This morning I joined my mate Asaf Mayrose and NPA ranger Uri Kaizer for a monitoring session in E Lakhish region, where I had the upcher's a few weeks ago. Asaf is doing this monitoring to describe the effects of the recent developement (3 new settlements!) on the breeding bird community there.
We had a nice morning. We moved between different points, did some point counts and transects. We managed to see most red-data breeding species we hoped for - Upcher's Warbler (one family), Spectacled Warbler (two families), Long-billed Pipit, and several families of Black-eared Wheatears.
The young Spectacled Warblers are really cute now - very rounded head, large eye and small bill. They haven't started their post-juvenile moult yet and look very fresh.
Spectacled Warbler - recently-fledged juvenile
On the other hand the adults are very worn and scruffy-looking; they're in the middle of post-breeding moult.
Spectacled Warbler - 2cy+ female
The local breeding pair of Long-legged Buzzards raised two young. The male is a very pretty rufous-morph; he flew around showing-off and screaming like a big boss:
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