maandag 2 april 2012

Hot and Slow

It’s becoming warmer and warmer as spring proceeds with today one of the hottest days so far I think. After the big wave of birds in late March it’s now slowing down more, getting ready for the next wave again! We closed the nets at 10.00 in the morning. This morning we had a first for the season. A pretty Wood Warbler was hanging in the nets. A first for me in the hand. The morning’s total was 101 birds with quite a few recaptures. We moved on to some trap fixing. We’re progressing but it is still far, far from finished.
 Wood Warbler
Reed Warbler and Great Reed Warbler, compare..!

In the afternoon we got a call of Itai reporting that a Caspian Plover had been seen on the northern side of K20. We went there but couldn’t relocate the bird. We did see 16 Red-necked Phalaropes and all the usual birds. At the K19 Cowsheds there were a lot of birds, mainly Ortolan Buntings, Red-throated Pipits and Short-toed Larks. While driving back parallel to the cowsheds we suddenly flushed 3 Bimaculated Larks in front of us. They were quite close and allowed me to take a few photos. Majestic birds!
Bimaculated Lark, K19
Red-necked Phalarope, Eilat Salt pans

Migration concerning, the first flocks of Purple Herons started passing through and we’ve also seen a few flocks of Glossy Ibises. The first Rufous-tailed Bush Robins have arrived at the park but none have been caught so far. And of course there has been fantastic raptor migration (except for today).

 Greater Short-toed Lark
 Squacco Heron
Me with Steppe Buzzard

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