ISRing - the Israeli Ringing Blog

Smelly sweet

2012-01-25T01:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (24/01) I ringed around some Mediterranean Stinkbushes (Anagyris foetida) near one of my sites. Apart for having a very offensive smell, it's one of only few winter flowering bushes in the Mediterranean zone. In this cold season the sweet nectar is a very important energy source for many passerines and insects, especially for the nectar specialized Palestine Sunbird (Nectarinia osea). In the early morning I caught birds coming to the nectar: Palestine Sunbirds, Spectacled Bulbuls, Chiffchaffs and Sardinian Warblers. Later in the morning, while the air was warming up, the birds disappeared but my nets were full of bees.

Palestine Sunbird - male

Mediterranean Stinkbush

Palestine Sunbird - female

In this time of year, even though the winter is still here in full blast, we start to find early signs of spring. These included full song of Graceful Prinias, blackening throat of White Wagtails and blackening head pattern of this beautiful second year Reed Bunting.

Reed Bunting

Freeze and rain

2012-01-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (19/01) I joined Yotam, Yoav and other ringers to a special operation in the Uvda Valley (S Negev). This is a third ringing session of Yotam in this site and our target was to catch desert's larks. We set up 570 m mist-nets in the frozen early morning. Our catch included 30 birds: 9 Temminck's Larks, 5 Bar-tailed Larks, 4 Desert Larks, 8 Trumpeter Finches, 2 Spanish Sparrows, 1 Blackstart and 1 Mourning Wheatear. We folded the nets in the rain, possibly the only rain event of this year in this arid zone.

Temminck's Lark - male

Temminck's Lark - left: male, right: female

Bar-tailed Lark

Trumpeter Finch - male

In the afternoon we returned to the wagtail roost, my regular site (about 200 km N), but rain interrupted our session. Despite the rain, we recaptured the Common Rosefinch I ringed in late December. This exceptional bird has yellowish plumage, otherwise it's just a normal Common Rosefinch - I would be very glad to get some feedback on this bird.

More details about the Uvda ringing in IBRCE and Yoav's websites.

Tzor'a Valley Ringing - 2011 summary

2012-01-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

During 2011 my ringing totals were 6783 birds of 83 species, during 106 ringing sessions. This my second-best annual total, after the exceptionally high effort of 2008 that produced 14000 birds (see figure). Another 1354 birds were recaptured, 3 of them with foreign rings and 5 Israeli controls from other ringing sites.

Dominant species were Barn Swallow (22.2%), Eurasian Reed Warbler (12.1%), White Wagtail (12.0%), Chiffchaff (8.0%), Willow Warbler (6.3%), Bluethroat (3.9%), Chaffinch (3.6%), Yellow Wagtail (3.5%), Blackcap (3.5%) and Cetti's Warbler (2.1%).

Exceptionally good passage was noted during autumn migration (see figure).

Tzor'a had six new bird species ringed during 2011: Ringed Plover, Ruff, Pintail Snipe, European Nightjar, Hoopoe and Red-breasted Flycatcher.

The ringing work during 2011 based on my loyal volunteers. 42 different volunteers participated in 2011's ringing - huge thanks to them. Also we unveiled the new Cetti's Warbler logo. Already on 01/01/2012 I produced an annual ringing report, in Hebrew, but hopefully I will produce an English one soon.

During the last days we ringed only in the wagtail roost; the numbers went down and the rainy weather also hampered our ringing efforts. So, I look forward to spring and to another nice year.

Annual ringing report

Another one bites the dust

2011-12-25T02:26:00.000-08:00

On Thursday afternoon (22/12), while Avishai and I were driving to ring at the wagtail roost, I received a phone call about a small bird wearing an Israeli ring that had hit a window in a nearby village. The lady gave me the digits on the ring but without the ring's series; this is very important in order to identify the ring, but she had already disposed the bird with the ring… Because it was close I decided to recover the bird myself. I arrived there and found one of my White Wagtails that I had ringed last winter. After talking to the lady that had found the dead bird, I found out that it's the second bird that got itself killed against the same window. I advised her to mark the window, to prevent future collisions.

Last week the White Wagtails in the roost were joined by a Snipe and nice coutelli Water Pipit.

Eastern Stonechat and other winter roosters

2011-12-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday (13/12) I ringed at the Tzor'a reservoir, instead of my regular Friday sessions; this Friday I will conduct a ringing course at Ma'agan Michael. Only 33 birds were caught, 23 recaptures. The first bird for the morning was a nice female Eastern Stonechat with typical appearance, measurements (wing length: 71 mm) and about 10 mm pale at base of rectrices, concealed under the uppertail coverts.

During the past three days I ringed 145 White Wagtails. Lots of other birds join the roost, and I caught some representatives: Penduline Tit (1), Spanish Sparrow (4), Reed Bunting (6) and Corn Bunting (6). One White Wagtail was recaptured from autumn 2008, ringed in the alfalfa field (10 km).

Other old recaptures were Moustached Warbler from 2010, Clamorous Reed-warbler from 2008 and some Cetti's Warblers and Chiffchaffs from 2009-10.

Some notes about our residents

2011-12-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

On Friday (09/12) I ringed again at the Tzor'a reservoir, typical winter morning with only 44 birds, 19 recaptured. Worth noting was the large number of local Barn Swallows - about 500 hunting above the reservoir and 300 in the alfalfa. One Swallow was ringed, nice bird at the end of complete post-breeding/juvenile moult; in this time of year European Swallow only begin moulting in their African wintering grounds.

On 07/12 one of my Barn Swallow was found freshly dead after it hit a window; this bird was ringed in October during a large roost catch in Tzor'a and found in Haifa, 114 km north! This was probably a local bird, joined a migrant flock and then returned back north.

Another interesting bird was a Clamorous Reed Warbler at the end of post-juvenile moult and had five retained secondaries. This is a very late and interesting moult pattern.

'pygmaea' Yellow Wagtail

2011-12-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

I have just completed punching all of the autumn ringing data in. It was a great season with grand total of 4713 birds ringed and 814 recaptured. The species richness was also very good with 76 different species. During this season we controlled three birds with foreign ring from Hungary, Norway and Zambia - very nice result; during this period only one more passerine with foreign ring was controlled in Israel (!).

On the first day of winter I ringed this putative 'pygmaea' Yellow Wagtail. It was a first year female and struck me as being tiny. Wing length was 72mm and tail length 63mm, both measurements fit perfectly with this tiny race breeding in Egypt. Also plumage details are good - dark olive-green above, short and narrow supercilium and dark breast patches. Shirihai mentions in his book three previous records between 1986 and 1990, all from Eilat (two in winter). I will send this interesting record to some experts for a second opinion, and will post the final decision soon.

From autumn to winter within a week

2011-11-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

After last week that was exceptionally rainy, I was eagerly waiting for the first sunny days; those post-storm days often result in many migrants knocked down to the ground. I ringed at the Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station between Sunday and Tuesday (20-22/11) and indeed I was not disappointed. The area was very wet with fresh grass. At first I got very wet from the last shower on Sunday morning, but the continuation was nice and dry. On Sunday and Monday mornings at the reservoir I ringed 120 and 140 birds respectively. Total of those three days was 444 birds; these were nice autumn days. I returned to the area on Friday and discovered that winter suddenly settled, with a minor catch of only 56 birds. In winter most populations are rather sedentary, and that was the case on Friday: most birds were recaptures with a few from last years.

The total of this successful week is exactly 500 birds, 113 were recaptures; the most ringed species were Chiffchaffs (162), White Wagtails (70) and Spanish Sparrow (25).

The nice catch of Reed Bunting continued with another 14 individuals, including a nice adult male.

Reed Bunting - adult male

In Tuesday evening (22/11) I ringed this nice adult male Caucasian Stonechat. It shows the important ID signs: paler plumage, white base of tail feathers, pale rump, dark underwing and long wing of 74 mm.

Caucasian Stonechat - adult male

Tail

Underwing

Other interesting birds were 5 Jack Snipes, 1 Common Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 3 Wrynecks, 3 Moustached Warblers, 2 Penduline Tits and 12 Corn Buntings.

