Negev Desert Israel 25.02.2015 - 02.03.2015 MARS-Birding by Matthias Bechtolsheim, Alexander Wöber, Rainer Jahn, Stefan Tewinkel Itinerary (map on p. 21) • 25.2: Ben Gurion Airport Beer Sheva Sde Boker Field School (o/n) • 26.2: Sde Boker Nizzana (Rt. 215 Ezuz road & “minor Eastern rd.”) Ashalim Revivim (Rt. 222) Wadi Boker (Rt. 40 N Sde Boker) Dimona Neot Hakikar Wadi Zohar Hazeva Field School (o/n) Birding along the Nizzana-Ezuz road, close to the border to Egypt Chukar (Chukarhuhn), Kestrel (Turmfalke) and Hen Harrier (Kornweihe) along the Nizzana-Ezuz road and … … a flock of Dotterels (Mornellregenpfeifer) Spur-winged Plover (Spornkiebitz), Coot (Blässhuhn) and White-eyed Bulbul (Gelbsteißbülbül) at the ponds near Nizzana Tiny road east of Nizzana and south of road 311 … Macqueens Bustard (Steppenkragentrappe), Woodchat Shrike (Rotkopfwürger) and Sand Partridge (Arabisches Wüstenhuhn) Farm at the entrance of Ashalim with Desert Finches (Weißflügelgimpel) Hooded Crow (Nebelkrähe), Palestine Sunbid (Jerichonektarvogel), … … Cattle Egret (Kuhreiher), Song Thrush (Singdrossel) und Hawfinch (Kernbeißer) in Revivim Looking for birds at Wadi Boker: Black Beetle (Tenebrionidae, Schwarzkäfer), Desert Finch (Weißflügelgimpel), … …Arabian Babbler (Graudrossling) and Chiffchaff (Zilpzalp). With Oded Keynan: Night drive near Neot Hakikar (border to Jordan) looking for Nubian Nightjar (Nubischer Ziegenmelker) • 27.2: Hazeva / Sheyzaf Reserve Iddan sewage ponds Wadi Sheyzaf (N En Yahav) Lot Reservoir (S Boqeq) => Masada (cable car stn.) Eilat (N Beach, km20 salines + km19 sewage ponds) Kibbutz Lotan (o/n) Wadi Sheyzaf near Hazeva: Scrub Warbler (Wüstenprinie) and Great Grey Shrike (Raubwürger) Rock Martin (Steinschwalbe), Cyprus Warbler (Schuppengrasmücke), Eastern Orphean Warbler (Nachtigallengrasmücke) Spotted Sandgrouse (Tropfenflughuhn, Foto: Rainer Jahn) and Teals (Krickente) at the Iddan sewage ponds Dead Sea Sparrow (Moabsperling) at Lot Reservoir Masada and a Fan-tailed Raven (Borstenrabe) Tristram’s Starling (Tristramstar) Eilat, Northern Beach: House Crow (Glanzkrähe), White-eyed Gull (Weißaugenmöwe), Caspian Tern (Raubseeschwalbe) • 28.2: Birding together with Itai Shanni: Lotan Ovda valley Neot Smadar Rt. 90 (km76) Yotvata fields & acacias Amram´s Pillars Wadi Shlomo Yotvata fields Kibbutz Lotan (o/n): Had a great day out today with a party of 4 Germans. We started at Ovda Valley where we had Temmincks, Thick- billed, Short-toed, Bar-tailed & Desert Larks. As well as Desert, Isabelline, Mourning & White-crowned Wheatears while in the sky few Steppe Eagles. We than proceeded to K76 and added an Asian Desert Warbler while in Yotveta Pallid, Common & Little Swifts among some Red-rumped Swallows and a real treat of a singing male Arabian Warbler. After lunch we added Sinai Rosefinches and Hooded Wheatear and for desert in the evening we enjoyed great flight views of Egyptian Nightjar! The desert is a magic and with all the flowers now it is in really great shape. (Itai Shanni. Alaemon Birding, 28. February um 11:12) Ovda Valley Short-toed Lark (Kurzzehenlerche), Temminck’s Lark (Saharaohrenlerche), Trumpeter Finch (Wüstengimpel) Desert Wheatear (Wüstensteinschmätzer) Thick-billed Lark (Knackerlerche) Ovda Valley Crested Lark (Haubenlerche) at Neot Samadar Asian Desert Warbler (Wüstengrasmücke) at km 76 (road 90) Searching the Arabian Warbler (Akaziengrasmücke) near Yotvata (successful) Laughing Dove (Palmtaube) and a young Eastern Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler) at Yotvata Egyptian Mastigure (Ägyptischer Dornschwanz) near the track to Amram Pillars Birding at Amram Pillars Hooded Wheatear (Kappensteinschmätzer) und Blackstart (Schwarzschwanz) Searching a Striated Scops Owl (no success) and a Nubian Ibex (Nubischer Steinbock) at Wadi Shelomo Red-throated Pipit (Rotkehlpieper) at Yotvata before starting a night drive Stone Curlew (Triel) during the night drive at Yotvata • 1.3: Lotan Amram Pillars Eilat (Bird Centre / North Beach / Holland Park) Wadi Shlomo K20 salt pans Hameishar (Rt. 40) Mizpe Ramon ( SW: pine stand N of rd. beyond “Alpaca Farm”) Sde Boker Field School (o/n) Morning at Lotan Striped Hyena (Streifenhyäne), road kill near Yotvata Amram Pillars Sand Partridge (Arabisches Wüstenhuhn) Desert Lark (Steinlerche) Sinai Rosefinch (Einödgimpel) Birding at Birding Center Eilat Greenshank (Grünschenkel) and Steppe Buzzard (Falkenbussard) View towards Eilat Migrating Steppe Eagle (Steppenadler) Little Green Bee-eater (Smaragdspint) and Western Reef Heron (Küstenreiher) at Northern Beach, Eilat Again in the Wadi Shelomo Day roost of a Scops Owl (Zwergohreule) Towards the km20 salines Marsh Sandpiper (Teichwasserläufer) Greenshank (Grünschenkel)and Green Sandpiper (Waldwasserläufer) Black-winged Stilt (Stelzenläufer) and Ruff (Kampfläufer) Indian Silverbill Hameishar (Rt. 40) Trumpeter Finch (Wüstengimpel) Tawny Pipit (Brachpieper) and Brown-necked Raven (Wüstenrabe) Mourning Wheatear (Schwarzrücken-Steinschmätzer) Spotted Sandgrouse (Tropfenflughühner), Foto Rainer Jahn Towards Mizpe