Israel: 11 - 13.02.2018

Day 7 11.02.2018

Today I was back up at the Low Mountain raptor watchpoint. Sadly it lacked in any raptors, the Steppe Eagle total for the day being a very modest three. However, there were some other good birds around, namely the regular Blackstarts at this site, still showing very well, and a very nice male Hooded Wheatear, which appeared briefly mid-morning. Also a flock of Tristrams starlings was nice, while a flock of Pallid Swifts soared overhead.

In the evening, as per, we went snorkelling. Once again it was beyond amazing, with my first ever Lionfish. SPECTACULAR! An amazing fish to see, among a raft of other amazing species.

-Blackstart

-Hooded Wheatear

-Tristrams Starling

Species List:

Low Mountain: Blackstart, Hooded Wheatear, Steppe Eagle, Kestrel, Feral Pigeon, Pallid Swift, Tristrams Starling, Sardinian Warbler, House Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Spectacled Bulbul, 

Day 8 12.02.2018

In order to work out days off for some of the other volunteers, I spent the day working in the bird park rather than in the mountain. It was much slower work, repairing one of the Heligoland traps, but there were many more birds on offer. Huge numbers of Swifts and Swallows over the park lake were a nice site, and at least 50 eagles flew over the reserve. More than the previous day in the mountains! Because I was in the park I was able to observe some of the Israeli ringing style for when I get into the park to ring my own birds. I did ring one bird today; a Spectacled Bulbul, what better bird to start with. It shed absolutely everywhere, but still a nice bird.

The evenings snorkelling produced a cracking Pufferfish, a few really smart Groupers and my first Emperor Angelfish, which is an absolute beast of a fish. A really stunning animal! I also saw my first Greater Sandplover of the trip, which was obviously very nice.

-Spanish Sparrow

-Spectacled Bulbul

-Funky Grasshopper

Species List:

Bird Park: Pallid Swift, Common Swift, Barn Swallow, Rock Martin, House Martin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Common Redshank, Spur-winged Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Steppe Eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Spectacled Bulbul, Graceful Prinia, Little Green Bee-eater, Spanish Sparrow, House Sparrow, Chiffchaff, Sardinian Warbler, Cormorant, Coot, Little Grebe, Marsh Harrier, Laughing Dove, Collard Dove, Feral Pigeon, 

Day 9 13.02.2018

This was only my second visit to High Mountain, so I was hopeful for more opportunities to photograph Wheatears and Larks. Sadly that was not how things transpired, as a strong northerly wind moved in overnight, bringing with it rain and a drastic drop in temperature. Most of my watch was spent huddled up watch the small passage of distant Steppe Eagles. The Larks and Wheatears did drop by occasionally, but I will have to wait a little while before I get the shots I have been after.

-Desert Lark

Species List:

High Mountain: Steppe Eagle, Hooded Wheatear, Desert Lark, Feral Pigeon, Rock Martin,

Israel: 08 - 10.02.2018

Day 04 08.02.2018

High mountain raptor viewpoint was the last place I still needed to visit of what are going to be my regular haunts over the next couple of months. It was another decent day of raptor passage, with around 30 Steppe Eagles seen, most of which flew straight overhead. There were also some rather tame passerines around, all you had to do was put out a little water and they arrived. First of these was a pair of Desert Larks that visited a few times during the day. Then a young White-crowned Black Wheatear and Isabelline Wheatear, although neither hung around, and then a smart Hooded Wheatear right at the end of my watch. There was also a Nubian Ibex on the hillside when I arrived in the morning, my second mammal of the trip.

Once I had returned from the mountain I went off in search of a Cyprus Warbler in a nearby wadi. It was fairly easy to locate, and showed fairly well, but it did not allow us to get close.

-Scrub Warbler

-Steppe Eagle

-Desert Lark

-Hooded Wheatear

-Cyprus Warbler

Species List:

High Mountain: White-crowned Black Wheatear, Desert Lark, Steppe Eagle, Isabelline Wheatear, Pallid Swift, Scrub Warbler, Feral Pigeon, Brown-necked Raven, Sand Partridge,

Eilat Field Centre: Cyprus Warbler, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Sand Partridge, Spectacled Bulbul, Blackstart, Laughing Dove, Collard Dove, 

Day 5 09.02.2018

I was left at something of a loss for my first day off. With no vehicle I did not really know what to do. In the end I caught the bus into Eilat, and then walked to the bird sanctuary via North Beach. Most of the species I saw were common species but it gave me a chance to take some photos of them, as well as pick up a few ticks for the trip; Marsh Sandpiper, Ringed Plover. A sub-adult Peregrine was nice, harassing Black-winged Stilts on the salt pans.

Once in the bird park I caught up with some of the other volunteers and together we did a survey of the park area. After dipping on the first occasion, it was nice to see the Caspian Stonechat, although it was somewhat distant. The bird was extremely active along the edge of a reedbed, but its frequent hunting meant it showed off its tail quite a bit.

