This special tour focuses on the spectacle of soaring-bird migration in Israel in autumn, and includes some new and exciting sites for several of the country’s specialities.

We have timed the tour to coincide with peak passage times of rare visitors such as Lesser Spotted Eagle and Levant Sparrowhawk that migrate through Israel in astonishing numbers. Besides such sought-after targets we should  also expect at least 15 more species of raptors and large flocks of White Pelicans and Common Cranes.

The tour will be led by migration specialists who will be in constant contact with the members of the official IOC (Israel Ornithological Centre) survey team to keep track of the passage. At least two mornings will be devoted to soaring-bird migration to make sure we get the most out of our visit. As well as the northern valleys, we will also visit the famous fish-pond complex of Ma'agan Michael on the Mediterranean coast, explore the bird-rich Beit Shean and Hula Valleys, and spend some days in Israel's fantastic desert regions and the Dead Sea.

 

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Tour itinerary

Day 1: Overnight British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv, departing 2230.

Day 2: We will be met by our tour leader at Ben Gurion International Airport (arrival time 0420) and as day breaks, we head north along the coastal highway. Our first destination will be the fish-pond complex of Ma'agan Michael. This area holds huge numbers of herons, waders, gulls, White and Black Storks, White Pelicans and many more species. We should easily obtain great views of Pied and White-breasted Kingfishers and, with luck, find Greater Spotted Eagle and maybe an early Pallas's Gull. After exploring the ponds and the beautiful beach we will drive across the country to the Yizre'el valley for the night, birding en-route as time permits.

Day 3: After an early breakfast we will drive west to join the IOC migration survey team at the most productive posts. The first hours of the day will be devoted to enjoying streams of soaring birds. At this time Lesser Spotted Eagles pass by in their thousands, as do Levant Sparrowhawks, Honey Buzzards, White Pelicans and many more. There is no better place in the Western Palearctic to enjoy this migration spectacle and to sharpen up raptor identification skills. In the afternoon we will slowly work our way north to the Hula Valley, birding en route. Night in the Hula Valley.  

Day 4: Today we’ll set out early to the Hula flooded area. This once-extensive swamp is now only a fraction of its original size, but it remains a magical refuge for tens of thousands of waterbirds and birds of prey. We will spend the day in the valley and explore the vast fields, fish-ponds and canals. At this time of year the area should already host a Greater Spotted Eagle or two, Booted Eagles, Peregrine, Pallid and Montagu’s Harrier, hundreds of Black Kites and much more. In the evening we will drive south towards the Beit Shean Valley.

Day 5: We’ll spend another morning at the survey posts, after which we’ll visit some lesser known sites in search of rare winterers like Marbled and White-headed Ducks and more. During the day we will head up to Mount Gilboa in search of the rare Long-billed Pipit. A small number of pairs inhabit the area and, although shy, we should find a few. The mountain is beautiful and home to many Chukars, Short-toed Eagles and small numbers of Fincsh's Wheatears and Calandra Larks. In the afternoon we’ll explore the Beit Shean Valley and should find such specialities like Black Francolin, Pygmy Cormorant and Blue cheeked Bee-eater. The fields are likely to be full of passerines and hunting harriers, and the list of rarities found in the region is long and mouthwatering.

After dinner we’ll set out for a short night drive and hopefully see some of area’s

Mammals. Overnight in the Beit Shean Valley.

Day 6 :We will start the morning with some birding on site, and depending on migration will work our way south to the Northern Dead Sea. We will bird the fields, plantations and desert scrub and should encounter our first desert species like Desert Lark, Mourning Wheatear, Namaqua Dove and Sand Partridge. Many migrants are present here as well and we should expect surprises. Overnight at Kalia in the Northern Dead Sea.

Day 7: We’ll spend the day thoroughly birding the Dead Sea and the Judean Desert. We will visit such sites as Ein Gedi and Wadi Mishmar in search of species typical of the region such as Fan-tailed Raven, Tristram's Grackle, Mountain (House) Bunting, White-breasted Kingfisher, Dead Sea Sparrow and more. Weather permitting, we will take a dip in the Dead Sea in the middle of the day. In the afternoon we will search for one of Israel's rarest breeding raptors, Sooty Falcon. A rather reliable pair nests in the southern Dead Sea and hopefully they will return for another year. Time permitting we will bird the Arad Area and head across the Negev to our hotel at Mashabei Sade.

Day 8: The higher reaches of the Negev are the key focus of today’s itinerary. We will visit such sites as Sdeh Boker, the Zin Plateau and Mitzpe Ramon. The area holds some interesting residents such as Scrub Warbler, Southern Grey Shrike, Golden Eagle, Barbary Falcon, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures and in some years Syrian Serin. We will visit the fields around Revivim and search for Pin-tailed and Spotted Sandgrouse. In previous years small numbers of the globally endangered Sociable Lapwing have wintered, here but they roam and require searching. We will finish the day with a short drive through the fields of the North West Negev, where we should expect Peregrines and maybe an early Eastern Imperial Eagle. Saker and Lanner Falcons are also possible. Overnight at Mashabei Sade.

Day 9: A very early start will be required to get to Nizzana at first light. The beautiful steppe-like terrain of the Nizzana wilderness is one of the last refuges in the Middle East for the enigmatic Maqueen's Bustard. We will spend the first few hours of the day to obtain the best views we can of these amazing birds. In the same area we will search for Cream-coloured Coursers, Spectacled Warbler and the handsome desert form of Little Owl.

Later in the morning we will visit a sewage pool complex where many sandgrouse come to drink. The number of birds that arrive here varies from year to year, but normally three or four species of sandgrouse arrive in varying numbers (Crowned, Spotted, Black-bellied and rarely Pin-tailed). After covering the Nizzana area we will start heading north towards the airport to check in for the flight home.  Home landing at Heathrow is currently scheduled for 2020.

 

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Holiday Information

Dates:  1st – 9th October 2010

Leader : Jonathan Merav

Cost : The basic cost is £1799 per person sharing a twin room, single supplement £219 

Deposit: £300           

Group size:5 - 12

 

Price includes: Return flights on BA, London-Tel Aviv, all airport taxes, all ground transportation, accommodation on a half board basis (breakfast and evening meal) in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities, services of WildWings leader and local bird guides, birding excursions as per itinerary, pre-tour information pack including a day by day birding checklist.

 

Price excludes: Travel insurance, lunches, drinks, tips for bus driver and items of a personal nature. 

 

Birds - number of species expected (approx.):