Shachar Shalev (ourKiwi representative) has gone birding over the weekend and the following report shows that it is neverboringaround here. When there are few migrants, there is plenty of time to enjoy some of the region’s very interesting species…
I Went out 5:30 in the morning not seriously expecting to find anything. I Started at North Beach where 14 White-eyed Gulls(6 adults, 8 juveniles),were sitting on the beach between the tents. A Sandwich Tern patrolled the shore line with the occasional groups of Common Terns passing by.
The south salt ponds revealed a very late Red-necked Phalaropestill swimming around and a quick walk around the IBRCE park turned up a solitary Garden Warbler and a Rufous Bush Robinwhich was ringed this season I imagine.
Cruising up to K20 in the cool morning air and some good music on the radio, it took a few seconds to realise that I’d cruised straight past a pair of Liechtensteins Sandgrouse’s, out for a morning stroll on the side of the road. I Slammed on the brakes and carefully backtracked to get some great photo’s of this beautiful and rare bird.
I haven’t seen them for years and always after dusk so I felt happy with this pair…And there were plenty of Sand Martins, Barn Swallows and Common Swifts plying the airways while a group of Ruffs, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Little Stintsare feeding along thewater edge.The Sooty Falcon I’ve been looking for, disappeared off north as I approached, so I stopped in at Amrams Pillars but found only deathly quiet and a lone Desert Lark and aDorcasGazelle.
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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