last days notes

So, species count is rising daily, with an Olive Tree Warbler near the ringing station yesterday and another one today. These badass migrants peak around mid July and those should be considered rearguard (but still the first one I have seen this autumn)!

Other good stuff around from the last days  includes a Black Tern and some 80 Garganys at K20 salt ponds (thanks Itai!), a Sooty Falcon attacking a Barbary Falcon at the Red Canyon (upper Eilat Mountains) – a good clue for a nesting territory. Yesterday, a Black Bush Robin was found at the Hai-Bar reserve near Yotvata, by Shay Kabbessa . Great find and thanks for the photo!

A fledgling Rufus Bush Robin was caught today.

Note the partial post juv. Moult pattern-

A juv Masked Shrike from today-

The Lehnardt family is working full power! Yael is here for 3 days (a vacation from the army), and already mended all the holes at the Heligoland traps, and re-count the rings stock (would take me for ages…)

The relentless Yotam is working on new waders traps; hopefully tomorrow they will prove efficient! 

And how can I neglect the bugs? On Sunday I had a male Red Veined Darter (Sympetroom fonscolombii) at the reedbed of "Anita's lake". The last record of this species (as far as I recall) was during march!

Another good reappearing species I had yesterday - Blue Empror (Anax imperator), again,  a species that was last recorded here during mid-spring.

Itai reports of Red-veined and Violet Dropwings as well as Desert Skimmer (Orthetrum ransonnetii) from Beer-Ora.

The Ischnura senegalensis seem to be doing well hunting tiny insects at the salt pond's shore! Here's a nice "lucky" shot I made last week-

An afternoon walk around Eilat (Holland park area) provided great incounters with some residents- many "baby face" half grown Sand Partridges were running  around, 2 families of Desert Larks, and a noisy bunch of  Arabian Bablers. Just before sunset I found this beautiful Sand Gecko (Tropiocolotes nattereri). This is the smallest gecko in Israel (adults get to 6 cm). the back pattern of this individual is rather odd and unique.

Yotam is going out this evening for a waders catch…so stay tuned!