BONGARILIITTO

Eilat, Israel – March 24^th - 31^st 1999

Matti J. Koivula

The trip

Our group (Lauri J. Hänninen, Matti J. Koivula and Markku J. Santamaa) was on birding tour in Israel in late March 1999. The trip was booked from Aurinkomatkat and cost about 3400 FIM per person. The price included flights, hotel (Carlton, at Coral Beach) and Kosher breakfasts. The last mentioned were exploited three times(!).

We rented a small car (Daihatsu Sirion) from Avis (about 1800 FIM per week). We traveled totally 1300 km by car. Gasoline was quite cheap, compared to the prices in Finland (95E approximately 4 FIM per litre). In contrast, food cost approximately as much as in Finland (i.e. a lot).

We spent most of the time in Eilat and nearby areas (within a 50-km diameter) and made a one-day trip to Nizzana in March 29^th.

Most of the time the winds were northerly, but in 29^th and 30^th southerly. Temperatures were quite low in the mornings (appr. +12°C) and almost +30°C in the mid-day and early afternoon.

In conclusion, the trip was a success despite some occasional dip-outs. We saw or heard totally 174 species, many of them life ticks for more than one person (LH 24 lifers, MK 9 and MS 3; MS also achieved his 300^th species seen in Israel – Houbara bustard).

The following list contains all the species observed, the "best" ones (some subjectivity naturally) marked with bold.

Symbols used

JB = ("Jordanian border station") nearby areas of the Jordanian border station
K20, K33 = localities by the side of the road towards north from Eilat
NB = North Beach (Eilat)
ponds = the salt ponds in Eilat between North Beach and the pools of Ringing station
RS = ringing station (incl. the station and northern and southern ponds next to it)
SB = Sede Boquer
SP = Sulamit park
WS = Wadi Shelomo
WTS = water treatment station (not the pumping station with Lichtenstein’s SG’s)

a = flock of birds
m = migrating bird(s)
3/3 = 3 males and 3 females observed
" = adult
’ = non-adult bird
sp. = not identified in species level
+ = observed daily or almost so.