Common Snipe

Penduline Tit

On Friday (25/11) I ringed a juvenile Marsh Warbler; this is the 12^th for this successful season and a month later compared to normal passage. This bird should have been now in Kenya.

Marsh Warbler

Many thanks to Ron, Avishai, Rafi, Eli and Shahar for their help.

Tzor'a Reservoir

Water Rail

Corn Bunting

Sardinian Warbler - female

Reed Bunting - juvenile

European Stonechat

Post-pintail

2011-11-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday (11/11) I ringed again at the Tzor'a reservoir, with a large team. After only half an hour of sleep, I returned to the snipe's little puddle. The result was very similar to previous morning. We caught 6 Jack Snipes, juvenile Night Heron and the Pin-tailed Snipe was recaptured, this time on the other side of reservoir. This was a nice reward for my regular volunteers and for the 2-3 twitchers that joined us.

Jack Snipe

Other notes from this nice week at Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station:

First, Cetti's Warbler dynamics: in Tzor'a this is a resident species but also wintering and migrant population appear in late autumn; the distinction between those populations is very difficult. In these days we noticed a small influx of unringed Cetti's Warblers. Most importantly, these birds are larger and with slightly different tones compared to our breeding population. My breeding males have wings of 63-66 mm. On Thursday I ringed a migrant male with wing of 71 mm and tail of 70 mm; this bird must belong to the form albiventris, breeding in Kazakhstan. This is only 4^th record of this race at Tzor'a; all records occurred during the second week of November and all birds had a wing length of 69.5-71 mm and long tails. The females are harder to identify because the large overlap in measurements with other races.

See below the graph showing the ratio of new Cetti's Warblers in May-November 2011. First peak in June represents the local juveniles fledging and dispersing in Tzor'a. Most ringed in August-October are after post-breeding dispersing birds and short distance migrants. For example this autumn I caught two birds ringed nearby: one 9 km NE (controlled in September) and second 11 km NW (controlled in October). The second peak in November represents a significant migrant wave.

Another Whinchat was ringed on 10/11; this is unusually late for this species. Until this year I never caught any Whinchats at the reservoir, only in the fields. This autumn I have already six at the reservoir habitat.

Whinchat

This year is also unusual for Acrocephalus warblers. Most of these birds have already left south but Moustached Warblers are winter visitors to Tzor'a and this year I catch exceptional numbers. Until last week I ringed 13 birds, the highest number ringed in one year at Tzor'a (the average is four per year).

I wrote previously on Reed Buntings, but with two more from Friday and a total of 7 last week they are wroth another mention. Many more can heard calling around my site; no doubt this is a special season for this species.

When my returning winter visitors appear, I often receive some exceptionally old recaptures. The two most interesting were Cetti's Warbler S-39797 ringed in May 2005 and Chiffchaff ringed in November 2007; see more in the summary table below:

Night Heron - juvenile

Serin - juvenile male

Many thanks to all volunteers this week.

Pin-tailed Snipe!

2011-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

After I saw some snipes at Tzor'a reservoir last Monday, I decided to try catching them this morning (10/11). I arrived very early, two hours before sunrise and set one 12 m net with wader calls in little pond near the reservoir. This effort was very productive with four Jack Snipes. A few minutes after sunrise, while I was taking pictures of a Jack Snipe, I see a 'regular' snipe in the net. After Eli released the bird from the net, I noticed that the bird was very vocal and I remembered that snipes are always quiet in hand. I asked myself what is this noisy snipe? As I checked the tail, I thought it might be a Great Snipe. I was hoping to find white outer tail feathers, but what I saw (see image below) caused me to shout 'Pin-tailed Snipe!'.

After a phone call to Yoav Perlman and checking all ID signs with him, I positively identified the bird as Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura); 3^rd ringed in Israel and only 7-8 records!

An RBA message was sent out, and by the time I had ended the first net round and measured the snipe, two early twitchers arrived. We quickly photographed the bird and released it.

In short, the important ID signs:

Very noisy bird, only in hand, with unique, soft calls!

Pins in the outers tail feathers.

Short bill, about 15 mm shorter than Common Snipe.

Short tail, about 20 mm shorter than Common Snipe.

Very thin white trailing edge.

Sandy pale upperwing panel.

Plainer mantle and scapulars pattern, compared to bold pattern of Common Snipe.

Other interesting birds ringed today included: 1cy male Caucasian Stonechat, 2 Moustached Warblers, adult male Penduline Tit and 5 Reed Bunting; until today I have ringed at Tzor'a only 2 Reed Bunting, so it was very nice!

Many thanks to Eli and Rafi for their help today; I look forward to tomorrow's surprises, maybe a foreign ring?

Solo flight

2011-11-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

After Friday's ringing session with many volunteers, Tuesday's ringing session was very quiet; I ringed alone. I had only 120 meters of mist nets open and caught 95 birds. While I was opening the net this nice Long-eared Owl got caught; it's only the sixth ever ringed at Tzor'a Valley.

Bluethroat and Phylloscopus numbers were much lower - only 23 Bluethroats, 3 Chiffchaffs and 3 Willow Warblers were caught. But seedeaters drinking made up for this morning's catch: 20 Greenfinch, 12 Serin, 5 Chaffinch and 4 Spanish Sparrow.

I had a few recaptures from previous years: two Bluethroats, first ringed in November 2009 and again in November 2010. I also had a Robin ringed in November 2010, and a Chaffinch ringed in January 2011. Unfortunately most of my birds breed in remote parts of Russia where nobody rings, so the chances for foreign controls from these species are very slim. Another interesting recapture was a female Spanish Sparrow ringed in November 2010; it's the first recapture of this species in my database. Spanish Sparrow is a regular migrant and winter visitor in my area; they arrive from the Balkan and Mediterranean. Unfortunately, many of them end up on lime sticks in Cyprus.

White Wagtail

Spanish Sparrow

Serin is a common winter bird in Israel but is not often ringed. Most years I catch about 15 in Tzor'a; so a catch of 12 was very good. Most were first calendar birds with distinct moult limit in GC and new central tail feathers.

Serin

Serin - first year with moult limit in GC

Serin - adult, all GC fresh

First year - new central tail feathers

Chaffinch - male

High efforts around reservoir

2011-10-30T01:37:00.000-07:00

Last Friday (28/10) I ringed around the Tzor'a reservoir. Joined by many friends, we were an effective team with two 'A' ringers, four 'B' ringers and a few more 'C' ringers. We opened more net than usual, a total of 220 meters compared to an average of 100 meters that I normally use at this ringing site. A few nets had only two shelves but it's a similar effort to set them up. Our effort produced a nice catch; not great, but I can't complain. We caught 156 birds from 25 species, most were Bluethroats (48) and Phylloscopus warblers (37). These days most Acrocephalus warblers and Willow Warblers have left south and the next massive migrant, Chiffchaff, has not arrived yet in significant numbers.

So what we had except Bluethroats and Phylloscopus warblers:

Little Bittern (1), Water Rail (1), Moorhen (1), White Wagtail (1), Kingfisher (10), Stonechat (2), Whinchat (1), Moustached Warbler (3), Marsh warbler (1), Reed Warbler (18), Sedge Warbler (2), Great Reed Warbler (7), Clamorous Reed Warbler (1), Spanish Sparrow (6) and Serin (2) - first this season; other regular stuff included Cetti's Warbler, Graceful Prinia, Blackbird, Spectacled Bulbul and Sardinian Warbler.

Whinchat

This is a nice period for birding in Tzor'a Valley. During ringing I saw a few raptors overhead, Long-legged Buzzard and Sparrowhawk, ducks and many herons in the reservoir, including at least one Purple Heron. As I drove out at the alfalfa I saw five Red-footed Falcons and many pipits.

Thanks to my dedicated team for their efforts this morning.

