Hamaapil fishponds pec

This morning before work I checked Hamaapil fishponds. I was tempted to go there by the Pectoral Sandpiper that had been found there yesterday by Uri Gati, a fine young birder. Also recent reports from there indicating that there are lots of migrants added to the attraction. I was there early and appreciated the beautiful fishponds, now being drained ahead of the incoming pelican migration. There's an adjacent pelican feeding station - later in autumn thousands of pelicans fly around there daily. The local fish farmers use this method to avoid conflict.

I quickly got on the Pec - such a nice bird, luv 'em. It showed very well through my Swarovski scope. It is a good rarity in Israel, just about annual. However, in recent years Hamaapil fishponds have hosted one almost every year - in autumn 2020, 2022, 2023 and now this. Some of these records could have referred to a returning bird. The current bird looks bright and fresh with prominent pale mantle braces so I think it's 1cy - probably a new bird. It was foraging on the mud with many other shorebirds, mainly Little Stints and Little Ringed Plovers.

While watching the pec a Marsh Harrier flew by and spooked many birds. It was hilarious (and unusual) to watch this small group of Little Grebes fleeing from the harrier run away on the mud in panic - they clearly aren't designed for this kind of activity. I laughed out loud while watching this scene. 

That one muddy pond held hundreds of maybe even thousands of birds. Really impressive. The shorebird aggregation included several Curlew Sandpipers and Temminck's Stints. The one in the video here is still pretty, sporting a near-complete rufous summer plumage. An early Citrine Wagtail was a nice surprise among the Western Yellow Wagtails, their numbers growing now by the day. 

I checked the other fishponds  and enjoyed lots of birds. There was a nice selection of terns - Common, Gull-billed, Whiskered and White-winged. These two young white-wings looked very sweet trying to balance on a wire - they made me smile as well.

Heading out I stopped for a minute to admire a flock of European Bee-eaters on wires. While counting them through my scope suddenly I noticed a starling on the wire - WTF? I instantly noticed it is pallid brown-grey, unstreaked, with darker wings and a pale bill - Rosy Starling! I had it in the scope for maybe two seconds then it dropped down into a vegetated area and I lost it. I spent a few minutes trying in vain to relocate it while notifying the other birders on site. I had to leave for work and was relieved when the others relocated it and managed to photograph it as well.

Nice pre-work session, check my eBird checklist here.