mvecht`s Big Year

[mvecht]

#94 Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) are abundant and seen constanly in all locations visited.

#95 Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) 27 April Bet Shean Israel

Yesterday I had an EBC Purple Heron but then I managed to get a better picture in the local park

[mvecht]

@Dave Williams  thank you for the kind words. Keep following the thread. My first century is coming up soon and I have saved some other nice ones 

[mvecht]

Park Leumi, Ramat Gan, Israel 29 April

#96 Pied Kingfisher (Cerule lydis) are nesting in the local park.

This park rocks

Edited April 30, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

#97 Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrolatus)

Seen migrating and resting in both Hula and Bet Shean on April 27th

[mvecht]

#98 Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus) Hula Valley 27 April

I love the latin name. They really want to tell you that it is small!

[mvecht]

Time to warm up for the century.

Bet Sheàn 27 April

#99 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Edited April 30, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

Finally. The century

# 100  Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). Leumi Park 28 April.

seen in Hula and also in Leumi Park.

The bird was trying hard to swallow the fish but had not succeeded by the time I left.

 

 

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching 100 - and what an excellent 99 and 100 to do it!

[Peter Connan]

Fantastic bird to reach the milestone on! And lovely moments captured too.

[xelas]

Congratulations! The heron obviously took a bite too large for his mouth.

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on the 100!

[Zim Girl]

Well done on getting to 100, fabulous pictures of the Osprey and Heron!

[Soukous]

lovely to see a good picture of an Osprey. So often they are just a dot on a post.

[mvecht]

@TonyQ @Peter Connan @xelas @Tdgraves @Zim Girl @Soukous

 

thank you for the kind words. This is my first trip to Israel and it was only recently I dicovered that it is such a great destination for birding.

I will try to go back next winter for the migration and also the 30,000+ Common cranes wintering in Hula

[mvecht]

This instalment is dedicated to Shrikes.

Gamla Nature reserve 27 April

#101Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)

#102 Great grey shrike  (Lanius excubitor)

The one above is quite typical for Great grey and resembles the ones I have seen in Denmark.

However this specimen was much lighter in colour and markings

#103 Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus) Bet Sheàn 27 April

Very shy so only this EBC

Edited May 1, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

The morning routine includes a trip to the park.

Leumi Park May 1st 2019

#104 Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis)

Surpringly few Gulls in Israel this time of year. This is the first I have seen in 5 days!

 

#105 Common swift (Apus apus) Quite common but a real challenge to get a good picture

 

No trip to Israel would be complete without showing a picture of the national bird.

Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Seen in all locations and along roads. Plenty of birds in the city.

nesting bird close to the hotel

Edited May 1, 2019 by mvecht

[Galana]

Love the Shrikes. Always a favourite and so smart.

[mvecht]

Some more pictures from Hula Valley.

This is a great place for birding but unfortunately not the best place for photography as many of the birs are quite distant.

#106 European Honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus)

A few birds migrating at all locations

Coypu (Nutria) were quite common

One of the birds I was hoping to see in Hula was

#107 Marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris).

We only had a few distant sightings at Hula so unfortunately an EBC

#108 Black kite (Milvus migrans) only few birds seen and all at a distance.

#109 Black cap (Sylvia atricapilla) Heard frequently but hiding well.

[PeterHG]

Great Israel collection and what a splendid bird for #100!

[Galana]

Belated congratulations on your first century. I missed that  event for some reason. Probably dazzled by the subjects.

[Dave Williams]

Well done on the 100, the Night Heron is a cracker to hit it with. I'm fascinated by the Pelican shot and the miniature water wheel, what does it do, how does it work?

[mvecht]

@Dave Williams  I am not sure about the water wheel. The water is quite shallow So I am thinking it has to do with aeration.

@PeterHG and @Galana thank you for the kind words.

[mvecht]

The last pictures from Hula Valley, 27 April

#110 Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides)

seen in good numbers in Hula, Bet Shean and Ramat Gan

 

#111 Graceful Prinia  (Prinia gracilis) where seen and heard in good numbers but would take cover as soon as spotted.

#112 Little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

As usual a very shy bird and only seen once.

[mvecht]

Last batch from Bet Sheán

#113 Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

A few Marsh and Pallid harriers seen but unfortunately no pictures of the Pallid

 

#114 Short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus)

A few seen in Bet Shean and Gamla

 

#115 European bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Seen in good numbers in Hula and Bet Shean

 

 

 

 

 

[mvecht]

 Bet Sheán 27 April

 

#116 juv Black - winged kite (Elanus caeruleus)

The parents were hanging around but stayed in the background

 

 

#117 Eurasian Stone curlew also known as Eurasian thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus)

This is the only time I was quite happy about a bad shot. The bird was flushed on the drivers side and I had to stick the camera out of the window on the drivers side and then just hope I was pointing the camera in the right direction.

 

#118 Dead Sea sparrow, not dead Sea sparrow   (passer moabiticus)