Trip notes

5th, 6th August on our way down route 90 to Eilat I requested a brief rest stop at Eyn Geddi, a gorgeous reserve right by the Dead Sea where a stream (Nahal David) flows down through a canyon. Humidity and temperatures are pretty high there, usually about 40 degrees C and 100% through much of the day but the wildlife is great. The family wasn't interested in disembarking, not even for a picnic so they kept engine and air conditioning running while I took a brief look around. On the way down I noticed a few Fan tailed ravens soaring over the canyon. (Corvus rhipidurus), easy to tell from common and brown necked ravens by their shorter fanned tail (as opposed to wedge shaped tail) and slightly smaller size. Fan tails live in small communities but only in wadis such as this, so I didn't want to miss them. Easy to see, you just have to be in the right place.

A group of half a dozen or so Tristram's grackles were perched low in the branches of one of the almost tropical trees by the parking lot, not shy birds at all in these parts, they hang out there to take advantage of picnickers scraps. Hornets the size of small hummingbirds worked higher up in the tree. No time to see more the family wanted to move on.

On the way back we saw a sizeable bachelor herd of wild ibex Capra ibex on the move with some of the biggest horns I'd ever seen.

Check out http://www.geocities.com/jelbaum/mammals.html

for some info and pics on mammals in Israel.

Husband also glimpsed a bee-eater that seemed to him different from the ones familiar to us, both in appearance and call. In this part of the country it would have been a little green or blue cheeked bee-eater but unfortunately we didn't see it again to get any confirmation.

The Arava south of the Dead Sea reminded me of African Savannah in the dry season. Miles of flat topped acacia with the mountains of Jordan rising behind, and a shimmering heat haze. The heat was baking, hits you like an oven if you leave the vehicle for a moment. You half expect to see a thirsty giraffe. Indeed when you pass the Chai Bar reserve you do see ostriches and herds of Oryx in the shade of the trees. We didn't glimpse a roaming camel though there were warning signs of 'camel crossing road' all the way down. These either belong to or were released by Bedouin.

As I mentioned, I stayed home the day after the Eilat trip.. we had several pets that needed me.. our 18 year old son had been caring for them while we were gone but I'm sure he was itching to get out and about and our terrier was overjoyed to see me again.

After a night stop-over, husband took the younger kids north to the other end of route 90.. all the way to Metulla for ice skating, a promise we made to one daughter who has just turned sixteen. After that they camped by one of the upper tributaries of the Jordan and then boated for a couple of hours down the river, (with cool river water drenched hats and large bottles of drinking water.. essential for a trip there) . They found White breasted kingfishers, Halcyon smyrnensisand Pied kingfishers Ceryle rudis, common cranes Grus grus, Spur winged plovers, Vanellus spinosus, (probably the most abundant plover in the country at lower altitudes) larks, and some other birds that I could not help to identify later due to lack of information. There were other birds husband wasn't sure about, various egrets and probably pygmy cormorant.

Husband caught sight of an otter in the river at dusk which was a very nice sighting. We'd heard they're there and there's plenty trout and other good fish to eat for them.

Today (August 13th) on our usual walk we saw no gazelle but did see that feral dog family, about 100 delightful bee-eaters around gazelle field and the usual (of late) flocks of greenfinches, jackdaws and Hooded crows. We also noticed Sparrowhawks, Accipiter nisus both over 'windsurfer' hill and, a much better view over the pine grove immediately to the east of the cistern. The latter appeared to be a male. These are not large hawks, about the same size as a hobby, but with broader wings and obvious barring on tail and underparts. They're not rare, we just haven't seen them in a while in our window of observation, so it was good to get sightings and confirm they're in that area. Much other birdlife is as it has been over past week or so.