th
ISRAEL 9 January – 18th January 2016 Ben Macdonald & Henry Cook I. Introduction This second trip to Israel was carefully planned to take in a range of exciting winter targets in the country and therefore take us from the Golan Heights in the far north to the Eilat Mountains in the very south, via the ever changing scenery of the Dead Sea, Galillee, the Arava Valley and the Negev Desert. We would like to thank Jonathan Meyrav, Oded Keynan, Avner Rinot, Barak Granit, Yoav Perlman and Frank Moffatt for their help in sharing their expertise before and during the trip. This was far and away my most diverse and exciting birding trip to date, with 188 species recorded in the course of just nine days – often affording superb views in memorable landscapes and perfect viewing conditions. The undoubted personal highlight was the sound and sight of Desert Tawny Owls haunting a remote Judean wadi in the Dead Sea, a reward earned by a freezing night’s car camping. Black Bush Robins, Syrian Serins and a field of ten confiding Sociable Lapwings were all strong contenders in a trip filled with quality and quantity of birds and places from start to end. All pictures are by Henry Cook -­‐ www.flickr.com/photos/8327273@N08/albums Hooded Wheatear (Eilat Mountains) White Pelican (Beit She’an Valley) Palestine Sunbird (Dead Sea) II. Target Species The target list was ambitious and comprised the following species, including two extreme rarities – Red-­‐billed Teal and Bateleur – that were wintering in Israel during our visit. The absence of other species is explained by the birds I was able to see during my first trip in March 2015 – however due to the enormous success of our trip, we saw almost every resident and wintering species of note during the trip: Yelkouan Shearwater; Brown Booby; Red-­‐billed Teal; Eastern Imperial Eagle; Black Francolin; Demoiselle Crane; Sociable Lapwing; White-­‐tailed Lapwing; Siberian Gull; Desert Tawny Owl; Pallid Scops Owl; Oriental Skylark; Asian Dunn’s Lark; Finsch’s Wheatear; Kurdish Wheatear; Long-­‐billed Pipit; Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit; Richard’s Pipit; Siberian Stonechat; Caspian Stonechat; Black Bush Robin; Cyprus Warbler; Asian Desert Warbler; Daurian Shrike; Syrian Serin; Sinai Rosefinch; Pine Bunting; Striolated Bunting; Indian Silverbill; Nanday Parakeet. Before my arrival, Henry targetted Hermon specialities such as Crimson-­‐winged Finch, Red-­‐fronted Serin and Radde’s Accentor but all three were ultra rare this season; he did get quality birds such as Alpine Accentor and Western Rock Nuthatch, all of which are detailed in the list at the end. Our trip overall was an extraordinary success. We failed to locate either Bateleur or Red-­‐billed Teal, in spite of over six attempts at the latter, a single Demoiselle Crane at the Hula Valley, a single Kurdish Wheatear on Mount Gilboa and we learnt that some target species, such as Pine Bunting, can no longer be considered regular birds in Israel. In summary, the following list of quality species seen explains why Israel is probably the prime winter birding destination in the Western Palearctic: Brown Booby; White Pelican; Western Reef Heron; Pygmy Cormorant; Black-­‐winged Kite; Eastern Imperial Eagle; Greater Spotted Eagle; Steppe Eagle; Pallid Harrier; Saker Falcon; Black Francolin; Sand Partridge; Common Crane; McQueen’s Bustard; Sociable Lapwing; White-­‐eyed Gull; Armenian Gull; Baltic Gull; Siberian Gull; Great Black-­‐headed Gull; Crowned Sandgrouse; Spotted Sandgrouse; Namaqua Dove; Desert Tawny Owl; Pallid Scops Owl; Lillith’s Owl; Syrian Woodpecker; White-­‐throated Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Little Green Bee-­‐eater; Pale Crag Martin; Bar-­‐tailed Lark; Bimaculated Lark; Oriental Skylark; Blackstart; Finsch’s Wheatear; Basalt Wheatear; Mourning Wheatear; Hooded Wheatear; Long-­‐billed Pipit; Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit; Siberian Stonechat; Caspian Stonechat; Black Bush Robin; Asian Desert Warbler; Streaked Scrub Warbler; Graceful Prinia; Clamorous Reed Warbler; Arabian Warbler; Cyprus Warbler; Arabian Babbler; Palestine Sunbird; Sombre Tit; House Crow; Fan-­‐tailed Raven; Brown-­‐necked Raven; Tristram’s Grackle; Indian Silverbill; Dead Sea Sparrow; Syrian Serin; Desert Finch; Sinai Rosefinch; Striolated Bunting. III. 2016 Notable Species This section outlines the very latest on some of the most exciting species we targeted and saw during our trip, including information on rare specialities such as Black Bush Robin, Desert Tawny Owl and Syrian Serin. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Two birds have spent the winter at North Beach, Eilat, where as usual they appear glued to a series of buoys on the Jordanian side of the bay (29.529313, 34.980573) and are best viewed from the North Beach car park (29.546662, 34.970819). We located one individual. Early mornings seem to be a productive time for most species at North Beach. Red-­‐billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha NS This extreme Western Palearctic rarity has graced the Arava since last winter. In spite of muddying its credentials by breeding with a female Mallard, and producing four hybrid young, research has found no evidence of any Red-­‐billed Teal in captivity across the Middle East. The first WP record since 1956, we made extensive attempts across four days to see the bird. The main site has been Hatzeva Field School Sewage Pond (30.779997, 35.244703). The bird is supposed to fly in around 13:00 and does not roost here. Its secondary site has been the Idan Sewage Ponds (30.803957, 35.311125). Several searches of both failed to find the species. In addition, we found two more water bodies where the bird can go in this landscape. One is the Hatzeva Village Sewage Ponds (30.766635, 35.288774), and another is a large ephemeral reservoir N of Idan Ponds (30.818335, 35.330709), close to the Jordanian Border. All the Mallard, Teal and Shoveler in the region roost at this latter site. Even in spite of finding all possible water-­‐sources, we still failed to see the bird, in spite of its being seen once during our visit. We remain confused how a duck, accustomed to water, can vanish into the desert. UPDATE – bird being seen regularly in March 2016. Great Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga As with my spring trip, the Beit She’an Valley proved a good site for the species, with 1-­‐2 seen at Tirat Zvi Fishponds (32.404742, 35.531210) and a sub-­‐adult over Mount Gilboa at KM 4.3 (32.501611, 35.429177) – a regular winter roost site for this globally rare eagle. A third sub-­‐adult was observed over the petrol station between Beit She’an and the West Bank checkpoint (32.414734, 35.492393). Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis A surprise of the trip was no fewer than eleven eagles drifting low through the Eilat Mountains, from the track to Amram’s Pillars (29.652379, 34.936035), marking the very start of the Israeli spring, on our last day, in January. It’s worth noting that this site afforded excellent views of birds passing through the valley and might be worth adding to a list of sites from which to observe migrating raptors in spring. Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca The famous power-­‐lines running east from the village of Urim, in the Negev, carve through a bare, agricultural landscape that forms the winter steppe replacement for a range of exciting eastern species, such as Saker Falcon, Imperial Eagle and Sociable Lapwing. We gained superb views of an adult and 2nd calendar year bird, by driving the track (31.281366, 34.567531), E from the main road running south from Urim. Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus NS Since the summer, a long-­‐staying Bateleur has attracted the attention of birders from across the region. It remains faithful to the large areas of wooded farmland around Gol’on, but can range widely and has been known to cover 10 kilometres in a day. A watch-­‐point is essential and in January that place has been the hill of Tel Zafit (31.703654, 34.846637) where the bird was last reported on 6 January. Having left this species to the last day in favour of a more comprehensive birding trip, we were beaten by impenetrable fog and strong winds. In good conditions, watching from Tel Zafit will command a wide view of the area where the Bateleur has spent the last six months. Saker Falcon Falco cherrug We located two Saker Falcons, including superb views of one sub-­‐adult bird on a pylon, at the Urim site, where the line of pylons came close to a small copse of tamarisk growing in the arid farmland (31.283986, 34.578441). The species perches on pylons in the absence of tall trees and should be easy to find and approach via a series of driveable tracks. Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus Due to increasing agricultural intensification, this species is now threatened as its fallow habitats vanish (per Avner Rinot). There are two main sites where the species can be encountered – the Hula and Beit She’an Valleys. We found 2 birds at dusk on the SE margin of the Agamon Hula Reserve (33.101496, 35.623396), adjacent to the small pumping station. With their summer habitat of herbaceous vegetation yet to grow, the francolins were calling from reedy ditches in fields, from which they emerged on tape playback. Another excellent site is the large area of fallow farmland below date palms, immediately N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (32.463143, 35.552840). Perhaps due to the cold, no birds called at dawn during our visit. The wider valley, including similar fallows below date palms around Sde Eliyahu (32.441790, 35.519536), are also good, but be aware this species is only vocal at dawn and dusk and can be extremely secretive. McQueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii For the second year running, we obtained excellent views – this time of a clearly bonded pair – in the Ezuz Desert at Nizzana. Drive S from Nizzana on the road to Ezuz, parking just beyond the KM7 post (30.824996, 34.469842). Scan east of here from first light. Due to good habitat protection the small population here appears to be stable. Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius This elegant and critically-­‐endangered bird still winters in the Negev Desert, and the sight of a flock here is far more special, in my view, than some exhausted vagrant back home, and it’s well worth coming to Urim just to see these fragile steppe specialists. Thanks to advice from Barak Granit, we found 10 birds associating with Northern Lapwings in a large ploughed field, below the power-­‐lines running E from Urim, where the fields meet a small copse of tamarisk (31.283986, 34.578441). The birds have frequently this field all winter and are very approachable by vehicle or very slowly on foot. White-­‐eyed Gull Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus This smart Red Sea speciality, here on the very northern edge of its range, was noted at North and South Beach, in Eilat, during our visit. Watching from the car park at North Beach (29.546662, 34.970819) provided at least 10 birds, whilst the buoys viewable from the Dolphin Reef car park at South Beach (29.525544, 34.936125) provided at least three more. Great Black-­‐headed Gull Larus marinus This absolutely stunning species can be located at close range and in a variety of forms, at the Tirat Zvi Fishponds in the Beit She’an Valley. We located 2 birds on the southern ponds here (32.404742, 35.531210), the same site where 15 were present in March 2015. We also located 2 birds at the Kfar Ruppin Fishponds to the north (32.441385, 35.553521). Siberian Gull Larus fuscus heuglini Siberian, or Heuglin’s Gull, is, like a lot of large Larids, close to being considered a species in its own right and has a set of distinctive ID characteristics and breeding range. We did not identify all large gulls at the North Beach, Eilat, but did confirm two sub-­‐adult Siberian Gulls here with three confirmed Caspian Gulls. Watching from the car park at North Beach (29.525544, 34.936125) was productive. Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus The Idan sewage pools in the Arava (30.803356, 35.310474) lie within a far more arid area than the Negev, which was green again during our visit, and consequently draw in both species of desert sandgrouse to drink from 8:30am to 9:15am in January. We located 27 Spotted Sandgrouse here. The first fly-­‐by took place at 8.15 and the birds circled again at 8.45am but did not land. Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus As above, the Idan sewage pools, in the Arava (30.803356, 35.310474), drew in a flock of 11 Crowned Sandgrouse from around 8.50 in the morning. The birds arrive with cast iron regularity here and Oded Keynan recommended 9am as the prime time for drinking. The birds landed but remained wary of the vehicle, so we left them to drink in peace. Namaqua Dove Onea capensis This quietly expanding species of date palm margins eluded us for most of our stay. We did gain flight views of five birds close overhead at Og Reservoir, in the northern Dead Sea, within the West Bank (31.792905, 35.491466). The habitat here looks excellent for Namaqua, which can be a difficult species to see in Israel even within suitable cultivated habitat in the Arava. The birds were coming to drink here by 11:00am. Desert Owl Strix hadorami The earless owl inhabiting the deserts of Israel, Jordan, Egypt and a part of the Arabian Peninsula is not Hume’s Owl Strix butleri, but a species in its own right, Desert Tawny Owl, Strix hadorami. There are believed to be 80-­‐90 pairs in Israel, with most concentrated in the mountains of the Dead Sea. We were entrusted with three sites for the owl, failed at two, but, at a third, located two territorial males and a female, gaining superb views of a male in an ancient wadi. It is usually advisable to use a guide for this species, an option not open to us on this trip. Please note that the use of tape within an Israeli National Park is illegal and also not necessary; that camping is legal only at designated campsites, and be aware of the dangers of driving off-­‐road at night. The sight and sound of these birds in the night desert is spine-­‐tingling and magical. Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei The discovery in 2015 that Pallid Scops Owl is a widespread breeding bird in the date palms of the Dead Sea was remarkable, not least because by the end of the season, Israeli ornithologists were finding 20-­‐40 pairs in single plantations. In retrospect, however, it doesn’t seem that surprising that an owl whose call only carries 6 metres should remain undetected in the West Bank for over a century. On this trip, we considered searching large date plantations like Kalya (31.758906, 35.489751). However, on the ground, we’d advise against this; many plantations are gated, you are in the West Bank, and searching with a spotlight here at night would be ill-­‐advised. We instead searched the peaceful hippy village of Shittim, in the northern Arava, and located a wintering adult in a small Cyprus pine at the far E of the settlement (30.177048, 35.016778). We scoured every tree here but still walked past the bird, which showed incredibly well once found. Desert Little Owl Athene noctua glaux This attractive, sandy race, and possibly species, of Little Owl, was seen well as a traditional site south of the ‘bustard’ viewpoint on the road from Nizzana to Ezuz. Driving south, take the right hand track – not signed to Ezuz – and after less than 1km the lining to the road becomes rocky on either side. One bird was picked out perched up as we drove past (30.798376, 34.470344). Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata This smart lark, rare in winter in Israel, was located with an impressive lark flock at the Urim Fields (31.284013, 34.583849) – see above for more. We found at least two birds together with Calandra, Lesser-­‐short toed, Short-­‐toed, Skylark, Oriental Skylark and Crested Lark. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula This was a high priority during our trip and we encountered a total of at least seven individuals, yet never had rewarding views until the last day. Prior to my arrival, Henry located one in the stubble fields bordering the southwest end of the Agamon Hula (33.099511, 35.605559). This overhead bird became typical of our experiences. Henry picked up a second calling with a small group of Skylarks heading over Nahal Tzviya, Mount Gilboa (32.469372, 35.427557), presumably birds from the Beit She’an Valley. We then picked 2-­‐3 individuals in flight at the productive KM76 green desert in the Southern Arava (30.096967, 35.150512). Finally, the South Circular Field at Yotvata (29.892435, 35.074050) yielded excellent views of a further 3 birds, and this probably remains the best site for this real winter speciality. Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsolete Compared to my last visit, when birds had already retreated to breeding territories in the Eilat Mountains, this species was common throughout the trip, hawking over farmland in the Northern Valleys, the Arava and the Dead Sea Region. A particular highlight was a pair nesting within the Ein Gedi Field School (31.450486, 35.382528), where the female appeared to be brooding small chicks on a nest. Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii A localised wintering species of rocky slopes in northern Israel, we had good success with this species at Mount Gilboa. The well-­‐known ‘pipit carpark’ at KM 4.3 on R6666 (32.501372, 35.428895) provided good views of a male on the high slopes above the car park. The following day, searching Wadi Tzviya, on Gilboa, we located at least 2 males and 2 females on the rocky hillsides here (32.470704, 35.431082). Basalt Wheatear Oenanthe lugens warriae This little-­‐known race of Mourning Wheatear inhabits the basalt plains of Jordon and Syria, therefore making it one of the least seen birds in our region. Shirihai has already made the compelling case for this being a subspecies in its own right and future species classification seems possible. In any case, it was a great privilege to see this very smart, all-­‐black bodied form of Mourning Wheatear in the wadi W of the R90 at th
Nahal Hemda, KM94, Northern Arava (30.248598, 35.133859). This was only the 7 record for Israel. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens This is a characteristic species of hillsides and plateaux with scattered rocks, vegetation and low bushes, especially on the Negev Plateau. In winter, however, it appears far easier to see as it moves down to winter in wadis in the Arava Valley. We noted birds primarily in the Northern Arava, including the service road between Idan and Hatzeva (30.791709, 35.295320), and the wadis either side of the road at Nahal Hemda, KM94 (30.249753, 35.135463). Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha This extremely sleek, elegant wheatear can be elusive, with a large territory within steep desert habitats entirely bereft of vegetation. One of st
the trip highlights, therefore, was a ‘tame’ 1 winter male on the track near Amram’s Pillars, Eilat Mountains (29.652379, 34.936035). Like the White-­‐crowned Wheatears here, it appeared right beside us, accustomed to taking seed put down for Sinai Rosefinches, and gave spectacular views. Long-­‐billed Pipit Anthus similis This unobtrusive, low-­‐density breeder on rocky mountainsides can be difficult to locate. The sites are well known on Mount Gilboa, but it’s worth noting that, in two attempts now, the first track beyond KM2 (32.495835, 35.433608), is over-­‐browsed and unsuitable. The slopes below the car park at KM 4.3 remain prime. We gained excellent views of a pair feeding on the rocks below (32.501068, 35.429942) which they flew over 300m towards a small quarry, another favoured site overlooking the road. We found a further male at Wadi Tzviya, also on Mount Gilboa (32.470704, 35.431082). Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit Anthus similis japonicus The smart race of Buff-­‐bellied Pipit, japonicus, is extremely rare in most of the Western Palearctic and the Beit She’an and Arava Valleys offer the best places to see these in Israel. Thanks to advice from British birder Frank Moffatt, we had excellent views of one bird at the Tirat Zvi Fishponds on a freshly-­‐drained pan in the north of the complex (32.422016, 35.538038). The trick with pipits here is to follow the drainage of the pans; the more freshly drained, the higher the chances of pipit flocks visiting to feed. We located a further 1-­‐2 individuals in flight, alongside water pipits, at the KM76 green desert in Southern Arava (30.096967, 35.150512). Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus We made a real study of all the stonechats seen during our stay, taking images and comparing each to the set of features for Common, Siberian and the two races of Caspian well outlined by Garner. In the north of the country, the vast majority of stonechats were European. We found a probable adult male maurus along our ‘stonechat track’ in the Beit She’an Valley, between Sde Eliyahu and Kfar Ruppin (32.449557, 35.530069). In the Arava, we photographed a confirmed male, with black underwing coverts, at KM76 R90 (30.096967, 35.150512), and this site alone yielded a further 4 confirmed maurus. Caspian Stonechat Saxicola maurus hemprigii Caspian Stonechat seems an excellent candidate for its own species and is certainly very striking in the field. Having failed to locate any around the Agamon Hula Reserve, we were lucky to photograph and study two birds – an adult male and 1st winter male – along our ‘stonechat’ track SW of Kfar Ruppin (32.449557, 35.530069). The adult male showed very large areas of white in the wing but the diagnostic feature was around 50% white within the black tail itself, a feature shared with the 1st winter male. We did not see any Caspian-­‐type stonechats further south. As a rule, it seemed that this winter, perhaps typically, Caspian was confined to the Northern Valleys, whilst Siberian was mostly confirmed within the Arava Valley. Black Bush Robin Cercotrichas podobe This classic spring rarity in the Arava Valley just became a resident. In 2015, after a good spring, three pairs bred in the Arava Valley, two of them in acacia scrub at the Yotvata Hai-­‐Bar Reserve – a zoo for Arabian animals with the prospect of future reintroduction. As the birds are just the other side of the visitor centre, specifically around the ‘Predator Centre’, you do not need to pay for the safari and the lady at the reserve very kindly allowed us in for free. We’d recommend giving a donation, as the premise behind the centre is to repatriate lost Israeli mammals and birds. Two of the 4-­‐8 birds still present showed very well here (29.846352, 35.030155). Wintering is a very rare event and could well herald the start of colonisation -­‐ an exciting prospect. Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana Like its African counterpart, this charismatic ghostly little warbler thrives only in the scantest vegetation, less than 20cm in height; any higher and it appears to be out-­‐competed or replaced by other species. Recently the recommended site to see this wintering bird in Israel has been the Meishar Plateau, a military firing range where we had little success, felt uncomfortable, and saw no birds. This year, the wadis either side of the road at Nahal Hemda, KM94, Northern Arava (30.249753, 35.135463) held at least 5-­‐6 birds, which showed well, some following crested larks as well as, more characteristically, desert wheatears. Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomelaena Very few field guides go out of their way to mention that a bird can vanish without trace, yet Arabian Warbler specialises in suddenly not being there. Having had to try for six hours in March, we returned to one of the best sites in Israel, the Nahal Gidron, just north of Hatzeva. Here at dawn we immediately located a pair in the tallest and densest of acacias, with the male singing softly when a female arrived in the same bush (30.792694, 35.268115). 2-­‐3 territories are active here, with still around 15 pairs in the wider Sheizaf-­‐Northern Arava. Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax This species is prone to good and bad years, where it winters in the wadis of the Dead Sea and in smaller numbers in the Northern Arava. This was a bad year. What few reports mention is how elusive and specialised the species is. It seems to be associated exclusively with stands of dense, fern-­‐like bushes within wadis, where it flies between them, rarely sings and sits invisible and stationary at the bottom of bushes. We heard one bird at in the most densely vegetated area of Wadi Mishmar in the Dead Sea (31.380083, 35.365588). In an identical type of bush, we heard another at the Nahal Hemda, KM94, R90 and gained excellent flights views on our second attempt (30.248934, 35.135215). Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica This introduced species has made itself at home in the cultivated fringes of date palms in Israel. Having failed to find it around the Eilat or Yotvata Date Palms in 2015, we targeted the very reliable Og Reservoir in the northern Dead Sea. Here we found what seem to be a resident flock of birds adjacent to a Palestinian vineyard being tilled (31.785849, 35.497335). Potentially Og looks like a smaller and more reliable site for both Namaqua and Silverbill than those further south. Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus Since the days of publication of Shirihai’s A Guide to Birding Hot-­‐spots of Northern Israel, the large numbers of Dead Sea Sparrow described as breeding in the Beit She’an Valley, have declined as a result of tamarisk removal (per Avner Rinot). We found the species invariably associated with tamarisks, often spotting last year’s nests and then the birds. A small flock was located within the south-­‐west side of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (32.455328, 35.555485), another at the west margins of the entrance to Tirat Zvi Fishponds (32.423804, 35.532356). Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus This very rare, enigmatic and range-­‐restricted bird breeds only in Syria, Jordan and the very north reaches of Israel, where it’s locally common on Mount Hermon from May. Birds leave here to winter in the Negev, where, as Yoav Perlman points out, they disappear by early March and seemingly vanish for nearly 2 months before arriving to breed just 100km to the north. Likewise, they often elude birders as they roost in desolate little stands of trees on this cold desert plain. Traditional sites have been very much out of use in the last few years, so this is one species where the local advice of birders can be invaluable. Thanks to Jonathan Meyrav, we arrived at the Nahal Arischa (30.659829, 34.799555) at 16:30. Bang on cue, six Syrian Serins arrived to roost in excellent light, showing for just fifteen minutes before dropping from the dead tree tops to roost and becoming invisible. From Mitzpe Ramon, drive N and take the R171. Immediately there is a vineyard on the right. Walk towards it and wait beside the very obvious stand of six dead-­‐topped trees growing on their own. This ephemeral moment was certainly a highlight of the trip – a fragile little flock in a vast desert. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsolete For the second time, the Arava Valley proved a good site to catch up with this enigmatic bird. We located a roosting bush of at least 15 individuals driving through greenhouses, N from the road to Hatzeva, on the rock-­‐marked track N towards Nahal Gidron – at 30.771992, 35.271639. Later in the trip, we located a smaller flock of around 10 birds perching openly, with some males singing, on the irrigation pivots at the South Circular Field at Yotvata (29.892435, 35.074050). Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus Together with the Syrian Serin, Sinai Rosefinch comprises another Middle Eastern endemic accessible only in Israel and the less-­‐visited Jordan. As anyone familiar with the literature will know, there are two main sites to see the species. In the Dead Sea, Wadi Salvadori can provide an excellent site for both this species and Mountain Bunting. Park at 31.484025, 35.397259 and walk west into the wadi – further directions are available on other sites. In the Eilat Mountains, where the species is resident, the traditional site of Amram’s Pillars was having an excellent winter, with food put down for birds below a steep rock face c.700m before the car park (turn off R90 heading S only at 29.626811, 34.987611 – site at 29.632714, 34.939858. We therefore fed Nairn’s oakcakes to one of the world’s most localised species, enjoying a total of 12 birds beside our car and a further 4 at the pillars itself. Note that the peak feeding time is 08:30 in January, after which birds disperse. Pine Bunting Emberiza leucosephalos NS We dedicated a morning to a comprehensive search of former sites used for wintering in Israel by Pine Bunting. Please note that now, this is no longer a regular wintering species in Israel, with just 1-­‐2 birds recorded each winter and none in 2015-­‐16. Once, flocks of Yellowhammers would contain a ratio of 1:15 Pine Buntings, but those days are gone. We extensively searched the pistachio orchards at Birya, Gallilee (32.989109, 35.505491), those north of the ghost village of Alona Habashan, in the Golan (33.060736, 35.843577), and the pool and valley around the lower car park at Mount Hermon (33.306223, 35.770393). Not only did these once prime sites fail to yield the species, but we saw just one Yellowhammer, the carrier species. Save time and don’t search for PB in Israel during your trip. Striolated Bunting Emberiza striolata More so than Sinai Rosefinch, Striolated Bunting is usually confined to the rocky places of the Dead Sea, having declined and become very rare in the Eilat Mountains most years. As a result it can be very hard to see and the contrast in habits to its House Bunting cousin could not be more stark. Wadi Salvadori (31.484025, 35.397259) seems to almost guarantee sightings but fortunately we gained superb views of a flock of eight birds beside the road leading to the small Dead Sea settlement of Mitzpe Shalem (31.559316, 35.401316). IV. Time Planning We carefully scheduled a nine-­‐day plan that would combine targeting specific species with second and sometimes third attempts at our most wanted species. Naturally this changed daily throughout the trip, but it would our ability to time-­‐plan well that led to us seeing almost every Israeli resident and wintering species sought after on the trip. In essence, we worked our way from the very north, on Mount Hermon, to the very south, at Eilat, then across westwards to Tel-­‐Aviv. The first stay, on arrival, was Tel-­‐Aviv city. Date Site 10 January 2016 (Sunday) Night Beit She’an Hostel Galilee: Birya Orchards (7:45-­‐09:15) Golan Heights: Alonei Habashan (10:00-­‐10:30) Mount Hermon (11:00-­‐13:00) Agamon Hula Reserve (14:00 – 17:00) 11 January 2016 (Monday) Night Beit She’an Hostel 12 January 2016 (Tuesday) Night camping, Dead Sea Region Beit She’an: Kfar Ruppin North (06:00-­‐06:45) Beit She’an: Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (06:45-­‐07:40) Beit She’an: Kfar Ruppin Village (07:45-­‐08:15) Beit She’an: Mount Gilboa Main (09:45-­‐11:30) Beit She’an: Wadi Tzviya, Gilboa (11:30-­‐14:00) Beit She’an: Kfar Ruppin Fields (14:30-­‐15:30) Beit She’an: Tirat Zvi to Sde Eliyahu (15:45-­‐17:00) Beit She’an: Kfar Ruppin Ring. Station (06:30-­‐7:15) Beit She’an: Tirat Zvi Fishponds (07:30-­‐11:30) Beit She’an: Wadi Tzviya, Gilboa (12:00-­‐14:00) Dead Sea: Mitzpe Shalem (16:00-­‐17:00) Dead Sea: 3 Confidential Sites (18:00-­‐23:00) 13 January 2016 (Wednesday) Night B&B Midreshet Ben Gurion Dead Sea: Confidential Site (04:30 – 06:00) Dead Sea: Nahal Mishmar (06:15-­‐08:45) Dead Sea: E in Gedi Field School (09:15-­‐09:45) Dead Sea: Og Reservoir (12:00-­‐12:30) Dead Sea: Ein Tamar Reservoir (13:30-­‐13:45) Negev: Yeruham Lake (15:30 – 16:00) Negev: Nahal Arischa (16:20-­‐17:00) Target or Notable Species Seen Syrian Woodpecker Syrian Woodpecker Sombre Tit, Long-­‐legged Buzzard Black Francolin, 40,000 Common Crane, Pygmy Cormorant, 500 Glossy Ibis, Black-­‐winged Kite, Armenian Gull, White-­‐breasted Kingfisher, 50 Red-­‐throated Pipit Clamorous Reed Warbler Pied Kingfisher, Great Black-­‐headed Gull Dead Sea Sparrow Long-­‐billed Pipit, Finsch’s Wheatear, Spotted Eagle Finsch’s Wheatear, Chukar Caspian Stonechat, White Pelican Pallid Harrier White Pelican Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit, Dead Sea Sparrow, Spotted Eagle, Citrine Wagtail, Great Black-­‐headed Gull, Marsh Sandpiper, Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican Finsch’s Wheatear, Oriental Skylark Striolated Bunting, Pale Crag Martin, Blackstart, Tristram’s Grackle -­‐ Desert Tawny Owl Trumpeter Finch, Spectacled Warbler Fan-­‐tailed Raven, Blackstart, Pale Crag Martin, Tristram’s Grackle, Palestine Sunbird Indian Silverbill, Namaqua Dove, Little Green Bee-­‐eater Little Green Bee-­‐eater Arabian Babbler, Pygmy Cormorant Syrian Serin 14 January (Thursday) Night Hatzeva Field School, Arava Negev: Ezuz Desert (07:00-­‐09:30) Negev: Urim Fields (11:00 – 13:30) Negev: Sde Boker (13:45 – 14:00) Negev: Meishar Plateau (15:15 – 16:45) 15 January (Friday) Night Hatzeva Field School, Arava 16 January (Saturday) Night Little Prince Hostel, Eilat Northern Arava: Nahal Gidron (06:40 – 07:20) Northern Arava: Idan Sewage Ponds (07:45-­‐08:30) Northern Arava: Hatzeva Field School (09:15 – 10:00) Northern Arava: Hatzeva Sewage Ponds (10:30-­‐11:35) Northern Arava: Idan Sewage Ponds (12:00-­‐12:30) Northern Arava: Nahal Hemda (KM94) (13:00 – 15:00) Northern Arava: Shittim Village (15:30 – 17:00) Northern Arava: Hatzeva Field School (06:30) Northern Arava: Nahal Gidron (06:45-­‐07:20) Northern Arava: Hatzeva Sewage Ponds (07:45-­‐08:10) Northern Arava: Idan Sewage Ponds (08:15-­‐09:15) Northern Arava: Idan-­‐Hatzeva Road (09:30) Northern Arava: KM95 Wadi (11:30-­‐12:30) Northern Arava: Nahal Hemda (KM94) (12:40 – 13:30) Southern Arava: KM76 Green Desert (14:00-­‐16:00) 17 January (Sunday) Night Hatzeva Field School, Arava Red Sea: Eilat North Beach (06:30-­‐07:30) Eilat Mountains: Amram’s Pillars (08:30-­‐10:30) Southern Arava: Yotvata Hai-­‐Bar (10:30-­‐11:30) Southern Arava: Yotvata S Circ. Field (13:00-­‐14:00) Southern Arava: KM76 Green Desert (14:15-­‐15:00) Northern Arava: KM93-­‐94 Wadi (15:20-­‐16:00) 18 January (Monday) Northern Arava: Hatzeva & Idan (16:30-­‐17:00) Go’lan: Tel Zafit (08:00-­‐10:00) Tel Aviv: Jaffa Port (11:30-­‐13:00) McQueen’s Bustard, Lillith’s Owl, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Chukar, Arabian Babbler Sociable Lapwing, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Saker Falcon, Long-­‐legged Buzzard, Merlin, Bimaculated Lark, Calandra Lark, Lesser Short-­‐toed Lark -­‐ Trumpeter Finch, Brown-­‐necked Raven, Spectacled Warbler, Blackstart Desert Finch, Palestine Sunbird, Blackstart Pale Crag Martin Sand Partridge, Palestine Sunbird Little Green Bee-­‐eater Sand Partridge – whole morning search for R-­‐B-­‐Teal Basalt Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler, Mourning Wheatear, Spectacled Warbler, Bar-­‐tailed Lark Pallid Scops Owl Eastern Black Redstart Arabian Warbler -­‐ Crowned Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse Mourning Wheatear Bar-­‐tailed Lark, Asian Desert Warbler, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Mourning Wheatear Basalt Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler Siberian Stonechat, Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit, Oriental Skylark, Isaballine Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch Brown Booby, Siberian Gull, White-­‐eyed Gull, Western Reef Heron, Tristram’s Grackle, House Crow Sinai Rosefinch, Hooded Wheatear, White-­‐crowned Wheatear, Steppe Eagle, Blackstart, Sand Partridge, Trumpeter Finch, Desert Lark, Little Swift, Pallid Swift Black Bush Robin, Arabian Babbler, Palestine Sunbird Oriental Skylark, Siberian Stonechat, Desert Finch Oriental Skylark, Siberian Stonechat, Asian Desert Warbler, Spectacled Warbler Cyprus Warbler, Basalt Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler, Bar-­‐tailed Lark Clamorous Reed Warbler -­‐ nd
Shag (2 for Israel); Baltic Gull; Siberian Gull V. Transport & Navigation Myself and Henry took separate flights with Easyjet from Manchester and London Luton to Tel-­‐Aviv. As usual, we chose to use Budget Car Rental and to take out a separate insurance policy to cover aspects like Collision Damage Waiver. Transport within Israel is extremely straightforward compared to other Middle Eastern countries with less well-­‐developed infrastructure. A small country, travelling around is easy with few difficult roads except if you choose to off-­‐road in desert regions such as the Dead Sea, where care must be taken, especially at night. Petrol is expensive and service stations infrequent, especially around the Dead Sea, a point worth bearing in mind if low. We had pre-­‐
programmed the free App, MapsMe, with all our GPS points, and used this as a fantastically good self-­‐contained sat-­‐nav for the trip. With regular WIFI access at hostels, we were able to update the App with new locations as new gen was sent to us during the trip. VI. Accommodation, Food & Culture Use of standard sites like Booking.com ensured we had found excellent accommodation for low prices before leaving the UK. However, especially in the Northern Arava, we are very grateful to Oded Keynan for recommending the Hatzeva Field School, a great source of local gen and a warm welcome for this sparsely-­‐populated part of the country. Food is excellent where you find a small cluster of restaurants. Ironically, it is the service stations that provide the most amazing food, a rich variety of salads, pastas, burgers and great coffee. The find of the trip, however, was the phenomenal Shipudei Hakikar in Beit Sh’ean – a Kosher spectacle of salads, chips and kebabs that really sum up the best of Israeli food. Our second night in this northern town was partly conditioned by the birds but deep down, returning here must have been at the back of our minds after a long day in the heat. Remember, petrol, restaurants and hotels are relatively sparse – so plan well beforehand. The Israeli people are uniquely direct, which can at first impressions appear quite abrupt, but delve any deeper and they are invariably kind and extremely happy to help in whatever way they can. VII. Birding Scene & Contacts The Israeli birding scene is more similar to that of western countries, particularly the UK and Netherlands, in terms of the quality of coverage and regular use of pagers and the internet, general awareness of conservation issues and unlike most other Middle Eastern countries, a total absence of persecution of birds on migration. There is a close knit and well-­‐established network of expert birders in Israel. Although the most famous is undoubtedly Hadoram Shirihai, those birders most helpful to visiting birders on a daily level are Jonathan Meyrav, Amir Ben-­‐Dov, Oded Keynan, Barak Granit, Itai Shanni and Yoav Perlman, currently based in the UK. Through the help of these people, both maintaining the superb IsraBirds website (http://www.birds.org.il/en/index.aspx) and giving direct advice over the phone, we were able to locate several rare species such as Syrian Serin and Sociable Lapwing. Good use of this site beforehand, and the respectful cultivation of the Israel birding community, will pay dividends in a country where the birding is in a state of constant change. Birding stop on the highway to Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) VIII. Daily Notes th
10 January 2016 (Sunday) Having met Henry Cook the evening before, we grabbed an excellent meal of beef’s tongue in Tel Aviv before hitting a hostel on the seafront. The following morning, we headed off to begin our search for Pine Buntings. 06:25-­‐07:45 Tel Aviv to Birya, Galilee Hooded Crow, 2 Cattle Egret, 5+ Black Kite, 2 Common Myna on lampposts 07:45-­‐09:00 Birya Fortress Orchards, Galilee (32.989267, 35.505185)
Traditionally, north and central Israel have been regular wintering sites for Pine Bunting, and even as an outside chance with less than annual reports, we decided to visit the last regular site in the country, and arrived at the mist-­‐filled pistachio orchard of Birya, which had a distinctly European flavour as flocks of finches moved through the trees. We located no pine buntings nor their carrier species, yellowhammers, but did see 6 Sardinian Warbler, 2 Yellow-­‐vented Bulbul, a pair of Syrian Woodpecker, 15 Brambling, 80-­‐100 Chaffinch, 2 Black Redstart, 2-­‐3 Jay of the Middle Eastern race (attricapillus), 2 Chukar heard only, 1 Scandinavian Chiffchaff (xxx) and 1 Black Kite. On the descent from the orchard, a roost of 50+ Black Kite were hanging on the trees and just taking flight. 10:15-­‐10:30 Alonei Habashan Orchards, Golan Heights (33.060770, 35.843541) We drove on towards the Syrian border, always slightly on edge as we entered the eerie calm of the bird-­‐less Golan heights with its farmland growing wild and crumbling rusty missile turrets. The eerie quiet and minefield signs denoted a complete absence of human life here, matched only by a total silence from the birds. As we ascended a small rise, we looked down into Syria. Far from the chaos of war, all we saw was a totally desert village and the silence was quite profound. Not a single dog or vehicle moved on the vast plain below us. Just another pair of Syrian Woodpecker and a Kestrel were seen. 11:00–12:00 Lower Pool, Mount Hermon (33.306004, 35.770095)
