New year, new list

 No, I'm not doing a Big Year again... Yesterday evening news broke of a Pied Bushchat found by Yishay Ben Adar, near Ma'or, about an hour drive from home, 10th record from Israel, the first major rarity of 2023. I have seen this species in Israel three times before - my first was in 2001, an overwintering female at IBRCE, Eilat, found by James P. Smith. In October 2012 Eyal Shochat found a fantastically cooperative male in Yeruham. Another male found by Igal Siman Tov delighted the Eilat Birding Festival guests in March 2014. 

Eilat, December 2001 (scan from slide0

Yeruham, October 2012

Neot Smadar, March 2014

Since then, Pied Bushchat hasn't been seen in Israel, so this current one understandably attracted serious attention. Including mine. It's a fine bird, especially in a Western Palearctic context, so why not? When I met up early with Piki and Rony it was pissing it down with rain, pretty grim to be honest. But as we headed north up Route 6, daybreak saw an improving weather. We got there after seven, meeting frustrated birders seeing nothing since dawn. I have birded in strange places before, but this was at another level - on the outskirts of Baqa El-Garbiye, in a small neglected olive grove wedged between a major road and a farm, observing from a bit of rough ground strewn with rubbish and dead livestock, skulls, bones, skins, pretty grotesque. 

Obviously the first birders looked at the wrong spot, as another group (Itamar, Nitay et al.) who checked an adjacent spot soon relocated the bird. We hurried there and started watching the bird at some distance. Light conditions weren't great, and I failed to adjust my camera settings, so my pics are rubbish. Yet it was fun spending time with this gorgeous bird. It was pretty active, catching insects, displaying its white wing patches and huge white belly patch, indicating it belongs to ssp. rossorum, the westernmost population of the species breeding as far west as E Iran.

Eventually the bird moved a bit closer, to everyone's delights, and performed quite well. It was vocal too, I managed to capture some calls using my phone.

2cy male - hatched in 2022

Of course there were some more birds around, that went into the eBird checklist here.

Decade summary #3 - Best of 2012

The countdown until the special annual summary continues. In this chapter, I will pay homage to the amazing year of 2012. The spring of 2012 will be remembered for years. In this spring, it suddenly felt like we're back in the 1980's again. Numbers of all migrants exploded, and I experienced extreme migration spectacles. On one special day, May 1st, I saw more migrants that I had ever seen before, and likely will never again experience such intensity of migration. I also photographed this flock of exhausted European Bee-eaters that became my most popular photo online.

In 2012 I visited Turkey for the first time, and enjoyed some fantastic birding, including this stonking Western Fish Owl:

2012 wasn't an exceptional year for rarities, yet it produced quality in the form of Basalt Wheatear (6th record), Dusky Warbler (5th) and Pied Bushchat (9th):

However, my personal highlight of the year was a rare resident that gave me a once-in-a-lifetime performance:

Arabian Warbler

Champions of the Flyway - scouting day

Today was a really great day. Met up with all the teams who came over for the Champions of the Flyway bird race next week. Lots of old friends and lots of new ones - we had much fun and enjoyed good birding. For us leaders (Jonathan and myself) it was a tough day because our main target for today was scouting - showing the sites, talking about key species and best startegies. We had planned to make it up to Sde Boker but never made it up there because at every site we stopped there were so many good birds that the teams refused to return to the bus.

We started off at North Beach with Brown Booby, Striated Heron and Western Reef Egret. Then we checked KM20 saltpans that were packed with birds - many shorebrds including five Red-necked Phals, Citrine Wagtail, Namaqua Dove, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater etc. After breakfast we headed up to Yotvata fields. The Caspian Plover didn't show but lots of other stuff. Then up to Neot Smadar - the Pied Bushcaht was still there, plus we had a Richard's Pipit.

Pied Bushchat

Then a midday visit to Uvda Valley was more productive than I expected with six Crowned Sandgrouse, and many wheatears and some Tawny Pipits.  Lunch stop at Yahel - lots of migrants in the garden there including Wryneck. 

Spur-winged Lapwing - a bird I rarely photograph

An afternoon visit to Wadi Ya'alon was great fun - it was hopping with migrants: six Sylvia species including about six rueppells, Masked Shrikes, bluethroat atc. 

On the way back stopped quickly at Yotvata sewage that was packed with migrants as well. Lots of pipits and wagtails (including at least four citrines), shorebirds, Little Crake and just before leaving I found what was for me bird of the day - this very striking looking White Wagtail: very striking wing pattern with extensive white GC, MC and tertials, darker grey mantle than other albas, and grey flanks and breast sides. I don't know much about White Wagtail taxa, but from what I could find on the web this bird might fit eastern forms persica and dukhunensis. More on this to come.

