I'm birding in the rain

Unusual weather today - it already felt like summer was here, but now we have a serious weather system hitting us. Lots of rain today, cold and windy, so tried some seawatching at Ashkelon first. Wind was too southerly so few birds but still had one 2cy Gannet, 1 distant 'Cory's' Shearwater, 1 Common and several Sandwich Terns, and some distant gulls.

Then I went to Ashdod ponds. Still quite many gulls, about 100 large gulls. Mainly 80 fuscus, with fewer heuglini, armenicus, michahellis and cachinnans. Only one (Norwegian) colour ring. Then I found an injured baltic just as it started pouring again. The gull swam into one of the smelly ponds, and I went after it in my undies. Had a great time (rain + sewage = fun) but eventually caught the gull. It had a Finnish metal ring on. Must be an old bird. I took it to the NPA wildlife hospital. Unfortunately it was in a very bad state (ugly tumors all over its face and inside the throat) and the gull had to be put down to sleep. Poor bird.

Norwegian-ringed Baltic Gull

Siberian Gull - huge bird

Caspian Gull - late adult; unhappy bird

Funny Gull

In the evening I was invited to watch the release of a female Striped Hyena. It was found a month ago by my neighbour after it was trapped in a noose trap laid by a Thai worker. It was badly injured and was taken to the NPA wildlife Hospital for treatement. It recovered well and was released today back into the wild, not far from my house. When found it was lactating, so sadly its cubs are gone, but it is encouraging to see such a majestic animal recovering and returning to the wild. Respect to the wildlife hospital team! It was almost dark when it was released hence the blurry shots.

Short-eared Owl

No, this is not a Short-eared Owl, it's a Short-toed Eagle. But while doing an atlas box this morning with Rafi Paz at Lahav reserve we flushed a Short-eared Owl from the ground; found no nest, probably a late migrant. Managed to confirm breeding of Long-billed Pipit (three territories), about 10 families of Spectacled Warbler, some in second breeding cycle - those were the highlights.

WP rarities

Yesterday met up with a multi-national team: Greenland (tick!), Denmark, UK, and Belgium. Among them I had two WP celebs - David Monticelli and Vincent Legrand. We had enjoyable afternoon birding at Neot Hakikar with 10 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, some Namaqua Doves, Clamorous Reed Warblers etc. Later on we had another successful night tour.

Spot the Namaqua Dove

Ringer's frustration and excitement

On thursday I had half an hour between meetings and had a quick look at my ringing site in Ashdod, hoping to photograph a crake or two. Not often I bird at my ringing site, usually I ring there, so it was great just to walk around, watch and listen. When arriving on site I witnessed an amazing fall of migrants, with hundreds and hundreds of warblers, pipits, buntings, shrikes, flycatchers, sprossers etc. right inside my catching area, feeding and drinking along my net rides. If I were ringing there that morning I would have had a peak morning (or not, depending on Mr. Murphy). Oh well, next time.

Today I got great news from Poland - Mariusz Dąbek read one of my colour-ringed gulls (U0JD) on a rubbish dump near Sulisławice! I am especially happy as this is perhaps the most interesting and controversial gull I ringed ever. This is also the first international recovery of an Israeli-ringed gull.

I ringed this bird at Ashdod on 10 January 2010 as a 2cy (hatched 2009), together with Amir Ben Dov and Francis Argyle. We trapped only two gulls that morning, but this bird was really worth all the effort.

Here is how it looked like in January 2010:

U0JD has its own special page on gull-research.org where you can see very nicely how it matured winter after winter. When we ringed it we first identified it as fuscus, but as it matured we figured out it's in fact a heuglini. But at the moment it is still labelled under fuscus - hope Mars will correct this soon.

It returned again this winter, and these are Amir's stunning images just before it migrated north, on March 26th 2013:

I wonder what's the status of heuglini in Poland. I am sure this bird will create some interesting ID discussions.

Many thanks again to Mariusz for this great find!

Wow, birding is great fun!

