Early Fall tour 25/9 – 2/10/2006

Late September is when fall migration really gets into gear and greater varieties of passing migrants and wintering species can be found. 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. As October creeps in it brings with it an influx of migrants from the east, with rarities from Central Asia and Siberia, increasing towards the end of the month. This is not the best time of the fall in terms of variety, but migration in Israel is always interesting and there are always surprises. Any of the birds mentioned in the late fall tour can show up as early as this.

Late Fall – Early Winter – 30/10 – 6/11/2006

Early November 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 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 2 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 Palaearctic.

Careful searching of the fields should yield such attractive waders as Stone Curlew, Cream-coloured Courser, Dotterel, Golden Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Lapwing, and the globally threatened Sociable Plover.

Winter tour – 18-25/12/2006

This is a great tour that offers steady winter birding in warm, sunny days. 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: Imperial Eagle, Grey Hypocolious (very rare) , 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. 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 previous tour.

Contact info

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