Spring 2008 birding tours program

We are happy to announce the new and exciting program for the upcoming spring 2008 season.

Throughout the whole spring we will be running full, 3 day tour programs, covering the best sites in southern Israel. Within the 3 day program we offer 1 long day excursion to a specialty region of your choice (Nizzana and the Negev or the Dead Sea region), a full day covering the Eilat sites and another day to cover lesser known and fantastic desert areas in search of some near eastern specialties and targeting some rare and hard to find species.

The tour program is flexible and can be adjusted to your specific requests and needs. Although 3 days is hardly enough to cover all the birds and sites, we can guarantee a memorable birding experience and a real chance for excellent rarities and breathtaking views of birds.

Each and every week in the spring offers something different bird wise. In the early spring there is still ample time to contact with lingering wintering species and is also a great time for birds of prey and special Mediterranean migrants. As April rolls in, the number of birds on the ground and in the air is overwhelming and visible migration is evident at all times of the day. This is a great time for Larks, Sylvia Warblers, Wagtails and Pipits, all in impressive numbers. Late spring is characterized by the incredible Honey Buzzard migration, which is "spiced-up" by many other species of Raptors, and a whole different range of migrants that fill the valley in impressive numbers.

Besides the tours mentioned below we are happy to offer half day and one day tours throughout the whole spring season and you are always welcome to join in on a single day or two of the full program. We also offer an excellent night tour in cooperation with some of the best guides in the country. These special tours can be incorporated into the 3 day tours or taken as a single tour. We have had excellent success with finding enigmatic species like Pharaoh's Eagle Owl, Hume's Tawny Owl and Egyptian Nightjar. Contact us for more details.

Below is the list of scheduled tours for the spring 2008 season. We are already taking bookings for some of these tours so be sure and contact us quickly.

13-15 march 2008
17-19 march 2008
30/3 -2/4 2008
7-10 april 2008
14-17 april 2008

From April 22nd we will focus on Raptor migration and start most tours at the Eilat Mountains. The last week of April is when Honey Buzzards reach their peak passage and mornings of over 10,000 birds are not rare. This is the best time to search for the rare Crested Honey Buzzard amongst the numerous Honeys. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have and we guarantee to give you all the help you need to maximize your birding experience.

See you in the field.
Jonathan Meyrav

Contact info

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