Moorhen

STAVANGER MUS. NORWAY

2011-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Between Sunday and Tuesday (23-25/10) I ringed at the Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station, with Ron, Ayla, Aviad and Yishai. On Sunday morning we were ringing at the Tzor'a Reservoir, nice catch and nice variety of species. Towards the end of ringing, while Ayla, Yishai and I were ringing, we heard Ron's happy cry from the nets; after a few minutes he and Aviad came back from the nets with a smile he could not hide and hung one bag on my 'from Europe' hook. I couldn't wait and took the bird, Willow Warbler, ring on left leg (in Israel ring only on right), unfamiliar address, STAV… STAVANGER! Yes, it's Norway! The full address is STAVANGER MUS. NORWAY - great! I know this species comes from N Europe and Russia and migrates to S Africa, but Norway is far and to see this 9.0 gr. long-distance migrant is exciting.

6H02413 STAVANGER MUS. NORWAY

The Norway Ringing Center was very efficient; I sent the data on Sunday evening and got the answer on Monday. The bird was ringed in Malselv, Troms, N Norway (4,225 km), on 20/08/2011. This bird is an adult with arrested moult and wing length only 67.5 mm; in Israel we have ringed lots of long-winged Willow Warblers, more than 70 mm; now I ask myself from where did they come? N Russia?

Norwegian Willow Warbler

During these days we caught 419 birds, 95 of them were recaptures. Most birds ringed were Bluethroats (83), Chiffchaff (49) and Reed Warbler (44). Other firsts for this season and arrivals for the winter included: Robins (3), White Wagtails (24), Stonechats (6) and Song Thrush. Other interesting birds were 5 Moustached Warblers, 2 Whinchats and juvenile Moorhen. One of interesting recaptures was Clamorous Reed Warbler BB-25128 ringed on 11/10/2004, in the second ringing session at Tzor'a!

Moustached Warbler

Bluethroat

Stonechat

On Sunday evening a family of cranes, male, female and their juvenile were found in the reservoir. The adults couldn't fly and their distress produced a lot of noise. In the morning we caught the adults by hand. Although cranes are very strong, they are very sensitive birds. We sent them to the Wildlife Hospital with Dekel, the NPA ranger. Their problem is not clear but after short treatment they were returned to Tzor'a.

On Friday (21/10) we held our IBRC annual meeting, it was fun to see old friends.

Today (26/10) I ringed at JBO and caught this nice female Hawfinch - welcome winter…

Red-breasted Flycatcher

2011-10-16T03:28:00.000-07:00

This morning I ringed again at Tzor'a reservoir; produce nice catch of 76 birds. My highlight this morning was a juvenile Red-breasted Flycatcher - first for Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. Another exciting bird was a Moustached Warbler, first for this season; most birds caught were Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Bluethroats.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Moustached Warbler

Willow Warblers with unusual moult

2011-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last days I ringed 7 Willow Warbler with suspended/arrested moult. Those were characterized by 2-4 unmoulted secondaries. Normally, the adults of these perform a complete moult before autumn migration. The Willow Warbler is one of few species that complete two moult cycles every year. First I found birds with such irregular moult at the JBO (11/10) and I was very excited about this, but next morning (12/10) I caught another two individuals with such moult in Tzor'a Valley; both had unmoulted secondaries and a few lesser or median coverts; and on Wednesday morning another four birds. In his guide, Lars Svensson does not note this interrupted moult but I found this article discussing Willow Warbler's unusual moult from Sweden, describing a moult strategy similar to my birds. However, until today I have ringed several thousand Willow Warblers and have never seen this irregular moult before.

Two unmoulted secondaries

Unmoulted lesser and median coverts

Three unmoulted secondaries

In recent days I have ring many birds in Tzor'a Valley; three last ringing sessions produced 625 birds, most were Barn Swallows and Willow Warblers. Two new species for this season included Grey Wagtail and Wood Warbler; the juvenile Little Bittern and 2 Marsh Warblers were also nice.

Many swallows

Zambia is also very distant…

2011-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got the recovery details of the Safring Barn Swallow controlled at Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station two weeks ago. The bird was ringed in Huntley's Farm, Chisamba, Zambia in January 2011 as part of a swallow project carried out by Bennie van den Brink. The distance between the ringing sites is 5,228 km, my farthest and first from Africa for Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. I uploaded a map in Tzor'a page, see here. Thanks to Bennie van den Brink and to Henri Bouwmeester.

Last days I was very busy with ringing. Starting with Monday and Tuesday mornings at JBO, that produced nice sessions with good passage of Common Redstart. Juvenile Ruppell's Warbler and Collared Flycatcher were the most interesting.

On Wednesday I started with a great alfalfa ringing session that produced 249 birds. Most were Yellow Wagtails, but also 11 Red-throated Pipit, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Fan-tailed Cisticolas and a few Willow Warblers. Every autumn I spend a few mornings ringing Yellow Wagtails in the alfalfa fields, but this season those flocks were absent and only now arrived the first significant flock with about 5,000 birds. Thanks to Francis, Avishai and Yishai.

The alfalfa field

Ruppell's Warbler

I ringed in a swallow roost every day this week. Most swallows have already moved south, but a few flocks are still coming down to roost. One Nightjar was also caught after I extracted the swallows from the nets, a first to Tzor'a ringing.

Nightjar

Little Bittern E-17994 was ringed two weeks ago and recaptured 13 days later. The bird is in active moult and I documented the moult sequence. At first P7 was growing, and 13 days later P10 was growing, see images.

Now I returned home and my inbox is full with about 100 German and Polish White Stork recoveries - lots of boring work.

My inbox today

Shorebirds in Ma'agan Michael

2011-09-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Last days have been very busy with ringing, especially in Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station, without time to write. On Sunday night a shorebird ringing at Ma'agan Michael, on Monday swallow roost in Tzor'a Valley that produced 200 birds, on Tuesday morning ringing at JBO and swallow roost in Tzor'a Valley that produced another 175 birds and on Wednesday morning again in Tzor'a Valley with 85 birds.

The shorebird ringing session is worth noting with many ringers, nets and birds. We started with a short reconnaissance look in the afternoon, about 750 meters of nets were set up and ended on Monday morning when we closed the nets - in between 281 birds were caught, most were shorebirds and a few nocturnal migrants. My most important insight from this successful night is that we have much more to learn about shorebird ringing.

Red-necked Phalarope

Kentish Plover

Thanks to all ringers, special thank to Francis Argyle that his actions and experience made this night very successful.

Ringing summary:

1 Night Heron

2 Black-winged Stilt

1 Avocet

1 Spur-winged Lapwing

1 Red-necked Phalarope

9 Kentish Plover

4 Little Ringed Plover

36 Ringed Plover

37 Dunlin

5 Curlew Sandpiper

113 Little Stint

17 Temminck's Stint

14 Snipe

16 Ruff

7 Wood Sandpiper

1 Green Sandpiper

9 Redshank

3 Kingfisher

1 Yellow Wagtail

1 Isabelline Wheatear

2 Great Reed Warbler

SAFRING CAPETOWN!

2011-09-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last week (19-23/09) produced some great ringing in Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. The climax of this week surely came in form of a control of a Barn Swallow with a ring SAFRING UNIV CAPETOWN SA AP-96986. I am very eager to get the ringing details as soon as possible, but anyway this is very rare event. After 75 years of ringing in Israel, only five times Israeli ringers held a live bird ringed from Africa: one from Tunisia, two from Egypt and two from Kenya.

The South African bird was caught together with another 305 birds in a swallow roost session; several thousand Barn Swallows and Sand Martins came down to roost near my nets - definitely an impressive sight.

I get an answer from Hungary about their Reed Warbler I controlled on August 26 in Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station. The bird was ringed in Kenderes, Telekhalmi-halastavak on 23 July 2011 (2112 km). It's not very surprising but another nice piece data added to our database.

The total of the week is 612 birds ringed and another 86 retraps from 25 species. Most were 378 Barn Swallows, 83 Reed Warblers, 58 Willow Warblers and 41 Sand Martins. Other birds worth noting were a first Hoopoe ringed at Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station, first Bluethroat of this season, nice adult Bee-eater with a suspended moult and adult male Little Bittern with active primary moult.

Bee-eater - suspended moult

Little Bittern - active moult

Swallows moult and ageing

2011-09-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been working on a swallow roost once or twice every week. I enjoy ringing at night, and swallow are nice birds to ring. Most birds are Barn Swallow and Sand Martin, but also few Red-rumped Swallow. The adult of these species perform a complete moult on their African wintering grounds. Before autumn migrations the adults perform a partial or suspended moult: Barn Swallow - most partial and a few suspended and Sand Martin - most suspended. The partial moult includes, normally, a few wing coverts, tertials and body feathers; the suspended moult includes additionally a few innermost primaries.

