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>> Monthly Summaries

March 2006


Avner Cohen, Tomer Landsberger

The best bird this March was without doubt the first Lesser Flamingo for Israel, found on the 19th.

Below is a summary featuring the most interesting observations from this month, based on reports from the ISRABIRDNET mailing list and other sources.

Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus): 1 adult off Eilat's north beach on the 13th (J. P. Smith), and another or the same there on the 25th (J. Meyrav et. al).

Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea): 22 off Ma'agan Michael, 18/Mar (B. Granit, E. Dvir); 77 off Herzelia shore on the 30th (A. Mayrose, A. Katan).

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster): A single subadult present since the 21st off Eilat's north beach (R. Mizrachi, R. Livne, T. Landsberger et al.).

 Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) 
Brown Booby
 Eilat's North beach, 25-MAR 

Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis): the bird first found on July 2005, is still present off Ma'agan Michael shore, 18/Mar (B. Granit, E. Dvir).

 Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) 
Shag
 Ma'agan Michael, 19-MAR 

Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor): The 1st record for Israel, found by a 'Birdfinders' group on 19/Mar (S.Annenkova, J. P. Smith, V. Ashby et al).

 Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor) 
Lesser Flamingo
 Km 20 saltpans, 26-MAR 

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla): 1 juv at wadi Hatzatzun, Judean desert, 01/Mar (A. Geffen, T. Kahan).

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis): 1 near the Hazeka ridge and 1 near mt. Varda, Golan heights, 03/Mar (I. Shanni).

Baillon's Crake (Porzana pusilla): 1-2 in a canal at Km 19, Arava, 26/Mar onwards (N. Weiss et al.).

 Baillon's Crake (Porzana pusilla) 
Baillon's Crake
 Km 19 area, 31-MAR 

Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)): 1 over Eilat Mts. on the 29th, seen again at Km 33 on the 30th (foreign birders).

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus): 1 present at IBRC Eilat since the end of Feb, last seen on the 18th (A. Cohen).

Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius): A very tame individual present since the 21st at the Lotan's football field (K. Smith, R. Engham et al.), rarely seen during spring migration.

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus): 1-2 birds present at the southern saltpans, 21-24/Mar (R. Mizrachi, A. Ben-Dov et al.), probably the same bird seen later at the northern saltpans.

Common Gull (Larus canus): 1, Tirat Tzvi fishponds, Bet-shean valley, 03/Mar (Y. Dax).

Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus ): 1 migrating over Km 19, Arava, 20/Mar (J. P. Smith et al.).

Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus): 1 off Eilat's North beach, 24/Mar (N. Weiss, S. Agmon, T. Landsberger et al.), seen again on the 31st (E. Dvir, B. Granit, A. Weiler, T. Landsberger).

Thick-billed Lark (Ramphocoris clotbey): 1 at the Meyshar, 11/Mar (J. Meyrav et al).

Temminck's Horned lark (Eremophila bilopha): Individuals reported throughout the month from Km 77, Km 33 and the Meyshar (J. Meyrav, A. Ben Dov et al.).

 Temminck's Lark (Eremophila bilopha) 
Temminck's Lark
 Meyshar, 18-MAR 

Hoopoe Lark (Alaemon alaudipes): 1 seen in flight at Km 33 on the 17th (foreign birders); 2 near Samar, southern Arava, 31/Mar (foreign birders).

Black Bush Robin (Cercotrichas podobe): 1, Ovda airport, 13/Mar (D. Mirecki, D. Morrison, V. Ashby et al); 1, kibbutz Eliphaz, 20/Mar (O. Shani).

'semirufus' Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros semirufus): 1 at Km 77, 26/Mar (N. Weiss).

Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca): 1 near the Hazeka ridge, Golan heights, 12-18/Mar (I. Shanni et al).

 Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca) 
Cyprus Wheatear
 Golan Heights, 12-MAR 

Persian Wheatear (Oenanthe xanthoprymna): the bird found in February near Ma'ale Ephrayim in east Samaria was seen again on 03/Mar (R.Mizrachi, E. Dvir, R. Livne).

Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans): 3 at Km 20 area and 1 at Eliphaz's date plantation, 10/Mar (R. Livne, B. Granit, T. Landsberger); 3 ringed north to Be'er Sheva (Y. Perlman, I. Tsurim, G. Abdu); Other obs. between the 9th and 25th are from the Arava, Jerusalem, wadi Shilo, Hasharon coast and Gallilee area.

 Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) 
Subalpine Warbler
 Be'er Sheva, 11-MAR 

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus): 1 present since December at Ye’elim holiday village, Yotvata, last seen on the 09th (R. Livne, B. Granit, T. Landsberger).

Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus humei): The Mitzpe Ramon bird was last seen on the 17th (O&T. Horine); The Neot Smadar bird was last seen on the10th (J. P. Smith).

Semi-collared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata): 1 at Samar's date plantation on the 25th (N. Weiss, L. Kislev); 1 at Yeruham lake on the 26th (I. Tsurim).

Turkestan Shrike (Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides): 2 1st summer birds at Km 77, 26/Mar (Swedish birders).

Steppe Grey Shrike (Lanius pallidrostris): 1 adult at the Meyshar, Mar/16 (J.P. Smith and Birdfinders), close to area where a first-year bird was seen in Jan-Feb 2004.

Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea): Good numbers of the eastern type semenowi during the end of the month. About 10 at different localities in the southern Arava, 21/Mar onwards (J. Meyrav et al); 3 at ‘Bahad 1' sewage, 24/Mar (L. Kislev); 2 at Mitzpe Ramon football field, 28/Mar (A. Cohen); 2 of the nominate race cineracea at wadi Shilo, 25/Mar (E. Dovrat, A. Ben-Dov), seen again on the 28th (A. Weiler, E. Dvir).

 Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea) 
Cinerous Bunting
 Mitzpe Ramon, 28-MAR 


Striated Heron
(Butorides striatus) Eilat, Apr.05

European Roller
(Coracias garrulus)) Judean plain, Sep.05

Dotterel
(Charadrius morinellus) Yotvata, Dec.05
 
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