From misty orchards to the Syrian border we now climbed into Israel’s equivalent of the Alps. At a drinking pool by the lower car park, crunching through snow, we failed to locate any of the species like Pine Bunting or Red-­‐fronted Serin that once frequented these wooded montane hills in winter. We did however gain excellent views of 2 pairs of Sombre Tit in the breaking sunshine. 12:30 Upper Mount Hermon (33.310369, 35.772094)
We drove a little higher towards the top car park, swamped with people. Over the mountains we obtained good flight views of Long-­‐legged Buzzard and a colony of 50 House Sparrow were present in the car park. Further down, another flock of Chaffinch and Brambling were flying down from the small trees to drink the snow-­‐melt, but the birding was dead, so we decided to write off the far north and head towards the Agamon Hula, one of Israel’s best known treasures. 13:00 Neve Ativ, Golan Heights (33.260841, 35.755214) A brief pull in at a site where Henry had found Western Rock Nuthatch yielded superb views of a perched adult Long-­‐legged Buzzard. 14:00 -­‐17:30 Agamon Hula Reserve (33.106744, 35.601349)
Israel is normally busting with birds, in both abundance and variety, so our morning had been atypical in many ways. The afternoon would rescue this spectacularly as we arrived at one of the Western Palearctic’s most famous birding sites, Agamon Hula. We hired a bike at the small visitor centre and set off around the reserve. Almost immediately, a few fields crammed with 40,000 wintering Common Cranes, one of the largest winter gatherings for this species on Earth. Common Crane, Spoonbill and Spur-­‐winged Plover at Agamon Hula Reserve. As we cycled around the reserve in the cool afternoon sun, the birdlife spectacle was immense. Right beside the tracks, 1-­‐2 Black-­‐winged Kites hunting just feet away were particularly special, along with abundant White-­‐throated Kingfishers. The lake and environs held 20 Shelduck, 5+ Shoveler, 100+ Wigeon, 20+ Teal, 5 Little Grebe, 7 Pygmy Cormorant, 5 Cattle Egret, 2 Great Egret, 3 Little Egret, 1 Spoonbill over, a wall of 500 Glossy Ibis fronting the cranes, 50 Black Kite, 5 Marsh Harrier, 1 Steppe Buzzard, 50 Avocet, 10 Black-­‐tailed Godwit, Ruff, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, 30+ Spur-­‐winged Plovers along the paths, 100+ Armenian Gulls, 2 Graceful Prinia, 2 Cetti’s Warbler and 5 Scandinavian Chiffchaff. The fields surrounding the reserve were just as rich. Although we did not see the Oriental Skylark seen in flight by Henry the day before, we did find a mixed flock of 50 Red-­‐throated and 3 Meadow Pipit, Crested Larks, several Stonechat, 6 Swallow of the race transitiva, 2 confiding Hoopoe, 4 Laughing Dove and 1 Common Kingfisher beside us. It was a strange afternoon, as in between the deafening bugling of the cranes, the vast impacts of bombs being dropped in Syria shuddered across the valley. With evening fast setting in, the race was on to find one of our most prized targets. At the far eastern end of the reserve, we eventually heard the calls of 2 Black Francolin (33.101722, 35.623158). We had expected to find these in herbaceous vegetation but in winter, with none of this, the birds were using long reedy ditches. We watched a White-­‐spotted Bluethroat as we waited, and soon enough, a pair appeared at the margin of a field, affording excellent views as they flew overhead. With the light fading, we raced back on our bikes as lines of cranes and pygmy cormorants flew in to roost. We then drove south to Beit Sh’ean, where the day improved further when, totally famished, we discovered the true joy of Kosha food at the Shipudei Hakikar, where endless salads, humous plates and chip magically replenished themselves alongside kebabs and beer. A varied day, from the highest point in the country, to the eerily quiet Syrian border and a sea of cranes. th
11 January 2016 (Monday) 06:00-­‐06:45 N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (32.461913, 35.552221)
At first light we headed to Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz for another search for Black Francolins. In cool conditions, we neither saw nor heard any birds, but the admirably scruffy farmland, date palms and reedy ditches yielded a roost of 50 Black Kite, Graceful Prinia, 5 Great Egret, 1 Clamorous Reed Warbler, 100 Pygmy Cormorant over, 60-­‐100 Spanish Sparrow, 2 Black-­‐winged Stilt, 2 Kestrel and 2 White-­‐breasted Kingfisher. 06:50-­‐08:00 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (32.450758, 35.556325) As we headed south through the kibbutz, what emerged at the fishponds was a spectacle that summed up the diversity and density of Israeli winter birding. Over 60 Pied Kingfishers were everywhere; one wire heaved under 18 of them, whilst others appeared to be trapped within the nets placed over fish tanks. We wondered if they could escape and the birds hanging from wires suggested that these common birds are collateral damage in the fishing operation here. 3 Purple Herons afforded superb views stalking below the nets to catch fish. A vast array of other birds included 28 Black Stork, 50 Great Egret, Cattle Egret, 1 Night Heron, 2 White-­‐breasted Kingfisher, 1 Common Kingfisher, 2 Great Black-­‐headed Gull, 100+ Armenian Gull, 1 adult Caspian Gull, 4 Marsh Harrier, 100+ Black Kite, 5 Spotted Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and backlit lines of Pygmy Cormorants weighing down telegraph wires. South of the ponds, the land dropped away towards the Jordan Valley. These fallow grasslands, teeming with bee-­‐eaters in summer, held a South Grey Shrike and a Hoopoe, whilst a small stand of reeds held 2-­‐3 Penduline Tits. Pied Kingfisher, Pygmy Cormorants and Black Kite around Kfar Ruppin (Beit She’an Valley) 08:00-­‐08:30 Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (32.456431, 35.553497)
We drove back through the Kibbutz to find Henry Dead Sea Sparrow, a species declining, like our house sparrow, as its tamarisks are removed to tidy up. We immediately found 2 with around 20 Spanish Sparrows so headed back for breakfast. Leaving to the north we noted several Jackdaw, a White Stork and 2 Middle-­‐eastern Jay. 09:45-­‐10:30 Mount Gilboa – KM 2.6 (32.495690, 35.433485) We headed out of the fertile valley up to Gilboa, where I had first searched for Long-­‐billed Pipits on the rocky slopes last March. We started off further down the mountain, around KM2.6 on the R666. There was a lot of browsing here by goats, and we didn’t find Long-­‐billed Pipits or really feel they were here. We did see 2 Southern Grey Shrike, 2 Palestine Sunbird, 2 Black Redstart, 13 Corn Bunting, Sardinian Warbler, Graceful Prinia and a soaring sub-­‐adult Great-­‐spotted Eagle. 10:40-­‐12:00 Mount Gilboa – KM 4.3 (32.501462, 35.430162)
The rocky slopes below the car park here remain excellent for Long-­‐billed Pipit, but they can be fiendish to find. If birds are not singing, you are talking 1 pair, 2 at most, quietly walking around on the ground, occasionally perching on rocks. During our search, the most striking finds were a pair of Golden Jackal, beautiful animals, and a few small groups of Mountain Gazelle. One cluster of bushes buzzed with 20 Palestine Sunbird chasing one another. Yellow-­‐vented Bulbul were everywhere. Eventually after an hour we located a smart pair of Long-­‐billed Pipit on the slopes, which then flew half a mile towards their quarry, perhaps a breeding site for this enigmatic species of the Middle Eastern treeline. From the car park, Henry picked up a smart Finsch’s Wheatear on the rocks above and we also had a male Blue Rock Thrush. 12:15-­‐13:45 Mount Gilboa – Nahal Tzviya (32.469458, 35.427775)
We headed up the mountain further and walked down through Wadi Tzviya, looking down into the entire Beit She’an Valley. The target was a wintering Kurdish Wheatear. Israeli directions aren’t always the best – we didn’t find it. We did however find a smart female Finsch’s Wheatear, 2 Black Redstart, 6 Chukar, whilst Henry had an overhead Red-­‐throated Pipit, 1 Long-­‐billed Pipit and 2 Corn Bunting. 14:15-­‐15:00 Sde Eliyahu to Kfar Ruppin, Beit Sh’ean (32.449557, 35.530069) The Beit Sh’ean Valley is well-­‐known for its wintering passerines, so having failed to find the wintering Kurdish Wheatear that would become a bane of the trip, we headed back towards Kfar Ruppin, stopping to scan the field margins. Within half an hour, we located an adult male and st
1 winter male Caspian Stonechat, a striking species. In addition, 15 White Pelican passed close overhead, as well as 40-­‐50 Swallow, 1 Steppe Buzzard, 4 Red-­‐throated Pipit and 1 Zitting Cisticola. We then drove into the Kibbutz where we met with the extremely kind and helpful David Glassner, who pointed us in the direction of a few local species and gave us excellent directions for pipits at the fishponds. African’ Swallow (H.r.transitiva), Caspian Stonechat (S.m.hemprichii) and Red-­‐throated Pipit – Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 15:15-­‐16: 15 Tirat Zvi Kibbutz Area, Beit She’an (32.420094, 35.531638)
We headed south to try and get to the Tirat Zvi Fishponds but instead hit a series of locked fences and never got there in time. Even so, the margins of the kibbutz were still alive with birds, including 100+ Black Kite, draped on a beam, a flock of Spanish Sparrow, a point-­‐blank view of a Syrian Woodpecker on a tree beside the car, and returning towards Sde Eliyahu, an Osprey was closely followed by a ghostly male Pallid Harrier that drifted right across the road as it got dark. At various points, elongated Egyptian Mongooses ran across the road. 16:25-­‐17:00 Kfar Ruppin Area, Beit She’an (32.450930, 35.541520)
We returned to the south of Kfar Ruppin, via Sde Eliyahu, to search for Indian Silverbills. We didn’t see any but did find an adult Peregrine Falcon on pylons, and a Common Snipe. We returned to our favourite Kosha joint, adding a Barn Owl in the town itself as we left. th
12 January 2016 (Tuesday) 06:30-­‐07:15 Kfar Ruppin (Tel Saharon) Ringing Station, Beit She’an (32.449581, 35.541851)
We reached the ringing station at dawn, one of the best sites in northern Israel for the enigmatic colonist that is the Indian Silverbill. We didn’t see any but the area teemed with birds as always, including 64 White Pelican drifting close overhead, 300+ Black Kite roosting, 2 Red-­‐throated Pipit over, 2 Clamorous Reed Warbler heard, 1 Zitting Cisticola, 3 Graceful Prinia and 2 pairs of Palestine Sunbird. Black Kites gather on pivots at dawn, and White Pelican – Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 07:15-­‐08:30, 09:15-­‐11:30 Tirat Zvi Reservoirs, Beit She’an (32.405648, 35.535489)
As with my last visit, these reservoirs absolutely hooched with birds and the experience was a bit overwhelming at times with a vast range of waders, passerines, gulls, water-­‐birds and raptors. Henry and I headed down to the south-­‐west tip, where the drying out pans are often the key magnets for pipits. During our-­‐pre breakfast and post breakfast visits, we notched up in total: 50+ Spur-­‐winged Lapwing, 50+ Lapwing, 100 Ringed Plover, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Kentish Plover, 150 Little Stint, 3 Temminck’s Stint, 1 Wood Sandpiper and 1 elegant Marsh nd
Sandpiper. Over 500 Black Kite and 20 Marsh Harriers hunted the ponds alongside a few Ospreys and a 2 calendar year Great-­‐spotted Eagle. There were 300-­‐400 Armenian Gulls, 1 confirmed Caspian Gull, 1 Slender-­‐billed Gull and 4 Great Black-­‐headed Gull, including an adult coming into summer plumage. We were able to pull the car up right alongside 20 White Pelican, which took off in typical slow-­‐motion. Over 500 Pygmy Cormorant were joined by 60 Black Stork and 1300 or so Glossy Ibis, alongside many Great Egrets. As usual there were numerous Pied and White-­‐throated Kingfishers. In tamarisks at the far north-­‐west entry point we came across a further 15 Dead Sea Sparrow. Oddly it was a smaller, browner bird we were specifically looking for. Having searched the south-­‐west corner of the reservoirs and found only Water Pipits, we drove north to the centre of the reservoir complex, where a few of a small series of pane were drying out. Here we found our target in the form of an Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit alongside several water pipit. With a successful morning had, we headed back to Mount Gilboa for another shot at the Kurdish Wheatear. Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit, Citrine Wagtail and ‘Caucasian’ Water Pipit (A.s.coutelli) – Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 12:00-­‐14:00 Mount Gilboa – Nahal Tsvia (32.469458, 35.427775)
Having failed to reach Avner Rinot, the birder who had found a single Kurdish Wheatear in the vast valley of Nahal Tsvia, stretching down Mount Gilboa, it was never likely that we would locate this species. In a further two hours searching the rocky mountainside, we found at least 2 male and 2 female Finsch’s Wheatear, 2 Crane flew over, whilst Henry had an Oriental Skylark overhead and a Long-­‐billed Pipit. In addition there was the usual backdrop of Southern Grey Shrike, Graceful Prinia, Black Redstart and Yellow-­‐vented Bulbul whilst 2 White Pelican were seen at range on the otherwise birdless Re’shafim Ponds below. With a lot of travel ahead, we began the transformative drive from Northern Israel, with its Mediterranean valleys and mountains, down towards the Dead Sea. As before, we passed into the West Bank and the entire feel of the place transforms entirely, becoming infinitely poorer and more desolate, with acre after acre of greenhouses and palm plantations. Eventually we dropped and dropped until we were driving along the Dead Sea, and reached the turning for the small Israeli settlement of Mitzpe Shalem around 16:00. 16:00-­‐17:00 Mitzpe Shalem, Dead Sea Region (31.559262, 35.401537 / 31.565959, 35.400067)
