watcher
Well-known member
Birding in the Hula Valley, Israel
(19-25 January, 2006)
provided by: http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com
As a representative of Bulgaria in the EU funded Pan-European project INTERCAFE (http://www.intercafeproject.net) I was invited to take part in the next project meeting in a row, scheduled for Israel. However in-between the project activities, workshops and field case studies we had some time to spend on birdwatching in the area of the Hula Valley, which is situated in the Northern parts of Israel between the borders with Lebanon and Syria.
The Hula Valley is one of the most important resting places for hundreds of millions of migratory birds on passage coming from Eurasia on their way to the wintering grounds in Africa and the Middle East. The valley itself covers an area of 177 square kilometres (25 km by 6-8 km). After draining the wetlands there in the middle of the last century (because of the malaria), some parts of the former water bodies have recently been restored. Outside the Hula Valley Nature Reserve many fish ponds have been created among the intensively cultivated crop fields and orchards. Although not wild any more the local environment provides very good conditions for many wintering and migrating birds.
Some other trips included visits to the Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the Gamla Nature Reserve. The lake is the main source of drinking water for Israel but it also provides pelicans, cormorants, many grebes and other waterfowl safe place for resting and feeding. The Gamla Nature Reserve is famous not only for its colony of breeding Griffon Vultures, but also being situated in the Golan Heights – very strategic area, that has been a subject of several wars between Israel and Syria in the near past but still not completely given up by the latter.
However here are some short notes about the most interesting species that may be of use to anyone, going there in the middle of the Israeli winter (although temperatures there rarely fall to +10o C or less).
1. Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrorax pygmeus) – not numerous in the Hula Valley. Less than a hundred we saw during the boat trip in the Lake Kinneret (which is also breeding area for the species during spring and summer).
2. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) – rarely seen among the other herons and egrets around the wetlands. More common among grazing cows and buffalos in the meadows at the foothills of the Golan Heights (even in some high areas in the heights in absolutely rocky and dry habitats but with grazing cattle presented).
3. Great Egret (Egretta alba) – hundreds of them use to feed among the Cranes in Agmon area.
4. Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) – several small flocks comprising 5-15 birds still migrating southwards.
5. Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubber) – one bird in Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
6. Shoveler (Anas clypeata) – probably the most numerous waterfowl species. Thousands in the lakes in the reserves and in the fish ponds.
7. Marbled Duck (Anas angustirostris) – breeding in the area during summer. Although we managed to visit quite a few wetlands during our stay, I saw only one flock of 42 birds in the fish ponds some 5 km westwards from Kfar Blum kibbutz (close to the city of Shemona).
8. Gadwall (Anas strepera) – 15 birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
9. Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) – several tens of them in Gamla Nature Reserve. About 100 birds reported to roost in the area each night (increasing).
10. Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) – another example of the highlights in the valley, where about 50-60 individuals use to spend the winter. I saw about 30 birds.
11. Eastern Imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) – young bird was observed in Agmon.
12. Booted Eagle (Hieratetus pennatus) – two individuals observed (pale and dark morph).
13. Black Kite (Milvus migrans) – several migrating flocks of 5-15 birds still flying southwards.
14. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) – not numerous. However separate individuals occur everywhere in the valleys.
15. Black Frankoline (Frankolinus frankolinus) – considered as a common species in the area, but I saw just one female bird in abandoned fish ponds by Kfar Blum.
16. Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) – more than 15 000 birds were wintering in the valley. Special trips with tractor, dragging a wagon with passengers among the feeding birds is a unique attraction in the Agmon area, providing tourists with spectacular views of thousands of Cranes from a distance of less than 50 m.
17. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - few birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
18. Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus) – one of the most common waders in the area, which could be observed almost everywhere – in crop fields, along channels, in fish ponds, lakes etc. I enjoyed few hundreds of them.
19. Pallas’s Gull (Larus ichthyaetus) – in some years quite numerous in the area. This winter numbers presented were reported to be much less numerous than in previous years. I saw just one in the Hulla Valley (in the fish ponds by Kfar Blum kibbutz) and more than 30 in the fish ponds in the Beit Shean Valley (close to the southern banks of the Lake Kinneret). Several birds were also noticed in the Lake Kinneret itself.
20. Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus) – common among flocks of Yellow-legged Gulls everywhere in fish ponds.
21. Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) – few birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
22. Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) – mentioned here just because of their amazingly high numbers – flocks of 50-100 birds we observed in quite many places, especially by settlements, farms etc.
23. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) – common and numerous everywhere.
24. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) – although not numerous, I saw this species in each of the fish ponds visited. Not necessarily connected to fish as food source. Perching birds, resembling resting Kestrels, were seen on wires along roads and also in completely dry areas, meadows, rocky slopes and gardens etc.
25. Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) – not numerous but still observed in each of the fish ponds visited.
26. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) – common, breeding in the eucalyptus trees along the roads, in the city parks and gardens.
27. Little Swift (Apus afinis) – not numerous, but one should keep an eye trying to find them in the flocks of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica transitiva). More numerous in Gamla Nature Reserve and by the banks of the Lake Kinneret (where wintering Crag Martins (Hirundo rupestris) also occur).
28. Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygus) – the most numerous passerine together with House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs). All types of habitats – gardens, parks, reedbeds, bushes by roads, tall grassland areas etc.
29. Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti) – singing birds could be heard in each fish pond if reedbeds occur.
30. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) – few individuals observed in several fishponds.
31. Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) – common everywhere where any type of fields occur (meadows, crops etc.).
32. Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) – numerous singing birds. Habitats almost the same as Spectacled Bulbul.
33. Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) – individuals and small flocks are common within the reedbeds in fishponds and along channels.
34. Palestine Sunbird (Nectarinia osea) – common. Singing males in each garden and park visited where flowering bushes/trees occur.
35. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) – surprisingly scarce compared to other Mediterranean countries during winter.
36. Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) – one bird seen in the Hulla Valley Nature Reserve.
37. Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) – about 10 singing males seen in display in Gamla Nature Reserve.
38. Indian Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica) – 1 bird by the northern banks of the Lake Kinneret.
39. Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) – common outside the Hula Valley as the agriculture there seems too much intensive (with lots of pesticides used) and any rodents and ground-connected insects are lacking. Often seen on wires by small uncultivated meadows within rocky slopes by roads and orchards around the Lake Kinneret.
:t: http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com :t:
(19-25 January, 2006)
provided by: http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com
As a representative of Bulgaria in the EU funded Pan-European project INTERCAFE (http://www.intercafeproject.net) I was invited to take part in the next project meeting in a row, scheduled for Israel. However in-between the project activities, workshops and field case studies we had some time to spend on birdwatching in the area of the Hula Valley, which is situated in the Northern parts of Israel between the borders with Lebanon and Syria.
The Hula Valley is one of the most important resting places for hundreds of millions of migratory birds on passage coming from Eurasia on their way to the wintering grounds in Africa and the Middle East. The valley itself covers an area of 177 square kilometres (25 km by 6-8 km). After draining the wetlands there in the middle of the last century (because of the malaria), some parts of the former water bodies have recently been restored. Outside the Hula Valley Nature Reserve many fish ponds have been created among the intensively cultivated crop fields and orchards. Although not wild any more the local environment provides very good conditions for many wintering and migrating birds.
Some other trips included visits to the Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the Gamla Nature Reserve. The lake is the main source of drinking water for Israel but it also provides pelicans, cormorants, many grebes and other waterfowl safe place for resting and feeding. The Gamla Nature Reserve is famous not only for its colony of breeding Griffon Vultures, but also being situated in the Golan Heights – very strategic area, that has been a subject of several wars between Israel and Syria in the near past but still not completely given up by the latter.
However here are some short notes about the most interesting species that may be of use to anyone, going there in the middle of the Israeli winter (although temperatures there rarely fall to +10o C or less).
1. Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrorax pygmeus) – not numerous in the Hula Valley. Less than a hundred we saw during the boat trip in the Lake Kinneret (which is also breeding area for the species during spring and summer).
2. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) – rarely seen among the other herons and egrets around the wetlands. More common among grazing cows and buffalos in the meadows at the foothills of the Golan Heights (even in some high areas in the heights in absolutely rocky and dry habitats but with grazing cattle presented).
3. Great Egret (Egretta alba) – hundreds of them use to feed among the Cranes in Agmon area.
4. Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) – several small flocks comprising 5-15 birds still migrating southwards.
