Thursday - Friday conducted a ringing course at Sde Boker, on behalf of Ramat HaNegev Birding Center (AKA Meidad). I really enjoyed the course - all trainees were very nice and very good - hope they will take it on from there and continue training. We had pretty good ringing Friday morning at darren's ringing station, and good birding overall, though while guiding this course I really had little time for birding or photography, and I had only my petite 400 mm lens with me. Apart for loads of Blackcaps, we had a very nice variety - nightingales of both species, Wood Warblers, Tree Pipits, Ortolans etc.
Wood Warbler
Ortolan
While practicing mistnets at the memorial park, we noticed that there were just thousands of Blackcaps there, pouring down from evey tree. Many B&W flycatchers were darting all over the place, and loads of Tree Pipits, Masked Shrikes, Ortolans etc. made me really want to ring there properly. Unfortunately this site receives too many visitors and it's impossible to ring there.
Collared Flycatcher
Today while ringing we had a European Nightjar at dawn, Black-bellied Sandgrouse flying overhead, big flock of White Storks, griffons flying around, many Alpine and Pallid Swifts hawking for insects around us - never a dull moment.
Alpine Swift
Many thanks to Darren, Meidad, Eran and Anton for their expert help and support during the course.
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