Common birds in the north include Syrian Woodpeckers (the only Woodpecker in Israel apart from Wryneck) and Armenian Gulls (probably most of the world population). Pied and White-breasted Kingfishers are common in most areas and other common birds include Graceful Prinia, Palestine Sunbird, Laughing Doves and Spectacled (formerly known as Yellow-vented) Bulbul. Cattle Egrets are common almost everywhere and around the wetlands huge numbers of Little and Great White Egrets, Night Herons, Black and White Storks, Glossy Ibis and Spoonbills are present. In the reedbeds surrounding the ponds are Clamorous Reed Warblers which are joined by Moustached Warblers and Penduline Tits in winter.
Other more familiar birds are replaced with different races like the white faced atricapilla Jay below and all the Crows are rather scrawny looking Hooded Crows, though these are absent from much of southern Israel and are replaced by House Crows down in the Eilat area. Reed Warblers are of the eastern race fuscus, Sardinian Warblers are of the race momus and many Swallows are of the race transitiva with reddish underparts.
Huge numbers of migrants pass through the area during autumn and frequently these include a few rarer species. After the survey one evening I was lucky to be able to get the opportunity to go and see a pair of Painted Snipe at En Hahoresh Fishponds. Unfortunately although views were excellent they spent most of the time under an area of Tamarisks where the light was insufficient for me to get any decent photographs, though some stunning photographs of these birds taken by Rony Livne can be seen on the Israeli Birding Website here.
When I arrived in mid September some large flocks of Ortolan and Cretszmars Buntings were still present and migrants such as Olivaceous Warblers and Lesser Grey Shrikes were quite common. Later in the month these species become less common and are replaced in October by huge numbers of Red-throated and Tawny Pipits and various races of Yellow Wagtails. This is all taking place below the awesome spectacle of thousands of passing raptors.
During October other migrants and winter visitors begin to arrive. From mid October onwards Bluethroats become commonplace around any ditches or areas of water. Citrine Wagtails are also fairly common passage migrants, some remaining throughout the winter. Around any wetland area there are often large numbers of waders present if water levels are suitable. A visit to one pool close to where we were staying produced about 600 Little Stints, c50 Temminck's Stint, numerous Marsh Sandpipers, and Black-winged Stilts, Curlew Sandpipers, good numbers of commoner waders as well as singles of Red-necked Phalarope and Broad-billed Sandpiper. Around many wetlands in the area there is also a good chance of finding Crakes.
After the survey I went on a trip down into the deserts in the south of the country with Barak Granit, Jonathan Meyrav, Tomer Landsberger and Tuvia Khan. On the way south we stopped at a reservoir by the Dead Sea. Here we saw a nice mixture of resident and migrant species including several Namaqua Doves, Blackstart and a few waders.
A stop at En Gedi produced all three species of Ravens and other species there included Tristram's Grackle, Blackstart, Arabian Babbler and Rock Martin while nearby were White-crowned Black Wheatear Little Green Bee-eater and Sand Partridge as well as large numbers of Nubian Ibex.
At a freshwater pool alongside the Dead Sea we saw five Ferruginous Ducks as well as various other ducks and waders. Also there was a male Hooded Wheatear, a few Desert Larks and a few Little Green Bee-eaters. Nearby we found a family group of two adult and four juvenile Sooty Falcons which gave superb views just overhead especially when they attacked a couple of intruding Brown-necked Ravens.
The following day we checked various sites in the Arava Valley for migrants. At Yotvata Circular
Field we found a couple of Richard's Pipits and three Desert Wheatears among the more common
migrants. At Samal Sewage Works we saw a Little Tern, unusual in this area, among the more
expected birds and an adult Steppe Eagle passed overhead. Later we visited the pools at K20 which
held impressive numbers of waders including a Broad-billed Sandpiper, probably over 1500 Little
Stints, over 730 Greater Flamingo, five Caspian Terns and four Desert Wheatears.
Later we went down to Eilat where we found a Daurian Shrike by the Birdwatching Centre before
visiting the North Beach. At North Beach we saw about 80 White-eyed Gulls, several Caspian Terns,
Gull-billed and Sandwich Terns, Striated Heron, Citrine Wagtail, and a flock of Whiskered Terns.
Later we drove to our base for the night at Mitzpe Ramon.
The following day we visited a small Tamarisk grove alongside some sewage pools near Mitzpe Ramon.
Here the bushes were alive with migrants including two Red-breasted Flycatchers, several Red-backed
Shrikes, Redstarts, and Spotted Flycatchers. In the shadows under the trees a Baillon's Crake fed
alongside a couple of Water Rails and several Arabian Babblers. The water attracted large numbers
of White Wagtails and Red-throated Pipits.
In the nearby wadi a Spectacled Warbler and several Mourning Wheatear were present.
Next we moved on to Sede Boquer where we saw another Red-breasted Flycatcher. Not too many other
migrants were present here, but we did see plenty of the resident desert species such as Scrub
Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Griffon Vulture, Arabian Babblers etc. In the evening we
visited a site to look for Hume's Tawny Owl but we had no luck as they are very difficult at
this time of year. A pale Owl which had to be a Hume's Tawny did fly through the headlights of
the car as we drove out of the wadi but unfortunately I didn't see it.
On our final day we began in the Nizzana area where we saw just one distant Houbara Bustard in the area where had seen at least 10 last year. Also in the area we saw several Desert and Mourning Wheatears, Desert Larks the desert race of Little Owl and a Bimaculated Lark flew over. At some nearby sewage pools we saw c500 Black-bellied, c100 Spotted, 33 Crowned and 3 Pin-tailed Sandgrouse. These pools are also a magnet for migrants passing through the area we also saw a White-tailed Plover, as well as numerous other waders and ducks. In 2004 we also saw 3 Houbara Bustards in this area and had a late passage of raptors including an Eastern Imperial Eagle with about 90 Lesser Spotted Eagles. Other birds we saw in this area included several Little Green Bee-eaters, several Desert Finch, Short-toed Larks, Southern Grey Shrike etc. In the surrounding desert we also saw several Dorca's Gazelle and as well as a normally nocturnal Crested Porcupine.
After this we went to check the area around Urim where we found a small flock of Red-footed Falcons feeding in one of the fields. On pylons in the area were several Peregrines and a couple of Hobbys but we were a few weeks too early for Saker and Lanner Falcons and the other specialities of the area.
I am hoping to organise a trip back to Israel sometime in the near future. If you would be interested in joining me on this trip please contact me.