Eastern Imperial Eagle feeding

Plenty of raptors around Nir Oz in the last few days. A pair of Black-shouldered Kites, Merlin, Long-legged Buzzards, the usual Black Kites, Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks and two Eastern Imperial Eagles. Went for a quick scout this morning and saw a crowd of Black Kites and Hoodies mobbing this feeding Eastern Imperial Eagle. What a fantastic sight!

 Eventually it got tired of being mobbed and took wing.

Urim fields - Sociable Plovers, Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagles

Once again I had a couple of hours before work so this morning I looked in at the Urim fields. They have been desperately quiet recently but Shachar Shalev said he'd seen the Sociable flock as well as a couple of Saker.

Quickly found the Sociables - great birds and a welcome part of my birding diary. Eleven were rather skittish but one didn't seem to mind the car and posed beautifully.

Driving off to look for Saker I saw a couple of Eastern Imperial Eagles perched on the pylons.

I found a distant Saker but it flew off to hunt. Following it I disturbed a young Eastern Imperial Eagle. It landed in the same field as the Saker and I had a wonderful moment when both birds were in (distant) view.

I made a circuitous route back to the Saker pylon, pausing to watch these Starling murmurations - the ball shapes were the least interesting but sometimes one has to put the camera down and just enjoy the view.

The Saker was back and I was fully rewarded with incredible views.

Thought it was off again. . . .

 . . . but no, just turning round.

Views of this endangered and majestic falcon don't get much better!

Finally, a Long-legged Buzzard not taking to wing at the first sign of stopping the car

and an confding Red-throated Pipit. Common winter birds and usually ignored but they really are worth a look. Stunning!

And a surprise visit from a flock of Pelicans.

Asian Buff-bellied Pipit

I found myself with a few free hours this morning so I decided to check Nafcha for interesting pipits. Was not disappointed. This Asian Buff-bellied Pipit stood out from the crowd of Red-throateds and Meadows.

Other than that, a few Syrian Serins (unphotographable through the windscreen and they flew off when I maneuvered the car for a better view), a couple of ring-tail Hen Harriers and a couple of Long-legged Buzzards made for a very pleasant morning's birding!