In spring migration, after the complete moult these species' age cannot be determined, as all birds have fresh plumage.

In Israel, our local Barn Swallow population ('transitiva' type) perform complete moult after breeding season. This may complicate determining the age correctly when young birds with active post-juvenile moult can be mistaken with adults during their post-breeding moult.

Thanks to Hans-Jorgen Eilts for the interesting discussion about this moult.

Barn Swallow - adult - suspended moult, P1-2 fresh

Sand Martin - adult - suspended moult, P1-2 fresh

Sand Martin - juvenile, all plumage fresh with white edges

Yellow Wagtail

Last roost catch

Tzor'a ringing

2011-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

I spend last Thursday and Friday conducting pretty massive ringing in Tzor'a region. This activity produced a total of 230 birds. Most birds caught were Reed Warblers (62) and Willow Warblers (45). One of the Willow Warblers was a retrap from previous autumn, my first retrap after about 2500 Willow Warblers ringed in Tzor'a Valley.

Some new species for this season included Spotted Crake, House and Sand Martins, Garden Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Ortolan and Cretzschmar's Buntings, and 2 Marsh Warblers.

I have set low nets in the flooded reservoir bank, and they are very productive for Sedge, Reed, Savi's and Willow Warblers. The Spotted Crake was also a nice reward for the effort and sweating boots in this muddy habitat.

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Ortolan Bunting

Spotted Crake

Red-backed Shrike

Finally answer from Lithuania and more events from last week

2011-09-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

Finally, I've received the ringing details of the Lithuanian Common Tern that I controlled at Atlit in mid July. It was ringed as breeding adult in the southernmost point in Lithuania, Niedus Lake - 2533 km north of Atlit, in May 2002.

The tern ringing season is coming to an end; last ringing session (30/08) produced only 12 Common Terns. But two shorebirds made the session worthwhile; first was a Black-tailed Godwit - first to me in the hand and probably the first ringed in Israel after many years; second was a Broad-billed Sandpiper, also nice and rather rare in Israel.

I tried my luck with shorebird ringing in Ma'agan Michael. At first it looked promising but eventually the total was only 15 birds: Ringed Plovers, Little Stints - 1 retrap from August 2009, Dunlins and 1 Red Knot - first ringed in Israel after more than 20 years.

Black-tailed Godwit

Red Knot

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Broad-billed Sandpiper - juvenile

Black-tailed Gotwit

White-winged Tern

Whiskered Tern - juvenile

Last Wednesday (31/08) Ron Haran controlled one of my Striolated Bunting from Ein Salvadora (Judean Desert) at Einot Tzukim Nature Reserve (Dead Sea Shore). Only 21 km north, but very interesting movement. This species is local and irregular away from the desert cliffs.

Last Friday's (02/09) ringing session at Tzor'a reservoir produced a catch of 114 birds from 20 species. First Willow Warblers of the season for me!

Willow Warbler

Reed Warbler from Hungary

2011-08-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

Last Friday (26/08) I ringed at Tzor'a reservoir. Massive and earlier than usual passage produced a very nice catch of 88 birds from 20 species. To top this, two controls made this a really great ringing session. First control was a Kingfisher that had been ringed on 15/08 in Nativ Ha'Lamed Hei; 10 km SE by Ron Haran. The second was a first calendar year Reed Warbler with BUDAPEST new and shiny ring.

38 Reed Warblers were ringed - exceptionally earlier and unusual passage; during the last four years (2007-10) I ringed only 5-14 Reed Warblers on this day. Other interesting birds ringed were: 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Barn Swallow, 3 Great-reed Warblers, 7 Savi's Warblers, 5 Sedge Warbler and 1 Marsh Warbler.

Yellow Wagtail - adult male, feldegg

Yellow Wagtail - juvenile female

BUDAPEST

The Barn Swallow was a juvenile of the local population and was in active primary moult - complete or suspended moult. The first year birds of this population perform their post-juvenile moult immediately after they fledge, unlike the European populations that perform this moult later, on African wintering grounds.

Turtle Dove

Sedge Warbler

Another successful night at Atlit

2011-08-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last night (22-23/08) I had another tern ringing session at Atlit saltpans. The catch included 29 Common Terns, 5 Little Terns, 1 Whiskered Tern (first to me in the hand), 1 Greenshank and 1 Kingfisher. One of the Little Terns was an ancient control; B-83037 was ringed as pullus at the same site in July 1994 (17 years!).

Oldest Little Tern - winter plumage

Ancient and worn ring

Whiskered Tern

Greenshank

Greenshank - active moult

On Sunday (21/08), I caught my first Bran Swallows to autumn at Tzor'a Valley - hopefully many more will follow.

Barn Swallow

True migration

2011-08-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Last Friday (19/08) I ringed at Tzor'a reservoir. This ringing session produced a great catch. Most noticeable was an early wave of Acrocephalus and Savi's Warblers, most adults, as expected from birds that perform complete moult in their African wintering grounds. Normally this wave passes through this area about week or more later.

The catch included 11 Common Kingfishers (all Juv.), 9 Great-reed Warblers, 6 Savi's Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler (first this autumn), 1 Marsh Warbler, 4 Clamorous-reed Warblers and 17 Reed Warblers, total of 65 birds.

Marsh Warbler - juvenile

Notch on 2nd P = 8.0 mm

One juvenile Savi's Warbler showed an irregular moult strategy; this bird performed a complete moult, renewed most of the flight feathers and retained few primaries and secondaries; this strategy is called arrested moult. Another irregularity about this bird's moult pattern is the late stage of the moult; the innermost tails feathers and primaries are not full grown yet; Savi's Warblers only migrate through Tzor'a Valley (though they bred here till the 1980's) and most birds do not moult during active migration. So this bird is either an odd individual or perhaps hatched in the near area, maybe Hula Valley, either way it's very interesting.

Savi's Warbler - arrested moult

Two recoveries from last week

2011-08-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I got two reports about Tzor'a Valley's birds. The first is a Reed Warbler ringed at Tzor'a reservoir on March 2010, recaptured at Croatia on 08/08/11, 2081 km from the original ringing site; this is only the second Israeli control in Croatia, the previous occurred in 1970. Second is a female Blackcap found run over at Glava, Sweden at the end of June, 3507 km from the ringing site. This is certainly good news and a very good reward for our extensive effort, on average I get one recovery during a year; these together with the Song Thrush found in Cyprus on January are already three!

Last Friday I ringed, as always, at Tzor'a Valley; the autumn is advancing with the first 2 Great-reed Warblers, 1 Savi's Warbler, 4 Kingfishers and a few Reed Warblers. Nets on the reservoir shore produced 3 waders: Ruff, Common Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper.

Ruff - juvenile female

Common Sandpiper - juvenile

Common Ringed Plover - adult female

Great-reed Warbler - adult

Hot nights at Atlit saltpans

2011-08-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last night (10-11/08) I had another great tern ringing session at Atlit. We (Re'a, Avishai and myself) set the nets up in evening, as usual, when many terns and tens of shore birds were around. One Eurasian Curlew was flying around us, being very vocal; this bird found its way into our net quickly after the nets were up. Eurasian Curlew is a regular but scarce migrant in Israel - it was the first for us in the hand and probably the first ringed in Israel after many years.

The night continued with a nice catch that included 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little Stints, 1 first calendar year Slender-billed Gull, 1 Kingfisher (night migration?) and, of course, many terns with 36 Common Terns and 13 Little Terns. For dessert we caught a juvenile Black Tern! In Israel this species is less common than White-winged Tern, we have never caught a Black Tern before, so after short discussion about the identification of Black/White-winged Terns in this difficult plumage the ID was confirmed.

It was very interesting for us to study the different stages in juvenile tern moult. After fledging the neck and wing-coverts pattern is very brown-grey with many dark crescents; this pattern quickly disappears through moult into pure grey feathers. Tonight we had a large range of these Little Tern plumages; the early 'crescent-plumaged' birds were also short billed and short winged, according to their young age.

