Israel, March 17th - 24th, 2008. Part III

Final batch of pics from this year's spring tour in Israel with Birdfinders;


Olive-backed Pipit - One of up five wintering birds in Eilot's northern date plantation. Tried hard but couldn't get any better pics than this. March 18th.

Namaqua Dove - female, Km20 salt pools, March 23rd.

Western Reef Heron - Eilat north beach, March 23rd.

White-spotted Bluethroat - Yotvata, March 18th.

Common Snipe - Group of four, Km 20 salt pools. These birds behaved oddly for migrants indulging in posturing, standing erect and displaying, almost showing lekking-like behavior.

Eurasian Hoopoe - A good tour for these with birds seen almost daily. Yotvata, March 18th.

Indian Silverbill - Eilot's date palms. March 23rd.

Lesser Kestrel - Flock of eight (five shown here), Ashalim, Western Negev, March 21st. A nice moment as we stopped for these and a 'Desert' Little Owl by the road, and then found two Great Spotted Cuckoos close by.

The Dead Sea from the overlook at Nahal Darga. March 22nd.


Thanks for viewing!


JPS.

Israel, March 17th - 24th, 2008. Part II

Further pics from this spring's tour of Southern Israel with Birdfinders.


Fan-tailed Raven - Dead Sea region, March 22nd. 'Digibin' shot.


Long-billed Pipit - north of Beer Sheva, March 21st.


Lanner - Adult male, Southern Arava, March 22nd.


Tristram's Starling - Ein Netaphim, Eilat Mountains, March 23rd.


Desert Wheatear - Male, Km 20 salt pools. March 18th.



Hume's (Tawny) Owl - Southern Arava, March 23rd. Digi-scoping at distance at night has its limitations! Still nice to capture something of a record shot of this desert phantom.



Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse - Male, Southern Arava, March 19th. Another poor record shot of a good bird taken at night. We do, on occasion, sometimes find these in the daytime, but not this year.

Thick-billed Lark - Male, Ha' Meishar, March 20th. We just happened to be at the Meishar when Israeli photographer supreme Rony Livne waved us over to share this find with us. Thanks Rony! You can see some of Rony's fantastic images at Israbirding.com

Citrine Wagtail - 1st-spring male, Yotvata. March 23rd.


Common Cranes - Urim, Western Negev, March 20th.



Common Kingfisher - Eilat north beach, March 23rd.


Bar-tailed Lark - Ha' Meishar, March 20th.


Desert Finch - Female, Sde Boker, March 21st.


Third and final image selection from Israel 2008 to come soon.

Israel, March 17th - 24th, 2008. Part I.

Hi folks,

Here's a few pictorial highlights from our recent spring tour to Israel with Birdfinders. This year's trip was possibly our most successful in recent years with an outstanding selection of excellent West Palearctic specialties. These included Striated Heron, Western Reef Heron, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Barbary Falcon, Purple Swamp-hen, Sand Partridge, Maqueen’s Bustard, Caspian and Greater Sand Plovers, Cream-colored Courser, White-eyed Gull, Spotted and Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Hume’s Owl, Nubian Nightjar, Pied Kingfisher, Little Green Bee-eater, Syrian Woodpecker, Bar-tailed, Bimaculated and Thick-billed Larks, Rock Martin, Long-billed and Olive-backed Pipits, Citrine Wagtail, Blackstart, Scrub Warbler, Arabian and Menetries’s Warblers, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Arabian Babbler, Palestine Sunbird, Brown-necked and Fan-tailed Ravens, Tristram’s Starling, Dead Sea Sparrow, Indian Silverbill and Desert Finch.

Southern Arava looking east towards the Edom Mountains of Jordan. March 22nd.


The Birdfinders group at Ein Netaphim. March 23rd.


Oriental Honey Buzzard - 1st-cycle bird and one of the highlights of the trip. The bird had evidently wintered in Eilat, roosting in the date palms just north of the Eilat Birdwatching Center. March 23rd.


Oriental Honey Buzzard - Another 'digibin' shot of the same bird. March 23rd.


Semi-collared Flycatcher - Nice male in the same date plantation as the above mentioned Oriental Honey Buzzard. March 23rd.

Arabian Warbler - Hazeva, March 22nd.

Caspian Plovers - with Spur-winged Plover. Part of a flock of five Caspian Plovers at Yotvata's 'mega' fields. March 23rd.

Caspian Plovers - with White Wagtail at Yotvata's 'mega' fields. March 23rd.

Cream-coloured Courser - Nizzana, March 21st. Always one of the main highlights of a trip to the Western Negev.

The Zin Valley, Central Negev. Spectacular scenery as well as great birding.


