Hot day, nice evening 5.4.2014

We started from the mountains again. This time we followed our Danish friends but even with them we did not get decent migration. Few Steppe Eagles, two Levant Sparrowhawks, Booted Eagle etc. Levants are always nice to see. Maybe after two weeks they will come with big numbers.

Raptor watch. Peter with hes red shorts. 

Soon we continued to Ovda. Our target was Temminck´s Larks which i still need to fill my Israeli list!
As you might expect, we did not find those birds.. We had small flock of Crowned Sandgrouses, photography-friendly Common Kestrel and some other stuff.

Common Kestrel female.

After Ovda we checked Neot Smadar sewage. Nice flock of Wagtails with our first Grey Wagtail of the trip. Also lone Collared Pratincole landed to the pools.

Black-headed Wagtail with White Wagtail. Lost of these beauties around.

Soon we were ready there and next place was Wadi Yahel. Place was introduced by our great guides Jonathan and Yoav during guided scouting before Champions of the Flyway.
Lots of birds around but nothing really special today. Female Rueppel´s Warbler, lost of Lesser Whitethroats, Black Caps, Sand Patridges etc.

Black Start in Yahel.

Wadi Yahel. 

Real work try to find all the birds with only three guys in big wadi. Later we continued to Yotvata, we checked all the places including dinner. Not many birds in the fields but we had Siberian Stonechat and other common stuff. In sewage we saw Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron and lost of waders.

Closeup of Glossy Ibis. Evil looking bird! 

Our last place, like it is every night, North Beach. Almost first bird what we had was interesting Sterna-tern. Looks White-cheeked Tern for me but i´m not an expert. Here is some photos.

Tern.

Tern.

Tern.

Rest of the evening we had enjoyable sea-watch and we saw Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua and lost of other local birds. Big flock of Sandwich Terns around with one or two Caspian Terns.

Caspian Tern.

The Beach.

Tomorrow we have visit to IBRC ringing station. Can´t wait. Not so many days left, so need to enjoy every moment.


-Tom-