By early afternoon it was far too hot for anything else, so we headed to the beach to cool off. Eilat is well known for its coral reef, and we were not in a coral reef area, but the fish were absolutely amazing. There were Tangs, Surgeonfish and Parrotfish, as well as Groupers, Snappers and an Octopus, the first one I have ever seen. It was absolutely amazing and really looking forward to getting back in the water.

-Laughing Dove

-Crested Lark

-Peregrine

-Marsh Sandpiper

-Little Green Bee-eater

Species List:

Eilat & North Beach: Tristrams Starling, Ringed Plover, Pied Kingfisher, Western Reed Egret, Redshank, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Common Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, Greenshank, House Crow, Spectacled Bulbul, Spur-winged Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Peregrine, Graceful Prinia, House Sparrow, Crested Lark, Laughing Dove, Collard Dove, Feral Pigeon, White-eyed Gull, Little Green Bee-eater, Globe Skimmer, Lesser Emperor,

Bird Park: Marsh Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Temminck’s Stint, Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Great White Egret, Citrine Wagtail, Barn Swallow, European Stonechat, Caspian Stonechat, Little Green Bee-eater, House Sparrow, Spectacled Bulbul, Coot, White Wagtail, Cormorant, Redshank, Ruff, Chiffchaff, Palestine Sunbird, Graceful Prinia, Laughing Dove, Collard Dove, Blackstart, Spur-winged Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Gull, 

Day 7 10.02.2018

With the number of counters way exceeding the number of raptors, I was blessed with another day off today. It was just as well, as I arranged with the Danish volunteers to go with a local birder to some of the more distant sites away from Eilat, allowing me to connect with a number of the species that would otherwise be tricky.

First call was for a male Red-rumped Wheatear, which we found with ease. The bird showed well but was not overly approachable. A new Wheatear for me, plus it’s always a bonus to see the first as an adult male. Next port of call was an area with potential for desert birds, where we had a few nice trip ticks. We moved on mid-morning to a site for Temmincks Lark, just north of Ovda. In the end we had a flock of over 50 birds. One of the highlights of the trip so far, they were really smart birds. Also in the area were Bar-tailed Larks, and my final Sandgrouse species for a complete Collins page; Spotted. There were large flocks of Spotted Sandgrouse but they were typically difficult to approach, until one flock landed near the road just as we were driving off.

On the way back we called off at the Yotvata farmland, but with it being the middle of the day there was very little in the way of birdlife. A couple of nice Spanish Sparrows and Red-throated Pipit were about the best that we could manage in our whistle-stop tour of the area.

For the remainder of the afternoon I went back to the beach for some more snorkelling. The fish were amazing once again, including my first every Clownfish (Twoband though, not true clownfish), as well as a host of other awesome fish; Triggerfish, Lizardfish, Trevally, Butterflyfish and the real highlight; a Yellowmouth Moray Eel. It’s been quite a day.

-Red-rumped Wheatear 

-Temminck's Lark

-Bar-tailed Lark

-Mourning Wheatear

-Spotted Sandgrouse

-Spanish Sparrow

Species List:

Ovda & Adjacent Areas: Red-rumped Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler, Desert Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Tawny Pipit, Crested Lark, Greenfinch, Linnet, Scrub Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Spotted Sandgrouse, Temminck’s Lark, Desert Lark, Bar-tailed Lark, Afghan Babbler, Trumpeter Finch, Brown-necked Raven, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Spectacled Bulbul, Blackstart, Black Redstart, House Martin, Rock Martin, Barn Swallow,

Yotvata: White Stork, Spanish Sparrow, Bluethroat, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, White Wagtail, Barn Swallow, Crested Lark, Common Skylark, European Stonechat, 

Israel: 05. - 07.02.2018

Day 1 05.02.2018

So begins my two and half months as a volunteer at the IBRC in Eilat, Israel. To say I am excited would be a huge understatement, it promises to be amazing.

My overnight coach to the airport was pretty brutal, followed by a five hour flight, but I finally arrived in a surprisingly gloomy Tel Aviv at half two in the afternoon. Because of the way I had booked my connection, and the fact that the airline had then drastically altered said connection, I had to travel across Tel Aviv from one airport to another. However, I had plenty of time, so spent a good hour birding one of the parks near the Sde Dov Airport.

The first bird in Israel was Hooded Crow, but that was quickly followed by Spur-winged Lapwing, which is a bit more exciting. Once I made it to the park the number of birds increased dramatically, although a lot of it was plastic fantastic; Common Myna, Ring-necked Parakeet, Egyptian Goose and (regrettably) my first lifer of the trip, Monk Parakeet. My second lifer was a bit more exciting; Armenian Gull with quite a few roosting on the parks boating lake. There were other awesome birds as well; Palestine Sunbird, White-throated & Pied Kingfisher and Spectacled Bulbul. A great way to start the trip. 

