Winter is ending, and spring has arrived. Now it's time for me to
go ahead with my work on moult. For this I ringed some interesting species,
still so much work to do. Below are some interesting results from this period:
In winter I caught two young Isabelline Shrikes. This winter is
very good for this species in Israel. Those two with another five skins from
Tel-Aviv University Museum produce interesting information about their moult
strategy.
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| Isabelline Shrike |
I have been working this spring at Wadi Mishmar, Judean Desert,
but I catch fewer Sylvia warblers than I expected. This might be as a result of
a very rainy winter, especially in southern Israel and Sinai, that affected
plant productivity in regional scale, and scatters the migrants over large area
rather than having them concentrated in hotspots like Wadi Mishmar. Still it's a
very interesting site and I ringed some desert species like Sand Partridge, Blackstart,
Scrub Warbler and Sinai Rosefinch, together with spring migrants like Blue Rock
Thrush, Cyprus Warbler and other common Sylvia warblers.
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| Wadi Mishmar |
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| Cyprus Warbler |
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| Blue Rock Thrush |
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| Sand Partridge - female |
Finally, this morning I had a successful visit to Modiin Hills,
that produced my first Ruppell's Warbler and Balkan Warbler for this spring
together with many Lesser Whitethroats - it's a very beautiful site with lovely
natural habitat, and is very good for Sylvia warblers in March.
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| Modiin Hills |
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| Ruppell's Warbler |
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| Balkan Warbler |
Thanks to my helpers this time, Rafi Paz, Ron Efrat, Arad
Ben-David, Yotam and Yael Lenard.
