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>> Birding Reports

Southern Arava, 21/Mar/06
Tomer Landsberger

On March 21st, Rami Mizrachi, Rony Livne and I were following the report of a Lesser Flamingo at Km 20 saltpans, Eilat (click here for the full report). We found the bird in between the Greater Flamingos, feeling at home, but the closest we got to it was about 60m.
After a long photo session, the lack of northernly wind urged us to go straight down to the north beach. As soon as we arrived, we were pleased to find an immature Brown Booby, a species which hasn’t been seen at Eilat for two years. Only a few minutes later, we located 6 Oystercatchers flying eastwards above the fish farms.

Heat haze began to be a nuisance so we started working our way north. We stopped at the Birding park, were in the saltpan near the parking place, we had a 1st winter Red-necked Phalarope. Also, at Km 19 sewage pools, we saw a Blue Rock Thrush and an Osprey.

At noon time we checked Yotvata area – the sewage, fields, park and acacias. We searched the circular field for Cinereous Buntings, which were seen earlier in the morning by Jonathan Meyrav. We saw 3 Oriental Skylarks, over 20 Quails and mixed flocks of Cretzschmar’s and Ortolan Buntings, but no Cinereous…

Later we were informed that a Sociable Plover, very rare in spring, had turned up at kibbutz Lotan’s football field. This Plover, which was still there when we arrived at afternoon, must have been the tamest bird ever - getting so close to us, we were unable to focus the camera!

Brown Booby Osprey Oystercatchers Sociable Plover Sociable Plover Cinereous Bunting

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
(Pterocles alchata) Western Negev, Mar.06

Black-crowned Finch-lark
(Eremoprerix nigriceps) Eilat, Apr.06

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse
(Pterocles lichtensteinii) Eilat, May.05
 
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