The whole landscape was now desert and the birds changed abruptly. One of the real Dead Sea specialities gave itself up immediately in the form of eight Striolated (Mountain) Buntings, which afforded excellent views feeding by the roadside. It seems strange how what was one ‘half’ of the species, House Bunting, has become tied entirely to civilisation in North Africa, whilst this species has gone the other way; inhabiting the most remote of desert mountains. 2 Blackstart and a White-­‐crowned Wheatear were reminders of the changed birdlife here. We headed up into the wadi, noting Pale Crag Martins and 2 typically confiding Tristram’s Grackles. As the sun set, we headed off to begin our searched for the most prized species of the massive dry canyons in the Dead Sea – the Desert Owl. Striolated Bunting and Pale Crag Martin – Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea) 18:00-­‐23:00 Dead Sea Region Henry and I had come well prepared with excellent information on Desert Owl, a species first observed well by Hadoram Shirihai, having first been known of since the time of the Bible. However it was a cool night as we reached our first watch point. Watching the sunset over the vast desert valleys was itself spectacular, as were the stars, but there was total silence. We headed off to a second site. This was adventure birding – a long off-­‐road drive, dodging boulders in the full beam, took us to the top of a yawning canyon. It was just above freezing and a strong wind was blowing – then the haunting four-­‐note call of the owl started bouncing off the canyon walls. Try as we could, we didn’t just fail to see the bird – the sound was impossible to pinpoint as it bounced around. After a few initial calls, what more, the calling died down. Left with just a ten mile canyon, we decided to try our third site. We then drove back to the road and south again, before embarking on another risky off-­‐road drive that tested our Hyundai to the limit as we got it across several perilous dry river beds. The site itself was amazing – in the headlights, the cathedral walls of the canyon lit up were memorable in their own right. We didn’t hear any birds, and almost delirious with fatigue, headed back to camp in the car at the site where we had heard the birds. It was a freezing night and we got little sleep. th
13 January 2016 (Wednesday) 03:45-­‐05:00 Dead Sea Region Forcing ourselves out into the freezing dark at 3.30am, we immediately heard the owl once again. As we stalked along the top of the canyon, we realised that the birds were calling below us in their typical, sheer rock wall habitat. There were at least 2 males and 1 female, so we felt optimistic. Each time we appeared to close in, however, the calls drifted away from us. Suddenly, one male called right beside us. Henry got the bird with the flashlight – and there were the red eyes and white face of one of the region’s least seen birds. The owl looked at us for a minute then drifted right down across the canyon, all lit up in the torch – then it just faded away into obscurity again. Totally elated, and our car camping gamble having paid off, we headed out with the entire day still ahead of us. 05:30am – dawn in the Dead Sea Mountains – land of Desert Tawny Owls 06:00-­‐09:00 Nahal Mishmar, Dead Sea Region (31.380749, 35.383141)
We arrived as the sun was starting to light up the mountains of the Dead Sea, turning them red. The wadi east of the road, on the Dead Sea side, was largely dead – we found just 3-­‐4 Sardinian Warblers. The western side, with more acacia trees and denser bushes, was much more productive, with 4 Blackstart, 2 male Spectacled Warbler, 3 pairs of Palestine Sunbird, 2 Southern Grey Shrike and all in one place, a flock of 50 curious Tristram’s Grackle, their orange wings glowing in the sun against the mountains, summed up the eerie magic of the Dead Sea. The landscape here can’t have changed since the Bible and it felt pretty special. Our target– Cyprus Warbler – was only heard briefly. These seem to exclusively frequent a dense green bush, with yellow flowers, and prove almost impossible to see. A brief return stop here at 13:00 would yield just 2 Desert Lark. 09:15-­‐09:45 Ein Gedi Field School, Dead Sea Region (31.450486, 35.382528) With reports of a Kurdish Wheatear at the field school, we headed north to explore one of Israel’s strange oases – another little settlement with watered green lawns and flower gardens in stark contrast to the desert mountains all around. Here we found 20 Fan-­‐tailed Ravens and the green lawn in the school itself held ‘tame’ Blackstarts and Tristram’s Grackles, whilst a pair of Pale Crag Martin glided straight into the building where the female sat on a mud nest elegantly built into the eaves. In car park outside were a pair of Palestine Sunbird. Having been up far too early, we took on a lot of coffee and food at the services at Kalya, at the north end of the Dead Sea, and rested for a while as temperatures rose to above thirty degrees for the first time in our trip. Fan-­‐tailed Raven, Tristram’s Grackle and Palestine Sunbird – Ein Gedi Field School (Dead Sea) 12:00-­‐12:30 Og Reservoir, Dead Sea Region – West Bank (31.792905, 35.491466) We arrived at the date palm plantations around Og and almost immediately saw our only Namaqua Doves of the trip as five flew overhead from where they had been drinking at the reservoir. 8 Little Green Bee-­‐eaters glowed in the sunshine as they hawked the edge of an acacia grove, and we also had 1 Ring-­‐necked Parakeet, 4 Spur-­‐winged Plover and 2 Graceful Prinia. Back in the plantation, some Palestinian men were grubbing out a small vinyard and the contrast between their tractor and bonfire and the hi-­‐tech world of Israeli farming was rather noticeable. Here (31.785849, 35.497335) we found a 5+ Dead Sea Sparrow and around 10 Indian Silverbill, which were dropping out of bushes and into the vinyard to feed around the fire. 13:00-­‐12:30 Ein Tamar Reservoir, Dead Sea Region (30.990624, 35.362394) With reports of White-­‐tailed Lapwing earlier in the month, we began our long drive south to the Negev, making a small detour towards Ne’ot Hakkikar, famous for its Nubian or Tamarisk Nightjars. We didn’t see the lapwing but the pans held 200 Teal and around 60 Shoveler, 12 Black-­‐
winged Stilt, 1 White-­‐breasted Kingfisher and 7 Little Green Bee-­‐eaters. 14:30 KM120, R25, Dead Sea Region We began the steep ascent from the Dead Sea, over 420 metres below sea level and, as all the signs had kept reminding us, Earth’s lowest elevation on land. As we reached the boulder-­‐strewn slopes further up, we spotted from the car a brief male Mourning Wheatear, 2 Brown-­‐
necked Raven and a Persian or Caucasian Ground Squirrel. 15:30-­‐16:00 Yeruham Lake, Negev Region (30.989666, 34.898118)
Henry was keen to try for African Swamphen at the lake. Beforehand, neither of us had done much reading on the species, and only afterwards did we learn from Yoav Perlman that the species is probably extinct here, but was, in all probability, introduced here in the first place. At this lake, busy with fishermen, we saw our first Arabian Babbler, a Great Egret and a Pygmy Cormorant. 15:30-­‐16:00 Nahal Arischa, Negev Region (30.659829, 34.799555) We had been frantically trying to reach Jonathan Meyrav all trip to ensure we were able to react to the changing roost sites of one of the world’s least known birds, the Syrian Serin. Jonathan had kindly narrowed our search area to just a few trees. On arrival, the scorching heat of the Dead Sea had given way to a cool wind – the Negev is a cold place. Almost immediately, somewhat to our disbelief, 6 Syrian Serins dropped into a small stand of trees in the desolate desert. For around ten minute,s these birds, a species we will probably never see again, afforded superb views before dropping down to roost. It was a strange sight in a day that had begun and ended with two of the region’s least known birds – an unforgettable day in the Middle East. We hit vast salads and grilled haloumi at Ein Avdat before crashing at a B&B in Sde Boker, having not hit a pillow or any real sleep in 48 hours. Syrian Serins, one of the world’s most restricted and enigmatic species – Nahal Arischa (Negev) th
14 January 2016 (Thursday) 07:00-­‐07:30 Ezuz Desert, Negev Region (30.824996, 34.469842)
One of the highlights of my March trip was the surreal sight of wild McQueen’s Bustards running around and inflating their head feathers with no idea where they were going. Henry had never seen this or any bustard species, so this was our first priority. Within minutes, we found what were cleared a bonded pair of McQueen’s Bustard. The site held a typical range of passerines including 2 Desert Wheatear, 2 Isabelline Wheatear, 1 Arabian Babbler, 2 Brown-­‐necked Raven and a probable Siberian Stonechat. We then drove south briefly to the Nahal Ezuz but Henry hadn’t seen Pin-­‐tailed Sandgrouse so we headed to the K’siot Ponds in case they were coming in to drink. 08:15-­‐08:45 K’siot Sewage Ponds, Negev Region (30.893526, 34.436927) As with my last visit, the desert was green and there were belts of vegetation everywhere. Drinking pools only function when sandgrouse have nowhere else to drink. In this case, they had the whole desert, so we didn’t see any. The ponds held a good range of birds including 3 chasing White-­‐spotted Bluethroats, 3 Short-­‐toed Lark, 20 Ruff, 10 Spur-­‐winged Plover and Southern Grey Shrike. 09:00 Ezuz Road, Negev Region (30.798376, 34.470344) With the ponds sandgrouse-­‐free, we drove south again from Nizzana towards the Nahal Ezuz to search for Streaked Scrub-­‐warbler. As we passed a small stand of rocks here, I picked out a Lillith’s Owl perched neatly on top of a rock. There was also a covey of 10 Chukar. 09:15-­‐09:30 Nahal Ezuz, Negev Region (30.797256, 34.464383)
Streaked Scrub Warbler and Desert Wheatear – Ezuz Desert (Negev) Henry and I drove down into this large dry river bed, which, during my March visit, had teemed with migrants. We played a little tape at a site where we’d found Streaked Scrub-­‐warbler in 2015, and within about 3 seconds a smart male popped up right beside us. There was also a Hoopoe here, and with the day going excellently we headed off towards the fields of Urim in good time. 11:00-­‐13:30 Urim Fields, Negev Region (31.281366, 34.567531) From the harsh desert and sand dunes, the landscape changed yet again as we neared Urim and a sudden wealth of agricultural fields sprang up. This artificial steppe forms an important wintering ground for real steppe breeding birds like Sakers and Sociable Plovers. The drive along the track here (31.281366, 34.567531) was almost immediately productive. A pale Steppe Merlin (pallidus) shot low right past nd
the car. 2 Eastern Imperial Eagles – an adult and 2 calendar year – came drifting right towards us and overhead. A tiny bit further on, an adult Saker Falcon gave excellent views on a pylon before taking flight. Thanks to Barak Granit, we knew of the ploughed field in which Sociable Lapwings had been spending the winter (31.283986, 34.578441). It took a while to pick them out hiding in the furrows with around 100 Lapwings, but eventually the birds took flight and landed close to another track. Using the car as a hide, we drove slowly up to them and enjoyed great views of this ornate and critically threatened species of the steppe. Eastern Imperial Eagle, Long-­‐legged Buzzard and Sociable Plovers – Urim Fields (Negev) Just one field further on, the emphasis shifted from large to small steppe species as we bumped into a large flock of larks (31.284013, 34.583849). In amongst over 150 Skylark, we found 10 or more Calandra Lark, 2 confirmed Bimaculated Lark (rare in winter), several Lesser Short-­‐toed Lark, 3 Short-­‐toed Lark, 10 Crested Lark and best of all, an Oriental Skylark with its distinctive head-­‐pattern, a ‘woodlark-­‐skylark cross’. After what had been an incredible run of birding over the last 36 hours, we headed off to the Meishar Plateau, noting a Green Sandpiper on a roadside stream before we left. 14:30-­‐14:30 Sde Boker, Negev Region (30.879389, 34.793673)
We made a brief stop at a site where I’d seen 2 singing Desert Finch in March 2015. We didn’t find any but there were 10 Spanish Sparrow. 15:30-­‐16:45 Meishar Plateau, Negev Region (30.389140, 34.952752)
I didn’t have much luck on this military bombing range last time, and we didn’t have much this time either. It was cold – it was windy. The quiet threat of being bombed remained. The birds remained largely invisible. The Meishar is well known as a wintering site for species like Asian Desert Warbler, but a brief detour off the R40 onto a military road yielded just 2 Desert Wheatear, 15 Trumpeter Finch, 2 Desert Lark, 1 Southern Grey Shrike, 1 Brown-­‐necked Raven and Spanish Sparrows. The scrub by the Monument, by the road just north of here, held a Spectacled Warbler, and the Nahal Yaham, just south, yielded only a Blackstart. We couldn’t quite understand how there were so few birds here, but nothing could spoil a day of iconic desert birds and prized visitors from the steppe. Looking at our itinerary, we decided to stay a second night at Sde Boker, ready to begin birding the Northern Arava the following dawn. th
15 January 2016 (Friday) 06:40-­‐07:00 W of Hatzeva Field School, Arava Valley (30.771992, 35.271639) We dropped off the Negev Plateau and down into the Arava Valley for first light. We passed the Hatzeva Field School and then drove through a maze of greenhouses towards the Nahal Girdon to search for Arabian Warbler, a species Henry hadn’t yet seen in the Western Palearctic. Passing through the greenhouses, a small bush was alive with 15 Desert Finch, including a smart pink-­‐winged male, which seem to use communal roosts in a similar way to House Sparrows. Male Desert Finch – NW of Hatzeva Field School (Northern Arava) 07:00-­‐07:20 Nahal Gidron, Arava Valley (30.782727, 35.263898)
