ISR - LGBE - Nov 2012

Surely one of the most charming elements to any birding trip to Southern Israel - Little Green Bee-eaters, and plenty of them!

MA - another Red Crossbill 12/14

Some nasty flu bug is keeping me down and indoors at the moment but having another Red Crossbill over our house in Gill was enough to bring a smile to my face this morning. Common Redpolls, usually single birds, have been consistently flying over the house at first light on most mornings too. Despite having the nyjer seed feeders topped up, they just don't seem interested in visiting leaving the bounty to our regular flock of American Goldfinches. 

JPS

ISR - owl mania

 Long-eared Owls - selection of images featuring three of at least five individuals seen on Kibbutz Gevulot, Western Negev, Israel. November 16th, 2012. 

Pallid Scops Owls - three images featuring two individuals from the recent Birdfinders autumn tour of Southern Israel. Upper two images feature a bird from Lower Nahal Ketura, whilst the image below features a bird found in Upper Nahal Grofit, both sites in Eilot region, Israel. Late November 2012.

ISR - Lesser Short-toed Larks 11/26

Our Birdfinders group had a decent showing of larks in the Ovda Valley on November 26th. The most numerous were Crested Larks and Eurasian Skylarks but there was also a smattering of more unusual species including Bimaculated, Greater Short-toed and 5 fly-over Temmincks' Larks.  The highlight, however, was a party of five Lesser Short-toed Larks which provided a rare opportunity to see them up close and attempt to get to grips with some of the salient features. Immediately I was struck by the apparent differences between birds within the group which seemed to involve much more than just individual variation. Two of them appeared larger, sandier and heavier billed than I'd expect in a typical LST Lark.  Two others always looked smaller, colder gray but still heavier billed than I'd expect to see in typical LST Lark, whilst the fifth looked sandy-gray with a smaller, stubbier bill and was more in keeping with how I'd expect LST Lark in Israel to appear. My assumption was that birds of the latter type refer to the local sub-species in Israel (Caladrella rufescens minor). 

In the Birds of Israel (1996) Hadoram Shirihai lists five different forms of Lesser Short-toed Lark as potentially occurring in Israel, though only one of these (C.r. minor) is regular. The others (heini, aharonii, pseudobaetica, and persica) are described as rare to very rare, or have not been documented in the country with any type of certainty, or as Hadoram writes - "further proof needed". 

I don't mind holding up my hands and reaching out for help on this one?! 

Lesser Short-toed Larks - sub-species uncertain, Ovda Valley, Eilot region, November 26th, 2012. The large bird at the rear was especially eye-catching with a large, bulbous bill (recalling Dunn's Lark), a distinct dark lore and warmer, sandier tones to the upperparts. The breast streaking was also distinct in the sense that it was 'spotted' rather than streaked on the breast sides. Two birds of this type were present within the group of five and could easily be picked out on the features described above.  The same bird is featured in the next three shots below. Could this bird refer to C.r. persica and is it feeding alongside a couple of heini/aharonii types?

Lesser Short-toed Lark (ref: four images below) - sub-species uncertain, but possibly the regular form occurring in Israel (C.r. minor) . Ovda Valley, Eilot region, November 26th, 2012. Smallish bird with sandy-gray tones, and compared to the birds above, a relatively smaller, stubbier bill. The lore also looks plain creating a more 'open-faced' impression, all of these features being in keeping with what I usually expect to see in LST Lark, and thus contrasting with the larger, heavy-billed, dark-lored birds within the same flock.

MA - another lively run - 12/09

This morning's run in Gill (beginning predawn with a Barred Owl calling close to our yard) was full of signs of irruptive finches with Common Redpolls in small flocks on Boyle Street, North Cross Road, Munns Ferry Road, and over our place on Main Road. There was also at least one White-winged Crossbill calling on North Cross Road. and Pine Grosbeaks at Munns Ferry Road with a small flock of them in the tall spruces across the street from Giving Tree School. I've been having Pine Grosbeaks almost daily at the latter location and I'm pretty sure they roost in the stand of tall spruce there. Curiously, after a good showing in the fall, Pine Siskins seem to have tapered altogether.

At home in the yard, both Winter and Carolina Wrens and an ever growing flock of American Tree Sparrows, several of which were singing yesterday afternoon.

JPS

ISR - Dunn's Lark

Recent Israel tours with Birdfinders, both spring and autumn, have been blessed with a fine display of larks in the Southern desert. I must confess that this November most species appeared to be in short supply including the nomadic types such as Temminck's and Thick-billed Larks. Even so, our combined tally for the two weeks totaled an impressive 13 species!! Pride of place would have to go the Dunn's Lark seen on the second tour, courtesy of a timely phone call from the finder and a patient vigil from our group. It loosely associated with a Bar-tailed Lark, the only two birds present for miles around, or so it seemed. This species pair just about summed up our Southern Israel experience this year - high on quality but rather low on quantity.

Bar-tailed Lark - Eliphaz, Eilot region, Israel. November 27th, 2012. Images taken using Panasonic Lumix FZ7.

Dunn's Lark - Eliphaz, Eilot region, Israel. November 27th, 2012. Images taken using Panasonic Lumix FZ7. 

 Lots of luck required to see one of these, this being the first on any Birdfinders trip since March 2007. 

MA - Cackling Goose - 12/05

Back on familiar turf today, slowly shaking the jet-lag from the recent Israel trip out of my system. Great views of a Cackling Goose at the power canal, this bird flying in at about 10:15am to join the 600 or so Canada Geese already present. This looks like a new individual to me, continuing the incredible sequence of Cackling Goose sightings from the Turner's Falls power canal site since mid-October.

(Richardson's) Cackling Goose - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. December 5th, 2012. A lovely, pallid-gray individual looking remarkably cold toned compared to the surrounding Canada Geese. Images taken using Panasonic Lumix FZ7 through Swarovski HD scope.

MA - Pine Grosbeaks - 12/02

The prospect of seeing Pine Grosbeaks in downtown Turner's Falls was enough to lure Matan and I out into the fog on a gloomy Sunday morning. For Matan, at just five years old, it was a dream twitch - eight minutes drive from our house, park, step onto the sidewalk and there are the birds. Sitting on Dad's shoulders, Matan had his life Pine Grosbeaks a mere 16 inches from his face - incredible! The birds, perhaps 16 in all, were absurdly tame and allowed for an amazingly close approach. What a treat to have them so close to home!

  Ground feeding on the sidewalk.........

 Time to celebrate with another lifer under his belt!

MA - Snow Geese and more - Gill 12/03

Back to mild, almost balmy conditions after Saturday's light snowfall. I didn't get any birding done today but this morning's run came back with quite a haul; a Great Horned Owl calling through the pre-dawn fog, a very loud flock of some 275 Snow Geese moving SW at about 06:40 hours over Upinngil Farm, Pine Grosbeaks calling from some very tall spruces near Giving Tree School and a couple of Red Crossbills over our house on Main Road - not too shabby!

MA - Pine Grosbeak and Common Redpoll - Gill

Back home after two weeks in the warm deserts of Southern Israel only to be greeted by snow with temperatures just above freezing! The birding, however, promises to be really interesting with a calling Pine Grosbeak flying over Main Road on Dec 1st, and a calling Common Redpoll over the house this morning (Dec 2nd), these birds very much in keeping with the incursions of both species currently being reported all over Massachusetts.

JPS