In the evening I got my flight down to Eilat, ready for the morning when I would begin my raptor counts…

-Monk Parakeet

-Armenian Gull

Species List:

Ben Gurion Airport & Tel Aviv: Hooded Crow, Feral Pigeon, Common Kestrel, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Myna, Eurasian Teal, Steppe Buzzard, Collard Dove, Ring-necked Parakeet, House Sparrow,

Hayarkon Park: Cormorant, Chiffchaff, Black-headed Gull, Little Egret, Mallard, Moorhen, Monk Parakeet, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Spectacled Bulbul, Egyptian Goose, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Palestine Sunbird, Hooded Crow, Feral Pigeon, Spur-winged Plover, Common Myna, Collard Dove, Ring-necked Parakeet, House Sparrow, Armenian Gull, Great Tit, 

Day 2 06.02.2018

For my first full day in Israel I had the fun task of paperwork, to ensure I was fully covered by the IBRC. It worked out quite nicely though, as it meant I got to spend the early morning in the bird park, re-familiarising myself with many of the species I had seen in Oman. I had a single new bird in the park; Afghan Babbler, which perched up briefly.

Once the paperwork was complete myself and Gaidis set off to track down some of the overwintering Wheatear visitors to the north of Eilat. Our first was a female Finsch’s Wheatear, and then Basalt Wheatear in the same location. We saw both of these with ease, as well as Hooded Wheatear and White-crowned Black Wheatear, also both new birds for me. As a wheatear fan, it was paradise. And it got even better, as we then visited a site further north for Kurdish Wheatear, a stunning male which we also saw with relative ease. With our morning wheatear twitching wrapped up we then headed to Amram Pillars to hopefully see Sinai Rosefinch, but sadly we had no joy. Scrub Warbler was a new bird for me there though, and I was a big fan of them to be sure.

In the evening I headed out again, round the same sites with much the same result. The wheatears were all still present but the rosefinches were not. We also checked K20 for Lesser White-fronted Goose, but sadly it was not present.

-Palestine Sunbird

-Finsch's Wheatear

-Hooded Wheatear

-Basalt Wheatear

-Kurdish Wheatear

-Scrub Warbler

-Dorcas Gazelle

Species List:

IBRCE Bird Park: Sardinian Warbler, Laughing Dove, Spectacled Bulbul, House Sparrow, Collard Dove, Bluethroat, Graceful Prinia, Ring-necked Parakeet, Chiffchaff, Redshank, Ruff, Green Bee-eater, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, House Crow, Marsh Harrier, Wood Sandpiper, Rock Martin, White Wagtail, Temminck’s Stint, Pintail, Shelduck, Mallard, Spur-winged Plover, Feral Pigeon, Afghan Babbler, Palestine Sunbird, 

Wheatear Twitching: European Stonechat, Trumpeter Finch, Desert Lark, Crested Lark, Scrub Warbler, Finsch’s Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Kurdish Wheatear, Barn Swallow, Rock Martin, Basalt Wheatear, Southern Grey Shrike, Blackstart, Steppe Eagle, House Crow, Sardinian Warbler, House Sparrow, Collard Dove, Laughing Dove, Feral Pigeon, Dorcas Gazelle,

K20: European Starling, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveler, Pintail, Greater Flamingo, Steppe Buzzard, Feral Pigeon, Spur-winged Plover, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Crested Lark, 

Day 3 07.02.2018

Today was my first day in the mountains as an official raptor watcher. My first count was from Low Mountain, a positon overlooking Eilat and the bay, and the site where most of the Eagles would come through. As it happened today was the first day with any real movement, and as a result I was able to enjoy some 30 Steppe Eagles as they drifted past me, as well as a Long-legged Buzzard and a Short-toed Eagle. The site was also home to some cool local birds; Tristrams Starling, Sand Partridge, Striolated Bunting etc. A Blackstart was also stupidly tame and hanging around the site.

In the evening once we had finished counting we moved on to North Beach. It was my first experience of Seawatching in Israel and it was pretty good, although most of my time was spent sifting through the gulls on the beach looking for White-eyed Gulls. I was able to find some, but tragically they were all on the other side of the Jordan border. The Brown Booby that had been around was still in the bay, and a Caspian Tern flyby was nice. A sweet way to finish the day to be sure!

-Steppe Eagle

-Blackstart

-White-eyed Gull

Species List:

Low Mountain: Hooded Wheatear, Blackstart, Brown-necked Raven, Tristrams Starling, Feral Pigeon, Collard Dove, Sardinian Warbler, Steppe Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Sand Partridge, Sparrowhawk, House Sparrow, Desert Lark, Rock Martin, Short-toed Eagle, Pallid Swift, Striolated Bunting,

North Beach: Caspian Tern, Western Reef Egret, Heuglin’s Gull, Caspian Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Snipe, White-eyed Gull, House Sparrow, Ring-necked Parakeet, House Crow, Grey Heron, Black-winged Stilt, White Wagtail, Brown Booby, Great Crested Grebe,