Today, for the first time after so long, I had time for some recreational birding, and hey - it was really enjoyable! Met up with Jonathan early and we drove off to the south. First stop at Hameishar right after sunrise.  Immediately encountered a herd of 12 Asian Wild Asses - nice views!

Asian Wild Ass

Not too many birds around at first but some walking around produced Lesser Short-toed and Bar-tailed Larks, and three Crowned Sandgrouse overhead. On the way out bumped into this family of Temminck's Larks - both parents feeding two recently-fledged juveniles. Very nice.

Temminck's Larks

Next stop was at Neot Smadar. Still not the busiest spring ever but obvious improvement in migrant numbers compared to March. Most prominent were Tree Pipits with very good numbers (about 80-100 in two small fields). Also many Ortolans present.

Tree Pipit

Then we headed down to Yotvata sewage, where Black Bush Robin action is at its peak. Yesterday three were seen there together, and this morning at least two showed well, maybe three. It was already hot and the birds evidently didn't have much patience for more photographers, so no spectacular images to present here, but they are always such super birds to watch. This pair was busy in what I interpret as breeding activity - singing, territorial behaviour, displaying etc. 

Black Bush Robin

On several occasions I heard the female give a very peculiar call - perhaps alarm call. Didn't manage to get a proper recording unfortunately; here's something: 

There were lots of other birds at the sewage ponds and adjacent acacia scrub - many Yellow Wags, various shorebirds, Squacco Herons, many shrikes, nightingales, Rufouns Bush Robins, one male Collared Flycathcer etc.

European Bee-eater

Balkan Warbler

Namaqua Dove

Overhead impressive raptor migration was happening - mainly Steppe Buzzards of course but some other bits and bobs, including my first Honey Buzzard of the season and this Booted Eagle:

Then I continued to check some more smelly sewage ponds, that produced nothing too interesting. At Ketura a Great Reed Warbler, many Redstarts, nightingales etc.

Little Ringed Plover

Unlucky Cretzschmar's

Then I went to Lotan for a couple of meetings. This Hooded Wheatear greeted me on my way in, giving Lotan very good PR! Good to meet Gary and his team who had just arrived.

Hooded Wheatear

Inside Lotan still pretty quiet but a long-staying Semi-collared Flycatcher showed rather well:

Blocker at risk!

In the last 48 hours I did too much birding and had no sleep at all. So this is how it went: yesterday afternoon met up with Ian & Margaret from UK. We birded first at Lot Reservoir which was again very procuctive. Good breeding activity of Dead Sea Sparrows, three singing Clamorous Reed Warblers, Ferruginous Duck etc. Very birdy there. 

Dead Sea Sparrow

This is how it sounded like - Eastern olivaceous Warbler, Dead Sea Sparrows, Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Wagtail, Moorhen:

After dusk we had good nightjar activity with several singing males and good views of birds on the deck and in flight. 

Got back home just before midnight, and discovered that I had a guard duty in my village. F@#k! I was dead tired but managed not to fall asleep somehow. Finished that at 3 am, and headed off to Ashdod. I met up with Arad very early - we planned to set nets up for shorebirds and crakes. Our heroic effort was fruitless and we caught our first passerines only at dawn. When there was enough light we noticed tons of crakes running under our nets, of all three species, including a stunning Baillon's Crake, but none got caught.

Baillon's Crake, adult

Only later on a Water Rail got caught. But after a disappointing start it turned out to be a very good morning - good catch and great variety. Good numbers of Lesser Whites, Blackcaps and Reed Warblers, and other species included Masked Shrike, Savi's Warbler, Willow Warbler, Redstart, and many more.

Water Rail

Cretzschmar's Bunting - female

Balkan Warbler

Alien or not - Common Mynas are lookers! Check that eye!

Other species seen but not caught were Jack Snipe, Little Bitterns, and many Tree Pipits.

Many thanks to Arad, Miriam and Roie for their help.

In the evening news arrived of a Grey-headed Gull reported at Eilat! This is one of my serious blockers - I saw one in 1989. So I am not sure whether I want it to be relocated tomorrow or not... No, just kidding, good luck to Eilat birders tomorrow, unfortunately I can't make it down there before Sunday.