Spring bliss

This morning was one of those mornings that demonstrate best (to me at least) why I am a birder and how rewarding being a birder can be. I visited Mt. Amasa, at the southern tip of the Judean Mts. This is one of my favourite birding sites in March - the habitat is beautiful, the landscape is stunning, and birding is magnificent. The open, rocky slopes, now covered with flowers, attract juicy migrants, and support healthy populations of quality breeding species. For me, a mid-March visit to Mt. Amasa is really one of the highlights of my birding year in Israel. I know the sites there very well, and I could predict almost precisely what and where I would see. It made no difference - it was a beautiful morning, albeit a bit short (family stuff...).

I met up early with Barak (in the photo above), Avi & Ron. At first we checked around the ruins of Tel Krayot, then descended to the adjacent Wadi Tov. It was a bit cold early on but soon the sweet warm sun lit up some beautiful birds for us. Check out this handsome 2cy male Woodchat Shrike, likely a migrant (not quite in breeding habitat), glowing in the soft early morning light:

There were really nice numbers of Cretzschmar's Buntings, several flocks moving through and quite many hopping on the rocks. They do breed here but despite some males bursting into their sweet 'Si-si-seee' song, I think they were mostly migrants.

Male

Female

Using the ruins and boulders as breeding sites, there were good numbers of Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock-Thrush and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, all seen in advanced breeding activity. Wait for it and turn your volume up:

Down by the wadi there were more Sylvia warblers in the scattered bushes, including Rueppell's, Eastern Orphean and Eastern Subalpine. I have seen brighter subalps before - still a very neat bird.

There were many redstarts about - lots of wintering Western Blacks still here, one cracking male Eastern Black (likely semirufa), and several Commons, including three male Ehrenberg's. Barak talking in the background:

Twas also fun watching several Wrynecks rockhopping. Always fascinating birds.

There were many common migrants around. I enjoyed that immensely. A few scarcities weren't seen this morning (Cinereous Bunting, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush) - next time hopefully. More images and videos in the eBird checklist here.

Happy spring

Best way to avoid Coronavirus and to stay mentally healthy is birding, isn't it? That's exactly what I did this morning, only in my case it's also work. I worked/birded in Tel Krayot/Mt. Amasa area. It was a fine morning, together with good friends Barak, Roni, Oded, Avi and Ron.
We started off early at the archaeological site of Tel Krayot (eBird checklist here). Most prominent were Blue rock-Thrushes - they were everywhere. They breed here, I even found a nest with eggs. Sadly, birds at this site are quite skittish - too much disturbance from herders I guess, so please accept these photos as habitat shots...

Nearby, Nahal Tov was pretty good. Highlight was this stonking male Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, showing its better side in this photo:

Numbers of Cretzschmar's Bunting are still a bit low, and we found no hoped-for Cinereous Bunting. However, can't complain about Cretzschmar's Bunting...

In this sound recording, a male gives some typical sharp calls and a short song sequence, then when a another bunting flew over he gave these soft bubbly contact calls:

There was some raptor migration up in the air, three Eurasian Crag-Martins flew by, and a single Syrian Serin did the same.

Beautiful flowers everywhere, including many Sharon Tulip:

On the way out, I stopped to admire impressive carpets of Lion's Leaf (Leontice leontopetalum) and Persian Lilly (Fritillaria persica):

Persian Lilly

Bamba posing

Morning glory

This morning, before a meeting, I had tome for some Atlas fieldwork, not far from home. I surveyed Tzor'a Ridge, which is a low rise (320 m asl) 'towering' over the Tzor'a/Soreq Valley (120 m asl). It's a small remnant patch of Batha habitat, dominated by Thorny Burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum) with scattered bushes, mainly Spiny Hawthorn. Sadly, in this region most Batha-covered hills were either built over or planted with non-native conifers.

I didn't develop much expectations from this short morning session. My main target was Long-billed Pipit (it's not a known site for them, Batha patch too small) but one was photographed there in autumn; I was also hoping to see some other returning summer visitors like Woodchat Shrike or Cretzschmar's Bunting. Eventually I saw none, but it was a most enjoyable morning, with lovely warm weather, beautiful flowers and lots of migrants. 

Perhaps under-rated among the hordes of uber-sexy sylvias passing through now, I find Eastern Orphean Warbler very attractive. Not the most colourful of all, but certainly a quality bird, especially when this male showed so well:

Other sylvias were 6 Rüppell's Warblers, some of them showed very well. No matter how many I see, and how cheesy they are, it's always good fun to enjoy a good macho.

