On Friday (29/04) I visited the Hula Valley ringing station and joined Nadav's team. It was a beautiful morning with about 210 birds ringed and it was good to catch up with some old friends. Most of the birds were Reed and Sedge Warblers but also a few others as Little Bitterns, White-breasted Kingfisher, Barred and Eastern Orphean Warbler (which are irregular in the Hula valley as most of their migration takes place over Israel's central mountain ridge).
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| Little Bittern |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| White-breasted Kingfisher |
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| Hula Valley |
May started with massive mornings at JBO. 240 birds on 01/05 with a good fall of Blackcaps and 10 Pied Flycatchers. On 04/05 100 birds, first Spotted Flycatcher for me this spring, good species richness and good numbers of Barred Warblers and Masked Shrikes.
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| Masked Shrike |
First tern session took place on the night between Wednesday and Thursday in Atlit salt pans. This was a great night just after dusk a large flock of migrant Common Terns arrived at the site. 121 terns were caught, 8 Little and 113 Common Terns; two Little Terns were controls from last summer.
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| Little Tern |
Last Friday (06/05) I was ringing at Tzoraa valley ringing station. It was a slower morning after a busy week - only 50 birds were ringed, but I was pleased with a beautiful Turtle Dove ringed and with finding a Spur-winged Lapwing family with four chicks near my ringing spot. They will get their rings as soon as they grow up a bit.
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| Turtle Dove |
