Ornithomedia - Magazine

Arrivées massives de migrateurs

Situation des principaux sites d'études ornithologiques en Israël

Situation des principaux sites ornithologiques

Israël constitue une superbe destination ornithologique pour découvrir les oiseaux du Moyen-Orient et d'Europe. En effet, le pays est idéalement situé sur la route de migration de millions d'oiseaux.
Les évènements troublés très médiatisés ne doivent pas décourager l'observateur : ils sont en effet très localisés et ont lieu loin des endroits décrits dans cet article, qui sont absolument sûrs et calmes.
La Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (e-mail : ioclaya@netvision.net.il) nous transmet régulièrement une synthèse de l'actualité ornithologique du nord au sud du pays hébreu, en provenance des principaux centres de nature.
Quelques faits marquants du mois d'avril 2005 : infos sur les Faucons crécerellettes (Falco naummani) de la vallée du Jourdain, forte activité de baguage à Hula à à Jérusalem, mauvaise situation des vautours de Gamla, et récit d'une semaine d'observations près du kibboutz Lotan.

Abstract

Birding News from Israel : April 2005.
- The Israel Ornithological Center, Hula Valley. April was a busy month for our ringing team. Large numbers of migrating passerines, especially Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) passed through the valley, and we had some impressive catches. The weekend of the 14th - 16th produced over 1000 birds ringed, including 374 on the morning of the 15th! In addition, we had our first foreign control, of a Barn Swallow ringed in Greece. It was recaptured by Francis on April 22nd. Very large numbers of Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) were ringed towards the end of the month, with up to 20 daily!
Other migrants noted were a Corncrake (Crex crex) on the 28th, and a Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and a Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor) on the 27th. An Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) lingered on the big island till mid-month, and 15 Cranes (Grus grus) fed in the fields around the valley till the end of the month. Good numbers of breeding Collared Pratincoles (Glareola pratincola) are seen hawking around the lake, and a few pairs of Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) began their breeding season.
Lesser Kestrel news: After the courtship and mating activities of March, in April the Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni) are on the nests, incubating the eggs, so we don't see too many of them.
- Gamla Nature Reserve, Golan. Of the 40 Griffon Vulture (Grus grus) nests that were built at the beginning of the season, only 22 remain active at Gamla. Of these, 22 have nestlings and one has an egg.
During the month of April a total of 56 vultures were counted in the Gamla Reserve.
In the nearby Yahudiya Reserve, there is only one active Griffon Vulture nest with a nestling and a total of 18 vultures were counted.
At Gamla there are also 4 active Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) nests, each with an egg, 5 active Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) nests and a nest of Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), with the female incubating for the second time this season.
In the Yahudiya Reserve there is one Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) nest. Additional species observed during the month at Gamla were: 17 Lesser-spotted Eagles (Aquila pomarina), 2 Greater-spotted Eagles (Aquila clanga), 23 Black Kites (Milvus migrans), 1 Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), 57 Honey Buzzards (Pernis apivorus), 24 Levant Sparrowhawks (Accipter brevipes), 2 Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis), 1 Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), 1 Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), 2 Montagu's
Harriers (Circus pygargus), 2 Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo), 2 Hobbies (Falco subbuteo) and 44 White Storks (Ciconia ciconia).
On 15 April a dying Griffon Vulture was found in Nahal Zavitan, and, unfortunately, it died a little while later. Grains of Temik were found in its crop - it had probably eaten a poisoned fox.
On 24 April, a nestling in one of the Griffon Vulture nests showed signs of distress, so it was removed from the nest and taken to the Hai Bar Carmel Reserve. When it was returned to the nest the following morning, it was happily welcomed by its parents.
- The Jerusalem Bird Observatory (JBO). April is spring from beginning to end, probably the only real spring month here in Israel, with the last wintering and plenty of passing birds and the first fledglings around.
The first days of April brought us the last Siskins (Carduelis spinus) and Hawfinches (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) but also the first River (Locustella fluviatilis) and Wood Warblers (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) and an abundance of Thrush Nightingales (Luscinia luscinia). As in previous years, this month also reminded us how special the J.B.O is with plenty of Barred (Sylvia nisoria) and Olive Tree Warblers (Hippolais olivetorum), common spring visitors to us, but a rarity elsewhere in Israel. April also hosts our annual Eilat & Arava trip which was one to be remembered with a lot of species.
The end of April is a great time to see a Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) but no one could have timed it better! A beautiful male Oriole was caught and ringed by Dr. Gidon Perlman, JBO's co-manager, on the day of our spring festival, in front of 120 people who had come to enjoy the spring and the Passover holiday. To finish this amazing month an Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) was ringed and started a real flood, but that will have to wait for May's letter….
For more information on upcoming programs and trips, contact ibrc@netvision.net.il.
- Lotan Nature Reserve, Arava. One birding week around Lotan by Jonathan Meyrav.

Depuis le Jerusalem Bird Observatory (www.birds.org.il)

Le voyage printanier organisé par le JBO dans la vallée de l'Arava a permis aux participants d'admirer le Guêpier d'Orient (Merops orientalis)
Photo : Benjamin Vollot

Avril est en Israël le mois printanier par excellence, avec la présence des derniers hivernants, de nombreux migrateurs et des premières nichées. Au cours des premiers jours d'avril, ont été vus les derniers Tarins des aulnes (Carduelis spinus) et Gros-bec cassenoyaux (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) mais également les premières Locustelles fluviatiles (Locustella fluviatilis) et Pouillots siffleurs (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) et une abondance de Rossignols philomèles (Luscinia luscinia).
Comme lors des années précédentes, le J.B.O nous a rappelé à quel point il pouvait réserver des surprises, avec l'arrivée de plusieurs Fauvettes épervières (Sylvia nisoria) et Hypolaïs des oliviers (Hippolais olivetorum), régulières au printemps chez nous, mais rares ailleurs en Israël.
Avril est aussi le mois de notre séjour annuel à Eilat et dans l'Arava , avec cette année entre autres : Guêpiers de Perse (Merops persicus), d'Europe (M. apiaster) et d'Orient (M. orientalis), Buses variables (Buteo buteo) et féroces (B. rufinus), Bondrées apivores (Pernis apivorus), Sternes caspiennes (Sterna caspia), pierregarins (S. hirundo) et hansels (S. nilotica)….
La fin du mois est idéale pour voir le Loriot d'Europe (Oriolus oriolus) et le jour même de notre festival de printemps, un beau mâle a été capturé et bagué par le Dr. Gidon Perlman, le co-directeur du JBO devant 120 personnes qui étaient venues en cette période des vacances de Pâques. A la fin du mois, une Hypolaïs ictérine (Hyppolais icterina) a été baguée.
Pour plus d'informations sur le programme des sorties et des activités, vous pouvez contacter le JBO par e-mail : ibrc@netvision.net.il.
Site web du Jerusalem Bird Observatory (JBO) : www.birds.org.il/bulbul.