Bird pics from Israel (March April) 2009 waders and waterbirds

Slender billed gull














White-winged black - one individual at km20














Caspian tern















Greater flamingo in splendid cololur



















Terek sandpiper - we found two individuals at the Bird Park, Eilat



























Marsh sandpiper - commoner than redshank















Wood sandpiper














Common sandpiper














Little stints














Temminck's stint - we found 4 individuals at Ma'agan Michael














Avocet - very familiar













Black tailed godwit













Greater sandplover - commonly seen at km20















Little ringed plover















Kentish plover - the rufous capped males kept a distance.














Spur-winged plover - 'vocal and noisy' as the Collins Guide puts in.


















Great white egret in the process of catching a fish.




























Cattle egret













Ruff















Stone curlew - almost the last bird we saw on the trip. This individual was found at Ma'agan Michael.













Purple heron - stunning birds!


























Squacco heron - these birds suddenly appear in a flash of white wings, otherwise they can be remarkably cryptic and hard to see (except when they are standing on agricultural machinery).



















Night heron - a few seen in the south, large numbers at Ma'agan Michael, in the north.

Bird pics from Israel (March April) 2009 warblers

Clamorous reed warbler - numerous in reed beds, easily identified by song.

















Eastern Bonelli's warbler at IRBC Bird Park, Eilat, very common on passage. Most individuals looked very grey buy were instantly recognisable by the wing panel.















Ruppell's warblers - female below,















followed by the males. They are superbly photgenic but were a lot harder to photograph than the females as they tended to keep to the middle of the bushes. Holland Park, just on the outskirts of Eilat was full of them. The white forehead is pollen.













































One of the vast numbers of blackcaps travelling through. Nearly every bush had either a blackcap or a lesser whitethroat in it - from Eilat to Mt Hermon.















Lesser whitethroat in in the 'shesek' tree in my parents-in-law's garden.















Dappled sunlight (+ chiffchaff) in the 'shesek' tree.















Whitethroat stocking up.














Olivaceous warbler in scrub on edge of southern circular field, Yotvata (truly a great birding location).














Orphean warbler - another very common migrant.

















Graceful prinia - distinctive rattling call
















This Cetti's warbler is here to illustrate that taking photos of birds can be frustrating. I had fantastic views of Cetti's warblers here but time and again, as soon as I put down binoculars and picked up the camera the bird moved or flew. Next time . . . . .

wood pigeon












a pair of buzzards

stonechat














dunnock
















piebald crow

pheasants












blue tit














robin
starling