we had an excellent birding experience with Doro and Inge down in Eilat in late March 2013

Bird photos from Eilat and southern israel

Photos:Dorothea Koch Israel 26. März - 05. April here is Doro's checklist for her stay in israel Balkansteinschmätzer Rußheckensänger Weißrückensteinschmätzer Wüstenfalke Arabian Babbler Graudrossling Asian Desert Warbler Wüstengrasmücke Baltic gull Heringsmöwe Bam Swallow Rauchschwalbe Barbary Falcon Wüstenfalke Black Kite Schwarzmilan Black Redstart Hausrotschwanz Black Stork Schwarzstorch Black tailed Godwit Uferschnepfe Black Winged Stilt Stelzenläufer Blackcap Mönchsgrasmücke Black-eared Wheatear Mittelmeer-Steinschmätzer Blackstart Schwarzschwanz Blue throat Blaukehlchen Booted Eagle Zwergadler Brown Necked Raven Wüstenrabe Caspian Gull Steppenmöwe Caspian Tern Raubseeschwalbe Cattle Egret Kuhreiher Chiffchaff Zilpzalp Citrine Wagtail Zitronenstelze Collared Dove Türkentaube Collared Flycatcher Halsbandschnäpper Collared Pratincole Rotflügel-Brachschwalbe Common Buzzard Mäusebussard Common Crane Kranich Common House Martin Mehlschwalbe Common Kestrel Turmfalke Common Myna Hirtenmaina Common Pochard Tafelente Common Sandpiper Flussuferläufer Common Snipe Bekassine Common tern Flusseeschwalbe Coot Blässhuhn Crested Lark Haubenlerche Cyprus Pied Wheatear Zypernsteinschmätzer Desert Lark Steinlerche Dessert finch Weißflügelgimpel Egyptian Goos Nilgans Egyptian vulture Schmutzgeier Eurasian / Common Teal Krickente Eurasian Hoopoe Wiedehopf Eurasian Sparrowhawk Sperber Eurasian Spoon bill Löffler Eurasian Wigeon Pfeifente Eurasian wryneck Wendehals European Bee-eater Bienenfresser Fan-tailed Raven Borstenrabe Glossy Ibis Sichler Graceful Prinia Streifenprinie Great Cormorant Kormoran Great Egret Silberreiher / rosa Beine: Asien Greater flamingo Rosaflamingo Greater Flamingo Rosa-Flamingo Greater Short-toed Lark Kurzzehenlerche Green Sandpiper Waldwasserläufer Greenshank Grünschenkel Grey Heron Graureiher Grey Plover Kiebitzregenpfeifer Gull-billed Tern Lachseeschwalbe Hooded Crow Nebelkrähe Hooded Wheatear Kappensteinschmätzer Hoopoe lark Wüstenläuferlerche House Crow Glanzkrähe House Sparrow Haussperling Isabelline Wheatear Isabell-Steinschmätzer Kentish Piover Seeregenpfeifer Laughing Dove Palmtaube Lesser kestrel Rötelfalke Lesser spotted eagle Schreiadler Lesser Whitethroat Klappergrasmücke Levant Sparrowhawk Kurzfangsperber Little Egret Seidenreiher Little Grebe Zwergtaucher Little Green Bee eater Smaragdspint Little ringed plover Flussregenpfeifer Little Stint Zwergstrandläufer Mallard Stockente Marsh Harrier Rohrweihe Marsh Sandpiper Teichwasserläufer Masked Shrike Maskenwürger Meadow Pipit Wiesenpieper Mediterranean gull Schwarzkopfmöwe Moorhen Teichhuhn Mourning Wheatear Schwarzrücken-Steinschmätzer Namaqua Dove Kap-Täubchen Night Heran Nachtreiher Nightingale Nachtigall Northern Shoveler Löffelente Northern weathear Steinschmätzer Orphean Warbler Orpheusgrasmücke Ortolan Bunting Ortolan Osprey Fischadler Palestine Sunbird Jericho-Nektarvogei Pallid Harrier Steppenweihe Peregrine Falcon Wanderfalke Peregrine Falcon Wanderfalke Pied Avocet Säbelschnäbler Pied kingfisher Graufischer Pied Wheatear Nonnensteinschmätzer Pintail Duck Spießente Purpie Heron Purpurreiher Red Throated Pipit Rotkehlpieper Red-necked Phalarope Odinshühnchen Redshank Rotschenkel Ringed Plover Sandregenpfeifer  Rock martin Steinschwalbe Rose Ringed Parakeet Halsbandsittich Ruff Kampfläufer Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin Heckensänger Sand Martin Uferschwalbe Sand Partidge Arabisches Wüstenhuhn Sandwich Tern Brandseeschwalbe Sardinian Warbler Samtkopfgrasmücke Sedge warbler Schilfrohrsäger Semi-collared Flycatcher Halbringschnäpper Short-toed-eagle Schlangenadler Slender Billed Gull Dünnschnabelmöwe Spanish sparrow Weidensperling Spectacled warbler Brillengrasmücke Spur winged Plöver Spornkiebitz Squacco Heron Rallenreiher Stepp bussard Steppenbussard Stepp eagle Steppenadler Stone Curlew Triel Streaked Scrub Warbler Wüstenprinie Striated Heron Mangrovenreiher Tawny Pipit Brachpieper Temminck’s Stint Temminckstrandläufer Tree pipit Baumpieper Tristram's Grackle Tristramstar Trumpeter Finch Wüstengimpel Tufted Duck Reiherente Turtle dove Turteltaube Water Pipit Bergpieper Water rail Wasserralle Western Bonelli's Warbler Berglaubsänger White Crowned Black Wheatear Sahara-Steinschmätzer White Stork Weißstorch White Wagtail Bachstelze White-eyed Gull Weißaugenmöwe Wood Sandpiper Bruchwasserläufer Yellow Vented Bulbul Gelbsteiß-Bülbül Yellow wagtail Schafstelze