A female Blue Rock Thrush was sweet:

Me and this Short-toed Eagle were surprised by each other as I climbed over the crest of the hill:

I am quite certain (but not 100% sure) that this kestrel is a lesser - claws not black (though not milky yellow), long wings, tiny bill, faint moustache, finely spotted breast, V-shaped scapulars and mantle feathers, faded barring on coverts and tertials. But I maybe off and it's just a Common Kestrel.

eBird checklist here.

Many orchids were flowering, most common species (Pink Butterfly-Orchid, Carmel Bee-Orchid); this Early Spider-Orchid was almost as good as a bird:

Carmel Bee-Orchid

Pink Butterfly-Orchid

La Serena birds

We spent four days working in La Serena in southeastern Badajoz. It was actually pretty good. Good numbers of sandgrouse and larks, monty's and pratincoles, but few bustards sadly. Here are some photos I took during the days we were there. Quite many photos actually. Yes, I do work!
Let's start with some steppe birds for which I came to Iberia. First things first. King of the steppe, male Great Bustard:

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse are a new feature in our counts - they are absent from Portugal. Noisy flocks are seen flying to drink in the morning and evening too.

Calandra and Short-toed Larks were present in high densities in areas of short grass. This is a singing male Short-toed Lark:

Thekla Larks are found here on the rough rocky hillsides, away from dehesa / montado:

Zitting Cisticolas were present in much lower densities in dry La Serena compared to lush Alentejo. This is the first one I bothered to photograph this trip, a baby:

We found Collared Pratincoles breeding in several sites, in dry fields not far from water. Always a treat to watch and photograph.

Group photo with Little Ringed Plover and Crested Lark

One species that seems to be in BIG trouble is European Roller. We have been a month in Iberia now, and have seen a total of 6 birds! Something seems to be terribly wrong. What has happened to them so quickly? Eurpean Roller was recently downlisted from NT to Least Concern. My gut feelings is that this listing is horribly wrong. I photographed a pair I found breeding in an old house north of Castuera. Rockin' and rollin'.

Stunning birds

Red-billed Choughs are funny birds. They are found here is small numbers, are were surprisingly shy and difficult to photograph.

Now to some raptors. There are lots of raptors in La Serena. Especially vultures, which is not surprising given the incredible livestock density.

Sheep grazing with Castillo de Puebla de Alcocer in the background - see below

We saw only two Egyptian Vultures in La Serena, which is worrying too, but Griffons and Black Vultures were present in good numbers. Fences every direction you look...

Black Vulture

Eurasian Griffons

Short-toed Eagle - quite a few of them

Montagu's Harriers were seen everywhere, really important work done by ANSER to protect their nests. I didn't photograph any in La Serena. But this Marsh Harrier just insisted to get papped. I am actually not sure about its age and sex, need to do some homework. Not straightforward.

On 3rd May I finished work late. When I drove out of the field, I noticed this male Little Bustard singing in soft light post sunset. I loved the pastel colours of the dry grass and stopped to photograph him. Have I said before that I can't get enough of them?

Little Bustard

After I was done, I was sure it's the end of my day and returned the camera to its bag on the back seat. After a few minutes I was surprised to flush a harrier in half darkness. A quick look showed the distinctive boa of a Pallid Harrier! A rarity in Spain, I knew I had to get a record shot. The harrier flew away in haste, mobbed by a local breeding pair of Montys. I frantically grabbed my camera and fired off some shots in wrong settings. Most photos came out completely blurry or dark, but few are just about enough for identification. Sweet.

Pallid Harrier - 2cy female. Looking up towards the aggressive monty

It had a good meal apparently - full crotch

Diagnostic pattern to primaries - very pale wingtip compared to monty

And then it was gone, never to be seen again

After dark action didn't end. We found several singing Red-necked Nightjars in funny habitat here. We also saw several Eagle Owls sitting above the road north of Castuera. One night when we drove back we found a large chick (or 'chicken' as some locals call chicks) sat in the middle of the road. I slammed the brakes, and we relocated him to a safer spot away from the road. The ginormous parents watched us from above. Incredible experience.

One afternoon after work we visited Castillo de Puebla de Alcocer. I was told that White-rumped Swifts may occur there. Not yet. But the view from up top is breathtaking. 

There was a constant movement of local raptors, often at eye level, including this Black Vulture:

Lots of nice little birds were seen around the castle. Rock Buntings are lovely, aren't they?

A pair of Blue Rock Thrush breeds in the deserted cafe up there. The azure male brought to the nest a young, but still pretty big, Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus):

This leads me to my next post, that a-typically will be dedicated to non-birds!