Species list
Cormorant	Pha car	27^th NB 2
Cattle egret	Bub ibi	24^th NB 2 25^th WTS 17 30^th NB a4, ponds 2
Striated heron	But str	27^th NB 1 30^th NB 2
Western reef heron	Egr gul	27^th NB 1 (white)
Little egret	Egr gar	24^th NB 8 26^th NB 7 27^th NB 4 (+3 gar/gul), ponds 4, Shizzafon 1 29^th SB 3 30^th ponds 12, NB 18
Grey heron	Ard cin	24^th NB-ponds 18 25^th K20 15 26^th ponds 10 27^th NB 8 30^th NB-ponds 3
Purple heron	Ard pur	27^th Shizzafon 1 30^th ponds 2, NB a6 m
Black stork	Cic nig	28^th K20 1
Greater flamingo	Pho rub	25^th K20 102 28^th K20 » 100 30^th K20 » 70
Wigeon	Ana pen	28^th K20 3/3 30^th NB a30
Teal	Ana cre	29^th Nizzana 2/3 30^th RS 1/- and NB 1m
Garganey	Ana que	26^th NB a17m 27^th ponds a17m, NB -/1 28^th K20 3/1 30^th K20 2 and NB » 1200 (!)
Pintail	Ana acu	26^th Jordania 1/1 28^th K20 » 120 30^th NB a10
Shoveler	Ana cly	26^th Jordania » 30 30^th K20 a20, NB a30 (2a)
Tufted duck	Ayt ful	30^th NB » 30 (2a)
Black kite	Mil mig	best sum: 28^th Beer Ora (13.00-15.00) » 200m
Egyptian vulture	Neo per	28^th Beer Ora 3m 29^th SB 3+6
Short-toed eagle	Cir gal	26^th RS 1m 30^th Yotvata 1
Marsh harrier	Cir aer	25^th K20 -/1 26^th ponds 2m, Yotvata 1 30^th NB 2m
Pallid harrier	Cir mac	31^st WS 1/-"m
Sparrowhawk	Acc nis	24^th JB 1m 25^th WTS 1m 27^th Shizzafon 1 29^th Nizzana 1 (nis/bre)
Common buzzard	But but	good numbers of migrating buzzards throughout the period, the best sum: 28^th Beer Ora (13.00-15.00) » 10.000m
Long-legged buzzard	But ruf	24^th ponds 1m 28^th Beer Ora 2m
Lesser spotted eagle	Aqu pom	26^th RS 1m 28^th Beer Ora 3m
Steppe eagle	Aqu nip	25^th WS 1m 26^th RS 20m 28^th Beer Ora 8m
-	Aqu sp.	26^th RS 5m 27^th NB 1m 28^th Beer Ora 6m
Booted eagle	Hie pen	26^th RS 4m 29^th SB 1 30^th K20 1
Osprey	Pan hal	24^th JB 1m 28^th Mount Kapanen 1m 29^th Nizzana 1m 30^th NB 1
Kestrel	Fal tin	24^th ponds 1m (tin/nau) 25^th pumping station 1/-, K20 1/- 26^th ponds 1, Lotan 1 27^th Shizzafon 1 29^th Nizzana 5, 31th WS-Eilat 3 (tin/nau)
Merlin	Fal col	29^th Nizzana 1/1
Barbary falcon	Fal pel	26^th ponds-RS 1" 31^st WS a2"
Lanner	Fal bia	26^th Lotan 1’
Chukar	Ale chu	26^th Lotan 1 29^th Nizzana 7
Sand partridge	Amm hey	25^th WS 1/- 28^th Amram’s pillars 1/1
Quail	Cot cot	24^th ponds 1 25^th WS 1, K20 7, WTS 1 26^th Lotan 1 27^th ponds 5 30^th Yotvata 1
Little crake	Por par	25^th K20 1/-
Common crane	Gru gru	28^th K20 1’
Houbara bustard	Chl und	29^th Nizzana 2
Oystercatcher	Hae ost	26^th NB a2m
Black-winged stilt	Him him	best sums: 30^th K20 » 120, NB a50m
Cream-coloured courser	Cur cur	29^th Nizzana 2, Hameshar 2
Little ringed plover	Cha dub	+
Ringed plover	Cha hia	+
Kentish plover	Cha ale	best sum: 28^th K20 » 100
Greater sand plover	Cha les	25^th K20 3 27^th NB 1 28^th K20 6 30^th K20 3, NB 1
Spur-winged plover	Hop spi	+
Little stint	Cal_uta	best sum: 28^th K20 » 100
Temminck’s stint	Cal tem	25^th K20 1 28^th K20 1
Curlew sandpiper	Cal fer	27^th RS 1 28^th K20 2 30^th K20 3
Dunlin	Cal alp	25^th RS 2 26^th RS 2 27^th RS-ponds 11 28^th K20 2 30^th ponds 2
Ruff	Phi pug	+
Curlew	Num arq	25^th K20 1 28^th K20 2
Black-tailed godwit	Lim lim	28^th K20 47 30^th K20 » 30
Spotted redshank	Tri ery	25^th K20 1, RS 1 28^th K20 3 30^th K20 1
Redshank	Tri tot	+
Greenshank	Tri neb	24^th NB 1 25^th K20 5, WTS 3 27^th Shizzafon 1 28^th K20 5 30^th K20 » 10
