare constantly reported from different locations and many thousands of Steppe Buzzards mixed with Steppe Eagles and many more raptors and Black Storksare seen daily at the mountains. Even a single Golden Eagle was seen while guiding the Eilat & Arava Bird Club.
Yesterday few more Wheatears have arrived and we can see both black-throated and pale-throated Black-eared Wheatears.
This morning together with Norbert Schaffer who is working as Chief editor of the leading German magazine ‘Der Falke’ and he is a visitor at the 8th Eilat Spring Bird Festival, we had a great stream of raptors in the mountains and also a nice maleHooded Wheatearbut the real icing was when we found a new Black Bush Robin at YotvetaSewage, and later a very colourfulMediterraneanGull, Red-necked Phalarope and Greater Sand Plover all at K20.
Itai Shanni
Itai Shanni is the coordinator of the Eilat Birding Blog, which is jointly written by the Israeli Ornithological Centre (IOC) and the International Birding and Research Centre Eilat (IBRCE). Itai is working to promote bird and wildlife conservation throughout this area. As an Israeli A licensed ringer, he also gives support for the IBRCE staff when needed. Itai has also developed a real passion for Odonata watching and spends many hot hours chasing also Dragonflies and Damselflies.
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