Next huge numbers of Honey Buzzards start to pass over the area, usually peaking in early September. Over 415,000 were counted this year. I missed the peak numbers of these by several days but I still saw a couple of thousand. When I arrived there was a bit of a lull in the passage (still quite large numbers of birds by Western European standards), though gradually day by day a good and increasing variety of species begin to pass.
During late September the number of Lesser Spotted Eagles begins to increase slowly but the dominant species in counts by then becomes Levant Sparrowhawk. These superb small raptors pass in flocks, often hundreds at a time and can be very difficult to see as they often pass at great height, invisible to the naked eye or even binoculars at times. At certain stations in the morning excellent views are possible as the birds take off. Numbers of Levant's peaked on 23rd and 24th September this year. I saw 2591 on 23rd which was my highest day total and well over 9000 during the whole survey.
During late September we had a few days with reasonable numbers of Eagles, but no really big days and we
knew something had to happen soon. In early October things began to pick up. On the 1st I was at
Afula and although things started quietly I had a rush of birds in the afternoon. In less than
an hour over 3,300 Lesser Spotted Eagles passed over my area, along with my first juvenile Eastern
Imperial Eagle of the Survey.
On the 2nd I was posted at Alonim. The day started fairly quietly but soon began to pick up as I
had a few reasonable streams overhead giving great views and with them was my first Greater Spotted
Eagle of the Survey. These streams soon began to drift east and my station soon went fairly
quiet while very large numbers were being reported to my east, passing mainly between the Gvat
and Sarid posts. Looking to my southeast I could see quite a few thousand passing very distantly,
probably most of the birds that were passing there, but nothing would have prepared me for what
happened next. Suddenly at around 11.20 I got a report over the radio that there were large
numbers of Eagles being seen to my west. Looking around I soon saw a very large thermal somewhere
to the north of Tivon and Elroi.
Over the next hour and a half huge numbers passed over Elroi, and although they were distant I
could see all of these birds. At one point I looked across and could see what appeared to be a
smoke trail of Eagles stretching all the way along the Carmel Mountains, with a large thermal
over every peak. I then followed the trail as it snaked back over Elroi/Tivon, until it
disappeared in the far northwest, where I could still see Eagles appearing out of the sky at the
very edge of visibility with the scope. By the end of the day I reckoned that I must have seen
well over well 30,000 Eagles passing, and the total for all stations that day was 52,256 a world
record count of Eagles passing anywhere in one day. Clearly this was an incredible day and one
which I will never forget.
Below right is a shot I took through the scope of just a small section of the stream which must
have extended for over 30 km.
Into October Levant Sparrowhawks become much less common while Eurasian Sparrowhawk are on the increase. Some species such as Short-toed Eagles for example breed in the area and it is often difficult to be sure throughout much of the survey, whether or not a bird is really migrating, but this usually becomes more obvious when good numbers of Short-toed are travelling with the Lesser Spotted Eagle flocks.
Increasingly towards the end of the survey more Greater Spotted & Imperial Eagles begin to pass and some are already settling into their winter quarters in the area. By this time large numbers of Black Kites are present in fields in the area gathering in huge roosts in the evenings.
