BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in the UAE

A new species to the UAE list was discovered yesterday, 7th November 2010.

See the link http://www.uaebirding.com/forum/showthread.php?3249-New-species-to-the-UAE-at-the-Pivots

Tommy Pedersen

BLACK-CROWNED FINCH LARK in Yotvata - ISRAEL

Today while guiding Sherry and John Leffert we had 3 Bimaculated Larks at K20 and later at the northern circular field of Yotveta, among many Skylarks and at least 3 Oriental Skylarks i spotted a male BLACK-CROWNED FINCH LARK. When it was flushed i think i saw a female flying next to it to, but this female type was never re-located as i was putting all my efforts on the striking male. Incidentally, the Grey Phalarope is still present at K20 reservoirs (contributed by Itai)

PINTAIL SNIPE at the Gesher Ponds, the 7th record for ISRAEL

Link here: http://www.israbirding.com/israelbirdsforum/forum_entry.php?id=1482

ISRAEL Negev Rarities

Two good birds were caught and ringed by our dedicated ringer team this week. Both were everything but a result of a large sample size, as things are very slow at the moment at both Sede Boker and Ein Rimon.

19/10 – A 1st cy MENETRIES’S WARBLER was trapped at the wee pistachio grove by the Desert Research Institute, Midreshet Ben Gurion. Credit on this one goes to Darren Burns and Arnon Tsairi. This is the second individual of this species caught in this very little spot, after the stunning male also caught by Darren et al. in March 08

(http://www.israbirding.com/reports/monthly_summaries/mar_08/).

22/10 – A 1st cy Male PIED WHEATEAR was caught by Bruria Gal and myself at Ein Rimon (southern Lahav forest, close to Lehavim), the famous Black-eared Wheatear stopover site. This is the first confirmed record for the Greater Beer-Sheva area, and a grand finale for an overall very good wheatear season at the northern Negev: 4 Northern, 39 Isabelline and 163 Black-eared wheatears were ringed at Ein Rimon and at the Negev Monumnet pistachio grove this autumn.

First BOBOLINK for SPAIN

Today Juan Sagardia has found a MEGA! a BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) at Lanzarote, Canary Islands, the first for Spain! Photos in short time in Reservoir Birds webpage.

Greetings, Ferran López, http://www.reservoirbirds.com

More Finnish PIED STONECHAT images

More photos (incl. one in flight) by Pekka Komi can be found here:

http://www.pekkakomi.1g.fi/kuvat/141+Stonechats+-+Pensastaskut/Pied+Stonechat+-+Nokitasku/

Regards, Martin Helin

PIED STONECHAT in Finland

Still present for a fourth day - PIED STONECHAT (Saxicola caprata) on a small island off Kristiinankaupunki on the Finnish west coast. Photos of the bird can be found here:

http://www.tarsiger.com/gallery/index.php?sp=&lang=eng

(e.g. http://www.tarsiger.com/gallery/index.php?pic_id=upppe1286638457&lang=eng)

Martin Helin, Finland