Green sandpiper	Tri och	25^th K20 6 26^th ponds 3 27^th ponds 4, Shizzafon 2 28^th K20 2 30^th RS 24, K20 5
Wood sandpiper	Tri gla	25^th K20 2 26^th RS 1 27^th RS 1 30^th K20 2
Marsh sandpiper	Tri sta	25^th K20 » 10, RS 3 26^th RS 2 27^th RS 2 30^th K20 2
Grey plover	Plu squ	27^th RS 2 28^th K20 2 30^th ponds 3
Red-necked phalarope	Pha lob	30^th K20 a2
Collared pratincole	Gla pra	26^th RS 1 28^th K20 3 30^th ponds 2 (pra/nor)
Great black-headed gull	Lar ich	24^th NB 1’ 26^th NB 1’, ponds 1’ 27^th NB 1’ 30^th NB 6
Black-headed gull	Lar rid	+
Slender-billed gull	Lar gen	+ (e.g. 25^th K20 128
White-eyed gull	Lar leu	NB almost daily 10-20
Lesser black-backed g.	Lar fus	+
Yellow-legged gull	Lar cac	+ (NB daily 2-» 30 individuals, incl. cac/heu)
Siberian gull	Lar heu	26^th NB 3" 27^th NB 1" 30^th NB 6"1’
Arctic skua	Ste_cus	30^th NB 1m
Pomarine skua	Ste pom	30^th NB a4m
Caspian tern	Ste cas	24^th NB 1 26^th NB 1 27^th NB 1 30^th NB 3
Sandwich tern	Ste san	26^th NB 1 27^th NB 3 30^th NB 2
Gull-billed tern	Gel nil	24^th NB 1 26^th ponds 2 (+1’ sp.) 27^th NB 1 28^th K20 6" 30^th NB 2
Common tern	Ste hir	24^th NB 3 26^th NB 1 (+4 sp.) 30^th NB 3 (+4 sp.)
Lichtenstein’s sandgr.	Pte lic	26^th pumping station 24
Spotted sandgrouse	Pte sen	29^th Nizzana » 40, Hameshar 30
Black-bellied sandgr.	Pte ori	29^th Nizzana » 50
Rock dove	Col liv	+
Collared dove	Str dec	+
Laughing dove	Str sen	+
Turtle dove	Str tur	29^th Nizzana 1
Namaqua dove	Oen cap	25^th K20 1/1
Great spotted cuckoo	Cla gla	29^th Nizzana 1
Ring-necked parakeet	Psi kra	30^th SP 1
Common swift	Apu apu	+ (e.g. 26^th Yotvata » 150)
Pallid swift	Apu pal	+ )e.g. 26^th Yotvata » 150)
Alpine swift	Apu mel	24^th JB 3m 26^th Yotvata 3 27^th RS a21m, Shizzafon 1 29^th Nizzana 8, SB 6
Kingfisher	Alc att	30^th NB 1 31^st SP 1
Pied kingfisher	Cer rud	24^th NB 1 26^th ponds 1 30^th NB 1
Little green bee-eater	Mer ori	almost daily 2-3 (8) individuals
Bee-eater	Mer api	28^th K20 39 30^th K20 » 15
Roller	Cor gar	29^th Nizzana 1
Hoopoe	Upu epo	24^th JB 1 25^th Wadi Nahal 1, K20 1 26^th Lotan 2, Yotvata 3 27^th Shizzafon 2 29^th Nizzana 4 30^th SP 1
Wryneck	Jyn tor	26^th SP 1, Yotvata 1 27^th RS 1 30^th SP 2, Yotvata 2 31^st SP 1
Desert lark	Amm des	27^th Zomet Qetura 2, WS 3 28^th Mount Yoash 2 31^st WS 1
Bar-tailed desert lark	Amm cin	28^th K33 2 29^th Nizzana 2, Hameshar 1
Hoopoe lark	Ala ala	28^th K33 4
Bimaculated lark	Mel bim	29^th Hameshar 1
Short-toed lark	Cal bra	25^th K20 1 26^th Lotan 88, Yotvata 40 28^th K33 a3 (bra/ruf) 29^th Nizzana 2, Hameshar » 80
Lesser short-toed lark	Cal_ens	29^th Nizzana a3, Hameshar 6 (2a)
Oriental skylark	Ala gul	26^th Yotvata a2
Crested lark	Gal cri	+
Temminck’s horned lark	Ere bil	27^th road nr10 1
Sand martin	Rip rip	+
Rock martin	Pty ful	+
Swallow	Hir rus	+
Red-rumped swallow	Hir dau	+
House martin	Del urb	+
Tawny pipit	Ant cam	25^th pumping station 1 27^th Shizzafon 1 30^th K20 1
Tree pipit	Ant tri	24^th JB 2, RS 2 26^th SP 15 30^th SP 4, Yotvata 1 31^st SP 3
Red-throated pipit	Ant cer	24^th JB 2 26^th Lotan 3 27^th RS 1 30^th RS 3, K20 2, NB 1
Water pipit	Ant spi	+
Yellow wagtail	Mot fla	+
Pied wagtail	Mot alb	+
Citrine wagtail	Mot cit	25^th K20 1/- 26^th — 30^th RS -/1 28^th K20 2 30^th K20 1
Yellow-vented bulbul	Pyc xan	+
Bluethroat	Lus sve	+
Nightingale	Lus meg	26^th SP 3 27^th Shizzafon (meg/lus) 30^th SP 1
