Champions of the Flyway 2025

Champions of the Flyway 2025 is done and dusted, and, oh boy, what a whirlwind of birding, conservation and people it was. COTF25 was expertly led by Alen Kacal and Noam Weiss from my team at BirdLife Israel, and was hosted at the Eilat Bird Sanctuary/IBRCE. This year, COTF was boosted by an international workshop, funded by the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, that brought almost 20 international birders to take part in the event. Above all, the main benefactors from COTF are the birds - this year we raised funds to better protect the main breeding colony of Common and Little Terns in Atlit. We are very proud of all the teams that worked together to raise over USD10K for the terns!

I headed down to Eilat on Sunday, March 30th. I didn't have much time for birding en route because I had to be in Eilat by lunchtime for the workshop and some TV stuff. I stopped briefly at Mitzpe Ramon where I had a lovely male Semicollared Flycatcher. Then in Yotvata I quickly connected with three Caspian Plovers that remained there for the next few days and made many birders very happy. A four-minute stop at Samar sewage for the two lingering Lesser White-fronted Geese was sweet. Then, so many birds at Eilat. I dipped on the Hypocolius in Holland Park despite two visits. I *think* I heard it once, but couldn't locate it or sound record it, so it doesn't count.

ON March 31st I spent part of the day with the workshop, and had a few meetings, including the official COTF briefing for all participants in the afternoon at IBRCE. It was great to spend time with new and old friends taking part in the workshop - there were birders from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Ethiopia! Together we saw some cool birds such as this male Oriental Honey Buzzard in Yotvata. It is interesting that in recent years, more and more OHB are seen in the southern Arava rather that in Eilat itself, perhaps following the colonization of Oriental Pygmy Bees in this region, and the depletion of bee nests around Eilat by the honey buzzards.

A quick look in Ofira Park was productive. I love this little park in the middle of the city, it often holds nice numbers of migrants, which are often very tame.

Tree Pipit

Wryneck

Race day, April 1st, was super intensive. I was up for all 24 hours of it, working with teams in the field to make sure they worked well, saw the birds and stayed out of trouble (which some of them didn't...). I got to see lots of good birds myself that day. First thing in the morning Yafruk plains, at KM86, was fun. Early on a group of four Asian Wild Asses galloped past me:

There were several good larks around, including Hoopoe (their song...), Temminck's (in the photo below) and Bar-tailed. 

Lots of Eastern Black-eared Wheatears were throughout the day

First COTF teams arrived there - I helped them get on the key species. This team is the JBO Sparrows - kids from the JBO youth club, with their leaders Rafi and Haim.

Then I headed up to Neot Smadar, where I met a few more teams, a TV crew, a Richard's Pipit, more flycatchers and overall many birds, which was hectic but enjoyable.

Richard's Pipit (Crested Lark in the background)

Woodchat Shrike

Thanks Omri for the snap

In Kibbutz Samar, I joined the teams searching for the Rosy Starling that showed up, and the local Black Scrub-Robins.

Rosy Starling destroying a date

Female

KM20 flamingo pools are a must-stop for racing teams. Most teams show up there in the afternoon, and indeed there were lots of cool birds, including Red-necked Phalaropes, Greater Sand-Plovers, and Gull-billed Terns. 

Sadly 'Freddie' the melanistic Greater Flamingo, that has been returning to Eilat for a decade, does not count as a separate species.

Marsh Sandpiper does

From left: Meidad Goren, me, Jonathan Meyrav and Dan Alon (COTF founders - respect!), Yuval Dax. Happy to see Jonathan racing this year. Next time try a little harder mate...

At north beach, before dusk, many teams congregated and I helped them to quickly see the Brown Booby, White-eyed Gulls and other specialties present before it got too dark. Thanks again Yuval Dax for this photo:

My day ended well into the next, with me meeting teams handing in their lists, reviewing the lists and doing the rankings. I think Alen took this photo, of me sitting down with David, Patrick and Michael (from Israel, Germany and Kyrgyzstan) and their list, close to midnight. I was very tired by then.

