Moult of the past

Last Sunday I visited in the Tel-Aviv University, Museum Zoological. My main goal was to obtain moult data from passerine skins preserved in their collection. It was very interesting and productive. Most interesting was to check several species that are very hard to trap. For each species I found many different individuals collected in different seasons.  This is very difficult to achieve in live birds. Most skins I checked were collected many years before I was born. See below some interesting examples.

White-throated Robin, adult male

Arabian Warbler

Striolated Bunting, male and female

Hooded Weatear, adult and juvenile

Another Common Tern report, now from Belarus!

I received a report about another Common Tern I ringed in Atlit in first week of May, found in Belarus in late May. This is another piece added to the puzzle, showing that a massive wave of European Common Terns passes through Israel in few days in early May. That night 06-07/05 I controlled a Common Tern from Poland, and another one from that night was found in Hungary in June and now comes this report from Belarus. Three controls from 105 Common Terns in one night is fantastic, given that part of those terns are from the breeding population.

This Common Tern was found in Svisloch River, Minsk - 2426 km NNW to Atlit.

Thanks to Tatiana Pavlushchick from Belarus Bird Ringing Center for the interesting report and to Dmitry Goncharov for the discovery and photos.

Common Tern in Germany

I received a report about my Common Tern found in E Germany. The bird was ringed in Atlit in September 2010; it was the last Common Tern I ringed during 2010 season (!). It was found in fishponds of Tauerwiesen - Saxony (2646 km). Thanks to Hendrik Trapp for the report and photo.

Desert moult

Yesterday morning (05/08) I ringed in my regular site in the Judean Desert - Ein Salvadora. I was joined by Francis, Yael and Yotam. We had a nice catch, including 2 Sinai Rosefinches, 1 Trumpeter Finch, 3 Desert Larks, 15 Striolated Buntings and 1 Scrub Warbler. Most of the birds were in late stages of post breeding/juvenile moult.

Sinai Rosefinch - Post breeding moult

Scrub Warbler

In Tzor'a Valley the autumn is much more noticeable. One of the first true autumn birds in Tzor'a is Kingfisher; on 27/07 we ringed 4 Kingfishers and in the surroundings were a few more. Other autumn birds were 2 Savi's Warblers and many Reed Warblers. This was a highly successful mourning with 132 birds caught. Last Friday we ringed less birds (78), including 6 Kingfishers. On 31/07 I had a Reed Warbler control, the bird was ringed in the Hula Valley on June 24rd (163 km).

Kingfisher

Savi's Warbler