Birding with Faab.: Caprimulgus aegyptius, that's what really counts!

dinsdag 13 maart 2012

Caprimulgus aegyptius, that's what really counts!

Really slow ringing at the IBRCE yesterday made us quit early. There was no migration but while doing a trap round Roni and I had two adult Rosy-coloured Starlings flying past! This can be considered a minor rarity in this time of year! Grey Wagtails at the park were a new species for our Israel list too. As we had plenty of time left we came up with an evening plan: go to Yotvata circular fields, to see if we could see some cool birds and mammals, and maybe even catch some birds! After a few hours of sleep in the afternoon we left the IBRCE and went to Yotvata.

Ringing totals 12^th of March:

Chiffchaff 14 – 4

Common Whitethroat 1 -

Eastern Orphean Warbler 1 – 1

Graceful Prinia – 1

House Sparrow 3 – 1

Lesser Whitethroat 5 – 2

Penduline Tit – 1

Reed Warbler 2 -

Sand Martin 1 -

Sardinian Warbler 1 -

Sedge Warbler 2 – 2

Silverbill 2 -

Spanish Sparrow 2 -

White-spectacled Bulbul – 1

Wryneck – 1

Total 34 – 14

Around 16.00 Yotvata fields came into our sights and the birding could start immediately: approximately a 1000 Short-toed Larks were feeding on the Northern Circular Field. There were some harriers hunting on the fields: a few Marsh, Hen and this beautiful adult male Pallid Harrier:

Pallid Harrier, adult male

Pallid Harrier flushing the Greater Short-toed Larks.

With Kangoo we can do everything!

When it became dark the real fun could start. We drove around in the famous Kangoo and faced the sandiest roads ever. A Barn Owl was hunting on both of the Circular Fields just after sunset. Soon we heard the first Stone-Curlews and the fun could start. During the night we managed to catch two Stone Curlews. The Egyptian Nightjars were found near the middle of the Northern Circular Fields and showed really well, sometimes sitting on the road. We caught two of them! So amazing!