I am happy to present images of the best birds I encountered during 2009. It was a good year with many exciting stuff and even a couple of Israel ticks for me!
The year began well with this beautiful male Kurdish Wheatear that took up a territory at Wadi Mishmar:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDy-IFJVAmz2vCycH9uiPTCgiINexiZjHojai5OiqyrlhOzUlsSS1RRbGYIjZBjNJz0CoX65AoOSB02V9sE1Qa5lY6fCJhERONMc4W7wTw6qco4eBBDV5ysOnGYeKZez6U_dvJIikNsjU/s400/back+right.jpg)
Late in January I ringed two Asian Desert Warblers together with Yosef Kiat at Hameyshar - a ringing tick for me and great little birds!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZfTSI49LEmcj8Zp8utlow-38KB4rAKCSTGbeARFSdGiJA37ZBPX1i2-YAgt8z8ngvFab-YGk8TDKJhK3YZKGJIBOEzIIWYE6X6IE0jWyirU1BUM2x6cGHTgSJPI2XVMwzJ3f3eEln0El/s400/spread.jpg)
This Steppe Grey Shrike was found in February in the Hula lake:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB77hTWtoAimZabADI4vR_QCYKHCICA5lz-d_oE3pzv0SaJe8KJUXby7c31mZOvnVEATW4CPvQ3qQbIEHGlJsEaTgh_MZH9xYtxxGjFolvRNSe8uXQrPEOSw6JVM04cOblzZM-LxjlyM0/s400/steppe.jpg)
Well, this is not a national rarity but it's
my bird - and such a beautiful one. Nubian Nightjars are critically endangered in Israel, and I like this image very much. I hope that 2010 will bring good news for the conservation of the Neot Hakikar salt marsh.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cmhKpj-gz4Vp7p4n8LLfKdBFua9y-aCNQgbuWA8SUXX_Y9XVCozMUphu4kwd_cmWf4f9py9uai5jWaEOcZfiGZGNRGi3d4qXAALY0Ja-BRQhSq2-cab9BxexpO0o50UjSvbZoMbspckd/s400/Nubian+Nightjar+Neot+Hakikar+March+2009+Yoav+Perlman.jpg)
I spent much of March guiding the
2009 International Bird Migration Festival at Eilat. I was busy guiding so didn't have much time for photography, but still got in touch with some good birds. This Black Bush Robin showed not-too-well inside Yotvata Hai-Bar reserve:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr9XhhD2YNGgjzDIAoT_qdRiOPb5UB4Zf3VYU8YWSDJeo5RgFcoXwafiAbduLT50OivRohJWDG5sunHt_2IGivUwDPBNPEJDIqpgenW3UO7q1Jxxflta7HhEp1iArRikvh9C-QwTBekim/s400/Black+Bush+Robin+Yotvata.jpg)
There were several Caspian Plovers about, including this cooperative male at KM 20 saltpans:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8iB7UxmcpsoAmvmkg3UJPozspKcW8tw8VgHWQxfHAC19YLNFXYbLRdnkYuRxlsXe7o04_ZPLtxV-RBcE32ZnErfqe_15f2uygr5pf5oT_VS0m5Gj3tlYsjm22TK0pG96V1uoWiFqp8HV/s400/caspian1.jpg)
This male Pied Wheatear was a nice find by Barak, near Tel Arad:
This Sabine's Gull was the fourth for Israel. I saw it several times during its two-month-long stay at Ma'agan Michael:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZP-pLnOq5TMMoq-HkQhQDuA9LiiC_Qx01_P6CHSwieKJ1C8TOv4u6SMyhG8vI5A01UwF_EXG_a1p7V0D6JMJi3BTXtZkl9s7KAscBakVSFb7_GV2fJsd5TL3E0W_sMmgTcPPqUGAFrSo/s400/sabines+1.jpg)
Shorebird migration picked up in August, and this Red-necked Phalarope at Ma'agan Michael was nice to see and photograph as always:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMprr9PbAl6OP5VaOwBMmwIfwdxIhFDsRjSKXW0PKTHpOZqvHiNqdC4_1FV_ixEaFOl3Wc03TPMvGFSLbZqnBQABKcz1t-fm9TUbb4o23TcEYRgx9F0RTSMZb41TkJINQ4ZXuihyphenhyphenuxYndu/s400/Red-necked+Phalarope+Phalaropus+lobatus+Maagan+Michael.jpg)