Eurasian Curlew

Curlew Sandpiper

Slender-billed Gull

Black Tern

First Kingfisher!

2011-08-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

My significant indication that autumn has really arrived in Tzor'a valley is the first Kingfisher of the season. This happened on Friday (05/08). We also had our first Savi's Warbler, usually both species arrive together, and more and more migrant Reed Warblers with full fat cavities and long wings. Another nice bird today was a male Little Bittern.

Around was nice flock of swallows, most Red-rumped. On the reservoir beach were about 100 shorebirds: Black-winged Stilts, Common, Wood and Green Sandpipers and Ruffs.

After ringing I went to Hulda reservoir. It was full of birds, mostly regular stuff, but a flock of about 50 Ferruginous Duck was very nice.

At the JBO, first Redstart of the season was a 1cy male; it was an Ehrenberg's Redstart, samamisicus form of Common Redstart, with only limited white on the tertial edges.

On Tuesday I join Ohad and went to Hula Nature Reserve to ring Common Tern chicks; we ringed about 20 chicks and I hope to see them in Atlit or get from them foreign regards.

Another full ringing week has ended.

Little Bittern

Kingfisher

Savi's Warbler

Palestine Sunbird - first year male, active moult

Ehrenberg's Redstart

Real autumn migration

2011-08-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I ringed at Atlit saltpans, the capture was slow but Sandwich Tern and a few waders were a refreshing change. Sandwich Tern is a first to me in the hand, I was surprised by the differences between Sandwich and Common Terns; Sandwich is a considerably more massive bird in the hand. Other birds ringed were a few Common and Little Terns, Common Sandpipers and Little Stint.

Sandwich Tern

Little Stint

At the JBO, the warbler migration has become stronger, mainly with Eastern Orphean Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers. Adult passerines which undergo partial post-breeding moult and undergo their complete moult at African wintering grounds migrate before their juveniles; Olivaceous Warbler is an example of this strategy. But species such as Eastern Orphean Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat which undergo complete or suspended post-breeding moult at breeding site, before their autumn migration, migrate after their juveniles. Today I ringed the first adult Eastern Orphean Warbler with suspended moult, was easily differentiated from the post juvenile partial moult.

Lesser Whitethroat - juvenile

Orphean Warbler: adult after post-breeding suspended moult - secondaries
pre-breeding, rest wing post-breeding

Orphean Warbler: 1y after post-juvenile partial moult - LC, MC
and 5-10GC post-juv. rest wing juv. plumage

Orphean Warbler - adult

Other photographs were taken at the Tzoraa valley and from another visit to the Judean Desert.

Pied Kingfisher - Tzoraa valley

Desert Lark - Judean Desert

Striolated Bunting - Judean Desert

From the high Shomron

2011-07-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

This week I ringed at Mt. Grizim, high Shomron (850 m), this is Mediterranean garrigue with scattered scrub and some olive trees, mainly exposed and windy slopes. Most species inhabiting this extreme habitat are adapted to live in dry and barren landscape. My captures included a few locals such as Blackbirds, Sardinian Warblers and Linnets, a few migrants such as Lesser Whitethroat. The highlights were an adult Balkan Warbler with nice moult limit in the wing, and juvenile Spectacled Warbler during their active partial post juvenile moult; this was the first for me in the hand.

Spectacled Warbler - juvenile

Balkan Warbler - adult

Barn Owl takes a death-ride

2011-07-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

As part of the pest control via Barn Owls and Kestrels project, every year hundreds of nestlings of Barn Owls and Kestrels ringed. Annually, we receive tens of reports about unlucky juveniles that get themselves killed in various methods.

On July 18^th we received an exceptional report about a ringed owl found dead on a service vehicle belonging to the Israeli Electric Company. After a short investigation the details became clear: the dead owl carrying ring GG-22439 was found on the vehicle in Taibe in N Israel, but the vehicle had driven during the previous night from Be'er-Sheva to Taibe (about 120 km). Its original ringing site was close to the road between Be'er-Sheva and Taibe, so the bird must have been hit by the vehicle and carried on it northward. We will never know exactly where this bird was run over.

Answer from Germany

2011-07-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

I received the ringing details about the Germania Common Tern that was controlled at Atlit on 13/07 (see below). The bird was ringed in NE Germany, on the Baltic Coast, in 2007 as a breeding adult (2880 km); it was documented again in same place also in 2008 and 2010. This is very interesting; I am looking forward to other exciting news from this project.

Meanwhile, here are Long-eared Owl images that was ringed yesterday at JBO.

One night two controls!

2011-07-18T03:29:00.000-07:00

Before going up to the Mt. Hermon ringing session, I made the correct decision and visited Atlit. The catch included 59 Common Terns, 12 Little Terns, 2 White-winged Terns and 1 Redshank. Two of the Common Terns were controls, one from Lithuania and another from Germany! This is an amazing incident in Israeli standards. The potential distance from the ringing sites might be 2500-3000 km; I was never aware of such early autumn migration of Common Terns. I am eagerly waiting for the answers from Lithuania and Germany, but I'm sure they will be interesting.

Two foreign rings in one ringing session - it's a first for me!

Thanks to Yotam, Rea, Gilad, Avishai and Yohay.

White-winged Tern

HIDDENSEE GERMANIA

LITHUANIA

Mt. Hermon annual ringing session

2011-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Every summer most of Israel's ringers meet on Mt. Hermon, for the annual ringing session. Mt. Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel (2272 m ASL on the Israeli part of the mountain), with unique weather, flora and fauna. We have been monitoring bird populations on

Mt.

Hermon

since the late 1970's. Our ringing session takes place in a major drinking site, and most birds coming in to drink are seed-eating passerines. The main species are Syrian Serin, Linnet, Goldfinch, Rock and Black-headed Bunting, and many other Hermon specialties such as Sombre Tit and Western Rock Nuthatch.

Rock Bunting

Syrian Serin

Black-headed Bunting

Sombre Tit

Linnet

This ringing session was highly successful, with many old friends and good birds. Thanks to all.

Desert Passerines at Judean Desert

2011-07-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

On July 12th I returned to my regular ringing site in the Judean Desert for the first time this summer. My main aims of this ringing activity are to study the identification and moult patterns of desert passerines, especially Striolated Bunting but others too. I caught 16 birds: 13 Striolated Buntings (one recapture from last year), 1 Sinai Rosefinch and 2 Desert Larks - all rather scruffy-looking during their post-breeding or juv. moult. At first light we heard a Hume's Owl calling from the cliffs above the spring. Around the spring we had all the regular animals and birds of Judean Desert: Eurasian Griffon, Egyptian Vulture, Sand Partridges, Little Green Bee-eaters, Rock Martins, White-crowned Wheatears, Tristram's Grackles, Nubian Ibexes and Golden spiny Mouse (only Leopard was missing…).

Sinai Rosefinch - first summer male

Striolated Bunting - male

Striolated Bunting - post-breeding complete moult

Striolated Bunting - female

Dead sea

See more from last summer.

Thanks to Eli for the important help.

Common Tern recovery brings a Black Stork control

2011-07-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

On July 2nd I received a report about one of our ringed Common Tern. The bird was seen and photographed at Hazorea Fishponds by Lavi Lilo, 19 km SE inland from the ringing site at Atlit Salt-pans. In my answer to Lavi I asked him whether he's ever photographed other ringed birds. With his swift reply were images of a juvenile Black Stork with a metal ring only, photographed in north Israel last autumn.

From the image we could read only following details:

____ RIA

____ OFIA

____ 33

This is BULGARIA BAN SOFIA, of course, and I hoped that two final digits combined with the known age of the bird were enough to specifically identify the individual. So, I sent the data request to Boris Nikolov from Bulgarian Ornithological Center. After a few days I got from him the complete details with following story:

'The juvenile bird was transferred during June 2010 from Vranyak village, Vratsa region to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre run by "Green Balkans" Federation in Stara Zagora, as part of a brood of 3 chicks that was rescued from a fallen nest. The already grown bird was released nearby the Centre in August 2010, together with both its siblings.'

