Siberian Buff-bellied Pipit

In recent weeks I have ringed two Buff-bellied Pipits Anthus rubescens japonicus in Beit-Shean Valley. This species was discovered for first time in Israel by Hadoram Shirihai, back in 1981. The first records were considered to be of an 'unusual Water Pipit', according to the very limited literature available back then, and the true identity was revealed only in 1984 by Shirihai and Alstrom. This pipit breeds in central and eastern Siberia and winters in Japan and E Asia, and also, in small number, in the Middle East. It's smaller than Water Pipit, between Meadow and Water pipits. Leg colour is reddish-brown and not black like Water Pipit. Upperparts are uniformly dark greyish olive-brown and unstreaked. It has bold breast streaking, very close to Meadow pipit, unlike coutelli Water Pipit that is the common form in the Middle East. The moult strategy and ageing are very similar to other pipits, the post-juvenile moult is very limited, including only LC (n=3), and ageing is done by MC pattern and wear.

Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens japonicus - juvenile

Adult

Adult

Juvenile

Mt. Hermon and more

Last Friday (15/11) we ringed on Mt. Hermon. It's the highest point in Israel and a very interesting site obtain data on northern and eastern species that are uncommon in Israel. My primary aim was to obtain moult data on Red-fronted Serins, that were seen there recently in good numbers. We ringed a total of 359 birds, most were Chaffinch; interesting species included 1 Radde's Accentor, 1 Red-fronted Serin and 3 Yellowhammers that are uncommon in Israel.

Radde's Accentor

Red-fronted Serin - juvenile

Yellowhammer - male

On Thursday I was surprised to find a Little Bunting in the net in Tzor'a. It's a good rarity in Israel, but it's a special year for this species and this is the 3^rd found in Israel this autumn.

Little Bunting

I continue my work in Beit-Shean Valley, no great surprises in this area lately, but Dead-sea Sparrows are always nice to ring.

Dead-sea Sparrow

Thanks to Francis, Ron, Yael, Rafi and Amir for their help.

September to mid October

I continued with the intensive work in the Beit She'an Valley to collect moult data. This period produced more than 1200 birds ringed of 65 different species. The interesting or irregular species in my nets were 1 Little Grebe, 3 Teals, 1 Black Stork (in mist net…), 1 Temminck's Stint, 6 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, 2 Red-throated Pipit, 1 Tawny Pipit, 12 White Wagtail, 313 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Citrine Wagtail, 19 Isabelline Wheatear, 2 Eastern Stonechat, 67 Cetti's Warbler (big number), and 43 Desert Finch.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Desert Finch

Little Bittern

Tawny Pipit

Isabelline Wheatear

Citrine Wagtail - adult female

Eastern Stonechat - first year male

Little Grebe

Teal

Black Stork

In Tzor'a Valley I worked intensively during 20-24 September. This session produced also nice figures, 1400 birds of 35 different species. Most were Swallows (370) and Willow Warblers (700). Two interesting species were Balkan Warbler and Common Rosefinch.

Yellow Wagtail - adult male

Common Rosefinch

Thanks to Ron Efrat, Ezra Jasper, Arad Ben-David and Kobi Meyrom for their assistance. Also to the British team, Terry Southall, Gary Goddard, Mike Jackson & Christopher Southall, who worked in Beit She'an Valley during this period and joined some nice sessions.

European Bee-eater - second year after partial moult

Hot and damp and hot… but with many birds!

Recently I started working more intensively in the Bet She'an Valley. My aim is to collect moult data of passerines that are uncommon or are not found in my regular sites. Those species are especially the local breeding species like 'transitiva' Barn Swallow, Clamorous Reed-Warbler and Dead-sea Sparrow, and also uncommon migrants. The highest temperature ever documented in Israel was in the Bet She'an Valley - 54°C. With the many fishponds, reed-beds and swamps humidity in the valley is very high too.

In two mornings (Friday and Tuesday) I ringed 294 birds including some interesting species: 3 Little Bitterns, 1 Scops Owl, 15 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, 47 Clamorous Reed-Warblers (this is the annual total at my regular site, in Tzor'a), 4 Dead-sea Sparrows and many others. In total 24 different species.

Thanks to Ron and Kobi for their assistance.

Dead-sea Sparrow - male

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - adult

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - juvenile

Scops Owl

Mt. Hermon

Last days I spent on Mt. Hermon. This is a highest and northernmost point in Israel – its peak is over 2200 m; the result of this is a combination of breeding species of southern Europe, like Lesser Whitethroat and Eastern Orphean Warbler with Mediterranean and more eastern or Balkan specialties like Upcher's Warbler and Syrian Serin.

Rock Nuthatch - juveniles

On Thursday-Friday we performed our first session of the CES project there. We work in a drinking site and most birds caught were seed-eaters. The total was 164 birds: 'semirufus' Black Redstart (1), Blackbird (2), Common Bulbul (1), Blackcap (2), Common Whitethroat (15), Lesser Whitethroat (11), Eastern Orphean Warbler (2), Upcher's Warbler (1), Woodchat Shrike (2), Sombre Tit (3), Great Tit (5), Rock Nuthatch (3), Linnet (66), Goldfinch (16), Greenfinch (1), Syrian Serin (11), House Sparrow (12), Rock Bunting (5) and Corn Bunting (2).

Adult Common Whitethroat after partial post-breeding moult

Sombre Tit

Recently, during the SPNI breeding bird survey of the mountain, discovered a small population of breeding Chiffchaffs were discovered in one specific wadi; this is more than 500 km from the southern known population of any species / subspecies of the Chiffchaff complex. To obtain more data on those birds we ringed on Sunday at this site. We caught 3 individuals together with a nice variety of typical woodland species.

Later on that day we colour-ringed western Rock Nuthatches as part of a research by Amir Ben-Dov; we ringed 7 individuals in 4 separate territories. All adults started their post-breeding complete moult already.

Thanks to Nadav, Francis, Amir and all other participants in the Hermon ringing.