December 2013,Jan 2014

10th Dec

Tirzah
Lots of black kites, a few white storks,  cattle egrets and jackdaws on the landfill,  Lesser grey shrike on line near road turn off to Tirzah , where we saw the lg bee-eaters last time, larks, prob crested, and spur winged plovers on open flat ground by that road,


Massua
Spur winged plovers in fields on approach, a wheatear, yes even this time of year, hoopoe glimpsed by Akiva


7th Jan

Sede Terumot
later in the afternoon, between 3 and 4 . New birds there:  two teal drakes on the water,  a wader across the water on bank, preening, can't be sure but matches best greenshank.  Also, for first time there circling about and over, sometimes high over water, sometimes low  but not seen landing, a lone adult  gull of herring or LBB size but back intermediate in greyness. Couldn't see leg colour. Several pied kingfishers about, active and vocal, in tree, on banks and flying about, one caught fish and flew up to tree branch to eat it. A white breasted kingfisher perched across the water inactive. Several little egrets about, most in tree.  A few spur winged plovers by edge of water. No cormorants or great whites today.

Tirzah:
that 1000 plus strong starling flock had moved on but did see some smaller flocks in a couple of locations along Jordan valley. scores of jackdaws and cattle egrets on the landfill. Several white storks, at least a dozen perched near the landfill, inactive or preening. A bunch of laughing doves in trees,  Several swallows hunting flying insects quite low over road

Malkishua
Kestrel hunting observed by Moshe, hover and a dive,  Sardinian warbler calls,  also calls of ring neck parakeets, and bulbuls and laughing doves about but nothing from robins.

Local area:  recently relatively and unusually quiet
Hoodies and jackdaws regularly seen or heard.  Around gardens: occasional sunbird, survived the snow but mostly house sparrows, ring neck parakeets heard regularly.
Woods: occasional chiffchaffs piping in canopies, chink sounds of chaffinches some days, Syrian woodpeckers fairly reliably heard, great tits some days.
Lots of hyrax activity especially late morning and even youngsters.. occasional gazelle sightings.

Winter crocuses out , more and more of them as we head into January, started blooming some time in Decunfortunately lost track of exactly when, but about two weeks later than last year..  and still some autumn crocuses here and there.

First red anemone AND Roman storskbill spotted 31st Jan by Akiva, , got me picks with his Samsung