Rufous bush robin	Cer gal	26^th SP 2 30^th SP 1
Redstart	Pho pho	+
Black redstart	Pho och	28^th K20 -/1 30^th K20 -/1 31^st Ovda -/1
Blackstart	Cer mel	+
Isabellinen wheatear	Oen isa	+
Northern wheatear	Oen oen	+
Black-eared wheatear	Oen his	+
Desert wheatear	Oen des	28^th K33 1/1 29^th Nizzana 1/1, Hameshar 4/1
Hooded wheatear	Oen mon	28^th K20 1/- (1-y) (appr. 500 m to Amram’s p’s)
White-crowned black wh.	Oen_yga	+
Mourning wheatear	Oen lug	27^th Biq’at Sharim 1, road nr10 1
Bushchat	Sax tor	26^th Yotvata 1/-
Rock thrush	Mon sax	27^th Shizzafon 1/-
Blue rock thrush	Mon sol	26^th Lotan 2 27^th Shizzafon 1
Song thrush	Tur phi	26^th Yotvata 1
Grey hypocolius	Hyp amp	25^th K20 1
Graceful warbler	Pri gra	+
Scrub warbler	Sco inq	25^th WS 3 27^th Shizzafon 1 31^st WS 1
Savi’s warbler	Loc lus	25^th K20 1 26^th RS 1
Sedge warbler	Acr sch	25^th K20 » 5 26^th SP 1 27^th RS 1 30^th SP 2 31^st SP 1
Reed warbler	Acr sci	25^th K20 3
Olivaceous warbler	Hip pal	25^th Wadi Nahal 1 (sp.) 26^th SP 4, ponds 1 30^th SP 3, K20 1, Yotvata 1 31^st SP 3
Rueppell’s warbler	Syl rue	25^th WS 10, pumping station 5, Wadi Nahal 5 26^th Lotan 1/- 27^th WS 1/- 28^th WS 1/-, K20 -/1 30^th RS -/1
Orphean warbler	Syl hor	25^th WS 5 26^th RS 2 27^th WS 2 29^th Nizzana 2 30^th Yotvata 1 31^st WS 2
Lesser whitethroat	Syl cur	+
Whitethroat	Syl com	+
Blackcap	Syl atr	+
Menétrie’s warbler	Syl mys	26^th Lotan 1/-
Arabian warbler	Syl leu	25^th WS 1
Subalpine warbler	Syl can	25^th Wadi Nahal 1/- 31^st WS 1/-
Spectacled warbler	Syl con	27^th Shizzafon 1/-
Eastern bonelli’s w.	Phy ori	24^th JB 2 25^th WS 1, Wadi Nahal 7 26^th ponds 1 27^th Mizpe Yam Wadi 1 29^th Nizzana 4
Chiffchaff	Phy col	+
Willow warbler	Phy_lus	30^th SP 1
Semi-collared flyc.	Fic sem	25^th RS 1/-
Arabian babbler	Tur squ	24^th RS 1 25^th RS 1 26^th RS 1 27^th RS 2, Shizzafon » 15 29^th Nizzana 1 30^th RS 1, Yotvata 3
Palestine sunbird	Nec ose	25^th WS 1/- 26^th hotel Carlton 1/-, SP 2 27^th hotel Carlton 1/-, Shizzafon 8, WS 3/1 28^th WS 1, Mount Kapanen 1 29^th Nizzana 5 30^th SP 2, Yotvata 1 31^st SP 2, WS 1
Great grey shrike	Lan exc	29^th Nizzana 3
Red-backed shrike	Lan col	26^th SP 1/- 30^th SP 1/-
Isabelline shrike	Lan isa	24^th — 27^th RS 1
Woodchat shrike	Lan sen	25^th K20 1, WTS 2 26^th totally 5 (several places) 27^th Shizzafon 1, ponds 1 28^th K33 1, K20 2 29^th Nizzana 1
Masked shrike	Lan nub	25^th K20 1 26^th RS 1, SP 1, Lotan 1, Yotvata 1 27^th RS 1 28^th Beer Ora 1, K20 1 30^th RS 1, Yotvata 1, K20 1 31^st WS 1, SP 1
House crow	Cor spl	+ (only in Eilat)
Hooded crow	Cor_nix	29^th Nizzana » 10
Brown-necked raven	Cor ruf	+
Tristram´s crackle	Ony tri	25^th Wadi Nahal 2 26^th Yotvata 2, Wadi Nahal 1 28^th Eilat 1 30^th Yotvata » 50 (!)
House sparrow	Pas dom	+
Spanish sparrow	Pas his	+
Dead sea sparrow	Pas moa	25^th WTS » 60 26^th SP -/1
Goldfinch	Car car	29^th SB 1
Greenfinch	Car chl	29^th Telalim 1, SB 1
Tristram´s serin	Ser syr	27^th Shizzafon at least 5
Trumpeter finch	Buc git	25^th WS » 40, WTS 8, JB 2 27^th Shizzafon 8, road nr10 » 10 28^th K33 » 15 29^th Hameshar 7 30^th RS 1 31^st WS » 40
Cretzchmar’s bunting	Emb cae	26^th Lotan 5 27^th RS 2, Shizzafon 2 30^th Sulamit 3, Yotvata 2
Ortolan bunting	Emb hor	26^th Lotan 2 27^th Shizzafon 3 28^th K20 1 (+1 hor/cae) 29^th Nizzana 1

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