To write or not to write, that is the question

This post is somewhat unusual, because in recent years I refrain from reporting about my routine daily birding. I go birding every day, but I don't write a new blog every day. In the early years of my blog, I reported almost every time I was out: I saw this, I missed that. Looking back, it's good fun to read and remember, but I'm not sure how much interest there is in this kind of content anymore. Nowadays, I focus here on major events or on events with a broader context rather than standard illustrated birding reports.

This morning's birding session was not different than many others. Like every morning, I was out at dawn, aiming to get some birding done before it gets too hot and I need to start work. My routine birding includes a few good sites within 15-20 minutes from home, that I check in rotation. This morning I chose Yavne 1 ponds. It's a nice little wetland within a horrible industrial zone on the outer edge of the Tel Aviv megapolis. These ponds are used to infiltrate treated water into underground aquifer storage. They are good for autumn migrant shorebirds, and I was hoping to get some shorebird action. Indeed, it was pretty good, with relatively large numbers of common shorebirds, for this region and time of year. This site isn't easy to work, because viewing conditions are not ideal, and birds seem to be quite jumpy and mobile there.

Which shorebird species can you spot in this photo? (annotated answer below)

168 Little Stints were especially enjoyable, all adults. Also fine numbers of Marsh, Wood, Green Sands, Ruff. eBird checklist here.

There were some ducks too, including four Garganey

Both videos were taken through Swarovski ATX85 using my phone and a Swarovski phone adapter.

The reason why I decided to share this morning session is that it was not about birds only. Additionally, the report contained too much information to share in an independent social media post. Bamba and I had two encounters with Wild Boar, one from at very short distance (scared the s&%t out of Bamba) and another from a fair distance, downwind from them, so they were chilled. Also encountered Mountain Gazelle (there's a relict population here, trapped between several motorways) and Golden Jackals.

There were a few individuals of this huge, beautiful antlion, Palpares libelluluoides - wingspan of close to 15cm!

So, should I write such casual report, or not? Interested to get feedback from you, my loyal readers who got this far down.

Extra time WP tick

I had little expectations to go birding in the UK again, but yesterday a Semipalmated Sandpiper that was found by James McCallum at RSPB Snettisham made me reconsider my priorities... In an atypical display of responsibility and maturity I didn't go yesterday, but this morning I was on site at dawn. First thing there were very few birders (I guess many were waiting at home for news). The tide was advancing up the Wash, and I was scanning the mud like crazy. After a while I spotted THE bird feeding among Dunlin and Ring Plovers - it was distant but I knew exactly what to look for, and as soon as I got onto it everything fell into place - stockier than Little Stint, nice and grey above with no rufous scapulars, thick bill and really obvious flank streaks. Too distant to see the palmations and for photography, so I took in all details I could with x70 magnification on my Swarovski ATX95. I saw it for maybe 20 seconds, and I think another birder got onto it as well; then the whole flock took off with the rapidly rising tide and I lost the bird in a scenario similar to this:

I spent the next couple of hours scanning through the roosting flocks at high tide. Very challenging task to say the least:

Scanning back and forth I did add some quality - a 2cy Roseate Tern (in the field I first had some self doubts but after reading a bit more if seems fine), 2 Arctic terns, 1 Black Tern, 15 Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Little Stint scattered in the Dunlin flocks, 10 Spotted Redshanks and one Turtle Dove that flew south. I was getting a bit worried that I couldn't relocate it, neither did other birders scanning. I was happy to hear that after I had left the bird was relocated in the early afternoon.

Attention: horrible phone scoped images. I really need to buy a phone with a proper camera.

Curlew Sandpiper roosting among Dunlin (adults and a juvenile)

Sanderling

There were several thousand lovely red Knot. Only this grey job was near enough to phonescope.

Snettishem is a special reserve. I must admit that I find the pans unattractive; but the spectacular murmurations of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit over the Wash always impress. Overall it was an enjoyable morning with 81 species - check my eBird checklist here. Thanks to James (good to meet up one last time in the field, mate) and to other birders who worked pretty hard this morning.

RSPB Titchwell

Went with my family and another family of friends to Titchwell. Haven't birded there for quite a long time and really enjoyed it. It's such a great place for families - the kids enjoyed an all-around wildlife experience, the parents had some minutes of peace and quiet when the kids played on the beach, and I even managed to see some half-decent Norfolk scarcities. Highlights were 2 Little Stints and 2 Curlew Sands, four Spoonbills and a Peregrine (don't believe I'm writing this). On the sea some scoters and Red-throated Divers. 

I was carrying too many children and their stuff on my back today, so left my camera at home. Played around with phonescoping - it was quite fun. All these images were taken through Swarovski ATX95 with handheld Samsung Galaxy S2:

2 Little Stints

Curlew

Oystercatcher

PGP at Ashdod

This is going to be long - beware!

Yesterday Amir Ben Don and Ehud Dovrat found a Pacific Golden Plover at Yavne 4 ponds north of Ashdod. I had a couple of free hours in the morning, so gave it a try. The weather was OK - no rain and sunny, but very windy which made photography a bit shaky.

The ponds were shorebirdless, just a few Temminck's Stints. I had a quick look at the gull flock nearby. One of the first birds I saw was this colour-ringed Baltic Gull. I was very happy to see this bird as I had ringed and released it in September. It was rehabilitated at the NPA wildlife hospital after being found exhausted.




There were fewer Baltic Gulls compared to what Amir had yesterday. There were only 10 or so adult baltics. But nevertheless they are such beautiful birds, and I can never resist getting more images of them in good light:


Numbers of Caspian Gulls are starting to build up:

There were about 20 adult Siberian Gulls. Look at this impressive male:

Note the big mirror on P10:

After I had enough with the gulls, I drove down to the beach. I started to scan through the hundreds of roosting shorebirds on the beach, and quite quickly relocated yesterday's Pacific Golden Plover. At first I had crap distant views, but later the bird moved in quite close. I got decent images, though I didn't manage to get the wanted underwing shot. At one moment a late Hobby made all the shorebirds take off, but I missed the photo-opp. Oz Horine got a great flight shot - see here: http://www.israbirding.com/israelbirdsforum/forum_entry.php?id=1173.

I really enjoyed watching this elegant plover for a long time. I have seen quite a few in Israel, but it is always a cool bird to see. It was especially interesting to compare it to Israel's first American Golden Plover I saw last November at Ma'agan Michael. Note especially the short primary projection of this bird - not even three primaries exposed beyond the tertials.

It was nice to see so many shorebirds on the pretty beach and not in a stinking fishpond or sewage pond. There were about 10 Greater Sand Plovers, all more or less in full winter plumage already.

Among the commoner species were Ringed Plovers, Little Stints and Dunlin.

I dipped on the Cyprus Wheatear Amir had yesterday; it was really too windy for passerines. There were several Northern Wheatears though: