number and placement of nets were approximately the same. Thirty to 
thirty-five mistnets were set up in low seablite, Suaeda monoioa^ groves 
(Figure 5) , in date groves (Figure 2), in hay fields, and along hedgerows 
of seablite and eucalyptus (Figure 1). The nets were opened before 
sunrise and visited regularly for five or six hours, depending on the heat 
or other weather conditions. All birds were brought into a central 
processing hut where they were identified, examined for ectoparasites, 
measured, banded and released. A few specimens of rare or unusual birds 
> 
were collected, as were some samples for documentation of subspecies. 
During the first season in Israel, the winter of 1967-1968, 993 birds 
of 50 species were banded. Banding was sporadic as many sites were tested. 
After the project was established at Eilat, banding volume increased. 
Spring, 1968 saw 9423 birds of 76 species banded at Eilat. That fall, 
3363 birds representing 72 species were ringed. In spring 1969, the final 
season of PMS banding in Israel, 4172 birds of 73 species were banded. 
The distribution by species and by day during the seasons is shown in 
Appendix II. 
In spring 1968, an average of 101 birds were banded daily during the 
93 operational days. Two peaks were evident, both in the number of birds 
and in the number of species captured. These peaks coincided roughly in 
timing and occurred between March 25 and April 5, and between April 20 and 
May 5. The maximum number of birds handled during one ^ay was 512 on 
April 25. After this, birds decreased rapidly in the study area until by 
the end of May less than 10 birds a day were being taken. Numbers of 
species were highest during the first peak, with a high of 29 species on 
138 
