Birding and fieldwork doesn't always mean cherries and candies. Sometimes days out in the field involve disappointment and frustration. That's what happened to me yesterday. I returned with Edith to one of my best boxes in Nizzana, deep in the remote desert (as I thought). In my previous visit there I had a female MacQueen's Bustard on a nest, coursers, good larks etc. - great birds in pristine habitat. As we reached the box yesterday we immediately saw the rubbish, heard the noise and smelled the stench of huge herds of goats, sheep and camels that belong to some Bedouins. They graze there without any permits, nor with any responsibility towards the environment. Putting aside the political, cultural and social context of the Bedouin community living in Israel, this grazing causes huge damage to some of Israel's most sensitive ecosystems, and brings to the verge of extinction species like the MacQueen's Bustard and all our sandgrouse. The herds leave behind them a completely barren landscape as they graze heavily every square centimeter in the wadis and plains. They eat the few annuals that did germinate this winter. The Bedouins scorch the desert with their 4wd's, damaging the fragile desert crust. The adults and kids poach everything - mammals, birds and reptiles. They cut and burn bushes and trees as a source for energy. They leave loads of garbage behind, as they move on to the next grazing grounds.





We had few birds breeding in the box. I was happy though to find this male Desert Wheatear feeding young in a nest:
Here in a classic pose:




Today I had a good ringing session at Ashdod. Loads of Blackcaps mixed with smaller numbers of Lesser Whites, Reed and Eastern Oli Warblers. This male Barred Warbler was a real stonker:
Fantastic bird (Sylvia nisoria) congratulations
ReplyDeleteSad to see a bustard nest destroyed. But it made a fascinating photographic account of how humans and livestock threaten nesting birds.
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