תן שצילמה מיכל הופמן באתר שבע תחנות - באחד הסיורים שלנו - לדעתי זה התן המבויית ביותר בארץ -מדהים!
a jackal photographed in Tel aviv-Yarkon Park

29-31/3/2013 Eilat and southern Arava, with Edith Katsnelson

 עקבים מזרחיים

Came back from an excellent birding experience down in Eilat and the Arava region with photographer Edith Katsnelson

we stopped at some of the best birding spots around, and had some amazing nature experiences- lots of animals during day and night - foxes, hares, Dorcas gazelles-Gazella dorcas, Egyptian Mastigure-Uromastyx aegyptia and more..

 תחמס מצרי

we also bumped into an Egyptian nightjar-Caprimulgus aegyptius. this is one of the most fascinating birds you can see

חמריה

we found this rufous bush robin - Cercotrichas galactotes, skulking in an acacia tree

סבכי רונן 

this female type subalpine warbler showed well in K76

King of the desert

   Temminck's (Horned) Lark Eremophila bilopha

this bird chooses very dry areas which are usually overlooked by birders

 צחיחנית מדבר

a female desert wheatear near wadi Meishar

סלעית מדבר

more excellent pictures in this link 

evolution

Timelapse Landscapes of Israel taken in the last years

Israel's huge variety of landscapes belies its compact size. It's possible from north to south in less than a day and to drive from west to east in under 2 hours, and yet despite many years of exploring this fascinating country I find there are still so many undiscovered corners I have yet to visit.

The Raptors of israel

I added a video compilation of raptors taken in israel in the last years

most of these species are under threat of extinction  mainly due to habitat loss.

enjoy and share!

new footage from the hula valley, Israel

thousands of migrating cranes on a sunrise backdrop in the Hula Valley in the north of Israel.

 A majestic spectacle of nature...

About 30,000 cranes pass through Israel in the winter. They can be found mainly in Lake Hula. Till the beginning of the 90's of the twentieth century, cranes did not use to stay in the Hula Valley.  Most of them crossed the valley to reach other places. When farmers started growing peanuts, the cranes began to land in the fields and they destroyed the crops. This situation created troubles between the farmers and the cranes. Indeed, while cranes beautify Israel for some time, they also cause destruction which is sometimes intolerable.

In view of the situation, a study was conducted to provide a solution to the problem. It suggested alternative feeding areas. This will provide the needs of birds whilst they will be taken away from the fields. Farmers have allocated two thousand (2,000) acres of land which is utilised as feeding station for the cranes—three to four (3-4) tons of corn kernels are scattered in the fields daily. The operation became successful. Albeit the stay of thousands of cranes in the Hula Valley during winter, they now no longer cause damage to the agriculture.