My wife and I will be spending 2 weeks in Israel in the first half of May. We will be staying mostly in Jerusalem with day trips out of that city, plus 2 nights in Tel Aviv. This is not primarily a birding trip but over the course of two weeks I hope to get out for some bird walks near our lodgings, and will be on the lookout for birds at all times. This will be my first visit to that part of the world in 30 years, and the first since I became interested in the birds, so I'm excited about the birding aspect even though it will not be the main focus of the trip. I have found some websites, and sites/resources like the Jerusalem Bird Observatory an the Green Map look interesting.
Can anyone suggest a good guide for identifying birds in Israel, for a first-time visitor from North America? I bought "Birds of the Middle East" by Porter and will bring it for reference, but it's probably too heavy to carry around every day. Something lighter would be good to find. Are there any good apps for the Android phone that would be helpful?
Any suggestions for birding sites in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, that would be easily accessible to visitors without a car and with only an hour or so to spare at each visit, and might be productive in early May?
Thanks for any other tips or suggestions. I hope I can return sometime to Hula or Eilat during the migrations, but I want to make the most of this opportunity!
Matt Tarlach
Walnut Creek, California
Can anyone suggest a good guide for identifying birds in Israel, for a first-time visitor from North America? I bought "Birds of the Middle East" by Porter and will bring it for reference, but it's probably too heavy to carry around every day. Something lighter would be good to find. Are there any good apps for the Android phone that would be helpful?
Any suggestions for birding sites in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, that would be easily accessible to visitors without a car and with only an hour or so to spare at each visit, and might be productive in early May?
Thanks for any other tips or suggestions. I hope I can return sometime to Hula or Eilat during the migrations, but I want to make the most of this opportunity!
Matt Tarlach
Walnut Creek, California