The silence before the storm turned into... Bird Flood!

13^th

Another good day here at IBRCE. 170 birds passed through our hands during the busiest morning of the year so far. Although much the same species as usual we did catch an Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris  סבכי חורש for the first time in several days. Two Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus חנקן נובי caught were the first records this spring and a Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator חנקן אדום ראש was the first to find its way into the nets.

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus חנקן נובי 

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus חנקן נובי 

In the evening we added another 60 birds to the daily total by targeting the Swallows coming in to roost. 4 Sand Martins Riparia riparia כוכית גדות were ringed with the rest divided fairly equally between Red-rumped Cepropsis daurica  סנונית מערותand Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica סנונית רפתות.

A female Little Crake Porzana parva ברודית קטנה was seen well from one of the hides overlooking the IBRCE pond. A Rufous Bush Robin Cergotrichas galactotes חמריה חלודת זנב near the information centre & shop was an unusually early record and a Wryneck Jynx torquilla  סבראש was also present. To join our growing team, Bas from the Netherlands joined us today. He will be staying and volunteering at the centre for the next month.

14^th

219 birds were caught today. We would have liked to keep the nets open for longer but by late morning, a sudden heavy rain shower forced us to close. The first net round produced another Eurasian Scop’s Owl Otus scops שעיר מצוי in almost exactly the same place as the last one.

A 2^nd calendar year male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus חכלילית עצים was the first of the season and 2 more Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia rueppellii  סבכי שחור גרון were ringed.

2^nd calendar year male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus פרט בשנה שנייה (קוד 5)- חכלילית עצים

2 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus חיוואי were among the small stream of visible raptor migration. A few small flocks of White Stork Ciconia ciconia חסידה לבנה drifted over along with 6 Black Stork Ciconia nigra  חסידה שחורה and 33 Common Crane Grus grusעגור אפור . The lingering Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga עיט צפרדעים was seen in the afternoon.

The lingering Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 
עיט צפרדעים- בילה איתנו את החורף ועדיין בסביבה
by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן

15^th

The day started well with a 2^nd year female Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia גבתון אדום גרון in the West nets. 

2^nd year female Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia נקבה צעירה (קוד 5) גבתון אדום גרון

In total 153 birds were caught with other highlights including 2 Common Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos זמיר ירדן and 2 Wryneck Jynx torquilla סבראש, representing the first of each to be ringed here this season.

Wryneck Jynx torquilla סבראש

צולם ע"י באס קוק by Bas Kok

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos זמיר ירדן

A slight change in species composition saw us ring more Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla   סבכי שחור כיפהthan Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca   סבכי טוחנים, it is the first "Blackaps wave of migration" for season and surely not the last.

There was some good overhead migration during the morning, easily the best day for raptors so far.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus חיוויאי 5
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis עיט ערבות  39
Black Kite Milvus migransדיה שחורה   9
Booted Eagle Aquila pennataעיט גמדי   7
Steppe Buzzard Buteo b. vulpinusעקב מזרחי  900+
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterusרחם  3

Booted Eagle Aquila pennata עיט גמדי 
by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן

It seems not everyone were happy with the strong Raptors migration, especially not the so called "local" House Crows Corvous splendens עורב הודי. This invasive species is known for being very aggressive, attacking birds, reptiles, mammals and even walking-on-two mammals: humans.

Booted Eagle Aquila pennataעיט גמדי
-and company
עורב הודי House Crow Corvous splendens
by Roni Vaisanen צולם ע"י רוני וייסנן

Over 4200 White Stork Ciconia ciconia חסידה לבנה also passed through to the North during mid-morning. Swallows were a constant presence in the skies above and several Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus פיפיון אדום גרון and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava  נחליאלי צהוב passed over. A few Alpine Swift Apus melba סיס הרים  were mixed in with the commoner species and a single Little Swift Apus affinis  סיס גליל was present early morning.

After ringing our work was not over… Helgoland trap fixing, cleaning, data entry and rubbish collecting was all done before we headed to town for well deserved ice cream.

5 Sand Martins Riparia riparia כוכית גדות
3 seem to be eilata race (central in pic)
שלוש המרכזיות ככל הנראה משתייכות לתת המין אילתה
צולם ע"י באס קוק by Bas Kok

Another successful swallow ringing session in the evening netted about 140 more birds for the day total. 5 Sand Martins Riparia riparia כוכית גדות caught included 3 birds showing characters of the very small, very cute, poorly known race eliata. 

Matt Slaymaker

Volunteer-ringer, IBRCE

Yael Lehnardt

Head Ringer & Guide, IBRCE

A little more of the local atmosphere

Extreme Makeover-

In the last period we are busy with the Park's Extreme Makeover. In the next few weeks a new hide is about to be built, allowing more comfortable birding, a new fence will keep people a little further away, preventing them from flashing the exhausted migrants and more is planned.

Stay tuned or simply come to check it yourselves!

Not only preapering for the bird race:
IBRCE's Volunteers are working hard, building a new hide for your comfort
מתנדבי פארק הציפורים עובדים קשה למען הקמת מסתור תצפית חדש לרווחתכם

Fencing the salt pond to prevent people from flashing birds repetitively
The fence is low to allow easy birding
מגדרים את שולי ברכת המלח למנוע הברחה חוזרת ונשנית של הציפורים
הגדר נמוכה כדי לאפשר צפייה נוחה בציפורים