This is the first Bulgarian BS control in Israel, although we have many from central and east Europe. This is because Bulgaria does not take part in the European BS colour ringing project.

Thanks to Lavi for the reports and great images and to Boris for sharing the data with us.

First autumn migrant

2011-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

My recent Atlit ringing session produced a handful of Common and Little Terns; one Little Tern was a recently-fledged juvenile - first for this season. Before folding the nets I caught a Redshank - my first autumn migrant for the autumn. Hopefully many more will follow.

Little Tern

Redshank

Red-rumped Swallow roost

2011-07-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

Last evening (29/06) I joined to Yotam Lenard and his team for ringing at a Red-rumped Swallow roost. Most of our efforts in swallow roosts is for Barn Swallows, so this ringing session is less usual for us. This particular RRS roost takes place in old and abandoned quarry; in winter the quarry collects some water and the result is a rather small and poor reedbed. But, it's located in the Jerusalem mountains, so probably this is the only reedbed in the whole region and the best site for swallow roost.

Our goal is to understand the difference in biometrics between sexes, following the conclusion that Svensson's measurements are not relevant to Israeli populations. We captured 137 swallows, about 90% were juvenile birds; probably most of the adults are still busy with their second breeding cycle. One bird was recaptured from last summer. This is the highest record of RRS ringing in Israel. I look forward to continue this monitoring.

Thank to Yotam, Gidon, Eli, Shachar, Chen, Ron and Otniel.

Red-rumped Swallow - adult

RRS - juvenile

Hot and wet breeding

2011-06-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Since 2006 summer I've been ringing regularly during the summer and breeding season around the Tzoraa reservoir. This is a wet habitat with raspberry bushes, Tamarisk trees and large reed-beds (in Israeli standards). The result of those conditions after 08:00 and 30°C are a steamy and hot place.

Despite the rough conditions, or perhaps thanks to these conditions, it's a very good breeding site for a few warbler species: Cetti's, Reed, Clamorous-Reed and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers. The long term monitoring in this site results in very interesting data, as most of 'my' breeding pairs are ringed and return year after year to same site. At this time of year most of their nestlings are already flying around and also get ringed.

Today (24/06) I caught 40 birds, including a few recaptures from 2006-08.

The adult Reed Warblers are easily identified by their worn and brown-grey plumage, distinct to the warm-brown and fresh juvenile plumage; few of the adults have already started their partial head moult (they moult the feathers, not the whole head).

Also Cetti's Warblers begin their moult, juveniles - partial and adults - complete. This time I ringed tens of them and later on, during the year, some of those birds will get recaptured again and again.

Flying around were a small flock of Lesser Kestrels and my first Green Sandpiper for the autumn.

Cetti's Warbler - adult, post-breeding complete moult

Cetti's Warbler - juvenile, post-juv. partial moult

Clamorous-Reed Warbler - adult

Reed Warbler - adult

Reed Warbler - adult, head moult

Old Little Tern

2011-06-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I did another tern ringing session at Atlit. Only 10 birds got caught until 01:00, so I decided to close the nets early. The catch included 7 Common Terns, 2 new Little Terns and another old recapture Little Tern, B-85324. It was ringed as pullus at the same site in the first week of July 1995. Most likely this bird was ringed when it was about 15 days old, so today is her 16th birthday!

Thanks to Francis and Elon for their help.

Poland - Israel - Hungary - Slovakia

2011-06-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

Normally, information about controls are reported to the original ringing scheme, where the bird had been ringed. When a bird was controlled more than once or in more than one country, most ringing schemes produces a form with the life history of the bird. But if the story gets too long, the full information often reach back only to the original ringing scheme.

Recently we received an unusual report about a Black Stork 1P58, ringed in Poland in summer 2003 as pullus and first found in Israel in autumn 2008. Later this stork was reported also from Hungary (2010) as a breeding female, and from Slovakia (2011). This report is very interesting and reveals the global movements of these migrant populations, even without the use of a satellite transmitter.

Thanks to Pawel T. Dolata from Poland for sharing his data.

See more in birding Slovakia website (Slovak), more about the Black Stork project (German) and more from Poland and Hungary.

Night surprise

2011-06-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Mistnets placed over water, especially at night, often produce surprises in the form of interesting or seldom ringed species. During my ringing sessions at Atlit saltpans, as part of the terns monitoring project, the nets produced a few species that I don't ring every day, such as Whimbrel or Broad-billed Sandpiper. Last ringing session's surprise was two Slender-billed Gulls; this is a common gull in Israel but rarely ringed and of course my first in the hand. Both were sub-adults in variable moult. In Israel only few SB Gulls have ever been ringed, most being rehabilitated birds. Nevertheless, we have six SB Gull controls, all Ukrainian birds found dead on the Israeli Mediterranean coast.

Terns, waders and more

2011-05-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday (22/05) we visited the tern colony at the Atlit salt pans again. The migrant terns have left the area and the breeding population is incubating actively. At this time, before hatching, the colony is relatively quiet. We ringed only 16 Common Terns and one Little Tern. Our regular work pond was muddy and attractive for the small wader flock; we ringed 10 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Stint, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and 1 Broad-billed Sandpiper. In the early evening we saw a noisy Whimbrel.

On Friday (20/05) I ringed at Tzoraa valley. The first Cetti's and Reed Warbler nestlings were ringed. At the end of the ringing session we saw and heard a fairly large and frightening Palestine Viper (Vipera palaestinae).

This morning (25/05) at JBO, I ringed an adult female Golden Oriole; this non-regular spring is still surprising.

Ringed Plover

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Golden Oriole

Palestine Viper

Late migrants and hot breeding

2011-05-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

The last days at the JBO produced nice numbers of birds with good species richness. Today's totals (15/05) included 172 birds of 20 species: 18 Olive-tree Warblers (!), 15 Thrush Nightinales, Little Bittern and others. Most of the resident females have brood patches; numbers of nestlings increase by the day - Blackbirds, Great Tits, Spectacled Bulbuls, Sardinian Warblers, Greenfinches and House Sparrows are abundant.

On Friday (13/05) at Tzoraa valley I had 95 birds, including late Garden Warblers and Blackcaps, and many breeding species: Reed, Clamorous Reed, Eastern Olivaceous and Cetti's Warblers, all with brood patches or 'active' Cloaca. I am waiting for their babies.

Red-backed Shrike

Thrush Nightinale

Masked Shrike

Sardinian Warbler - nestling

Little Bittern - female

Migrants in grey

2011-05-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today (08/05) another good day at the JBO, 180 birds of 20 species. Highlights were a 2cy male Eurasian Cuckoo, a few Olive-tree Warblers, two male Red-backed Shrike and other late migrants.

Eurasian Cuckoo

Olive-tree Warbler

Garden Warbler

Friday to Friday ringing down under

2011-05-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

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).

Little Bittern

Sedge Warbler

White-breasted Kingfisher

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.

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.

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.

Turtle Dove

Crashing populations or irregular migration patterns?

2011-04-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

There is an important discussion going on these days about the possible causes of the unusual spring we're experiencing in Israel for the second consecutive year. As it's a popular discussion these days I must take part in it.

First the facts in short:

At the Arava Valley and southern Israel lack of migrants is very evident. At the Eilat Ringing Station - simply no birds, or only few tens every ringing session.

At the Jerusalem Bird Observatory real spring migration started three weeks later than normal and also now numbers are slightly lower than average. Thrush Nightinale is virtually absent. At Hula Valley numbers are also low, and species diversity is low. Barn Swallow is normally a massive spring migrant in Israel; these flocks are seriously missing, mostly at Hula Valley and Eilat but in other parts of country as well.

In my local area, Tzoraa Valley (Judean lowland) this spring is average, but in this area spring migration is normally pretty slow, much slower than autumn.

The possible causes of these observations can be two: crashing bird populations (either in their breeding or non-breeding grounds) or irregular migration patterns. My opinion is less pessimistic than other Israeli field ornithologists. The drop in bird populations is a fact, but it might be causes by several processes - expanding agricultural areas, reducing natural habitats, climate changes, desertification, hunting etc. In my opinion what we're experiencing this season is a combination of several factors - steadily declining populations and unpredictable environmental factors resulting in irregular migration patterns.

