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WildWings, 577 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol. BS16 3AF.UK
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Eilat and the surrounding areas are known worldwide as one of the best Western Palaearctic destination for birders. The dramatic outline of the Rift Valley serves as a corridor for millions of migrants every season. The variety of habitats promises an incredible range of species of many families. Besides the migrant birds that dot the bushes and fill the skies, Southern Israel is also home to many exciting near eastern species that can be hard to come by anywhere else in the region.
Eilat and Southern Israel – birding overview
Nestled in the southern tip of Israel, Eilat is placed between the magical blue waters of the Red Sea and the Eilat mountains, an extension of the massive granite ridges of Sinai.
The relaxed city of Eilat itself, provides habitats for many migrant and local species and birds can be seen from your hotel balcony or during a stroll through the city’s gardens and parks. At your doorstep you will find Laughing Dove, Yellow vented Bulbul and the beautiful Palestine Sunbird to name a few.
Eilat North Beach is at the northern end of the Red Sea and therefore an important sea watching location. Migrant herons, ducks, gulls and terns mingle with near tropical species like White-eyed Gull, Western Reef and Striated Herons and Pied Kingfisher. The North Beach regularly produces astonishing rarities and has hosted many new species for the region and even a new species of shearwater.
Bordering the city from the west are the mountains, home to desert species like Little Green Bee-Eater, White-crowned and Hooded Wheatears, Sand Partridge, Desert Lark and Barbary Falcon. During the spring millions of soaring birds pass over the Eilat Mountains and on a good day thousands of raptors and storks can be seen.
The pools and reservoirs just north of the city are an important stop for hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that migrate to and from their Eurasian breeding grounds. Any visit to the famous K19 and K20 pools can produce a mouth-watering list of waders and other species. Moving north up the rift valley, the developing Southern Arava region is dotted with fields, plantations, pools and reed beds that host highly localised residents like Namaqua Dove and Indian Silverbill. During the spring these fields can be full of migrating pipits, wagtails, wheatears, hirundines, buntings and larks.
The open desert areas of the Southern Rift Valley and the Southern Negev Plateau hold exciting residents like Trumpeter Finch, Desert Wheatear, Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse and more. These areas are also important sites for rare and nomadic Desert Larks which peak during March. Temminck's and Hoopoe Larks require searching for and previous spring’s have produced sightings of the rare and unpredictable Thick-billed, Dunn's and Black crowned Finch Larks.
The 2nd International Spring Migration Festival
Organized by the Israel Ornithological Center and the IBRCE (International Birding and Research Centre Eilat) the Spring Migration Festival aims to bring together birders from all around the world again. An excellent, illustrated report of the first Festival can be found on the special website, 219 species were recorded during the week in 2007 including a first for Israel.
To cash in on the wealth of birds around, many bird related activities will take place. These will include optional bird-watching excursions led by field experts, ringing demonstrations, identification workshops, lectures and much more.
The main Festival centre will be The Isrotel Agamin Hotel in Eilat, a very comfortable ‘resort’ hotel, and most evening activities, including the opening banquet and lectures will be held there. The hotel is conveniently located five minutes walk from Eilat's North Beach, southern Salt pans and Shulamit Garden, and 10 minutes walk from the Eilat promenade and nightlife centre.
Participants can bird the area in a number of ways during the festival:
A number of sites are reachable on foot from the hotel or you can rent a car for three or six days to drive yourself around.
There will also be a daily programme of birding shuttle service trips from the hotel to the local key birding sites by minibus every morning and afternoon to the southern Arava Valley. A guide will accompany each departure and give you pointers at each site on arrival but will not be in the field with you as such. These shuttle service trips are included in the price for the festival. “Twitching vans” may also be laid on for any major rarities too.
In addition to the above two options there will also be a choice of some optional fully guided birding excursions to other parts of Israel and for selected specialty species during the week. Full day excursions will cost US$95pp and half-day specialty trips will cost US$50pp. Examples include full day trips to the Western Negev & Nizzana and a full day to the Dead Sea region. A selection of optional excursions for non-birders will also be available including Petra.
The Festival headquarters will provide up to date information, sighting boards, rarity alerts and give any additional help that might be needed exploring the region. Every evening you will be invited to enjoy lectures, talks and slideshows from professional, local, and visiting birders and a detailed summary of the day's sightings.
We are also offering an optional photography programme for D-SLRs users and Digi-scoping. This photography package includes all the regular festival features but will be completely photography oriented. This special sub-group, led by world class photographers, will spend several hours a day in the field at various locations. The focal point of these outings will be to photograph birds and wildlife in the field and to help develop your skills to new levels. Every evening the participants will be able to download their images, compare results and get tips and advice from the experts. Throughout the week a photography competition will also run with the best images winning prizes,(open to all Festival participants.) Supplement US$400 per person.
Itinerary
Day 1: Overnight flight from London Stansted (2115) to Eilat (0735) via Tel Aviv. Transfer to Festival hotel. Evening opening banquet.
Days 2-8: Six full days birding in southern Israel.
Day 9: Morning free. Afternoon transfer to airport for flight back to UK which departs at 1925 to London Stansted (2310).
Dates: 23rd – 31st March 2008
Cost: The basic cost is £959 per person sharing a twin room from Stansted*
Single Supplement: £150
Deposit: £200 per person
* A further flight supplement may apply for late bookings!
Price includes: Return flight UK /Eilat, pre-paid airport taxes, transfers to and from airport, accommodation in standard twin-bedded rooms with private facilities on a bed and breakfast basis in the Isrotel Agamim, bird checklist and the services of local English speaking expert guides, six days birding shuttle bus pass, attendance at evening lectures and presentations including the welcome banquet.
Price excludes: Travel insurance (available from £15.79), optional excursions, lunches, dinners, drinks and items of a personal nature.
Half board supplement US$112 per person for the week .
Car Hire is available for US$150 for six days or US$80 for three days, per car (excluding fuel)
You may pre-book your birding excursions in advance or on arrival in Israel. Payments for all optional extras will be made locally in Israel. Exchange rate at time of press: £1 = US$1.98.
For more detailed information, including a potential species list, the 2007 Festival report, festival timetable and full accommodation details please visit the special website:
