general

By November, the number of armenicus at Maagan Michael have increased to about 1,500 birds. The top images on the righthand side show groups of birds and one of the location which was visited this month: the eastern fish ponds of Maayan Zvi, which is part of the larger Maagan Michael site.
One of the most interesting phenomena seen this time was courtship ceremony by a couple of adults. Soon immature birds were curious and approached this pair. For Amir, it was the first time to see courtship ceremony on the wintering grounds of this species. The courtship lasted over one minute (1.04) and over a section of 70 meters the birds walked synchronized and were calling constantly. After photographing this, a few questions remained: Do adult armenicus stick to the same partner over several years (as in graellsii and argenteus) and do they intensify their bond on the wintering grounds by this behavious? Do they arrive as pair to the wintering grounds? Is this really the start of a courtship period, or may it be influenced by external factors (e.g. temperature, sunny weather)?

field research

Again, Amir Ben Dov has done field research to score primary moult of adult birds from images. The results are presented below in tables. From the scores, one can see that adult armenicus is about to finish the complete moult, which started in late spring and will finish in the last week of November. The images from mid-November illustrate the average moult score for this month, with many birds showing P9-P10 still growing. It is very difficult to find birds with old retained primaries by mid-November.

Simultaneously, the last rectrices (often R5, next to the outermost tail-feather R6) are grown in by early November and by mid-November, the gap in the secondaries closes with the last fearthers to grow S16-S18 (close to the body, next to the lowest tertials).
In the lasdt weeks, the tail feathers were replaced "centrifugal", a moult wave from the inner feathers to the outer feathers. The secondaries have been replaced in two waves:
The first wave starting at S1, next to P1. The first feathers were shed one-by-one, but as S1 was fully grown and S2 was growing, the secondaries were dropped in small groups of feathers. The moult gap quickly progressed through the arm inwards to the body. In the meantime another moult wave was initialised in the tertials, progressing outwards. By mid-November, S16-S18 are normally the last secondaries to grow a few inches.

results

Below, the results from 2nd November 2010.

• P8/P- P8=P7, P9-50%, P10 missing / starting, PMS: (8x5)+(1x3)+(1x1)=44
• P8/P- P9-75%, P10 missing, PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x1)=45
• P8/P- P9-50%, P10 missing, PMS: (8x5)+(1x3)+(1x1)=44
• P8/P- P9-25%, P10 missing, PMS: (8x5)+(1x2)+(1x1)=43
• P9/P- P9=P8, P10-75%, PMS: (9x5)+(1x3)=48
• P9/P- P10-50%, PMS: (9x5)+(1x3)=48
• P8/P- P9-80%, P10-40% PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x2)=46
• P8/P- , P9-80%, P10-50%, PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x3)=47
• P9/P- , P9-P8, P10-75%, PMS: (9x5)+(1x4)=49
• P9/P- advanced Sub Ad., P10-75%, PMS: (9x5)+(1x4)=49
• P8/P- Sub Ad., P9-75%, P10-20% PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x1)=45
• P8/P- advanced Sub Ad, P9-85%, P10-50%, PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x3)=47
• P8/P- advanced Sub Ad P9-80%, P10-50% PMS: (8x5)+(1x4)+(1x3)=47

.

A similar field reserach was done again by Amir at November 15 2010.

• P8/P- P9-60%, P10-40%, PMS=45
• P9/P- , P10-80%, PMS=49
• P10=P9, PMS=50
• P8/P- , P9-95%, P10-75%, PMS=48
• P9/P- , P10-90%, PMS=49
• P9/P-, P10-75%, PMS=49
• P10=P9, PMS=50
• P9/P- , P10-90%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-90%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-80%, PMS=49
• P8/P- , P9-80%, P10-60%, PMS=47
• P8/P- , P9-75%, P10-50%, PMS=47
• P10=P9, PMS=50
• P8/P- , P9-75%, P10-50%, PMS=47 in Right wing, less developed in left wing;
  P9-50%, P10-20% PMS= 44
• P9/P- , P10-75%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-50%, PMS=48
• P7/P- , P8-50%m P9-40%, P10-25% PMS=43
• P8/P- , P9-50%, P10-30%, PMS=47
• P8/P- , P9-50%, P10-30%, PMS=47
• P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-40%, PMS=46
• P9/P- , P10-50%, PMS=48
• P9/P- , P10-80%, PMS=49
• P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-50%, PMS=47
• P9=P8, P10-50%, PMS=48
• P9=P8, P10-75%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P9=P8, P10-75%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-60%, PMS=47
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P10=P9, PMS=50
• P9=P8, P10-60%, PMS=48
• P8/P- , P9-80%, P10-50%, PMS=47
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-75%, PMS=47
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49, very pale eye, no spots on iris
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P9/P- , P10-95%, PMS=49
• P10=P9, complete moult finishing just now PMS=50
• 4th CY, P9/P- , P10-80%, PMS=49
• 4th CY, P9/P-, P10-75%, PMS=49
• Advanced Sub Ad. P10=P9, PMS=50
• Advanced Sub Ad. P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-75%, PMS=48
• Advanced Sub Ad. P8/P- , P9-90%, P10-75%, PMS=48
• Sub Ad. P10=P9, PMS=50

Tables for November

Table 1: November 02 2010, based on data above

Table 2: November 15 2010, based on data above

Table 3: November 02 & 15 2010, PMS based on data above