Next day, April 2nd, post race, pre closing event, I started early, birding with Patrick in Holland Park and Ofira Park again. Still lots of migrants around, nothing too exciting. This Western Yellow Wagtail was intriguing because it looks like a perfect feldegg but gave a pure flava call - will share sound recording when Patrick sends it to me.

The traditional north beach group photo - by the intrepid Yuval Dax:

Alen and me

The award ceremony at IBRCE was moving and emotional as always. Seeing all the kids, women, people from different backgrounds and cultures, share the moment together, for conservation, gives me a sense of hope for a better future. Photos from the award ceremony by.... Yuval Dax:

Champions of the Flyway 2025 - Woodcocks, with 158 species! Ori Gal, Yagel Yamin, Moshe Zinger and Adam Rosenfeld.

Guardians of the Flyway 2025 - Transitivas, the team who raised the most funds, Dror Lavee, Mars Cohen and Osnal Shalem, here with Noam and Alen. They are the first transgender team racing in COTF ever - I am so very proud of them. Thanks to Zeiss Birding for supporting COTF and providing us with the prizes for the winning team.

Knights of the Flyway 2025 - Hawfinches, the team who made the most noise, were most creative in their actions, for the second year running! Check this video for example. They are Ilai Parfinian, Geva Be'er, Lotan Strul, Adam Weinstock, and Itai Lahovitzer, aged 11-13. Here they are with their leaders, Shai Vashdi and Yehudit Mandelbaum.

Huge thanks again to Alen and Noam who led COTF this year, with the support of BirdLife Israel team - Yuval, Meidad, Reeva and Yotam. IBRCE team and volunteers, Tzadok, Leaby, Sasha, Daniel, Noah, Zvi, Eden and Shira were amazing. Thanks again to the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and Municipality of Eilat for supporting the event and bringing over our friends from overseas. Zeiss Birding have been our partners for many years now - thanks Petra and team!

From a birding POV, this was a good year for migration on the ground. Lots of common migrants which is great. On race day the weather was weird so raptor migration was blown to some direction. After a very dry winter the desert holds birds in low densities but it is always great to be out there. Check my trip report here.

That's all for now, see you in COTF26! Go Champions!

Birds in flight

 My favourite type of birding is on foot. Most often you'd find me walking through habitat, with scope on one shoulder, camera on the other. I think this is an optimal way for general birding, rather than sit in a hide or drive around in a car. This choice has a few outcomes. First, I see many birds, including birds in flight, and identify many birds on call - not easy when you're in a hide or in a car. Second, my photos are often distant (birds often won't let me approach on foot) and often in flight. Especially since I sold my 500mm lens two years ago, I enjoy shooting small birds in flight. In most cases, photos are rubbish and worth nothing. Sometimes, like today, it works slightly better...

This morning I birded with Piki at Tal Shachar, few minutes from home. It was a special morning because it's Piki's birthday today (Happy Birthday!), and because for the first time since March I put on a second layer first thing. At first, birding was a bit slow, but eventually things picked up. The first bird I photographed today was perched in fact, not in flight, this male Red-backed Shrike, too gorgeous to walk past without attention:

The western section of the alfalfa was half-quiet, there were some pipits and wagtails, nothing major, and Marsh, Montagu's and Pallid Harriers cruised over the field.

Pallid Harrier

Eventually we found two Richard's Pipits that flew up, giving that bursting call. 

Jonathan had just arrived with a busload of punters, and one of the pipits flew directly towards the group. Not sure if anyone but Jonathan saw it.

We made it to the eastern section of the field, that was really busy. Yellow Wagtail numbers went down from many hundreds a month ago to just over 100, and pipit numbers are up, many Red-throats and Tree, several Tawny.

Tawny Pipit

Then a small bird flew up from the field, calling that familiar thin and sharp 'Tzip'. I got my bins on it, Piki too, Little Bunting! Boom! Unfortunately it flew off and away, and we lost it in the distant wood. I was very happy to find it - Little Bunting was one of my Big Year targets for October. This is an exceptionally early record.