But perhaps my personal opinion is biased by the fact that in my local patch there are no apparent changes. I hope that after the autumn my opinion will remain the same.

Here are some unhappy links:

The Israeli hopeless birders in Israbirding.com forum, More from Hungary and more general views from the world.

Meanwhile, here are a few more joyful recent images (before these birds become extinct…)

Barred Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Eastern Orphean Warbler

European tree frog

Migration finally - gallery from JBO

2011-04-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last two weeks I was ringing at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory (JBO) a few mornings. April is a good month for migrants European passerines in Jerusalem - enjoy!

Wood Warbler

Balkan Warbler

Barred Warbler

Eastern Orphean Warbler

Common Redstart

Wryneck

Tree Pipit

Pied Flycatcher

Collared Flycatcher

Whitethroat

Sylvia land

2011-04-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday 18/03 I went ringing in one of my favorite ringing site, Modiin Hills. It's a beautiful natural habitat with typical Mediterranean plant community. This is a favorite stopover site for Sylvia warblers, especially in spring but also in autumn, and it is an important breeding site for our local Sardinian Warblers. The secret of this area is the Palestine Buckthorn (Rhamnus palaestinus). This spiny bush is dominant in the area and Sylvia migration cycle is adjusted to its life cycle. In spring the flowers are blooming, and insects coming to the nectar get eaten up by warblers. Further, and the buckthorn's thorns make the bushes themselves a safe shelter. In autumn the sweet fruits ripen; the warblers feed on the fat-and sugar-rich fruit and help the bushes to distribute their seeds.

Flowers in spring and fruit in autumn

Common Whitethroat

This session produced 109 birds, most Sylvia Warblers, as expected: 54 Lesser Whitethroats, 20 Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Sardinian Warblers, 19 Chiffchaff, 1 Quail and other regulars. One of Lesser Whitethroats that I ringed in this site in March 2009 was controlled in Norfolk, England, 3612 km, in May 2010 (see here); I expect more foreign greetings like this.

Sardinian Warbler

Quail

Modiin Hills

Spring ageing

2011-03-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ageing birds in the hand in spring is a real challenge, unlike in autumn. The differences between adults and second-calendar birds are reduced; most are worn after the winter or very fresh after their moult. The proportion of unaged birds is growing and we're often using the famous phrase '4 is a very good age'... Most difficult to age are those species that perform complete post-breeding moult such as sparrows and short-distance migrants or resident Acrocephalus Warblers (Clamorous and Moustached Warblers). Species that perform complete pre-breeding moult are difficult too (most Acrocephalus, Hippolais and Phylloscopus Warblers), and even individuals with partial moult are very worn and blur their moult limit from the autumn (Chiffchaff).

Nevertheless, it's a very interesting challenge. Below are two examples from last days, second-calendar male Greenfinch with its suspended post-juvenile moult and second-calendar Savi's Warbler with its unusual pre-breeding suspended moult, it has suspended only some central flight feathers.

Greenfinch

Savi's Warbler

Ehrenberg's Redstart

Blackcap with active 'cap' moult

Chiffchaff

Eastern Orphean Warbler

After the previous week's climate changes, warming and suddenly cooling, I found at Tzoraa valley a few frozen Shrews; this phenomenon is regular in winter in Tzoraa.

My Song Thrush was eaten in Cyprus!

2011-02-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

I received a report about one of my Song Thrushes that I ringed on 23/12/2009 at Tzoraa valley Ringing Station. Unfortunately it was killed by a hunter near Lefkara, Cyprus (375 km). This is the first Israeli control of a Song Thrush.

We have a few recoveries of hunted migrants from Cyprus every year; most were Bee-eaters, Blackcaps and Spanish Sparrows. Illegal bird hunting in the Mediterranean basin is a significant problem for migratory bird population crossing the Mediterranean. Have a look at this report from BirdLife illustrating the problem.

This specific bird was ringed in a big Chaffinch roost. This winter roost hosts tens of thousands of Chaffinch and few hundred thrushes. Until now, I ringed about 9,000 birds in the roost - this is only my first recovery (!). I was hoping for a Chaffinch control, as Israel has no Chaffinch recoveries yet, and I hope it comes soon.

Spring days

2011-02-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

These are beautiful spring days, nature is completing another cycle; spectacular bloom, buzzing insects and… migrant birds. Last week I ringed, for the first time this season, Ehrenberg's Redstart, Savi's Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat.

On Friday (25/02) at Tzor'a Valley Ringing Station I had 34 birds, most were Chiffchaffs with their unattractive moulted look, Savi's (1), Moustached (1) and Sedge (6) Warblers. Still not too many birds around, so I had much time to photograph the landscape - enjoy!

Savi's Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Moustached Warbler

Eastern Groundse - Senecio vernalis

Common Asphodel - Asphodelus ramosus

Spring and other recent events

2011-02-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday (15/02) I caught a Cetti's Warbler with a brood patch! It's my first this spring and definitely very early. Spring is here! Other signs of spring from last week are Swifts, Barn Swallows and House Martins in the sky. More and more Whitethroats are ringed and the wintering White Wagtails complete their pre-breeding moult and will soon start heading north.

Cetti's Warbler

Another note from Tzor'a ringing station 2010 summary: We had 1269 local retraps, out of which 341 were birds ringed before 2010, some in multiple years. These birds represent 1.2% of the birds ringed in 2004-2009. This graph shows the distribution of the older retraps by their ringing year. The oldest bird recaptured in 2010 was a Clamorous Reed-Warbler that was ringed on my first ringing session at Tzor'a valley in October 2004. The most recaptured species was Cetti's Warbler: 139 individuals produce 234 retraps!

Earlier this week I was took part in a very interesting ringing session. We went ringing at Hameyshar Plains in the southern Negev. Our mission was to study the Thick-billed Lark (Ramphocoris clotbey). It was a very successful day, as expected from our high effort - 50 mist nets (!). We ringed 17 Thick-billed Larks, 1 Tawny Pipit, 2 Isabelline Wheatears, 1 Asian Desert Warbler and 1 Whitethroat. Yoav Perlman and myself summarized the results in a short article (see here), thanks to Yoav and the rest of the team.

Thick-billed Lark - male

Female

Asian Desert Warbler

2010 summary

2011-02-03T01:29:00.000-08:00

I return to write after a long break.

My personal 2010 ringing totals are pretty good with about 215 ringing days. About 90 days at my project in Tzor'a valley ringing station, 95 days at JBO and about 30 days in other ringing sites.

In total, I ringed more than 12,000 birds during 2010.

Hoopoe

Tzor'a valley ringing station totals included 5,086 birds ringed and 1,270 recaptured. The most ringed species were Chaffinch, Barn Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bluethroat, Blackcap, Spectacled Bulbul and Common Kingfisher (see graph). Rarities I caught at Tzor'a were 2 Citrine Wagtails, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler and 9 Common Rosefinches (!). I controlled only one foreign bird, this was a Lesser Whitethroat ringed in Nottinghamshire, England (3,736 km), recaptured on its northbound spring migration.

I hope to have even more success next year.

Kestrel

IBRCE Update - Bonelli’s Eagle and more

2010-12-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Re'a Shaish reported from Eilat Ringing Station:

On the 5ht December, afternoon, Tzadok got some interesting field intelligence from Itai Shani, which reported a Bonelli’s Eagle hunting pigeons and doves around the K19 cowsheds. The next morning, Tzadok and I drove towards the location eager to locate and trap the bird. After an hour or so the beast showed itself, perched on the cowsheds roof. The trap was placed, and after a few minutes the eagle was caught (!). A shiver went through my spine as I first lay hands on this amazing raptor. We took the bird down to the ringing station, collected the data, took some photos and quickly released it.

The Eagle was aged 3rd calendar year, having 2 retained juvenile secondaries and primaries together with two generations of adult flight feathers, as well as buff-orange wash to breast. The weight of the bird is mediocre; 2050 gr. was not helping determine its sex.

