After the big numbers comes the nice verity+ Eastern Stonechats

After the big numbers comes the nice verity+ Eastern Stonechats

A nice start for a nice ringing day at the IBRCE

Yellow browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus עלוית צהובת גבות

When ringing starts with so many birds, it's only a matter of time till you get some rarities. 24^th of October was a special day at the IBRCE not only because we celebrated Jaen's birthday but also because of nice verity of species (21). Among 111 birds ringed that day, one was Yellow browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus עלוית צהובת גבות. 

Yellow browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus עלוית צהובת גבות

Yellow browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus עלוית צהובת גבות

In addition, we also had our first Whinchat Saxicola rubetra דוחל חום גרון, one Tree Pipit Anthus triviallis פיפיון עצים, a Palestine Sunbirs Cinnyris osea צופית and of course, many more Bluethroats Luscinia svecica כחול חזה and Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collibita עלוית חורף.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra דוחל חום גרון

Migration of raptors continued also with about 20 Steppe Eagles over Eilat city at noon. Some of the raptors preferred to spend the day at the IBRCE: a pale morph Booted Eagle Aquila pennata עיט גמדי, juvenile Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus זרון סוף & Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus נץ מצוי. Perhaps some of them will decide to spend the winter with us, at the park.

 A birding afternoon at K-19 swage pond on the 22nd of October provided a nice male Eastern Stonechat Saxicola maura דוחל שחור גרון מזרחי. Due to lots of changes in our knowledge about the eastern populations and the separation of sub-species lots of discussions are now occurring daily among birders in Israel. The one photographed is sub species hemprichii (used to be name variegatus) from the Caspian region: not the big white patch in the base of tail feathers. 

 Eastern/Caspian Stonechat Saxicola maura hemprichii 

Many more Eastern Stonechats Saxicola maura were seen recently in the area including this juvenile male Eastern Stonechat Saxicola maura riegatus (used to be called armenicus) which we ringed at the IBRCE on the 22nd of October.  

Eastern Stonechat Saxicola maura vriegatus

Eastern Stonechat Saxicola maura vriegatus

*Many thanks to Yoav Perlman for the help with those Eastern Stonechats. And to Gert Ottens for his fast comment.

Yael Lehnardt

Ringer & guide at IBRCE   

Autumn is on, ringers are on best Bluethrats wave is on!

Autumn is on, ringers are on best Bluethrats wave is on!

After six month away (or three years as a worker of the IBRCE) I'm back and it seems like the time stopped and spring is still here! At least according to the total of 258 birds ringed in a morning…

Some male Bluethroats Luscinia svecica כחול חזה by Jaen Delannoy

I arrived to the IBRCE just at the noon of Oct. 20^th to see Jan Visser had started the autumn ringing on Oct 19^th, assisted by some of our local volunteers. The numbers of birds raised fast with every ringing day and on the morning of the 22^nd, our third morning for this season, we enjoyed a beautiful wave of migration; Expressed in the nets with 258 birds. The most common species- Bluethroat Luscinia svecica (132 birds). Second most common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita (49) which were carefully checked by Jan.

Jan and Sylvia ringing

Besides that we enjoyed 20 other species, among them:

A juvenile Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula חופמי צווארון who jumped into the nets to join our autumn party

2 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides חרגולן זמירי

1 Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia זמיר מנומר

Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio חנקן אדום גב

Some Sylvia Warblers and some other localities and migrant-species.

juvenile Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula חופמי צווארון צעיר

Over all, it was great to be back home after six month of ringing abroad (more about it in my trip-blog) and to enjoy the ringing with old friends (the stuff and some old recoveries of birds from last year).

In between there were also seen about ten Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis and few tens of Cranes Grus grus in migration.

Yesterday, October 21st, we ringed also a Juvenile Arabian Babbler Turdoides squmiceps
זנבן צעיר שטובע ב-21.10.13

Once again, thanks a lot to all the volunteers for the great team work: Jan Visser (Netherlands), Jaen Delannoy (France), Noa, Sylvia & Nesya (Israel). Without it we couldn't open this ringing season…

Paparazzi by Sylvia: Yael and Jaen at the ringing station

Hoping for many more nice birds in the next days, glad to be back home(!),

Yael Lehnardt

Ringer & guide at IBRCE