In late August I visited Nachlieli island off the N Med coast, where a pair of Bridled Terns attempted to breed for the second year. We found only one bird among the Common Terns:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPOgTjd5b0z7YuprD_DzyXKg8w827lrdpymepJ7MBGg0Bj0L3wAhdnn7nJzglWssaoMjVluO03hReIRNtchLMZYUAjl8LI9URIxEI3Pr9zjD35JFtatMnHptquRwTzipOmW1MzCgX3zpd/s400/bridled_chase.jpg)
This Rueppell's Warbler I ringed at Ashdod in early September was a good autumn bird:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYjqkDRCUXyhNDlF9O_8yWTal1gkTio9YZiPLsohSBGiSPMj2eMYeCoxqqdisMVLG3X40W3bACwv-xjmhxszEYr_i-lUN4RhNB5WOKtwuQT__IB980eRcyBxeBXo_Quf5yQf_q9fNZfqJ/s400/Rueppels+back.jpg)
I successfully twitched this
4th Green Warbler for Israel at Netiv Halamed-He in early October. It wasn't too challenging - it waited for me in a bag...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdOHMV3mtTCO4HUCkQWKarshwQT0j9kdfcyusZefShlHY_Mv-xeed2o_KyONr0dTPDhVwY7Mgi5XKnH9dsS3QxrwcS4Yp9x9nsS7A2YvLlv3w9SPXX_tsIGkQuboX95PD9o4vyYJCPkmt/s400/2.jpg)
I had several Red-breasted Flycatchers during late September - early October, including this one at Elifaz sewage in the S Arava:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yKg4-t9BfekGj7od_IZt23U5yrZ1SFvLbmQkU59nH650w8mLrVdegtJZG6xIINFOPdweJjVTrCQZYzdnST4o8jC1weVlXLtjoNUnfwmjxzYzoREuuf1O-b8XTbSCRwgaEV-E7jnz9u1K/s400/RBFly2.jpg)
This 9th
Pectoral Sandpiper for Israel showed well during it's long stay at Ma'agan Michael:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik392VekbseJkKhavBZv4Bp9jHu-UnRb6HfK6oyBBKSpCAI33oO_gz6wKasNEz3Z3XZk8putPuk6xXtifZ2YvUNr4R9IsqdRkRfOt5YKWVqewJttoyNotqzz-fkR-GDO3ISqSGxBkkrwc6/s400/Pec+2+crop.jpg)
I was happy to add Pacific Golden Plover to my Ashdod list.
This bird was found in early November on the beach:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmu-xd6UpHvF0D3jdxjNf8ZakabGDpTvGUQUbcA50qthcdfcWO3mgrSrwGKwetU8SZrZCjXtP_L7V1ME2ixWJZPoCZkEihvxJgjf9ShbOL7ST2lP1aRBVn2DzSFkozmXAnvteYTwNMXsw/s400/PGP1.jpg)
December began with another bag-twitch, this time a
Paddyfield Warbler which waited in the bag for us at Ma'agan Michael (tick!):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74Q66GfdyqjY4ZXSHNW_bjuzJpSG6PyaA7PpdZK2lGqY05vy-pFLGXNM7CPp2tubjtD4RQCMbkOh8xhD66JDnof4ysnqNxt2r-yUCKAb4xnX1KXnYLX2XJxIdSRGFmuTddvBul2kYKBNt/s400/paddy1.jpg)
And the year ended with another Israeli tick, this time two
Red-throated Divers that showed well at Acre:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyQMupcYXHdaZQY1pCsrzNZm_C5lOF-H7RtvyIl2GF8wDfOs1R0JRoM8EykNu18pwWnz33eFVQS2enVXWlqsd0DlAIGafa4rnqwM72xigXUYz5_95PW1jQjgcpVS2VpDk3XwuBEEwbV6f/s400/loon6.jpg)
Today I am working from home. In the past such days ended up in a twitch several times, so who knows what happens today... But if nothing happens, this is the end of 2009 birding for me. All the very best wishes for 2010 - and many good birds for everyone!
Beacuse of you (and the birds), I'm Becoming a fan!!!
ReplyDeleteGilad Mor
Congratulations for so beautiful pictures!
ReplyDelete