The fearsome hind claw, 39 mm, and culmen, 31.6 mm, were definitely a refreshing change from the Eurasian Sparrowhawks we catch these days…

Trapping of Bonelli’s Eagle is extremely rare in Israel. Being a rare passage migrant and scarce winter visitor, might also be breeding in the Jordanian side of the border, in the area, this bird is a perfect combination between a 'good bird' for me as a birdwatcher and a very impressive and challenging bird to ring.

Thanks to Itai for the information help in ringing.

Other than that ringing is going slow down here with wintering Bluethroats, Chiffchaffs, Sardinian Warblers, etc. And some nice routine breakers such as Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long Eared Owl, and Purple Heron; all caught recently.

We will be glad to see you all at the IBRCE,

Re’a & Tzadok

Short visit in Hula Valley Ringing Station

2010-12-10T04:13:00.000-08:00

Short morning at Hula Valley produce a few nice ringed birds: Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Dunnock, Common Rosefinch, Reed Bunting and more. Around were about 30,000 Cranes, many others waterfowl and raptors, include few impressive Lesser Spotted, Greater Spotted and Imperial Eagles, Marsh, Hen and Pallid Harriers, Peregrine, Buzzards and more - This is obviously a wonderful valley!

Common Buzzard

Kestrel

Hula Valley

Few from last week:

Green Sandpiper

Bluethroat

Stonechat

The Stonechat Complication

2010-12-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday (28/11) I ringed a Stonechat at Tzor'a alfalfa field. In the net I saw wide paler upper-tail coverts and rump and I thought "what's that? Is it an Eastern or European Stonechat? No, it's a regular European Stonechat". After I ringed it, I looked again with more attention and I saw a regular Stonechat, slightly paler than European and with an off-white-buff upper-tail coverts and rump, typically for an eastern form. Another typical difference between eastern and European Stonechat is wing-length, the eastern is somewhat longer with 71-75 mm (n=3, Tzor'a Valley) and European 64-71 mm (n=63, Tzor'a Valley), it was 67 - good for European, too short for Eastern Stonechat.

Another typical difference is the colour of rectrices base in males. In European Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) it is a dark brown-grey, in Caucasian and Armenian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus variegate/armenica) it is clearly pure white, about quarter in Armenian and half in Caucasian. In Eastern Stonechat (Saxicola maurus maura) there is no white or only slightly at the base. But also in 'maura' Eastern Stonechat there could be white on base of rectrices, but under the upper-tail coverts, seen only in hand. This Stonechat shows clearly 10 mm white on base of its rectrices, but this is a problem because of our limited experience with that ID sign.

I would be glad to receive any ideas or solution.

The Stonechat - first winter male, wing 67 mm

About 10 mm white on base of the rectrices

To copmare birds:

Caucasian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus variegate) first
winter male, wing 71 mm

European Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) first winter
male, wing 65 mm

Eastern Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) first winter female, wing 68.5 mm

Caucasian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus variegate) adult male, wing 75 mm

European Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) first winter male, wing 67 mm

The chicken morning

2010-11-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Last Friday at Tzor'a about 50 birds, but smelly Coot and Moorhen in the net were nice. Other birds included mostly winter stuff - the numbers and variety of birds ringed is going down. At the Jerusalem Bird Observatory only few birds every morning, most are recaptured Robins. No birds and no Rain!

Meadow Pipit

Coot

Moorhen

Late autumn routine

2010-11-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

After the great rush and adrenalin we had here earlier this autumn, things are settling down for the winter. Not that this routine is bad! Ringing at Tzor'a Valley is still good with about 100 birds every session, with recent goodies including Night Heron on 21/11, Pied Kingfisher, Moustached Warbler, Brambling, and another Common Rosefinch. Most birds ringed are Bluethroat, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and Cetti's Warbler (ssp. retrapus, of course). Most interesting were 11 Penduline Tits - lovely birds! I was happy to have a group of high school biology specialization kids, who came to study about bird ringing and ecology.

Penduline Tit

Corn Bunting

European White Stork controls

2010-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Every year in early autumn (August-September) 500,000 White Storks pass over Israel, mostly above the eastern Israel. Last season Helmut Eggers from Germany spent a few weeks reading White Stork rings in the Bet-Shean Valley and read about 120 rings. Recently I got answers from European ringing schemes - from Hiddensee and Helgoland (Germany) and from the Croatian Ringing Center. I am still waiting for answers from Poland, Radolfzell, Estonia, Hungary and Slovakia. Most of the storks were ringed as pullus in their nests in Europe. In our database we have about 450 White Stork foreign controls; most were read in the field or found dead. This is one of the species with the largest number of controls, after Lesser Black-backed Gull and Black Stork.

White Stork migration

German ringed White Stork - September 2010, Bet-Shean Valley

Thanks to Helmut Eggers for his effort and report, to Liron Ziv for his images and to the European ringing schemes for supplying their ringing data.

Exciting autumn in the Judean Plains

2010-11-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Last week I ringed twice at Tzor'a. This is a very good ringing season in our region. Every session we ring 100-200 birds of many species, 24-29 bird species every session! My highlight last week was a Yellow-browed Warbler on 08/11 - tick for me. Other exciting species included Water Rail, Jack Snipe, 2 Pied Kingfishers, Moustached Warbler, Caucasian Stonechat, Common Rosefinch and first Bramblings of the season.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Brambling

Jack Snipe

On 08/11 I ringed for the first time this season at the finch roost in Tzor'a Valley citrus plantations. This is a big citrus plantation and it hosts about 50,000 finches for roosting every night in winter, 90% of them are Chaffinch, but also Linnet, Brambling, Greenfinch, Song Thrushes and others coming to the huge roost. In the last four years I ringed in this roost about 8,500 birds (7,000 were Chaffinch). We (Ron, Yotam, Shabi and Marco) ringed about 100 birds; most were Chaffinch with a few recaptures from previous years, Robins, Song Thrushes, Greenfinch, Brambling and for dessert - one Common Rosefinch.

Ron, Yotam and Song Thrushes

Common Rosefinch

Water Rail

First Hawfinch this season was ringed at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.

Hawfinch

Israel's first Kentish Plover control!

2010-11-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

Last Monday (01/11) Tamir Siman-Tov reported a colour ringed Kentish Plover from Ma'agan Michael beach. After some correspondence with European shorebird ringers I contacted the right colour-ringing scheme; the head of this scheme is Dr. Andras Kosztolanyi, and he kindly reported all ringing data. This adult male Kentish Plover was ringed at Tuzla Lake in southern Turkey at its active nest; that same day also its mate and one chick were ringed, and the family stayed in the area until at least 24/06/2009 when the fieldwork at that site ended. This is the first Israeli Kentish Plover control; the distance between the ringing and finding places is only 459 km but this information about short-distance dispersal is extremely important. Kentish Plovers are endangered throughout the eastern Mediterranean region.

Thanks to Tamir Siman-Tov for his report and images and to Dr. Andras Kosztolanyi for the ringing data.

Turkish Kentish Plover

Some nice birds I ringed during the last days were a Red-breasted Flycatcher on 28/10, Cyprus Warbler on 01/11, both at JBO, Two Common Rosefinches on 29/10 and Starling (my first in the hand) on 31/10 in Tzor'a - all juveniles and very ugly birds…

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Masked Shrike

Cyprus Warbler

Starling

Finnish crane in Israel

2010-10-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Itai Shanni the crane researcher reports:

Today (28/10) a Finnish colour-ringed Eurasian Crane was observed at Agamon Lake, Hula valley. This individual was ringed as pullus on July 2008 at Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala, Finland, and was seen for the first time at the Agamon in October 2008 together with its family as it lingered for a few days before heading south to Africa. It was seen again in November 2009 as an adult and overwintered in the Hula valley. We have had a few Finnish crane controls, but all were migrants, seen passing through in autumn or spring, but this one was the first overwintering Finnish-ringed crane in Israel. Today it returned once more and was seen together with about 20,000 cranes at the Agamon. Will it stay for the winter or will it continue south?

Thanks to Itai Shanni for informing us and also to Jukka Matero from Finland for the lovely images.

As pullus - Finland

With the ringer Kimmo Koskela - Finland

At Hula Valley, 2009