5. Flamingo (Phoenicopterus rubber) – one bird in Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
6. Shoveler (Anas clypeata) – probably the most numerous waterfowl species. Thousands in the lakes in the reserves and in the fish ponds.
7. Marbled Duck (Anas angustirostris) – breeding in the area during summer. Although we managed to visit quite a few wetlands during our stay, I saw only one flock of 42 birds in the fish ponds some 5 km westwards from Kfar Blum kibbutz (close to the city of Shemona).
8. Gadwall (Anas strepera) – 15 birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
9. Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) – several tens of them in Gamla Nature Reserve. About 100 birds reported to roost in the area each night (increasing).
10. Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) – another example of the highlights in the valley, where about 50-60 individuals use to spend the winter. I saw about 30 birds.
11. Eastern Imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) – young bird was observed in Agmon.
12. Booted Eagle (Hieratetus pennatus) – two individuals observed (pale and dark morph).
13. Black Kite (Milvus migrans) – several migrating flocks of 5-15 birds still flying southwards.
14. Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) – not numerous. However separate individuals occur everywhere in the valleys.
15. Black Frankoline (Frankolinus frankolinus) – considered as a common species in the area, but I saw just one female bird in abandoned fish ponds by Kfar Blum.
16. Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) – more than 15 000 birds were wintering in the valley. Special trips with tractor, dragging a wagon with passengers among the feeding birds is a unique attraction in the Agmon area, providing tourists with spectacular views of thousands of Cranes from a distance of less than 50 m.
17. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - few birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
18. Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus) – one of the most common waders in the area, which could be observed almost everywhere – in crop fields, along channels, in fish ponds, lakes etc. I enjoyed few hundreds of them.
19. Pallas’s Gull (Larus ichthyaetus) – in some years quite numerous in the area. This winter numbers presented were reported to be much less numerous than in previous years. I saw just one in the Hulla Valley (in the fish ponds by Kfar Blum kibbutz) and more than 30 in the fish ponds in the Beit Shean Valley (close to the southern banks of the Lake Kinneret). Several birds were also noticed in the Lake Kinneret itself.
20. Armenian Gull (Larus armenicus) – common among flocks of Yellow-legged Gulls everywhere in fish ponds.
21. Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) – few birds in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve.
22. Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) – mentioned here just because of their amazingly high numbers – flocks of 50-100 birds we observed in quite many places, especially by settlements, farms etc.
23. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) – common and numerous everywhere.
24. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) – although not numerous, I saw this species in each of the fish ponds visited. Not necessarily connected to fish as food source. Perching birds, resembling resting Kestrels, were seen on wires along roads and also in completely dry areas, meadows, rocky slopes and gardens etc.
25. Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) – not numerous but still observed in each of the fish ponds visited.
26. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) – common, breeding in the eucalyptus trees along the roads, in the city parks and gardens.
27. Little Swift (Apus afinis) – not numerous, but one should keep an eye trying to find them in the flocks of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica transitiva). More numerous in Gamla Nature Reserve and by the banks of the Lake Kinneret (where wintering Crag Martins (Hirundo rupestris) also occur).
28. Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygus) – the most numerous passerine together with House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs). All types of habitats – gardens, parks, reedbeds, bushes by roads, tall grassland areas etc.
29. Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti) – singing birds could be heard in each fish pond if reedbeds occur.
30. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) – few individuals observed in several fishponds.
31. Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) – common everywhere where any type of fields occur (meadows, crops etc.).
32. Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) – numerous singing birds. Habitats almost the same as Spectacled Bulbul.
33. Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) – individuals and small flocks are common within the reedbeds in fishponds and along channels.
34. Palestine Sunbird (Nectarinia osea) – common. Singing males in each garden and park visited where flowering bushes/trees occur.
35. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) – surprisingly scarce compared to other Mediterranean countries during winter.
36. Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) – one bird seen in the Hulla Valley Nature Reserve.
37. Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) – about 10 singing males seen in display in Gamla Nature Reserve.
38. Indian Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica) – 1 bird by the northern banks of the Lake Kinneret.
39. Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) – common outside the Hula Valley as the agriculture there seems too much intensive (with lots of pesticides used) and any rodents and ground-connected insects are lacking. Often seen on wires by small uncultivated meadows within rocky slopes by roads and orchards around the Lake Kinneret.
:t: http://www.birdwatchingbulgaria.com :t:
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