We left Gvulot at 0500am and arrived at the area just east of the airstrip at Nizzana at 0600. We met up with Barak and Dubie whom we had met at Gvulot the previous evening. Their precise knowledge of this area helped ( the boulder strewn area just east and after where the airstrip finishes) and we were soon gorging ourselves on 3 MALE & 2 FEMALE MCQUEENS BUSTARDS, (Barak located a further 8 Bustards further south of this location) the males appearing to turn themselves inside out and then hopping along in their ridiculous display posture. Our attention was eventually distracted by 15 CREAM-COLOURED COURSERS running around in the foreground and eventually showing at 25 metres.
We decided to try the other sewage pools (Vol2, Pg128 Site 4b), these appeared to be in use and two held water and birds, we arrived a little late for Sandgrouse (1-2 hours after sunrise is ideal), but had 2 BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE drinking, 25 SPOTTED SANDGROUSE flying over, 5 PURPLE HERON, OSPREY, 2 GARGANEY, 2 RED-RUMPED SWALLOW, 2 ORTOLAN BUNTING, 1 SPECTACLED WARBLER, 2 MASKED SHRIKE, 1 WOODCHAT SHRIKE, WRYNECK 1, 200 SHORT-TOED LARK, ARABIAN BABBLER & several 'FLAVA' WAGTAILS.
We reluctantly headed off, our next stop at Yeroham reservoir (Vol 2/Pg136), a real green oasis in the desert, proved worthwhile and gentle walk in the midday heat produced a mixture of commoner waterfowl and also OLIVACEOUS WARBLER, 4 EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER, 1 WOOD WARBLER, 8 GARGANEY, 1 WHISKERED TERN, 20 LITTLE STINT, 10 GREEN SANDPIPER, GREENSHANK, 30 RUFF, & WOOD SANDPIPER.
We reached En Gedi at 1515 and were told the Reserve gates are closed at 1630, a quick walk up and down the wadi produced some of our target species 6 FAN-TAILED RAVEN, 10 ROCK MARTIN, 2-3 BLACKSTART & 20 TRISTRAM'S GRACKLES. Also 2 SHORT-TOED EAGLE. A walk around the field study centre produced similar birds.
We drove on to Kfar Rupin and arrived at 1830.
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| Turtle Dove |
Steppe Buzzard |
Day Three 06/04/2004 - Kfar Ruppin fishponds 0700 -1500; Neve Eitan fishponds 1500 -1830
After the first couple of hectic days we allowed ourselves a lie in until 0630, and were out birding at 0700. We searched the plethora of fish ponds on foot around Kfar Ruppin (Vol 1 Pg 79) until mid afternoon, and then explored the nearby ponds at Neve Eitan (Vol 1 Pg 79) until dusk.
The ponds held masses of Egrets, and both WHITE-BREASTED KINGFISHER AND PIED KINGFISHER were easy to see. Suitable wader pools took a bit more locating, but where shallow pools were found most of the commoner waders were present. (Recommend driving the car around all these areas, especially if you are short on time.)
The best birds were 20 GARGANEY, 10 GREAT WHITE EGRET, 100 LITTLE STINT, 4 CLAMOROUS REED WARBLER, 1 SARDINIAN WARBLER, 20+ DEAD SEA SPARROW & 10 ORTOLAN BUNTING. During mid morning there was a good overhead passage of birds and we were kept busy with scopes pointing skyward as 120 BLACK KITE, 1 EGYPTIAN VULTURE, 1 SHORT-TOED EAGLE, 2 GRIFFON VULTURE, 20 MARSH HARRIER, 1 MALE PALLID HARRIER, 12 SPARROWHAWK, 70 STEPPE BUZZARD, 6 LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE, 10 OSPREY, 2 LESSER KESTREL, 700 WHITE STORK, 25 BEE-EATER AND 300 BLACK STORK all past overhead.
We then headed off for Neve Eitan, momentarily distracted en route, by BLACK FRANCOLIN (relatively easy here if you are patient), 1R/T HEN HARRIER and a GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO all seen from roadside stops between the two areas. The day was 'nearly' finished at the Neve Eitan fishponds with further additions of 10 CASPIAN GULL , 10 GULL-BILLED TERN, 1 SLENDER-BILLED GULL and finally 60 WHITE PELICAN & 100 NIGHT HERON against the back-drop of a fantastic sunset! But the day only eventually ended with BARN OWL'S and a torch-lit SCOPS OWL was scrutinised just outside our room.
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| Bonelli's Warbler |
Spur-winged Plover |
Day Four 07/04/2004 - Kfar Rupin fishponds 0700 -1500; Neve Eitan fishponds 1500 -1830
We headed up to the ringing station (information available at the Kibbutz), the scrub around the ringing area proved to be alive with an arrival of fresh migrants, 1 WRYNECK, 20 TREE PIPIT over, 1 BLUETHROAT, 2 GREAT REED WARBLER, 1 ORPHEAN WARBLER, 2 SAVI'S WARBLER, 3 CETTI'S WARBLER, 12+ QUAIL, 30+ ORTOLAN BUNTING. We also had 1500 WHITE STORK, 20 WHITE PELICAN overhead. Other birds of note were 3 BLACK FRANCOLIN, 1 PURPLE HERON, 1 WOOD WARBLER & 12 DEAD SEA SPARROW.
We spent the early afternoon having amore thorough search of the Neve Eitan fishponds, these proved very productive, 20 GARGANEY, 1 MALE & 3 FEM LITTLE CRAKE, 170 LITTLE STINT, 4 TEMMINCK'S STINT, 12 SPOTTED REDSHANK, 30+ MARSH SANDPIPER, 6 WOOD SANDPIPER, 100 ARMENIAN GULL, 3 CASPIAN GULL, & 1 2ND WINT GREAT BLACK-HEADED GULL, plus many of the other egrets and ducks present at Ruppin. Overhead 10 BLACK STORKS AND 9 GLOSSY IBIS were noted heading north.
We left for Wadi Ammud, with a brief stop at Lake Tiberias (Pg72/ Vol 1), we scored very quickly with 1 PYGMY CORMORANT, by merely pulling off the road at a suitable vantage point and scanning, we also had 2 WHISKERED TERN.
We arrived late at Wadi Ammud (pg73/vol1) (avoid Tiberias during the Passover - traffic was horrendous), the Wadi is a popular spot on there were many tourists still around, we walked north up the Wadi, and decided to climb the sides and up and out on to the top of the Wadi, this proved beneficial with more birds and less people. The Wadi contained 1 BLUE ROCK THRUSH, 100'S LITTLE SWIFT (DUSK), 3 PALESTINE SUNBIRD, from the top we had SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE, QUAIL, 30+ TREE PIPIT, and overhead was also busy, 1 LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD (breeds here), 1GRIFFON VULTURE, 1 SHORT-TOED EAGLE, 2 MALE & 2 FEM PALLID HARRIER (v.high and clearly migrating), 51 WHITE PELICAN & 1 BLACK STORK.
A quick cool wash in the stream, and then a rather slow drive to collect Gary & Jacky from Tel Aviv airport at 3:30am.
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