Armenia Fish Ponds

Pet Talk: Retirement for 'Diplo Dog'

Customs, Immigration and border checks were not required stops for “diplo dog,” my nickname for her.

When diplomats are on foreign soil, everything associated with the Consulate is covered by diplomatic immunity according to international law established in 1961 at the Vienna Convention. Dogs are included. A ridiculous example; in Sussex England, sheep belonging to local farmers were being savaged by guard dogs from the Russian Ambassador’s country retreat.

Farmer Graham Browne was told he could take no action because the dogs were protected by “diplomatic immunity” and the country retreat was considered to be on Russian soil.

Back to Olga’s story. During her tour in Armenia she learned to respond to commands in Russian.  

The family returned to D.C. and a year later Jonas was assigned as the head of the Consulate in Nagoya, Japan. Olga traveled overseas again. In Nagoya, the family had a Japanese housekeeper who walked Olga daily and taught her commands in Japanese. Being a Border Collie, she was highly intelligent and fully capable of adding a third language to her repertoire. In Japan, there are essentially no stray dogs because they are extemely expensive to purchase and own. The smaller breeds are very popular there and Olga became well known because of her size and her manners.

After returning from Japan and a tour back in the U.S., the family received assignment to Azerbaijan.

Olga was now 9 years old and it was decided that it was time for her to retire from the Diplomatic Service.

She would not have to make the grueling overseas trip again.

2.25 birding days in Israel (mostly 4/15 and 4/16/2011)

Northern Israel, April 9 and 15-16, 2011 (a few pix are at https://picasaweb.google.com/greenfant/Israel11Keepers )

This was a business trip to Intel Haifa which gave me 2.5 hours on the afternoon of 4/9, a few occasional before-work-minutes and 2 full days on 4/15-16. It was a short-notice trip, so I was not able to do proper research for it. I ended up using “A guide to the birding hot-spots of Northern Israel” by Hadoram Shirihai, James Smith, Guy Kirwan and Dan Alon. This thin book was released in 1990 and is not very useful or current, really. On the night of 4/15-16, I stayed at the Astoria Galilee Hotel in Tiberias. This was no-frills, but ok, and the location was central.

On 4/9, I drove to Ma’agan Mikhael (MM) straight from the airport. I had about 3 hours of daylight. While access was to the site was easy, I didn’t know how to access the fish ponds. I ended up just walking in, but was at no time sure that I wasn’t going to be arrested any minute. At the fish ponds, Pied and White-throated Kingfishers were numerous; I only found one Common. Lots of herons/egrets were about, some of them caught in the netting.

In the mornings along the Louis Promenade just outside the Dan Carmel in downtown Carmel, I had good looks at the common residents like Syrian Woodpecker, Palestine Sunbird, Sardinian Warbler, Graceful Prinia and White-spectacled Bulbul. Hooded Crows and Laughing Doves are everywhere. I also lucked up on an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler that I was able to get photos of.

On 4/15, I decided to visit the Bet Shean area. I started at Mt. Gilboa early in the morning, but failed to find Long-billed Pipit. So, I briefly stopped by Nir David and did get a Clamorous Reed Warbler in an area of reeds right by the entrance to the fish ponds. There were lots of shorebirds with at least one Marsh Sandpiper. Kfar Ruppin was one big disappointment: None of the species advertised in Shirihai were present. The kibbutz was very active though, but it was getting late in the day. The fish ponds were dead, so were the fields except for scores of Ortolan Buntings and masses of Black Kites sitting in fields.

On 4/16, I started early at Wadi Ammud and got Little Swift, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Long-billed Pipit there. This is a beautiful spot and there were lots of birds. Wish I could have stayed longer …  Next stop was Mt. Hermon where I missed every single one of my targets: No Syrian Serin near Neve Atif and no Crimson-winged Finch up the top of the ski lift. There was however a displaying Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and several Black Redstarts. Cretschmar’s Bunting, Upcher’s Warbler and Pale Rock Sparrow had probably not arrived yet.

New dictionary: Armenian-English

Armenian Food, Fact, Fiction & Folklore

Important bird areas in Europe, priority sites for conservation

Fisheries in irrigation systems of arid Asia

Pond fisheries