Best of autumn

These past few weeks have been super busy for me. I have been doing more fieldwork than I usually do, especially with a raptor count that we did in northern Israel. It has been an excellent autumn/fall migration, with good numbers of many common migrants. I enjoy this kind of birding very much. Admittedly there have been few proper rarities recently, but I'd rather marvel at spectacular migration every day than go twitching. 

On September 11th I was out in Maagan Michael, doing my routine monthly monitoring of our restoration project there. Halfway during a point count, I spotted a Pectoral Sandpiper that walked into view for two seconds, then disappeared from view before the two others with me could see it. I had to wait in agony until the 10-minute point count was over, to walk around the corner and confirm the all-too-brief ID. It was.

This sweet Eastern Black-eared Wheatear was one of many migrants present that day.

On September 16th my organisations (SPNI) has an event for our employees on the beach in Tel Aviv. I co-led one of the free walks we offered our staff, and found this White-tailed Lapwing on the beach - super unusual in urban Tel Aviv, a harbinger of a small influx that brought five birds to Tel Aviv. 

On September 19th I led a pelagic trip into the Gulf of Aqaba, on behalf of Eilat Birding Center. Only one bird came into the chum slick, but that bird was a Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel that showed very well for a couple of minutes. 

Before the pelagic Piki and I checked the KM20 saltpans that were full of common shorebirds. Among the less common shorebirds was this lovely Broad-billed Sandpiper:

September 23rd was a day of massive raptor migration over Israel. I was not out counting that day, I was busy doing all kinds of things, but the 36 minutes I could spare in my garden, watching the sky, were awesome: 2360 Lesser Spotted Eagle and 1420 Levant Sparrowhawks that went through in several tight flocks like this one:

I enjoyed connecting with two beautiful young Red Knots on Maagan Michael beach on September 26th - scarce birds in Israel, but this is THE place and time for them in our country:

Local birding has been awesome too, with some reservoirs holding large amounts of birds. Check this sweet flock of Whiskered Terns (and a Pied kingfisher):

On Yom Kippur (October 2nd) my birding/checklist streak had to continue, so I walked out of home to check the adjacent fields, unusually carrying my camera. Those were days of big European Bee-eater migration, and this wonderful flock perched on a mulberry looked especially glamorous:

On Cotober 3rd I was counting raptors in Gvat. Take-off was impressive, the Lesser Spotted Eagles struggled to gain altitude, and sailed past me very low, some of them very close. 

This one had a metal ring on, I couldn't read the code:

Steppe Eagle

On October 4th I was point-counting at our restoration site in Kfar Ruppin for a study we're doing there. Phenomenal amounts of birds still (eBird checklist here). After the point counts it was getting hot yet the alfalfa fields were full of birds. I found a Richard's Pipit which was a bit nice:

This shrike duo, Great Gray Shrike on left, and Lesser Gray Shrike on right, allowed good comparison. Both are so beautiful.

On October 6th I was counting soaring birds again, this time in Afek National Park, in central Israel. Raptor migration was quieter (eBird checklist here), but pelican migration was awesome:

Finally, a Spotted Flycatcher, one of many seen at Nafha on October 9th. In my eyes, this is a great example of a birds that isn't colourful at all, nevertheless it is so pretty. 

May the rest of the autumn continue to be so good!

Phenomenal

On Monday (8 September 2025) morning I worked at our restored wetland in Kfar Ruppin, Amud Reservoir. I collected there data for a study we're doing with researchers from Ben Gurion University, looking at the biodiversity impact of our restoration work there, and linking it with environmental attributes of our site. It was a phenomenal morning, one to write home about. I arrived few minutes late, at first light. As soon as I stepped out of the car I witnessed thousands and thousands of birds already leaving their roosts in the reservoir, twirling in the air, flying at all directions - Little Egrets, Pygmy Cormorants, Glossy Ibis, Turtle Doves, Barn Swallows, and Western Yellow Wagtails. It was pretty chaotic. I worked especially hard to count them all - I really needed extra eyes and fingers but I was alone. I hope I did OK. I  had to use estimates for some species. Of course I had no time to document this terrific rush of birds.

After the big numbers had left the roost, there were still thousands of birds in the reservoir. At this time of year, as is natural in Mediterranean wetlands this time of year, water levels are very low, creating large mud expanses and shallow water, that attracted loads of shorebirds, ducks, storks, herons, spoonbills etc. The reedbeds were teaming with warblers. In the following videos (taken through Swarovski Optik ATX85), turn the volume on a listen to all the bird sound in the background:

An Osprey was munching on a large fish it had caught:

As soon as there was enough light, I became aware of a true spectacle. Hundreds of Honey Buzzards roosted inside the reservoir, and several hundreds more in trees along the adjacent Jordan River. Many of them flew out of the vegetation onto the mud, some just loafed around, others drank some water before taking off. 

