First of all, Plaese- Make sure not to get near nesting birds/chicks, especially not for watching them oר photographing them. There are enough threats on them without these close encounters! In none of the images nearing the chicks was done for this purpose.
As
days go by at Eilat and summer is as hot as usual, we start to see how nature
overcomes the damage of the floods. It took few days till the water level
dropped enough so the Black Winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus תמירון were able to restore their nests in
the middle of the salt pond and lay new eggs. It took no longer than 25 days,
we were doing the weekly afternoon count with some of our kind volunteers, when
we noticed 3 stones rolling towards the
water. It wasn't stones but 3 tiny chicks who have just hatched. The adult Stilt was
still seated on the top of the rock, seem to be proud but paralyzed. It didn't
follow its chicks, it only watched them from above.
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| Resting Black Winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus תמירון |
On
the next morning, when walking around the IBRCE Park I saw the big happy family
with an extra chick- the reason for the adult's stagnant sitting last night!
They were observed while swimming towards shore. It is hard to say how many
nests there were and how many are successful but in the highest count we
counted 7 nests and now we know about 3 families at least, most of them are
only with a single chick. Is it possible that due to the delayed breeding, because
of the flood that washed away almost hatching eggs, it is now too hot for them?
Hard to tell but we'll keep on following!
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Black Winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus תמירון
|
In
the meantime we enjoy also good numbers of birds at the Northern Beach of Eilat
as described so well at Yoav Perlman's Blog.
Yael Lehnardt
Head Ringer & Guide, IBRCE
A little more of the local atmosphere
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| Also the reeds are starting all over again- breking the amazingly strong clay layer made by the flood Note the footprints of Stone Curlews Burhinus oedicnemus כרוון |
Not only feathers
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| Golden Spiny Mouse Acomys russatus קוצן זהוב By Liri Koplevitch 'צולם ע"י לירי קופלביץ |
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