news

Birding report April 2008

 Continuing the hectic end of March, It was a great birding month. Rarities and good numbers of scarce and common birds showed up on a daily base. It started with a Basra Reed Warbler found by Marcus Craig in Elifaz sewage and a Menetries Warbler caught by Gerry Elton's ringing team in Lotan on the 1/4. On the next day, a Caspian Plover was found at Km 38 by Rami Mizrachi and Yaron Charka, about 5 more of these were seen through out the month, mainly at Yotvata.

On the 3/4 a Pine Bunting was reported at the Km 19 cow shed by Sassi Haham and Netanel Yarkoni. The cow shed continued to produce good birds with a Pied Wheatear (Sassi Haham). At least 7 more Pied Wheatears were reported from southern arava during the month.

On the 5/4, a Black – shouldered Kite was found in Wadi Barak by A. Dorfmann, seen later by Shilo Swarzt in Zofar.

On the 11/4 a Brown Booby was seen briefly by Kris de Rouck at the north beach.

The middle of Aplril seemed like a break in migration – last Cyprus Pied Wheatears, appearing on March had left and passerines numbers had dropped. Some black and white Flycatchers of all three species were seen here and there, Daurian Shrikes in small numbers scattered in the region and the Temmink's Horned, Bar tailed, Bimaculated and Thick – billed Larks were still present in small numbers. 2 Cinereous Buntings at Km 34 and a Baillons Crake at Neot Smadar were seen by Jonathan Meirav on the 15/4.

On the 16/4, a fledgling of a Caspian Tern was located on the island of
Eilat's eastern lagoon (the one next to "kings city"). The chick was
fed by an adult. Some swimmers swam to, and walked on the
island, giving us the opportunity to check if the chick was just a
young bird that came from a different location, or a genuine
fledgling. It became clear that the chick was too young to be able
to fly. The intruders where asked to leave.
I believe that this is the first breeding record of a Caspian Tern in
Israel (out of Sinai).

The flow of birds started again with tons of Blackcaps and Olivaceous Warblers, thousands of Thrush Nightingales and hundreds of Whinchats, Redstarts and Red – backed Shrikes Towards the end of the month. The numbers of Yellow Wagtails were also on the rise, with up to 5 Lutea ssp. seen daily. On the 21/4 the JBO ornithological group saw an Eleonoras Falcon at Hameishar.

Starting from the 21/4, an Influx of White-throated Robins was reported from the Arava with some 15 birds until the end of the month. White-throated Robins are very
rare in Israel during migration, previous reports dates back to 2004.
The pair of Black Bush Robins in the IBRCE birding park were present all month. Two more Black Bush Robins were found this month – one at Km 20 by Avi Meir, and one at Yotvata by Liron Ziv, Shachar Alterman and Jonathan Meirav.

On the 26thl, Tomer Landsberger and Avner Cohen reported 2 Arctic Terns
and a single White-cheeked Tern off the North beach.

 The only bird missing this year is the Eastern Orphean Warblers - they came in very small numbers.

Noam Weiss and the IBRCE staff