We started off at the ringing centre. In addition to
Carmelle there were a couple of volunteers. During the morning a Booted Eagle flew through and was quite low. The ringers that helped her while
we took time out to try to see the owls had shown her some ‘time saving’
features on the laptop and as a result she decided that there would only be one
ringing at a time. As a result the day went very slowly, and the data recording was
considerably slowed up. We had the only Willow Warbler and Wood Warbler of our
stay in Israel from the nets.
A quick turn around the reserve before leaving turned up a
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint and a Rufous Bush Robin.
Someone had photographed a Corncrake in the date palms so we
checked for that but had no luck although there was a Namaqua Dove.
It really was very hot by the afternoon. We took some time out, then went down to the North Beach for the end of the day. At 7pm, the temperature was still 31 degrees, also there were a whole host of caravans, tents and awning along the beach access road and actual beach. Music was blaring loudly from one of the cars. This really wasn't what we envisaged when reading about the Eilat North Beach and the birds that had been recorded here. There were two Pied Kingfishers, a Western Reef Heron and a Greenshank along the shoreline. A Caspian Tern flew through (with fishing line trailing from its legs) and eight White-eyed
Gulls flew past on their way to roost while a flock of Wigeon and some 15
terns, believed to be Common Terns, were seen some distance off shore. The Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian gunboats all kept to their respective sectors of the Red Sea.
5th April
We started off at the ringing station again, but with the 'only one ringing' rule still in operation, Carmelle, a visiting Israeli ringer, three volunteer extractors and us - we didn't even fit in the ringing room. We bowed out after the first round and went birding.
A quick turn around the reserve turned up a male Little Bittern and a Temminck's Stint on the lake, Redstart, Red-throated and Tree Pipit, Rufous Bush Chat and our first Indian Silverbills in the vegetation. Broad-billed Sandpiper was recorded for the third day running and a couple of Ruppell's Warbler and Nightingale are known to have come from the nets.
A swift drop in to Central Park at around 9am found more of the usual migrants with both Collared (male) and Semi-collared (female) Flycatcher conspicuous in small trees by buildings adjacent to the park. Five Tree Pipits were fresh in and foraging amongst the grass.
The plan was to work our way over to Yotvata and spend some time trying for birds and animals after dark. After a leisurely drink we began travelling North to the KM20 salt pans. It has become clear to us that, taking into account the smell and grimy colouration of the 'salt', these are probably settling beds linked into the processing of sewage water so vital in irrigation of the area, still the birds find them invaluable so we just had to put up with the stench and hope the whiff didn't cling to our clothes and hair too much.
There were 'stand out' birds today, three very tired looking White-tailed Plovers, right next to the track and disinclined to move off or even feed up.
White-tailed Plovers at KM20 pools
We had seen several Osprey try for fish at these ponds, but this was the first to be seen alighted on the salt deposits.
Osprey
Amongst the regular Waders, we had our first Curlew today, a single Red-necked Phalarope, three Collared Pratincole and two Cattle Egrets.
Cattle Egrets at KM20 pools.
We continued via En Avrona but the Black Bush Robin, reported on several consecutive dates appeared to have gone. We had to be content with some Scrub Warblers, Arabian Babblers, the usual Eastern Bonelli's Warblers and Lesser Whitethroat (both still going through in large numbers) and a Southern Grey Shrike. Again we saw Dorca Gazelle, but no sign of the reintroduction McQueen's Bustard that had been seen in the area apparently having negotiated the border fence with Jordan.
We arrived at Yotvata with plenty of time to spare so took a quick drive around the fields in the daylight. The area known as the circular field was being watered. Pools had formed and birds were bathing and drinking, in particular Little Ringed Plover, Red-throated Pipit and Ortolan Bunting. A Wryneck made a brief visit.
Watering system, circular field, Yotvata
Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit panting in the heat of the afternoon
There were now ten Lesser Kestrels over towards the dunes. Interestingly they were mainly on the ground, flying in very short bursts before resettling. Whereas the birds seen in Cyprus usually hunt on the wing it seems that these target the many black ground beetles that are so common here.
We saw several harriers, a female Hen Harrier that employed a strategy of targeting birds in bushes, forcing them out before attempting to chase them down and three Marsh Harriers, one male and two female/immature type, quartering the fields in a much more familiar fashion. We ate at the establishment that is best described as like a service station called Yotvata Inn. The food is basic, but they do have wonderful ice-cream, made at the kibbutz. There are also several life sized cow models if you like that kind of thing. In the semi darkness we returned to the fields, seeing Cape Hare and several large bats, but no Egyptian Nightjar or Pharaoh's Eagle Owl, although in fairness we didn't stay very late, probably not late enough.
6th April
We birded again today, but mixed it in with exploration of some tracks and places not visited before.
The road to Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley was the first port of call. Here the geology was as interesting as any that we've seen in the Negev. We also found several boulders with fossils.
I suspect that these fossils were laid down when the area was covered by sea.
While in the Hidden Valley we heard a loud raucous 'cronking' call of a Common Raven. We were certain it was not a Brown-necked Raven and have been told that there have been 'rumours' of this bird before. Unfortunately the photos are not fantastic. We also saw Pallid Swift, a Pale Crag Martin and a Hooded Wheatear. On the way back to the car we noticed a Red Fox cub amongst the rocks. As we continued to watch, a further two showed themselves.
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) by the den
We moved on to Shehoret Canyon. On the track down were four large lizards soaking up the sun.
Egyptian Mastigure (Uromastyx Aegyptius)
Shehoret Canyon
The canyon opens up into a broad riverbed.
Here we found both White-crowned and Hooded Wheatear, Desert Lark, both Southern Grey and Masked Shrike, Blackstart and Sand Partridge.
