Southern Israel birding tours – Late fall and winter 2007

All images are copyright of Thomas Krumenacker and were taken in late fall 2006

We are happy to offer you our program of Birdwatching tours covering the best areas in southern Israel during the peak of fall migration in the south.

At the moment we are offering a few fixed dates tours that are open for you to join and an example of itineraries on offer that can also suit private or tailor made tours.

Fall Tour 1-3 October 2007

In this 3 day tour we spend a day in the southern Arava and Eilat area, a full day in the Nizzana and Western Negev area and also visit a very accessible Sooty Falcon territory. By this time the fledglings should be nearly grown and still fed by the adults.

Early October is when fall migration really gets into gear in southern Israel and a great variety of passing migrants are joined by recently arrived wintering species. Most of the soaring bird migration takes place well west of the Arava valley, and a visit to the western Negev is usually overwhelming with thousands of White Storks, Raptors, Cranes and more. Around Lotan the local hotspots hold impressive numbers of Hirundines and passerines. Raptor numbers increase daily. From early October we experience an influx of migrants from the east, with rarities from Central Asia and Siberia. Of course fall migration is not as overwhelming as spring but it is always interesting and there are always surprises. Any of the birds mentioned in the second fall tour can show up as early as this.

For prices and booking check here »

Late Fall – Early Winter 22/10 – 24/10/2007.

This tour program is very similar to the early fall tour and includes a day and a half in the southern Arava and a visit to the western Negev. Late october is one of the best times for birding southern Israel. The days are sunny and warm and the variety of birds is very interesting. Classic fall rarities with a distinct "Eastern Flavour" may well include Oriental Skylark, Buff -bellied and Richard's Pipits and Citrine Wagtail. Isabelline type Shrikes are rare but regular in late autumn, and are now being complemented by the appearance of some Steppe Grey Shrikes, the beautiful 'pallidrostris' form from Central Asia. Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Yellow-browed and Hume's Warbler, Red- breasted Flycatcher, Little Bunting and Olive backed Pipit all have the potential to enliven a day in the field. We will spend at least a full days birding in the Western Negev. For any birder and for Raptor enthusiasts especially this promises to be an overwhelming experience. The area will be full of Imperial Eagle, Hen and Pallid Harriers, Long-legged Buzzard, Peregrine, Lanner and Saker Falcons, Merlin and perhaps the odd Booted Eagle. There can be few better opportunities to study all these species in close comparison anywhere in the West Palearctic. A thorough search of the fields should yield such attractive waders as Stone Curlew, Cream-colored Courser, Dotterel, Golden Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Lapwing, and the globally threatened Sociable Plover.

For prices and booking check here »

Winter Tours – running from the 15th of November 2007.

Our winter tours offer steady winter birding in warm, sunny days. By now most of the winterers have arrived and birds like Brown Booby (rare in recent years), Great Black-headed and Siberian Gulls occur off the North Beach, and Striated Scops Owl can be found near Lotan.

A host of sought after wintering species, can be seen with luck in the Arava Valley: Wintering E. Imperial Eagles, White- breasted Kingfisher, Dunn ' s Lark (sporadic), Red-tailed Wheatear, Desert, Yellow -browed and Hume's Warbler, Penduline Tit, Syrian Serin and Sinai Rosefinch are all possible but most are very rare. Large flocks of Desert Finch and Dead-Sea Sparrows can be found in the agricultural areas at this time. The fields of the northwest Negev should still hold most of the species mentioned in the fall tours.

For prices and booking check here »

Contact info

Daphna Abell
Program Coordinator
lotan-programs@lotan.ardom.co.il
Tel: +972 8 6356935;
Toll Free: 1800 2000 75 (when in Israel)