When it heated up they start taking off, circling low over the reservoir, slowly picking up altitude in thermals as the air temperature rose. I stood there in the middle of their take-off, surrounded by Honey Buzzards of all colours and morphs,  in all directions, some below me inside the reservoir, some above me, some so close I could hear their wingbeats and they flapped by. It was a powerful, almost transcendental experience. 

I think that this male has some Oriental genes, with an orange eye, faint carpals, and broad terminal tail band:

There was one proper Oriental Honey-Buzzard among the 2800 Europeans that took off. It was too low and quick, and I was too slow, so I failed to get a photo of it. 

I left the reservoir with my head buzzing with sooooo many birds. Check my eBird checklist here. One of my best checklists ever. 117 species, 14561 individuals, and this was an underestimate - there was no way to accurately count the countless warblers in the vast reedbed. 

Funny warbler

End of summer catch-up

Since my previous blogpost in late July I have seen lots of great birds, despite the heat and everything else going on here... These are some of the birds I saw during the end of summer and early autumn migration that is well underway now.

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory

'Ehrenberg's' Redstart - Jerusalem Bird Observatory

White-throated Kingfisher - Jerusalem Bird Observatory

Long-eared Owl - Jerusalem Bird Observatory

Our restoration site at Maagan Michael is full of birds

Yavne 1 ponds are somewhat quiet this autumn, but I did find there to leg-flagged shorebirds. This Common Redshank was marked at Atlit on July 1st 2025 by Yosef Kiat. I saw it, 95 km south, on August 1st.

This Wood Sandpiper was marked at HaMaapil by Shai Blitzblau  on August 15th 2023. I saw it, 60 km south, on August 16th 2025. 

Yavne1 ponds

An unseasonal, surprisingly early Black-winged Pratincole (with a Collared Pratincole), at HaMaapil.

A trip down to Eilat provided some nice terns (without photos). While searching for the hypocolius family, without success, I saw some locally-produced youngsters.

Arabian Babbler

Kentish Plover

Trumpeter Finch kindergarten

White-throated Robin in the Negev, August 20th - stunning bird, part of a small wave mainly in southern Israel

Black Tern at HaMaapil

Greater Painted-Snipe - this individual has been around since 2021 (when it was ringed - can you see the ring?), mainly at HaMaapil

Global Birdfair 2025

I’m late to the party, but in this case, better late than never.

Over the weekend of 11–13 July, I took part in the world’s largest birding event – Global Birdfair, held in Rutland, UK. You may recall that last year I grumbled about not attending. This year, I decided to go – not because the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th were released, the war Israel is embroiled in has not ended, and certainly not because Israel is drawing less criticism these days given the horrific outcomes of its actions in Gaza. I went because Global Birdfair is THE place to be.

Anyone who’s experienced it knows the unique power of this event – uniting leading birders, conservationists and nature lovers from around the world. The professional, seamless organisation and inspiring leadership by Tim and Penny – or rather, Penny and Tim – played a huge part in making the experience so enjoyable. On the flip side, the FOMO when you’re not there is real – hence my whining last year.

If you’ve never been to Global Birdfair, I highly recommend this excellent YouTube video by Simon McCabe – it gives a great sense of the atmosphere and scale of the event.

This year brought a new experience for me at Birdfair. For many years, I’ve attended as a representative of BirdLife Israel, promoting birding in Israel, our conservation work, and international events like Champions of the Flyway. This year, I wore a different hat – representing the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, promoting Birds of the World and other brilliant Cornell projects like Merlin, eBird, and the Macaulay Library. If you missed my recent update on Facebook: since January 2025 I’ve been working with Birds of the World, in parallel to my role at BirdLife Israel, helping expand the project’s reach across Europe.

At Global Birdfair, I took the opportunity to connect with many key partners – existing, emerging, and potential – including organisations, institutions and individuals. It was a privilege to join the fantastic Cornell team. Our stand, adjacent to Swarovski Optik, was buzzing with activity. Interest in the Lab’s work was immense – and I was truly taken aback by how wildly popular Merlin has become. It seems everyone had it on their phones! It’s inspiring to see how many people are taking their first steps into nature through Merlin – their pocket birding companion.

Iain, Alex, Ali, Ian, and me

Alen Kacal from my team at BirdLife Israel was also at Birdfair. I joined all her events and represented BirdLife Israel at several BirdLife International meetings. I was pleasantly surprised by the widespread warmth and appreciation towards Israel – for its birding and for its people. It gave me a sliver of hope that this horrific war might one day end, that stability may return to our region, and that international birders will once again come to witness the miracle of migration in Israel. Here's Alen participating in a panel discussion on the healing power of nature, brilliantly moderated by Nick Acheson:

For me, Global Birdfair is ultimately about people and friendships. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many old friends – some whom I hadn’t seen in years. In previous years, my phone nearly burst with selfies. This time, for some reason, I didn’t bother – so I don’t have many photos. I also won’t be tagging a million people on Facebook. I’ve become a little less social media-savvy of late. These two fine Yorkshiremen deserved attention:

Mark from the internet

Good luck to Rich Baines with his new book - The Rarity Garden!