More photos to come in Israel part II

Four Loon Day - in Arizona! 03/09

Made the long drive out to Lake Havasu in Western Arizona from Phoenix with Pierre Deviche and Eyal Shochat. We spent much of the day scouting various view points (mostly in the Havasu City area) for a previously reported Yellow-billed Loon present since late January. The day was above and beyond expectation. Not only did we eventually locate the Yellow-billed Loon (south of Pittsburg Point) but also saw Common, Pacific and Red-throated Loons during the course of the day.

We also tallied some five species of grebe (including Clark's and Horned), plus Redhead, Canvasbacks, Ross's Goose, California Gulls and 4 Greater Scaup just below Parker Dam.

Yellow-billed Loon - upper three shots. Very distant, seen from Arizona but in California waters when these shots were taken. Found late in the day, around 5:30 pm, when we'd just about set sail for home.

Pacific Loon - winter adult, close to shore at Site Six.

Red-throated Loon - distant record shot taken from Site Six. This bird is in California waters with the CA shore in the background.

Common Loon - this worn and rather pale-billed Common Loon was a point of discussion in the middle of the day. Eventually gave itself up and revealed a dark culman and bill tip. A further eight or so Common Loons were seen during the day.


An essential online reference for birding this area has been written by Mark Stevenson -
Birding Arizona's West Coast.

Northern Jacana, Casa Grande - 01/31

Long staying Northern Jacana - Dave White Municipal Golf Course in Casa Grande, Pinal County, AZ.

JPS.

Cackling and Canada Goose selection, Scottsdale - Feb 1st and 2nd.

Recent visits to the McCormick Ranch Lakes in Scottsdale have produced a most interesting and diverse range of both Canada and Cackling Geese. The birds are often close allowing for great looks and subsequently for reasonable images to be taken. Most of my visits here have been alone but on Saturday afternoon I spent an enjoyable four hours with Pierre Deviche and Eyal Shochat trying to get to grips with some fine identifications challenges. In essence we identified at least seven Cackling Geese on February 1st and 2nd, including 1 Richardson's, 2 plus Taverner's and 4 birds that closely associated together but have thus far eluded a sub-specific identification.

Here's an image selection from just a handful of the birds encountered. I'm extremely grateful to Steve Mlodinow for his instructive comments on the identification on some of these birds. Naturally, all identifications are tentative and I'm open to constructive comments on any of these birds.

'Giant' Canada Goose B.c. maxima (right) with B.c. moffitti. Large, impressive, with extensive broad white cheek extending all the way to lower mandible. Variable whitish markings across forehead, and this case, above the eye.
Compare the head and bill profile with the moffitti, and the amount of visible white about the head. Feb 2nd, 2008.

Lesser Canada Goose B.c. parvipes. The most frequent small white cheeked goose at McCormick Ranch. January 28th, 2008.

Lesser Canada Goose B.c. parvipes (right) and Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii (left). Interesting comparison of head and bill profiles, and overall size. The sub-specific identification of this Cackling Goose is (currently) uncertain but it could be Richardson's Cackling Goose (B.h. hutchinsii) February 1st, 2008.

Cackling Geese B.hutchinsii. All four birds at the front of this group are Cacklers, as yet unidentified to form. Feb 2nd, 2008.

Cackling Geese B.hutchinsii. Two birds from the tight group of four above - form uncertain. Feb 2nd, 2008.

Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii. The smallest and darkest of the Cacklers present at McCormick Ranch - form uncertain. Feb 1st, 2008.

Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii. One of the group of four small Cacklers - form uncertain. Feb 1st, 2008.

Taverner's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii taverneri (at rear). Very similar to parvipes but shows shorter, more triangular shaped bill blending neatly into gently sloping forehead.


Taverner's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii taverneri (left most bird) with B.c. moffitti and at least one Lesser Canada Goose B.c. parvipes (the first bird to the right of the Taverner's with neck fully extended and head raised).


Taverner's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii taverneri. Similar to B.c. parvipes, but shorter, more triangular shaped bill, duller cheek and chest.

Richardson's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii hutchinsii (rear) with B.c. moffitti. Overall color cast quite similar to B.c. moffitti, but obviously small with a Cackling Goose-type bill and rather square, 'blocky' head shape.

Richardson's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii hutchinsii (right) with B.c. moffitti.

Richardson's Cackling Goose B.hutchinsii hutchinsii (left) with B.c. moffitti. Very small with 'Cackling Goose-type' bill, rather blocky head shape, and steep forehead. Quite notable broad 'frosty' fringes to upperparts compared to moffitti.


JPS.