Sand Partridge male
The day was so hot that we spent the afternoon back at the hotel.
7th April
Time to leave Eilat and we packed our bags, made an effort to take the worst of the dust out of the car and started to work our way North. We had spent so much time scouting for birds at the KM20, that of course we made one last visit there. The Slender-billed Gulls were there, as always, with several now showing a flush of pink.
Slender-billed Gull
Black-winged Stilts have also been present on every visit. Today we noticed that one of the males had a metal ring. We got some photographs but the ring was either corroded or caked in salt deposits. It was illegible.
Male Black-ringed Stilt with ring
Two Greater Sand Plover were resting on the deposits, as were five Snipe, the first that we'd seen in Israel.
Greater Sand Plover
Snipe
Greater Flamingo
Other birds present that day included two Collared Pratincole, Wood, Marsh & Broad-billed Sandpipers. The seven Black-tailed Godwits were still there and some Greenshank. Around 10 European Bee-eater flew through.
We drove on and stopped off at Sapir. This park was quite busy with families having picnics and kids swimming in the pool filled with partially cleansed effluent. Notices warned that drinking or swimming in the water was strictly forbidden. There were a few birds around despite of the disturbance.
Male Pied Flycatcher
Hoopoe
There were plenty of migrant Blackcaps and Eastern Bonelli's Warblers feeding in the ornamental trees.
Male Blackcap with pollen around beak.
The only other birds were a Masked Shrike, a female Redstart and eight Chukars.
At the KM188 pools, Clamorous Reed Warblers could readily be heard, and eventually we managed to see one as it changed position in the reed bed before settling itself back into the reeds, out of sight. Nine Ferruginous Ducks and a Garganey were seen on the water's surface, Ruff and Wood Sandpiper picked around the pool edge. Green Bee-eaters were present and are seen frequently throughout the Negev, but a less common Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was also seen in the branches of a dead tree.
We made our way to Neve Zohar and the checked into the room where we would spend the next couple of nights. We were just two minutes walk from the Dead Sea, although this end of the sea takes the form of salt pans.
8th April
The morning was reserved for tracking down Dead Sea Sparrow and we found four at Lots Reservoir. As we walked along the track a Booted Eagle was seen to take to the wing and we also had a Rufous Bush Robin. White-breasted Kingfisher was seen at the site once again, there was a Marsh Harrier, four Green Bee-eaters and a Common Raven. Clamorous Reed Warbler proved difficult to pin down, but we did manage to see some in the reed fringed pools across the road from the reservoir.
At Wadi Salvadori there were views of raptors along the ridge, A Steppe Eagle and Bonelli's Eagle were seen amongst the Steppe Buzzards. There were some distant views of three Fan-tailed Ravens.
The distinctive outlines of two Fan-tailed Raven
Along the path were a couple of White-crowned Wheatears, a Striolated Bunting, two Blackstarts, Desert Lark and yet more Green Bee-eater. Tristram's Grackles frequented all the parking spots along the road, on the look out for scraps and frequently emitting loud contact calls to other birds along the road.
Nubian Ibex
Tristram's Grackles come prospecting for food
9th April
We had a late start and breakfasted outside our room. There seemed to have been a fall and a walk around the trees and ornamental shrubs of Neve Zohar produced a male Collared Flycatcher and Masked Shrike amongst the Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroats and Eastern Bonelli's Warblers.
We then went to visit Masada, exploring the ruins and enjoying the expansive views from the high point. We did see some birds up there, Tristram's Grackles that are found anywhere that people might feed them, Desert Lark, Pale Crag Martin and three Fan-tailed Ravens.
Fan-tailed Raven
It was the end of the morning by the time we came down from Masada so we went to Wadi Zohar to have a look at the Zohar Stronghold. In the heat of the midday sun we also saw a couple of Blackstart, a Green Bee-eater and another Fan-tailed Raven.
Zohar Stronghold
Rock Hyrax
White Spectacled Bulbul
We had also noticed that water was flowing through the wadi at Ein Boqeq. There was a lot of disturbance as holidaymakers from the hotels were walking up the wadi, many hoping to find somewhere suitable for swimming in freshwater.
Wadi Boqeq
Palestinian Sunbird
Birds seen were more of the very common migrants, Desert Lark, Blackstart and Pale Crag Martin. A Semi-collared Flycatcher female was seen amongst the Tamarisk and there were more birds around but vegetation was dense (this is one of the few streams flowing after others have long dried) and disturbance from Dead Sea visitors was almost continuous.
We spent a little time beside the Dead Sea looking at the fascinating mineral deposits - and there was no sign of any animal, insect or bird in or on the viscous water.
Dead Sea mineral deposits
That afternoon we drove further North. The landscape became considerably greener after only an hour driving. We began to see camels by the roadside and flocks of sheep and goats. Horses appeared to be an important work animal. We reached Metar where we would spend our last night before travelling on to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Here we saw our first Jay as we took the cases in and there were also a couple of Lesser Kestrels. We were reliably informed that these actually nest in the roof by the owner.
10th April
We had an afternoon flight so after repacking the car, during which time we saw our first Blackbird in Israel, we set off for North Lahav Reserve in the hope of finding Long-billed Pipit. As it happened, we did hear a few but they proved really difficult to see. We met three other birders who we'd met a few times at the sites around Eilat and even with the extra eyes we couldn't find the singing males.
Other birds seen in the immediate area included a couple of Spectacled Warblers and a flock of around 30 Ortolan Buntings. We saw our only Jackdaw of the visit and finished up with kettling birds - circa 15 Lesser Spotted Eagles, a Short-toed Eagle, a Booted Eagle with several Black Kite, Steppe Buzzard and White Stork
