Went for my annual Upcher's Warbler check this morning. Glad to see a couple of birds on the same territory as last year. Still took a bit of time to find them though - unless they are perching up on a shrub top or flying they are cryptic and quite hard to pin down.
Dropped in Besor Reservoir on the way home. Luckily this part escaped last week's blaze that destroyed about 600 hectares of the reserve. Itay Herling and I came here on Friday too and between the two days we notched up some quality birds. A couple of Hobby
and a distant Collared Pratincole, singles of White-winged Tern and Black-headed Gull (any gull is a good bird here), Black-tailed Godwit, Sedge Warbler (getting late for these), a single Spoonbill among the White Storks
and a patch tick in the form of Citrine Wagtail, two Little Bittern, four Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, many Cattle and Little Egrets and dozens of Squacco Herons
Rufous Bush Robins,
the pair of Roller
have been joined by several others. Hirundines included Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, Swifts and Alpine Swifts. Really enjoyable birding!