Ramon near Mizpe Ramon Syrian Serin roosting place west of Mizpe Ramon Syrian Serin (Zederngirlitz) • 2.3: Sde Boker Wadi Boker Rt. 222 (Revivim – Zeelim) Zeelim-Urim road Urim plains (~ power line) Lahav Reserve (NE Beer Sheeva on Rt. 351) Ben Gurion Airport Morning at Sde Boker Birds along Rt 222: Little Owl (Steinkauz) and Hoopoe (Wiedehopf) Around Urim: Black Kite (Schwarzmilan) in a tree Bluethroat (Blaukehlchen) and Cranes (Kraniche) in the fields Long-legged Buzzard (Adlerbussard) Finsch’s Wheatear (Felsensteinschmätzer) Eastern Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler) and Black Kite (Schwarzmilan) Eastern Imperial Eagle (Kaiseradler) Lahav reserve NE of Beer Sheva Common Mynah (Hirtenmaina) at the Airport Map with route Accomodation: Sde Boker (S Beersheva) Guesthouse ("Beit Hamburg"), Yifat Wegner: [email protected] / Tel +972-8622-5151 Hatzeva Field School [email protected] / Tel +972-8658-1546 or -1576 Kibbutz Lotan (N Eilat) Michal Tzur: +972 -8-6356935 bzw. +972 - 54- 9799030, [email protected] Guides: Oded Keynan, +972-533-405863, [email protected] Itai Shanni, +972-523-689773, [email protected] Bird Species 1 Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Zwergtaucher Common in small numbers at ponds and sewage farms 2 Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) Kormoran Single birds around Eilat 3 Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) Graureiher Common in small numbers at ponds and sewage farms 4 Great White Egret (Casmerodius albus) Silberreiher Common in small numbers at ponds and sewage farms 5 Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Seidenreiher Common in small numbers at ponds and sewage farms 6 Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Kuhreiher Around Tel Aviv, Revivim and other places 7 Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) Rallenreiher Small numbers at the km19 sewage ponds north of Eilat 8 Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Nachtreiher Small numbers at the km19 sewage ponds north of Eilat and near Revivim 9 Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) Küstenreiher 1 at Northern Beach, Eilat on March 1st 10 Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) Zwergdommel Calling near Neot Hakikar on February 26th 11 Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) Schwarzstorch Single birds near Neot Hakikar on February 26th 12 White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Weißstorch Night roosting place north of Beer Sheva on February 25th 13 Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) Löffler Small flocks at the sewage ponds north of Eilat and also south of the Dead Sea 14 Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) Rosaflamingo Many at the K20 sewageponds north of Eilat 15 Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) Nilgans Small numbers at the km19 sewage ponds north of Eilat 16 Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Brandgans Small numbers at the km20 salines north of Eilat 17 Common Teal (Anas crecca) Krickente Some flocks at sewage ponds near Nizzana and Iddan 18 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Stockente Common 19 Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Spießente Big numbers at the km19 sewage ponds and km20 salines north of Eilat 20 Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Löffelente Big numbers at the km19 sewage ponds and km20 salines north of Eilat 21 Black Kite (Milvus migrans) Schwarzmilan Big numbers around Urim 22 Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Kornweihe Single birds at Nizzana and elsewhere 23 Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) Rohrweihe Single birds around Eilat 24 Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) Sperber Single birds nearly everywhere 25 Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) Mäusebussard Around Tel Aviv, subspecies B. b. vulpinus at Eilat on March 1st 26 Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) Adlerbussard 1 near Nizzana on Feb 26th, 1 near Dimona on Feb. 26th, single birds around Zeelim and Urim 27 Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) Steppenadler Migrants around Eilat 28 Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) Kaiseradler 1 subadult around Yotvata on Feb. 28th, single birds around Zeelim-Urim road and near Ofakim 29 Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Steinadler 1 K3/4 east of Nizzana near km130 (Rt. 211) on Feb 26th 30 Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Turmfalke Very common 31 Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Wanderfalke 1 near the Zeelim-Urim road on March 2nd 32 Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) Wüstenfalke 1 near Amram Pillars on March 1st 33 Sand Partridge (Ammoperdix heyi) Arabisches Wüstenhuhn Common east of Nizzana, Amram Pillars and other desert areas 34 Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) Chukarhuhn Common in rocky areas an near Nizzana 35 Common Crane (Grus grus) Kranich Only small flocks around Urim on March