Putative Siberian / Persian Wagtail Motacilla alba dukhunensis / persica

Watching the wagtail at Yotvata

Eilat Festival - Pied Bushchat - boom!

Joined the Eilat Festival today, and it was a super day indeed. Headed south in the morning, and through the C Negev (Sde boker area) there was very good Lesser Spotted Eagle migration going on - I had several hundreds, including some nice thermals:

Lesser Spotted Eagles and Steppe Buzzard

Did a couple more stops along the way but saw very little, including Neot Smadar that was practically dead when I drove through the fields and groves. Arrived at Eilat around lunchtime, and while I was having a bite I got a call from Igal Simantov saying he had just found a Pied Bushchat at Neot Smadar! Where I was just an hour before! And missed it! 

I led the afternoon tour, so we all headed towards the bushchat site and it was on show when we got there. Not as well as it did before - it had flown in and away across the kibbutz fence before we arrived, but it was still showing on a dead tree with some doves. All the guests were very happy with this fantastic mega (well done Igal!). Even though it's lost some of its magic in Israel - 7th record and third in three years (see here for instance), but in a WP context it is still a huge rarity, and some very keen WP listers were happy to see it. I guess a couple hundred birders connected with it during the afternoon. 

Pied Bushchat and Laughing Dove

The bushchat twitch took us longer than I expected, so we had time only for KM19 sewage before dusk. The reservoir was packed with birds, and as always there was very nice movement there before dusk. Highlights included 3 longstaying Ferruginous Ducks, some Garganeys, 2 Black-necked Grebes, several Citrine Wagtails, 2 Ospreys, and this adult Gull-billed Tern that flew past after sunset: 

Our main target for the evening was Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse. A very large group of birders assembled at the ponds at dusk, and it was a good experience to see everyone sat quietly in the right place in order not to disturb the birds coming in to drink - quite a challenge with such a large group but it all worked well. After dusk three sandgrouse came in to drink - typically very late. Great end to an exciting day!

 Artistic impression of male Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse

Post-birthday post

I practice a long-lasting tradition of seeing nothing good on my birthday. Yesterday was no exception. I had no time for proper birding, but in a few minutes at Ashdod I had my first Song Thrush and Penduline Tits of the season.

Hoped to compensate today by checking some of the best rarity-magnets in the high Negev Mts. After last weeks' rarity run in the area I was hoping for something good. I met up early with Jon from Norway and Meidad; we started off at Mitzpe Ramon sewage which was very quiet but had one Red-breasted Flycatcher:

The habitat at Nafha sewage and vineyards looks perfect but birds were rather few. Semi-exciting was an ugly 1cy Citrine Wagtail. Other nice birds included Booted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, good migration of Steppe Buzzards, and this lingering Roller:

We tried for the Pied Wheatear at Sde Boker but it didn't show. 10 Desert Wheatears, one Siberian Stonechat and one Spectacled Warbler were OK. 

On the way back home went for another look at the Pied Bushchat at Yeroham. Again in bad light. The bird looks good - feeding nicely and it feeld at home. Will it overwinter? 

It was hot and there was no sign of the Dusky and Yellow-browed Warblers seen there yesterday.

Pied Bushchat

From rare to mega

This morning I went ringing in a field near Mashabe Sade in the northern Negev. Large numbers of migrants had been reported there recently, but today the field was OK, not more. The fairly good catch included mainly Willow Warbler, some Chiffchaffs, four Red-backed Shrikes etc. After setting the nets up in the dark, the first bird I heard early in the morning was a Red-breasted Flycatcher. Later on in the morning it made its way into my net. Nice 1cy - I really like them. Thanks to Netanel for the help in this part of the morning.

Red-breasted Flycatcher - 1cy

While driving back home I learned about a f***ing Pied Bushchat at Yeroham - it was found and later ringed by Eyal Shochat exactly at the same spot where the Dusky Warbler was just a few days ago - what a golden patch! Well done to Eyal. This is the 7th record for Israel. I saw the previous one in winter 2001/2 - it overwintered in the IBRCE carpark. But because it's such a good bird I decided to go and have a look. The bird was showing very well. It has so much charisma on it - larger and much more impressive than a stonechat, with very broad wings and these huge white wing patches and rump. It's a 1cy male.

 Pied Bushchat - 1cy male

The light was very bad (too contrasting) so I didn't spend much time photographing the bird. It was feeding very actively and looks very happy. Nearby I saw also this female Siberian Stonechat - bringing my saxicola day list to four (including Common Stonechat and Whinchat). On a normal day it would have received more attention but not today.

Siberain Stonechat - 1cy female

What an amazing autumn this is evolving to be. Luckily up till now most goodies were rather close to my house. Hope this trend continues.