Last morning in Israel

Before heading back to the cold, grey UK I just had to absorb some more sun and birds. Went for a quick early morning session in wadi Bet Arif, east of Shoham. It's a lovely part of the country, very rich and hosts some quality species.

As I stepped out of the car I was greeted by singing Long-billed Pipits:

I parked my car in a very comforting spot:

And started climbing up the wadi. I quickly met up with a breeding pair of Blue Rock Thrushes. The male had been ringed by Yosef some time ago:

The female is unringed (yet)

Up on the hills there was good activity of Long-billed Pipits. I had at least five pairs. The females are very shy now, probably incubating. And the males were very mobile as always. Still haven't achieved a shot I'm fully satisfied with:

  

  

  

Also in the area many Cisticolas, Little Owls, Woodchat and Southern Grey Shrikes, not too shabby. Relatively few migrants in this open habitat - mainly some tens each of Tree Pipits and Ortolans.

This Little Owl successfully hunted a Tuna Can:

Chukar - stunning birds

Some White Storks foraged on the grassy slopes

Wadi Bet Arif

Saturday morning relaxed birding

I think I deserve a noble prize because I let my wife sleep in this morning. Went on a long walk with my baby girl Libby and dog Bamba in the fields around our village. Lovely spring weather and lots of birds. Quite many migrants around and the local birds are bust breeding. Not easy to photograph single handed with the 500 mm...

Most dominant migrants were many hundreds of Ortolans and also big numbers (60+) of Tree Pipits.

Also some other pipits (red-throated, tawny and water), Masked Shrikes, some Issy Wheatears and other typical open country birds. Large flocks of Turtle Doves are going through now:

Chukar

Forest Owlet...

Back in the village, I had a Collared Flycatcher in my neighbour's garden, and a Pied fly in my garden - a nice garden tick.