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.

Mig mig

Migration is peaking now in Israel. The weather is still quite awful - midday temperatures soar into the mid 30's, but the early mornings offer some respite and are pleasant enough for birds and for birders. I keep going out birding every morning, even now during our second lockdown. I have fieldwork to do, and anti-poaching duties, which thankfully keep me outdoors. 

The fields and reservoirs near home are packed full with birds, offering some hope that we have not screwed the world up completely, yet. Often, early morning birding sessions end up with an impressive tally (check this representative checklist for example). Willow Warblers numbers are very low, but other species groups seem to be doing OK - shrikes, buntings, chats. Young Lesser Gray Shrikes are seen in numbers now - very neat birds:

Numbers of Cretzschmar's and Ortolans and even now - Cretzs still around in force:

Raptor migration is very prominent now. Luckily, I live on the main highway. Unlucky for me, I need to spend most hours of the day working indoors - wish I could sit outside all day with a cold beer and stare at the skies. However, every time I stick my head out of the air-conditioned house between 10:00 and 15:00 and look up there are convoys up in the sky, of Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Honey Buzzard, Black Kite and many other species (check this checklist for example).

Lesser Spotted Eagle and two levants

Part of a flock of 800 Levant Sparrowhawks

It's a good time of year for shorebirds too. A visit to Ma'agan Michael offered good views of Bar-tailed Godwits - scarce in Israel:

Gan Shmuel fishponds hosted a Pectoral Sandpiper - I had to go and visit. 15th for Israel, I have seen a few before but always nice to connect with:

Pec Sand with friends

Best bird I found recently was yesterday - while birding with Piki in Tal Shachar (good fun!) we flushed a snipe from under our feet - it gave a familiar call, taking me back to November 1998 - Pin-tailed Snipe! In flight we noticed that there was no trailing edge, it was stocky with a short bill, but if flew away and out of sight. Sadly no photo but satisfying birding moment! We couldn't relocate it - hope it shows up again.

Sadly, not all of my work includes happy birding moments. On Friday I was called to retrieve a transmitter of a dead Bonelli's Eagle not far from home, and asses the cause of death. No need for detective work to make this assessment:

Special review - my best birds of 2009

I am happy to present images of the best birds I encountered during 2009. It was a good year with many exciting stuff and even a couple of Israel ticks for me!

The year began well with this beautiful male Kurdish Wheatear that took up a territory at Wadi Mishmar:
Late in January I ringed two Asian Desert Warblers together with Yosef Kiat at Hameyshar - a ringing tick for me and great little birds!

This Steppe Grey Shrike was found in February in the Hula lake:

Well, this is not a national rarity but it's my bird - and such a beautiful one. Nubian Nightjars are critically endangered in Israel, and I like this image very much. I hope that 2010 will bring good news for the conservation of the Neot Hakikar salt marsh.

I spent much of March guiding the 2009 International Bird Migration Festival at Eilat. I was busy guiding so didn't have much time for photography, but still got in touch with some good birds. This Black Bush Robin showed not-too-well inside Yotvata Hai-Bar reserve:

There were several Caspian Plovers about, including this cooperative male at KM 20 saltpans:

This male Pied Wheatear was a nice find by Barak, near Tel Arad:

See you in the 2010 festival!

This Sabine's Gull was the fourth for Israel. I saw it several times during its two-month-long stay at Ma'agan Michael:

Shorebird migration picked up in August, and this Red-necked Phalarope at Ma'agan Michael was nice to see and photograph as always:

In late August I visited Nachlieli island off the N Med coast, where a pair of Bridled Terns attempted to breed for the second year. We found only one bird among the Common Terns:

This Rueppell's Warbler I ringed at Ashdod in early September was a good autumn bird:

I successfully twitched this 4th Green Warbler for Israel at Netiv Halamed-He in early October. It wasn't too challenging - it waited for me in a bag...

I had several Red-breasted Flycatchers during late September - early October, including this one at Elifaz sewage in the S Arava:

This 9th Pectoral Sandpiper for Israel showed well during it's long stay at Ma'agan Michael:

I was happy to add Pacific Golden Plover to my Ashdod list. This bird was found in early November on the beach:

December began with another bag-twitch, this time a Paddyfield Warbler which waited in the bag for us at Ma'agan Michael (tick!):

And the year ended with another Israeli tick, this time two Red-throated Divers that showed well at Acre:

Today I am working from home. In the past such days ended up in a twitch several times, so who knows what happens today... But if nothing happens, this is the end of 2009 birding for me. All the very best wishes for 2010 - and many good birds for everyone!