A short search for Arabian Warbler at our March 2015 site failed to produce the species in some of the best old acacia forest left in Israel. This dry riverbed valley did hold a Palestine Sunbird, a Blackstart, a Bluethroat and a Brown-­‐necked Raven. 08:00-­‐08:30 Idan Pools, Arava Valley (30.803356, 35.310474) We then commenced our search for one of the rarest birds ever to be recorded in the region – a vagrant Red-­‐billed Teal from central Africa. Infuriatingly it had been reported the day before, for the first time in months, so we thought our chances of finding it were fairly assured, given the tiny number of water bodies in the region. We started our search at the Idan Pools, also a reliable site for drinking sandgrouse. We saw neither sandgrouse nor teal but had 20 Spanish Sparrow, 3 Pale Crag Martin, 1 Bluethroat, 30 Eurasian Teal and 2 Common Snipe. At 12:30, a repeat stop back here found, in addition, 4 Sand Partridge and 3 Little Green Bee-­‐eater. 09:00-­‐09:45 Hatzeva Field School, Arava Valley (30.779988, 35.244693)
We headed back to Hatzeva Field School where the Red-­‐billed Teal had been reported yesterday. After some complex directions via the telecom at the field school gate, we found the tiny pond that the bird had been frequenting. Just a single Wigeon was bobbing around and 4 Eurasian Teal took off. The wider area held our first covey of 16 Sand Partridge, 3 Palestine Sunbird, 1 Hoopoe and 1 Graceful Prinia. 10:00-­‐11:35 Hatzeva Sewage Ponds, Arava Valley (30.766336, 35.288807) Having found no Red-­‐billed Teal at either Idan or Hatzeva Field School, we cast around for other open-­‐water bodies in the area and went to the main sewage ponds near Hatzeva Village. Yet again there was no sign of the teal, but other quality birds included 9 ‘tame’ Little Green Bee-­‐
eaters feeding around the fenceline, 6 Spur-­‐winged Plover, 1 Water Pipit, 2 Spanish Sparrow, 2 Bluethroat, 1 Blackstart and 1 Green Sandpiper. Still teal free, we continued to work our way around the prior water bodies, but the African vagrant could not be found. Little Green Bee-­‐eater, and male and female Sand Partridge – Hatzeva Region (Northern Arava) 12:30 KM 109.5, R90, Arava Valley A brief roadside pull-­‐in provided a Long-­‐legged Buzzard on a roadside pylon and 2 Brown-­‐necked Raven.
13:00-­‐15:00 Nahal Hemda, KM 94, Arava Valley (30.248598, 35.133859) The low vegetation in the dried river beds, either side of the road at KM Marker 94, was proving to be a hotspot for wintering passerines. Amongst the most intriguing of all Middle Eastern birds is one racing from ‘race’ to species, the Basalt Wheatear. One of the world’s most range restricted birds, it is currently seen as a subspecies of Mourning Wheatear, but is largely black, and inhabits only the black basalt plains of Jordan. Within half an hour of arrival, we gained superb views of this ultimate enigma and, with its distinct markings and range restriction, an excellent candidate for a species in its own right. The wadi here was alive with birds. In the very shortest bushes, where life barely seemed possible, we saw our first Asian Desert Warbler st
flitting around – in this case, following 2 Crested Larks, as it usually does for desert wheatears. There was an adult and 1 winter male Mourning Wheatear, a Spectacled Warbler, 1 female Desert Wheatear, 1 Brown-­‐necked Raven, 3 Pale Crag Martin and 2 Bar-­‐tailed Lark in the sandiest and stoniest areas of the wadi closer to KM95. A Cyprus Warbler was heard calling from the same yellow-­‐flowered bushes we had heard one in whilst in the Dead Sea – but again it remained entirely invisible. As with all Middle Eastern birding, a lot of life can be concentrated in just a small space, even one that seems utterly inhospitable to most people. Basalt Wheatear (O.l.warriae) and Bar-­‐tailed Lark – Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 15:30-­‐17:00 Shittim Village, Negev Region (30.177048, 35.016778) Israel is a country of strange refuges, perhaps not surprising given the history of its people. Few are stranger or somehow nicer than the unpleasantly named village of Shittim in the southern Negev. Having decided against risking our life searching private West Bank plantations at night for Pallid Scops Owl, it was time to hunt down another enigma of the Middle East, and we’d been told there was one roosting in a ‘small number’ of trees at the hippy village of Shittim. We arrived to wind chimes, eucalyptus and exotic alluring women in togas, but tried to stay focused and find the owl. Henry and I scoured the large number of trees with no luck. Finally, one of the hippy elders pointed out the general direction of where others had seen the bird. And there, in a single pine tree, swaying in the desert wind, was a Pallid Scops Owl – its sandy bark-­‐coloured camouflage, as with all scops owls, really incredible. It looked down crossly at us with lemon-­‐green eyes and like most of my first encounters with owls, was a magical experience in a memorable place. We then headed back to Hatzeva Field School for the night, briefly barricaded by the most comically irate security man we’d ever encountered, who fired Hebrew at us for 20 minutes before quietly accepting that we already had a pair of keys to our room. th
16 January 2016 (Saturday) 06:15 Hatzeva Field School, Arava Valley (30.774451, 35.238944)
The hunt for the duck was back on. The phrase ‘like a duck to water’ evidently doesn’t apply to Red-­‐billed Teal, because over the next day we’d search pretty much every body of water in the Northern Arava for it without success. We woke up at first light and found a probable Eastern Black Redstart around the compound. We found we were locked in, but eventually the charming security man woke up and decided he should probably let us out. 06:40-­‐07:00 Nahal Gidron, Arava Valley (30.792694, 35.268115)
Having spoken to my friend Oded Keynan, we headed back to the Nahal Gidron where, at almost the first mature stand of acacia we visited, we found the critically endangered Arabian Warbler. The male hopped quietly through the tree until a female flew in, at which point he burst into song. Having spend 6 hours hunting this bird in 2016, it was another token of our amazing fortune on this trip. A speciality of the acacia forest, Arabian Warblers are now one of Israel’s rarest birds within under 20 pairs left in the country. 07:45-­‐08:10 Hatzeva Sewage Ponds, Arava Valley (30.766336, 35.288807) A return visit on the teal hunt provided 2 Little Green Bee-­‐eater, 2 Bluethroat and 2 Common Snipe. 08:20-­‐09:15 Idan Pools, Arava Valley (30.803356, 35.310474) Having spoken to Oded Keynan the night before, we realised that the prime window for drinking sandgrouse was a little after 8.45, so we arrived at the pools a little before, and waited – there was a Blackstart and 2 Desert Lark. Soon, the bubbling call of sandgrouse – that ultimate desert bird – carried on the air, and soon after 27 Spotted Sandgrouse made a circuit of the ponds but did not land. A little later, 11 Crowned Sandgrouse flew in and landed, and we gained excellent scope views as these cryptic pigeonoids ventured to the water to drink. 09:30 Idan to Hatzeva Service Road, Arava Valley (30.791709, 35.295320) Driving south along the desert roads, we picked up an adult male Mourning Wheatear right beside the road here. We had a typically excellent haloumi salad breakfast then stopped briefly around KM98 to search for Dunn’s Lark, a bird that seems to love the places humans hate; dusty blasted desert. We saw no birds at all. Spotted Sandgrouse, Arabian Warbler and Mourning Wheatear – Idan Sewage Ponds, Nahal Gidron and Hazteva (Northern Arava) 11:30-­‐12:30 Nahal Hemda, KM 95, Arava Valley (30.254186, 35.134522)
We continued our search for Dunn’s Lark around the northern end of the Nahal Hemda. As with yesterday, we didn’t see the species but there was a good range of birds here, including 1 Mourning Wheatear, 1 Bar-­‐tailed Lark, 2 Asian Desert Warbler, 1 Crested Lark, a pair of Streaked Scrub Warbler and 1-­‐2 Spectacled Warbler, in addition to a probable maurus Siberian Stonechat. 12:40-­‐13:30 Nahal Hemda, KM 94, Arava Valley (30.248598, 35.133859) We returned to this extremely productive site to see if we could see Cyprus Warbler or find Dunn’s Lark. It’s impossible to explain quite why wintering Cyprus Warblers are so hard to see, but our bird remained firmly hidden in its single yellow bush. We did get an excellent range of birds including the Basalt Wheatear, superb views of 2 Asian Desert Warbler, 2 Spectacled Warbler, 2 Southern Grey Shrike, 2 Desert Wheatear and 1 Sardinian Warbler. 14:00-­‐16:00 N of Yahel, KM76, Arava Valley (30.098247, 35.148723)
A month before arriving in Israel, we’d heard great things about ‘KM76’ and on arrival it was clear why; it was an area of extremely green desert with bushes in an otherwise barren landscape. Rather than being irrigated by pivot fields, the vegetation seemed to be natural. After several ‘probables’, we eventually confirmed a smart male Siberian Stonechat beside the car, photographing the diagnostic black underwing as he flew. The bushes here were excellent for the species, with a further 4 confirmed birds seen here (male left). Flushing up from the verdant short grass, we saw 7 Water Pipit and Henry’s owl ears picked out the call of an Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit flying with them. In strong winds, we had 2 Oriental Skylark calling as they flew over, a flock of 14 Trumpeter Finch, 1 Southern Grey Shrike, 3+ Bluethroat, 1 Corn Bunting and Henry had an Isabelline Wheatear. 8 White Wagtails were probably migrants; some of the bird of the spring. After some delays we headed south to Eilat where, after days the vastness of the Negev Fields and the Dead Sea’s canyons, the dazzle of neon was rather different, but the food remained excellent on our penultimate night in the country. th
17 January 2016 (Sunday) 06:30-­‐07:35 North Beach, Eilat, Red Sea (29.525544, 34.936125) Even with its unappealing town centre, there’s still a certain buzz to getting up pre-­‐dawn in Eilat, on the verge of the Red Sea, with a full day ahead – and this day was going to prove exceptional. At the North Beach car park, we scanned the calm sea and in the distance picked up a rather sad Brown Booby. The most underwhelming bird of the trip, the poor thing had wire entangled in its feet and looks fairly miserable stuck on its red buoy towards the Jordanian side of the bay. A good range of other birds seen here included at least 2 confirmed subadult Siberian Gulls (L.f.heuglini), 3 confirmed Caspian Gulls, 1 Slender-­‐billed Gull, 10 smart White-­‐eyed Gull, 2 white-­‐phase Western Reef Heron, 1 Great Egret, 10 House Crow, 2 Spur-­‐winged Plover, Tristram’s Grackle, 1 Greenshank and 1 Ring-­‐necked Parakeet. House Crow, Western Reef Heron and Spectacled (Yellow-­‐vented) Bulbul – Eilat (Red Sea) 08:30-­‐10:00 Amram’s Columns, Eilat Mountains (29.652379, 34.936035) From Red Sea coast, we headed to seek out another of the Middle East’s most restricted species. Sinai Rosefinches breed only in desert mountains almost entirely free from vegetation in Israel, Jordan and Sinai, Egypt, so seeing them in Israel is by far the easiest option. As we drove towards the natural stone columns, the desert landscape became starkly beautiful with red rock hills and the odd dead tree baking in the sunshine under a blue sky. What began was then a parade of birds in scenic places; the kind of composite you’d expect to find on the front cover of The Birds of Israel. Beside the car, 300m before the car park for the Pillars, seed had been put down, and 12 Sinai Rosefinches were feeding right beside us. Henry took great delight in feeding sandwiches to one of the world’s hardiest and most localised birds. Here too, glowing in 30 degrees of sun, was a White-­‐crowned Wheatear, a Desert Lark of the race annae, a Blackstart and a Palestine Sunbird. It was a regret that no males were present of the rosefinches, as there is quite a difference between a fawn-­‐coloured female and a crimson-­‐red male whose colours match the rock. We headed to the pillars themselves, natural sandstone columns weathered away over time to resemble a kind of Pagan Temple. Sand Partridges look scenic perched on the rocks here and we had 2 Little and 10 Pallid Swifts screaming over. Hooded Wheatear, Desert Lark and White-­‐crowned Wheatear – Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) We stopped again down the valley. Suddenly a large raptor appeared, and then another. In all, what followed was the very first movement of birds in the Israeli spring – a total of 12 Steppe Eagles drifting through the mountains heading for Kazakhstan and Mongolia; more than I had seen during my visit in March. It seemed fitting that the last day of our winter trip should herald the start of spring. There were Trumpeter st
Finches here and to complete an amazing stop, a 1 winter male Hooded Wheatear appeared about three feet away to take seed. Birds of a desert landscape: from left, Sand Partridge, Blackstart, Sinai Rosefinch – Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) 10:30-­‐11:30 Hai-­‐Bar Reserve, Arava Valley (29.846352, 35.030155) Black Bush Robins are ‘the’ classic spring rarity in Israel and one I’d missed during my last visit. The news that breeding birds had subsequently wintered was encouraging, and a lady, learning we were birders rather than zoo visitors, kindly let us into this strange captive-­‐breeding facility in the desert. Henry and I wandered around looking at Arabian Wolves, Caracels and Pharaoh Eagle Owls, and reading about planned rewilding schemes in Israel with interest and some sadness that we’re so far behind on this in the UK. Soon after, an adult Black Bush Robin (left), with its startlingly long tail, appeared on the path and gave amazing views hopping around – a new addition to Israel’s native birdlife. The birds here were good – we had a female Palestine Sunbird building a nest within a captive enclosure; 2 Arabian Babbler, 1 Scandinavian Chiffchaff, 1 ‘tame’ Red-­‐spotted Bluethroat and several Pale Crag Martins. After an amazing morning we lunched at Yotvata. 12:30 – 14:00 Yotvata South Circular Field, Arava Valley (29.892435, 35.074050) Filled up, we reached the circular fields, irrigated by pivots, feeling positive. Walking through a stubble field in what should be a desert is always a strange experience. Almost immediately we flushed 2 Oriental Skylark. They continually flew and landed invisibly, but eventually, after several attempts, we gained really superb view of this subtlely distinctive Israeli speciality in the scope as they wandered around in the field. 30 Red-­‐throated Pipit showed well, 6 Desert Finch sang on the pivot beams and we found a Siberian Stonechat and Corn Bunting here. 14:15-­‐15:00 N of Yahel, KM76, Arava Valley (30.098247, 35.148723)
We returned here to search for a wintering Steppe Grey Shrike that had eluded us on previous visits. In calmer conditions that yesterday we didn’t find it, but extensive walking around the Jordanian Border fence – quietly hiding our binoculars when guards drove past on the other side – provided 2 flushed Oriental Skylark, 1 Southern Grey Shrike, 3 Siberian Stonechat, 1 Asian Desert Warbler following a Desert Wheatear, 3 Bluethroat and 5 Spectacled Warbler. 15:10-­‐15:30 Nahal Hemda, KM 93, Arava Valley (30.243652, 35.140470)
We knew by now that this was a lucky day, so tried for a final time to see Dunn’s Lark and Cyprus Warbler. Stopping just short of the Nahal Hemda at the above GPS, I immediately saw a small dark Sylvia drop into a bush. Each time it took flight it looks suitably dark and mottled, but it wasn’t until Henry and I closed in that at least a smart male Cyprus Warbler flew past us just a few feet away. Back out in the Nahal, our day list of the rare and special grew with the Basalt Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler and Bar-­‐tailed Lark. 16:15-­‐17:00 Hatzeva Field School, Arava Valley & Area (30.774451, 35.238944)
We had thought that our luck would even get us the Red-­‐billed Teal, so we headed north to Hatzeva yet again. Predictably, this desert-­‐
vanishing duck was having none of it, but we heard Clamorous Reed Warbler and found 3 Black-­‐winged Stilt. We searched the Idan Ponds when we met a local at dusk, who pointed us in the direction of a vast body of water that we’d overlooked close to the Jordanian Border (30.819586, 35.331250). Here at dusk, we bumped along a dusty track until we found a vast ephemeral reservoir covered in 100s of Eurasian Teal and Shoveler. Convinced the bird would be amongst these, we stayed the night at the Field School ready for the following dawn, after what had been an incredible showcase of winter birds in southern Israel. th
18 January 2016 (Monday) 06:15-­‐06:45 Idan Reservoir, Arava Valley (30.819586, 35.331250) At first light we bumped our way to the Jordanian Border once again and below us were a sea of ducks in the desert. Amongst over 100 Eurasian Teal and Shoveler, we scanned each bird several times in a final attempt to find the Red-­‐billed Teal. Beaten yet again we conceded defeat. We consoled ourselves with the idea the duck had been eaten or died from lack of water. We were wrong; in March 2016, it resurfaces at Hatzeva again and is still showing well there as I write. We then headed off towards Go’lan to search for another more captivating rarity in the form of a Bateleur. 08:30-­‐11:00 Tel Zafit Watchpoint, Go’lan (31.703654, 34.846637) Yesterday’s luck was going to be hard to beat, and after an unbelievable escape by the teal, thick fog and a bitterly cold wind closed in as we drove towards Tel Aviv. Our careful plan, to use a prominent hilltop to scan for the wintering Bateleur were rendered useless. In walk around a cool foggy hill-­‐fort that felt more like Spain in winter, we found numerous Black Kites, Cattle Egrets, Hoopoe, a Long-­‐legged Buzzard, Graceful Prinia and a range of other species, but the fog killed our chances of enjoying this other enormous Israeli rarity. In hindsight, spending such little time searching may seem like a mistake, but from the off we always felt that this trip was not a twitch, but a chance to catch up with birds rare and endemic within Israel and those that typify its remarkable range of habitats. One for another time. 12:15-­‐13:15 Jaffa Port, Tel-­‐Aviv, Mediterranean Sea (32.055115, 34.751393)
With a gale blowing, we saw one opportunity to redeem the day and headed to Tel Aviv early for a sea-­‐watch, completing the range of birding experiences that started in snowy mountains and continued in a range of deserts. On arrival, there was a howling onshore wind, so we felt confident of seeing Yelkouan Shearwaters that had been recorded offshore in large numbers in the past few weeks. The day was determined to stop us, and we only realised the best bird seen here when we got home. It was a Shag, of the Mediterranean race – an unremarkable bird nd
for us, but only the 2 record for Israel! Aside from this national monster, we saw several Sandwich Terns, Baltic Gulls, Cormorants but very little else. After an incredible ten days, Henry and I headed to the airport and promised another trip before too long. X. Species List For GPS references and further site information, please refer back to main report. The list includes distinct subspecies widely argued for as candidates for future species in their own right. 1. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 2. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 3. Gadwall Anas strepera 4. Northern Pintail Anas acuta 5. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 6. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 7. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 8. Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus 9. Chukar Alectoris chukar 10. Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi 11. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 12. Brown Booby Sula leocogaster 13. Cormorant Phalarocrocorax carbo sinensis 14. Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmeus 15. Mediterranean Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii 16. Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 17. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 18. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 19. Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis 20. Little Egret Egretta garzetta 21. Great Egret Egretta alba 22. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 23. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 24. Black Stork Ciconia nigra 25. White Stork Ciconia ciconia 26. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 27. Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 28. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
29. Black-­‐winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 30. Black Kite Milvus migrans 31. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 32. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 33. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 34. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 35. Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus 2 at SE end of Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 2 heard Birya Fortress Orchards (Gallillee) 6 Nahal Tzviya, Mount Gilboa 10 Ezuz Road, Nizzana (Negev) 4 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 16 N of Hatzeva Field School (Northern Arava) 2+ Hatzeva Service Road (Northern Arava) 1-­‐2 Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) 1 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 100+ Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 100 leaving roost, flying over Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 100-­‐200 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) c.500 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Yeruham Lake (Negev) 1 – second for Israel – Jaffa Port (Tel-­‐Aviv) 15-­‐64 over Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 20 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 2 Re’Shafim Ponds (Mount Gilboa) 1 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 2 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 2 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 5 N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 50+ Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 50+ Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Yeruham Lake (Negev) 1 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 3 hunting in fish-­‐nets at Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 28 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 60 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 500+ Agamon Hula Reserve (North) c.1300 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – HC only 2-­‐3 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – superb views Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – HC only 1 adult male Sde Eliyahu (Beit She’an) 1 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 1 Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 36. Long-­‐legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 37. Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 38. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis 39. Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca 40. Osprey Pandion haliaetus 41. Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 42. ‘Steppe’ Merlin Falco columbarius pallidus 43. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 44. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 45. Coot Fulica atra 46. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 47. Common Crane Grus grus 48. McQueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii 49. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 50. Black-­‐winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 51. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 52. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 53. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 54. Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 55. Spur-­‐winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus 56. Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius 57. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii 58. Little Stint Calidris minuta 59. Dunlin Calidris alpina 60. Ruff Philomachus pugnax 61. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 62. Black-­‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 63. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 64. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 65. Greenshank Tringa nebularia 66. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 67. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 1 over Upper Mount Hermon (Golan Heights) 1 perched Neve Etiv (Golan Heights) 1 Urim Fields (Negev) 1 KM109.5, R90 (Northern Arava) 1 Tel Zafit (Go’lan) 1 sub-­‐adult over KM2.6, Mount Gilboa nd
1 2 calendar year, Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 over petrol station N of West Bank Checkpoint (Beit She’an) 12 over Amram’s Pillars (Eilat Mountains) – first passage of the spring 2 at Urim Fields (Negev) 1 Sde Eliyahu (Beit She’an) 3-­‐4 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 male flew past at close range, Urim Fields (Negev) 1 male Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – HC only c.35,000 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 2 over Nahal Tzviya (Mount Gilboa) Pair at KM7.5 in the Ezuz Desert (Negev) 50 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 2 N of kfar Ruppin (Beit She’an) 12 Ein Tamar Reservoir (Dead Sea) 3 Hatzeva Fieldschool Sewage Works (Northern Arava) 4 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 2 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) Common at all wetland sites with notable counts: 30 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 50+ Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 10 K’siot Sewage Ponds (Negev) 10 Urim Fields (Negev) – privileged encounter with wintering flock 3 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 100+ Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Urim Fields (Negev) 1 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 1 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 68. Redshank Tringa totanus 69. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 70. White-­‐eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus 71. Great Black-­‐headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus 72. Black-­‐headed Gull Larus ridibundus 73. Slender-­‐billed Gull Larus genei 74. Baltic Gull L. fuscus fuscus 75. Siberian Gull L. fuscus heuglini 76. Yellow-­‐legged Gull Larus michahellis 77. Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans 78. Armenian Gull Larus armenicus 79. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 80. Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus 81. Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus 82. Feral Pigeon Columba livia 83. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus 84. Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 85. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 86. Namaqua Dove Oena capensis 87. Rose-­‐ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 88. Barn Owl Tyto alba 89. Desert Tawny Owl Strix hadorami 90. Desert Little Owl Athene noctua glaux 91. Pallid Scops Owl Otus brucei 92. Swift Apus apus 93. Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 94. Little Swift Apus affinis 95. Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 96. White-­‐throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 97. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 98. Little Green Bee-­‐eater Merops orientalis 99. Hoopoe Upupa epops 1+ Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 5 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 10 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 2 Kfar Ruppin Fihsponds (Beit She’an) 2 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 3+ Jaffa Port (Tel-­‐Aviv) 3 confirmed at North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 3+ Jaffa Port (Tel-­‐Aviv) 1 Kfar Ruppin Fihsponds (Beit She’an) 3 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 100 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 100+ Kfar Ruppin Fihsponds (Beit She’an) 300-­‐400 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 4+ Jaffa Port (Tel Aviv) 11 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 27 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) Common throughout especially in south 5 over at Og Reservoir (Dead Sea) 1 Beit She’an Town 2 males, 1 female vocal, Dead Sea Mountains – superb views of a male was a highlight of the trip; a newly-­‐separated and enigmatic bird in an ancient canyon 1 Ezuz Road, Nizzana (Negev) 1 Shittim Village (Northern Arava) – amazing views of another enigmatic owl 10 Amram’s Pillars (Eilat Mountains) 2 Amram’s Pillars (Eilat Mountains) 1 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) Common in northern wetlands including: 6+ Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 10+ Tirat Zvi Reservoirs (Beit She’an) Common in northern wetlands including: 60 Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) – amazing aggregations 10+ Tirat Zvi Reservoirs (Beit She’an) 8 Og Reservoir (Dead Sea) 7 Ein Tamar Reservoir (Dead Sea) 3 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 9 Hatzeva Ponds (Northern Arava) – ‘tame’ birds showed to 4 feet 100. Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus 101. Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti 102. Bar-­‐tailed Lark Ammomanes cincturus 103. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata 104. Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra 105. Short-­‐toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 106. Lesser Short-­‐toed Lark Calandrella rufescens 107. Crested Lark Galerida cristata 108. Woodlark Lullula arborea 109. Skylark Alauda arvensis 110. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula 111. Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris 112. Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula 113. Swallow Hirundo rustica 114. Long-­‐billed Pipit Anthus similis 115. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta 116. Asian Buff-­‐bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens japonicus 117. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis 118. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 119. Red-­‐throated Pipit Anthus cervinus 120. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 121. White Wagtail Motacilla alba 122. Yellow-­‐vented Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos 123. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris 124. Robin Erithacus rubecula 125. Black Bush Robin Cercotrichas podobe 126. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Pair at Birya Fotress Orchards (Galilee) Pair at Alonei Habashan (Golan Heights) 1 male at Tirat Zvi Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 2 Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) 2 Meishar Plateau (Negev) 2 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 1 race annae (“Jordanian” Desert Lark) – Amram’s Pillars (Eilat Mountains) 1-­‐2 at Nahal Hemda KM94.5 (Northern Arava) 2 confirmed at Urim Fields (Negev) 10 Urim Fields (Negev) 3 K’siot Sewage Ponds (Negev) 3 Urim Fields (Negev) Several c.10 at Urim Fields (Negev) Golan Heights – HC only before BM arrival 1 at Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – HC only 1 over Nahal Tzviya (Mount Gilboa) – HC only 1 in large lark flock at Urim Fields (Negev) 2-­‐3 over KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 3 Yotvata South Circular Field (Southern Field) – excellent views 1 Amram’s Coiumns (Eilat Mountains) 2-­‐3 Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea) 2 Ein Gedi Field School (Dead Sea) – pair attending nest within school Pair gave excellent views below KM4.3 car park (Mount Gilboa) 1 Nahal Tzviya (Mount Gilboa) 10+ Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Hatzeva Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 5+ KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 1 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 overhead at KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 1 over Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) – HC only 50 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 1 over Nahal Tsviya (Mount Gilboa) – HC only 2-­‐4 Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 30 Yotvata South Circular Field (Southern Arava) 1 male Tiat Zvi Fishponds ` Quite common to abundant throughout 1 Mount Arbel (North) – HC before BM arrival 2 Hai Reserve Reserve, Yotvata (Southern Arava) – a superb record and hopefully a sign of this Sudanese species finally establishing as a regular breeding bird Recorded in small numbers at most sites with wet elements i.e.: Agamon Hula Reserve (North) Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) Nahal Gidron (Northern Arava) Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) Hatzeva Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 127. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 128. Blackstart Cercomela melanura 129. Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 130. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus 131. Caspian Stonechat Saxicola maurus hemprichii 132. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina 133. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 134. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens 135. Basalt Wheatear Oenanthe lugens warriae 136. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha 137. White-­‐crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga 138. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius 139. Blackbird Turdus merula 140. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 141. Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti 142. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola cisticola 143. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis 144. Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta 145. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus 146. Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata 147. Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) Hai Reserve Reserve, Yotvata (Southern Arava) – ‘red-­‐spotted’ 2 Birya Fortress Orchards (Galillee) 4 at two sites on Mount Gilboa 1 Hatzeva Field School (Northern Arava) – eastern race – ‘phoenicuroides’ Common at desert wadis from Dead Sea south: 2 Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea) 4 Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) 2 Ein Gedi Field School (Dead Sea) 1 Idan Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 1 Hatzeva Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 1 Nahal Yaham (Meishar Plateau, Negev) 1 Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) Common in north and central Israel Several ‘probables’, becoming confirmed / commoner in the Arava Valley: 1 female confirmed at Golan Heights – HC only 1 probable Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 1 probable Nahal Hemda KM94 (Southern Arava) 1 probable Ezuz Desert, Nizzana (Negev) 5-­‐6 confirmed at KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 1 confirmed at Yotvata South Circular Field (Southern Arava) st
1 adult male and 1 1 w male photographed Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) Caspian devolves into 2 taxa – North and South Caspian. The volume of white in st
the tail at 1 winter stage leads HC to think the race is hemprichii – see pics 2 Ezuz Desert, Nizzana (Negev) 1 KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) – HC only 2 Ezuz Desert, Nizzana (Negev) 2 Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 2 KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 2 Meishar Plateau (Negev) 1 KM 120 R25 (Dead Sea) 2 Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 1 Hatzeva-­‐Idan Service Road (Northern Arava) st
th
1 1 winter male Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) – 7 for Israel st
1 ‘tame’ 1 winter male Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) 1 Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea) 1 ‘tame’ bird feeding on seeds at Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) 1 male KM4.3 car park (Mount Gilboa) 2 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) 1 Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 1-­‐2 Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) Common throughout in herbaceous habitats 1 territorial male at Nahal Ezuz (Negev) Pair at Nahal Hemda KM95 (Northern Arava) 1 N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 2 heard at Kfar Ruppin Fields (Beit She’an) 1 heard at Hatzeva Fieldschool Sewage Ponds (Northern Arava) 2 Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) 1 Meishar Plateau (Negev) 2 Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 1-­‐2 KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) 5-­‐6 at the hotspot of Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 148. Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala 149. Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax 150. Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomelaena 151. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curraca 152. Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 153. Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps 154. Great Tit Parus major 155. Sombre Tit Parus lugubris 156. Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus 157. Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer
158. Palestine Sunbird Nectarinia osea 159. Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis 160. Jay Garrulus glandarius atricapillus 161. Jackdaw Corvus monedula 162. House Crow Corvus splendens 163. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix 164. Brown-­‐necked Raven Corvus ruficollis 165. Fan-­‐tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus 166. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis (I) 167. Starling Sturnus vulgaris 168. Tristram’s Grackle Onychognathus tristramii 169. House Sparrow Passer domesticus 170. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 171. Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus 172. Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia 173. Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica 174. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 175. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla 176. Linnet Carduelis cannabina Locally common in suitable scrub habitats 1 male heard only at Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) 1 male heard and eventually seen at Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 1 pair seen very well at Nahal Gidron (Northern Arava) 1 Agamon Hula Reserve (North) – HC before BM arrival Scandinavian (abientis) – relatively common throughout Siberian (tristis) – 1 at Hai Bar Reserve, Yotvata (Southern Arava) 1 Yeruham Lake (Negev) 1 Ezuz Desert (Negev) 2 Hai Bar Reserve, Yotvata (Southern Arava) 2 pairs below lower car park, Mount Hermon (Golan Heights) 2-­‐3 birds S of Kfar Ruppin Fishponds (Beit She’an) 1 Neve Etiv (Golan Heights) – HC before BM arrival Common to abundant in flowering bush habitats, notable records as follows: 22 at Mount Gilboa 6 Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) Female nest-­‐building at Hai Bar Reserve, Yotvata (Southern Arava) Small numbers throughout in open bush habitats 2 Birya Fortress Orchards (Galillee) 2 N of Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beiet She’an) 10 North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) 1 KM 120 R25 (Dead Sea) 2 and nest at Ezuz Desert, Nizzana (Negev) 1 Meishar Plateau (Negev) 1 Nahal Gidron (Northern Arava) 1 Nahal Hemda KM94 (Northern Arava) 1 KM 109.5 R90 (Northern Arava) 20 Ein Gedi Field School (Dead Sea) Common across Northern Israel 2 Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea) 50 Nahal Mishmar (Dead Sea) 2-­‐3 ‘tame’ on lawns at Ein Gedi Field School (Dead Sea) 1+ heard over North Beach, Eilat (Red Sea) Common in north in arable or marshland habitats 2 Kfar Ruppin Kibbutz (Beit She’an) 15 Tirat Zvi Fishponds (Beit She’an) 5+ Og Reservoir (Dead Sea) Mount Arbel (North) – recorded HC only before BM arrived 10-­‐15 Og Reservoir (Dead Sea) 15 Birya Fortress Orchards (Galilee) 10+ near lower car park, Mount Hermon (Golan Heights) 177. Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 178. Greenfinch Carduelis chloris 179. Siskin Spinus spinus 180. Eurasian Serin Serinus serinus 181. Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus 182. Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus 183. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta 184. Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus 185. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra 186. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 187. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 188. Striolated (Mountain) Bunting Emberiza striolata 1+ Birya Fortress Orchards (Galillee) – HC only 2+ at Tel Zafit (Go’lan) 6 roosting at 16:00, at Nahal Arischa (Negev) 8 and 4, in two flocks, at 08:30, at Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) 15 at roost amid Hatzeva Greenhouses (Northern Arava) 6 on pivot beams at Yotvata South Circular Field (Southern Arava) 15 Meishar Plateau (Negev) 14 KM76 R90 (Southern Arava) c.10 Amram’s Columns (Eilat Mountains) Flock of 8 at Mitzpe Shalem (Dead Sea)