Five members of the group have recently returned from a fantastic ringing and birding trip to Southern Israel. We stayed at Lotan Kibbutz, about 60 km North of Eilat.www.kibbutzlotan.com
The Kibbutz provided brilliant accommodation, food and the main ringing base.
After the initial travel and security checks by El Al, which for some reason Mike and Terry were continually targetted, the ringing team of 12 quickly got about setting the nets in the organic garden and the pool area lawns of the Kibbutz.
Each morning was spent ringing on-site at Lotan with some of us focussing on the organic garden while others a few hundred metres away at the swimming pool site. After a few hours we took turns having a delicious and well deserved breakfast. Apparently the spring migration has been slower than previous years, perhaps due to high rainfall in Sudan and birds not requiring a refueling stop in Southern Israel or maybe it's the illegal hunting issues in Egypt beginning to take it's toll. Either way, for those of us with limited Middle East birding experience, it was still a brilliant mix of birds seen in the hand across the week.
By 10a.m each morning, one eye was kept on the sky as the raptor and stork migration continued. Hundreds of Steppe Buzzards, various eagle species and Egyptian Vultures began to kettle above our heads and make their way North. An amazing site.
Each afternoon was spent birding at the numerous local sites. One of the most stunning sites was little known Neot Samadar with it's huge artificial lake. Here we found Little and Bailon's Crake, Night Herons and Little Bitterns, Blue-checked Bee Eater and many more species. Whilst posing for the group photo we realised we had almost stepped on a Spur winged Plover nest!
Overall, the SRG members came to the conclusion that the 'best bird seen' was a Collard Flycatcher. However, on the one afternoon that Terry, Mike and Bob decided to stay at Lotan and bird the local area they managed to stumble across the bizzare sight of a Corncrake running across the desert! With a bit of ingenuity, the Corncrake was soon caught. It wasn't in the best of health so it wasn't ringed but the photos and the memory are good enough!!
Here are some of the ringing highlights!
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| Kibbutz Lotan |
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| Little Green Bee Eater |
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| Wryneck |
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| Ortolan Bunting |
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| The Team at Neot Samadar |
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| Red Throated Pipit |
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| Common Nightingale |
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| Hoopoe |
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| Masked Shrike, Female |
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| Thrush Nightingale |
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| White Throated Robin eilatbirding.blogspot.com |
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| Wood Warbler |
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| Whilst relaxing on the 'football pitch', Terry spotted a Corncrake running across the desert. We soon had it caught but we decided it wasn't in the best of health to ring. |
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