Over the rest of the week in Israel, we spent a couple days birding around the Eilat area where we enjoyed more raptor migration up in the mountains, shorebirds at K-20 salt ponds, and more Sylvia warblers then you could shake a stick at. A few notable birds stand out from these couple days, including a Cyprus Wheatear that we were able to refind at the edge of a date palm plantation just North of town. Cyrus Wheatears are very closely related to the more widespread Pied Whetear, but as you can guess they only breed on the island of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea. Their entire population is estimated to be around 700-800 pairs, and since they winter in east Africa there's always a chance you could intercept one in southern Israel on it's way back North. A striking Citrine Wagtail feeding right outside our minibus at the K-20 salt ponds was sure a treat, as was a striking Pied Avocet that was hanging out with a flock of shelducks and three Eurasian Spoonbills on one of the dikes. A trip to the Eilat k-19 sewage ponds to look for Dead Sea Sparrows one morning paid off with a flock of 40 or so in a brushy ditch on the backside of the property.
Me photographing the Cyprus Wheatear against the Edom Mountains of Jordan in late afternoon light (photo: Jonathan Meyrav)
Cyprus Wheatear
One of the main highlights of the trip for me was an all day trip to the Nizanna area, about 2-3 hours northwest of Eilat. Here, while standing on bed of the old Turkish Railroad, we watched a displaying male MacQueen's Bustard and an interested female for an hour. This is one of the most reliable and accessible spots to see this species in Israel, and we sure weren't disappointing. Bustards sure are funky birds...and we even got to see both birds briefly in flight (something seldom observed). I was lucky to manage some *very* distant photographs, as the birds were probably close to a half mile away. But heck, I'll take it! Cream-coloured Coursers were scattered around the desert here as well. None ever let us approach close, but even observing them from a distance it was clear that they are some of the most dapper looking birds you may encounter out here! In the Nizanna area they are fairly common, but can be very localized and pretty hard to find throughout most other areas in the southern part of the country.
Perhaps the ultimate highlight of the trip was a night trip up to the Dead Sea to look for Desert Tawny (Hume's) Owl and Nubian Nightjar. Both of these birds are quite rare in the region and can be sensitive to excessive disturbance; so organized trips are the best way to view these birds. About 35 of us, including some seasonal volunteers from the SPNI Eilat banding station and hawkwatch, boarded a charter bus for the long drive up. Somehow, I always luck out and get one of the front seats in each bus ride- even when trying to defer the privilege to others. This setup paid off when I was one of only two people to spot a jackal crossing the road. Jonathan Meyrav, the organizer of the Eilat Birding Festival and of the upcoming Champions of the Flyway event (more on that later) met us on-site at the Desert Tawny Owl location, near the village of Kalya. After about ten to fifteen minutes of playing tape, a bird came right in--about 20m from the group! What an experience, especially to happen to a gigantic group of 35. The Nubian Nightjars were about an hour South, and they didn't disappoint either. We got looks at a couple birds, including one sitting in a dirt road 30m away.This location was in the middle of an agricultural operation- but adjacent to one of the largest salt marshes remaining in Israel, which the nightjars require. It so happens that this marsh is also an active minefield- so we were limited to walking the roads adjacent to it and through the neighboring ag area.
Desert Tawny (Hume's) Owl
I rode back to Eilat that night with Jonathan as well as a British birder, Nick, instead of taking the charter bus. We talked birds for a couple hours and I learned a lot about the Champions of the Flyway event coming up the following week- a "big day" competition in southern Israel with over 30 teams participating from all over the world. Teams from locations as diverse as Spain, South Africa, USA, Finland, and Palestine all competed. The event is designed to raise money to fight the illegal slaughter of songbirds in Cyprus, and it's raised ~ $50,000 each of it's first two years. $100,000 USD can certainly go a long way in these conservation efforts!
A fantastic trip with new friends made from the US, Britian, and Israel. I definitely will be back- and when I do, I'll have to make it across the border to Petra. Maybe I will volunteer as a bander or hawkwatcher this coming spring...we'll see what life will hold
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