9th
A decent mornings ringing with a steady stream of
birds up until the nets were closed at 12:30 . An Adult female Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia ruepelli סבכי שחור גרון and 3 Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis עלווית לבנת בטן were among the 106 birds
caught. Visible migration was almost non-existent and a Song Thrush Turdus
philomelos קיכלי רונן was
the pick of the migrants seen on the ground.
 |
| Growing numbers- Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis במספרים הולכים וגדלים- עלווית לבנת בטן by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן |
The main talking point of the day was the weather.
Some light rain showers during the course of the morning turned in to a real
storm shortly after midday . Although the northern
European volunteers are used to it, this was quite exceptional weather for
Eilat. The rain continued for most of the afternoon and, with more forecast for
overnight, we had to abandon the ringing station and spend the night in town in
case we were cut off by rising water in the channels surrounding the site.
Instead of birding we went "rain watching" in Eilat Mountains
10th
 |
| MEGA- a puddle in the entrance of the ringing station! נדיר ביותר- שלולית בכניסה לתחנת הטיבוע |
We arrived back on IBRCE before dawn to find
everything still in its place albeit a little damp. Yesterdays rain had
cleared the air and the views to the mountains to east and west were
spectacular. The nets were opened and the birds trickled in throughout the
morning. The total of about 90 birds included Eastern Olivaceous Iduna
pallida שיחנית קטנה ,
Ruppell’s
Sylvia ruepelli סבכי שחור גרון and Eastern
Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis עלווית לבנת בטן but the most captured species continue to be Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca סבכי טוחנים, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus קנית פסים and Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis דרור ספרדי .
Overhead there was much more interest today. Flocks of
migrating swifts and swallows were a constant presence including
over 200 Alpine Swifts Apus melba
סיס הרים heading north during the morning.
Booted Eagle Aquila pennata עיט גמדי , numerous Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis עיט ערבות, an adult Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga עיט צפרדעים and a single Black Stork Ciconia nigra חסידה שחורה were all noted. There were no big numbers of raptors but following many days with almost none, it was a start, and hopefully a sign that there is more to come in the next few days.
 |
| Alpine Swifts Apus melba סיס הרים by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן |
Booted Eagle Aquila pennata עיט גמדי , numerous Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis עיט ערבות, an adult Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga עיט צפרדעים and a single Black Stork Ciconia nigra חסידה שחורה were all noted. There were no big numbers of raptors but following many days with almost none, it was a start, and hopefully a sign that there is more to come in the next few days.
11th
Today is the Israeli "good deeds day". The
nets were open for 6 hours and produced just short of 100 birds (not such a
good deed, we expected the birds to behave better!). Despite their lack of
cooperation, many of the birds today were shown to the public. This helps us to spread
our ideas about nature conservation, the importance of Eilat as a migration stopover site and to educate people about the ringing process and its benefits. Thanks to our collaboration with the salt factory
"Salt Of The Earth Ltd." and SPNI we were able to give free guided
tours to a group of 10 special education kids and another tour for almost 70 seniors
from Eilat city. IBRCEs good deeds done!
 |
| Tzadok guiding צדוק מדריך |
 |
| And guiding ומדריך |
 |
| Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus רמית |
 | |
|
 |
| A second calendar-year Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca עיט שמש שנה שנייה (קוד 5) by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן |
12th
128 birds found their way into the nets, the highlight being the first Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scopus שעיר מצוי of the season.
128 birds found their way into the nets, the highlight being the first Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scopus שעיר מצוי of the season.
 |
| Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scopus שעיר מצוי |
 |
| 2CY (code 5) Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scopusnote shape of Secondaries, barring pattern and moult limit on Greater Coverts (last can be found also in adults) שעיר מצוי בשנתו השנייה (גיל 5) שימו לב לצורת אברות האמה המחודדות, לדגם הפספוס וכן לגבול החילוף בסוככות האמה (אשר יכול להימצא גם אצל בוגרים) |
 |
| Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia ruepelli סבכי שחור גרון One out of many אחד מני רבים |
 |
| Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia ruepelli סבכי שחור גרון That's how we feel- having them over and over again :) ככה זה מרגיש בגל של שחורי גרון- שוב ושוב |
9 Eurasian
Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia כפן לבן on the saltpans early morning were new arrivals but soon flew off north.
Overhead were good numbers of raptors. Among the usual species were 2 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus רחם and a small wave of over 50 White Stork Ciconia ciconia חסידה לבנה also headed north.
Matt Slaymaker,
Volunteer-ringer, IBRCE
Volunteer-ringer, IBRCE
Yael Lehnardt
Head Ringer & Guide, IBRCE
Not only feathers
 |
| Death's-head Hawkmoth Acheronita atropos רפרף גולגולת המת |
We have noticed nice numbers of Hawk Moths recently (like in most springs around IBRCE) Most common were the Oleander Hawk-moths Daphnis nerii רפרף ההרדוף but every now and then we get the rarer Death's-head Hawkmoth Acheronita atropos רפרף גולגולת המת.
 |
| Evacuation- taking our staff to a dry place פינוי- מעבירים את הצוות למקום יבש |
No comments:
Post a Comment