1st Time to Israel (1 Viewer)

My wife and I are making our first visit to Israel in March. One day will be devoted to birding in and around Hula Valley and the Golan Heights. I am looking for advice on what field guides to purchase. We live in North America but hope to make additional trips to the Middle East and Europe so the books might get used again on future trips.

Also, I am looking to names and contact info for local guides that can help us find and identify birds. I am sent inquiries to both SPNI and JBO and so far no responses have been received. If anyone has had a good experience with a local birding guide, please tell us who.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birds-Midd...7727&sr=1-1&keywords=birds+of+the+middle+east


A

This may be of some use. A Guide To The Birding Hot-Spots Of Northern Israel by Hadoram Shirihai. Although it was published in 2000 much of the information is still very relevant. I always found the Collins guide perfectly adequate for Israel.

Bubbs said:

This may be of some use. A Guide To The Birding Hot-Spots Of Northern Israel by Hadoram Shirihai. Although it was published in 2000 much of the information is still very relevant. I always found the Collins guide perfectly adequate for Israel.

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Lots of irrelevant species though, especially for a first timer to the region.


A

The Collins Guide is perfectly fine to Use in Israel and can be used if visiting Europe on subsequent visits. However if just want to concentrate on the middle east the Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East by Richard Port and Simon Aspinall would be ample enough. Both Collins and the middle East guides are available as Apps.

Here is the link the countries Birding Portal which will give up lots of birding information. http://www.birds.org.il/en/index.aspx and here is the Israel Birding Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Israel-IOC-Birds-and-Birding-255991381078737/
March will see an increase on visiting birders to Israel, especially the south where the annual Bird Festival is held http://www.birds.org.il/en/event-page.aspx?eventId=73

I would also venture to add that you don't really need a guide to help find and identify the birds in Israel - with the Shirihai site guide that Bubbs mentioned, and either the Collins or the BoME books for species id, you're sorted, the roads are good, well signposted, driving standards generally better than neighbouring countries and English widely understood.
You should have a great time and being March, will no doubt bump into other birders with up to the minute gen.

Richard Prior said:

I would also venture to add that you don't really need a guide to help find and identify the birds in Israel - with the Shirihai site guide that Bubbs mentioned, and either the Collins or the BoME books for species id, you're sorted, the roads are good, well signposted, driving standards generally better than neighbouring countries and English widely understood.
You should have a great time and being March, will no doubt bump into other birders with up to the minute gen.

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I agree. You don’t need a guide and I alway thought that finding your own birds was much more rewarding, but perhaps if time is limited then a guide would be useful. I forgot to mention that Hadoram’s book comes in two volumes. North and south. If good accommodation is needed you need look no further than Ramot Naftali which is a very short drive from the Hula. Here you will find some fantastic B&B’s....many of them with views overlooking the Hula.

Richard Prior said:

I would also venture to add that you don't really need a guide to help find and identify the birds in Israel - with the Shirihai site guide that Bubbs mentioned, and either the Collins or the BoME books for species id, you're sorted, the roads are good, well signposted, driving standards generally better than neighbouring countries and English widely understood.
You should have a great time and being March, will no doubt bump into other birders with up to the minute gen.

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I think a couple are pretty tough without a guide, e.g Desert Owl, Pallid / Striated Scops?

A

Of course, you're right Andy, I should have said "most of the birds"

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful advice above and also to dcw who sent me a PM with more good advice. I purchased both of the recommended Princeton Field Guides "Birds of the Middle East" and “Birds of Europe”.

We have a guide lined up. I found him?/her? (not sure because I don’t recognize the gender of Israeli names; not that it matters) on this website: http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/israel.htm. This was a challenge because the Eliat Bird Festival is happening on the day we have set aside for birding so several guides declined the opportunity because they will be down south.

I appreciate the advice that we could do fine without a guide. I have never hired a guide before but in this instance the $200 should be worth it. This trip was my wife’s desire and while she enjoys birding, her focus is on the many historical sites that Israel offers. So, with only one day to look for birds, I want to maximize the opportunity. When I made a trip to very south Texas, we birded without a guide and did fine but I found I had to spend some significant amount of time with my nose in a field guide to ID birds that were new to me. I know that if I were to take a visitor around my area, I could ID most of the birds we would see without hesitation. That and help finding the birds is what will be valuable.

After we get back, I report on how the trip went.

I just got back from our trip to Israel. I posted a report on the Vacation Report section of this forum.

See: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=359137

I did hire a guide and I was glad I did. Worth the money as he was very helpful in knowing where to go and identifying birds that are common to him but new to us.
His name Rei Raz and he can be reached at razrei at gmail dot com.