Happy and motivated, we continued birding in the alfalfa. It was heartwarming to see good numbers of European Rollers, mostly juveniles. They are not doing well in Israel, and are classified as Vulnerable. Also globally (especially in Europe) their status isn't positive. So 12 in a single field was good.

That underwing is simply stunning

Among the many Spur-winged Lapwings there was a single newly-arrived Northern Lapwing.

All in all it was a great morning, eBird checklist here. Thanks Piki!

Bogey bird down

Amidst the Corona craziness, this morning I managed to get myself to Arsuf. My target was a Blyth's Pipit that had been found a few days ago by Eyal Shochat - possibly a returning bird. I couldn't go until this morning, which made me quite restless over the weekend. I had a bitter history with this species in Israel, having been out of the country for all twitchable ones, and being unable to nail two birds I am sure I found myself (while leading a tour in 2010, and in my magic field in 2011). Till this morning. I met up with Rony early, and we stared working a lovely grassy field buzzing with birds, not dissimilar to a Mongolian steppe:

After few minutes of walking through wet grass we flushed the bird, it gave a nice call (I was unprepared with my sound recording gear) and showed well in flight:

Showing diagnostic pattern on T5, with limited white, wedge-shaped:

It joined its two Richard's friends, and the trio offered good comparative views of size and structure. Also, check the pattern of T5 on this Richard's - all white:

We were joined by a few more birders, and we spent some time with the birds and eventually were treated to good views of the Blyth's perched out in the open:

There were seven pipit species present - not bad; with an Olive-backed a few days ago and Long-billed at a few sites, it has been a good pipit week.
There were lots of birds and some good ones around (eBird checklist here) - three Sibe Stonechats, Oriental Skylark, Rueppell's Warbler etc.

Glad to put this one to rest - now I'm worried about birding and twitching in this Corona crisis. Stay safe.

The first that got away

I had a meeting in Eilat today, conveniently timed for late morning so I could bird en route. First thing I was at Neot Smadar. I arrived there with low expectations - in recent years this site tends to be quiet. However, as I got out of the car, the air was alive with bird calls - pipits, shrikes, redstarts - very nice. I birded the fields with pleasure - Richard's Pipit flew over calling, Corn Crake, oddly alive and well, jumped up from the tall alfalfa, a Sooty Falcon zoomed through, and a Black-winged Kite that's less common in this part of the country perched up on wires:

At a spot with some Willow Warblers I tried the trick that rarely works, and played potential vagrant music. Booted Warbler - nothing. Dusky Warbler - nothing. Greenish Warbler - instant response, boom! I heard one classic Greenish Warbler call and immediately switched off my player. I heard another call, a call that I know so well, nice and clear, up somewhere in a tree a few meters away. I switched on my sound recorder - but nothing! Two calls is all I heard. I was all pumped up and searched for the bird but frustratingly saw only willows. I tried hard to find the bird or get some vocal response, but nothing at all. After about an hour I gave up and had to leave. Shame. There are no records of Greenish warbler in Israel, yet. I am 100% confident this was a Greenish Warbler - this is a call I know very well and I heard it perfectly. However, I know that for a country first some kind of documentation is necessary. Therefore, no cigar today.

eBird checklist here.

With Adrenalin still pumping, but feeling disappointed, I moved on to Yotvata circular field (rather dry and empty) and on to Eilat, where an Oriental Honey Buzzard casually flew over the road by the IBRCE.

After the meeting I went over to KM20 saltpans, that were full of shorebirds - quite impressive actually, haven't seen the saltpans like that for a long time. It was very hot and windy, not ideal conditions for careful scanning through the hundreds of Little Stints. Best I could come up with were a couple of Broad-billed Sandpipers and a Red-necked Phalarope. eBird checklist here.

Broad-billed Sandpiper - 1cy 

Those supercillia...

On the way back I stopped at Neot Smadar for another go, but it was still very hot and windy, and bird activity was low. Of course there was no further sign of the suspect. Fingers crossed it will be refound in the next few days!