As always, given the timing and location, birding wasn’t the main attraction at Global Birdfair – especially in the extreme heat. On Friday, temperatures reached 35°C outdoors, and inside the tents it felt like a stifling 50°C. Still, I had to keep my checklist streak alive, so birding was done!

I enjoy birding Rutland Water, even during the quiet season. It's very pleasent. The volume of birds is impressive. My only notable sighting was a group of Bearded Titlings calling from a reedbed not far from the visitor center. I hadn’t realised how rare they are at Rutland Water, so didn’t attempt a recording or photo – my mistake. I was later contacted by the regional eBird reviewer requesting more details – we’ll see what comes of that.

Another amusing eBird moment involved Feral Pigeons. In Israel, every early morning session at this time of year includes flocks of hundreds, often thousands, of Feral Pigeons flying between cities and surrounding farmland. So, when I was birding in Rutland and noticed a few flocks flying over, I casually logged 300 on eBird. Soon after, a reviewer contacted me – apparently, this isn’t normal in Rutland. They’re likely racing pigeons, which shouldn’t be reported on eBird. Odd, I admit – but I accepted the suggestion and removed them from my checklist. That’s a first – being challenged on Feral Pigeons!

After Birdfair, I made a quick dash to Norwich and Norfolk before flying home. I stayed overnight with good friends in Norwich, and the next morning (July 14th) I birded Cley Marshes. It was quite pleasant, with a few early migrant shorebirds – Curlew Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper being the most exciting.

The only bird I photographed during the whole trip was a Cattle Egret. Boring?

I am amazed at how rapidly they’ve colonised the UK. I vividly remember a wet August 12th 2008, post-Birdfair (then still called British Birdfair). I was sitting in a hide at Cley with Steve Gantlett and my brother Gidon, when a Cattle Egret dropped out of the grey sky onto the scrape in front of us.

Cattle Egret, Cley, August 12th 2008

Back then, Cattle Egrets were seriously rare in the UK – indeed within minutes dozens of birders twitchers arrived to see them. My brother and I jokingly predicted they’d quickly spread across the country, and even suggested they should be 'stopped' before it was too late – thinking of the ecological damage they’ve caused in Israel’s wetlands and rangelands. Our comments earned a few scowls from grumpy twitchers in the hide. Seventeen years later, that colonisation is well underway. I’m not sure whether the ecological impact of Cattle Egrets – or other expanding herons like Great Egrets – on UK habitats has ever been studied.

Back to 2025, from Cley, I visited friends in Sheringham, then headed to Luton Airport and flew back home.

My full eBird trip report is here.

See you at Global Birdfair 2026!

California part 3 - Stanford and Palo Alto

I am writing here while missiles are exploding over my head... What else is there to do other than reminisce about better days and hope for better days ahead.

After the first two full days of birding in California, I had to slow down a bit because of the Stanford conference I was taking part in. I had time only for quick pre-breakfast sessions on Stanford Uni campus and in nearby Palo Alto. My initial intention was to see enough birds to maintain my eBird checklist streak. However, urban birding in Palo Alto and Stanford was really enjoyable. I appreciated the common urban birds - good diversity, and several attractive species.

Acorn Woodpecker - this is a female (red rear crown), of ssp. bairdi I presume, with a broad pale forehead, solid black chest, and flank streaks.

American Robin is very common but always cool. This male singing by a main road has some skin infection on its legs (known as 'scaly legs'), likely caused by Cnemidocoptic mites or papillomavirus.

One morning I birded with Marty around Lake Lagunita, at the south side of campus, which was actually very nice. A Virginia Rail was calling from the little remaining wet vegetation, listen to it here, somewhat faint, at ''5 and ''14:

Lake Lagunita

Western Bluebird is a common urban feature too, but this male caught the early morning sun so beautifully that its photo had to be taken:

California Towhee - subtle, fairly range-restricted, but very common

Brown Creeper - superficially similar song to European trecreepers

Arizona Gardens in Stanford Campus - the tall palm hosted a Hooded Oriole

Warblers weren't easy to come by in Stanford and Palo Alto during my stay, so I was pretty pleased to stumble upon this singing Yellow Warbler. Listen to it here, at ''5, ''14 and towards the end (California Towhee in the foreground).

My final morning before heading back was spent at Bayfront Park in Millbrae, by the San Francisco airport. It wasn't easy to hear much with all the aircraft noise, but eventually I had good scope views of a Ridgway's Rail feeding along the saltmarsh edge - nice end to an excellent visit to California. 

Check my eBird trip report here - 163 species, 57 checklists (most of them done by Brian and Aaron - thanks again), it was fun and I can't wait to be back and finally catch up with two species I keep missing (because I arrive at the wrong time of year) - Surfbird and Black Turnstone.