With a duration of just two-and-a-days, this proved to be an extraordinarily productive trip. The basic idea was to visit the Hula Valley for the amazing concentrations of wintering Cranes and other waterbirds, then travel up into the occupied Golan Heights, before dropping down to the Beit She'an area to look for birds around the superb fishpond systems.
This short trip truly exceeded expectations - not only seeing the impressive 50,000 Cranes at Hula, but also a whole bunch of other highlights, including Black Francolin, Dead Sea Sparrows, Great Spotted Cuckoo and no less than 19 Pallas's Gulls. Also saw Eastern Imperial, Steppe, Bonelli's and Great Spotted Eagles, plus a number of other targets, such as Vinous-breasted Starlings in the Tel Aviv area and False Apollo butterfly in the Golan Heights.
16 February. Tel Aviv and Ma'agan Micheal fishponds.
Flying into Tel Aviv mid-morning, thunderstorms either side, a sudden bang and the plane momentarily shuddered, lights flickering ...we had been hit by lightning, an eventful start to the trip! An hour later, Israeli immigration and car rental sorted, I was weaving my way through the city to Yarkon Park. In the shadow of gleaming office blocks, this patch of greenery has plonked itself on the birding itinerary primary for an exotic interloper - Vinous-breasted Starling. With an established population in the Tel Aviv area, Yarkon Park is supposed to be one of the most reliable localities for the species.
And so it was, a mere 15 minutes after leaving the airport, I was wandering through this park, city folk enjoying the Sabbath sunshine, me enjoying a surprising wealth of birds - a Syrian Woodpecker, several White-throated Kingfishers, a couple of White-spectacled Bulbuls, a Night Heron, umpteen ultra tame Hoopoes, these latter birds happily feeding mere metres from stomping feet. And then there were the exotica ... introduced species all, hordes of Common Mynas, flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets, quite a few Monk Parakeets, Egyptian Geese by a stream - exotica capital of the Middle East! As for the Vinous-breasted Starlings however, not a single one did I see in the hour I allotted to my search. Wishing to get up to Ma'agan Micheal fishponds, an hour north, I decided to call it quits and perhaps call in on Yarkon again on the way back to the airport.
Up at Ma'agan Micheal, the weather turned a little for the worst - a few rain squalls passing through, interspersed by periods of warm sunshine. Did make for some slippery tracks around the pools, but not bad birding - couldn't find any Pallas's Gulls, but ample compensation with quite a few Slender-billed Gulls, as well as a pretty impressive mixed flock of at least 70 Black Storks and 30 Spoonbills. Plenty more to keep me busy too, a few Pygmy Cormorants, three Water Pipits, several Pied Kingfishers, etc etc. Late afternoon however, with the weather looking even more iffy, we decided Ma'agan Micheal was not going to produce much more - time to drive 120 km to the north-east to the Hula Valley. Arrived after dark, stayed in a hotel just south of Agamon Hahula.
This short trip truly exceeded expectations - not only seeing the impressive 50,000 Cranes at Hula, but also a whole bunch of other highlights, including Black Francolin, Dead Sea Sparrows, Great Spotted Cuckoo and no less than 19 Pallas's Gulls. Also saw Eastern Imperial, Steppe, Bonelli's and Great Spotted Eagles, plus a number of other targets, such as Vinous-breasted Starlings in the Tel Aviv area and False Apollo butterfly in the Golan Heights.
16 February. Tel Aviv and Ma'agan Micheal fishponds.
Flying into Tel Aviv mid-morning, thunderstorms either side, a sudden bang and the plane momentarily shuddered, lights flickering ...we had been hit by lightning, an eventful start to the trip! An hour later, Israeli immigration and car rental sorted, I was weaving my way through the city to Yarkon Park. In the shadow of gleaming office blocks, this patch of greenery has plonked itself on the birding itinerary primary for an exotic interloper - Vinous-breasted Starling. With an established population in the Tel Aviv area, Yarkon Park is supposed to be one of the most reliable localities for the species.
And so it was, a mere 15 minutes after leaving the airport, I was wandering through this park, city folk enjoying the Sabbath sunshine, me enjoying a surprising wealth of birds - a Syrian Woodpecker, several White-throated Kingfishers, a couple of White-spectacled Bulbuls, a Night Heron, umpteen ultra tame Hoopoes, these latter birds happily feeding mere metres from stomping feet. And then there were the exotica ... introduced species all, hordes of Common Mynas, flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets, quite a few Monk Parakeets, Egyptian Geese by a stream - exotica capital of the Middle East! As for the Vinous-breasted Starlings however, not a single one did I see in the hour I allotted to my search. Wishing to get up to Ma'agan Micheal fishponds, an hour north, I decided to call it quits and perhaps call in on Yarkon again on the way back to the airport.
Up at Ma'agan Micheal, the weather turned a little for the worst - a few rain squalls passing through, interspersed by periods of warm sunshine. Did make for some slippery tracks around the pools, but not bad birding - couldn't find any Pallas's Gulls, but ample compensation with quite a few Slender-billed Gulls, as well as a pretty impressive mixed flock of at least 70 Black Storks and 30 Spoonbills. Plenty more to keep me busy too, a few Pygmy Cormorants, three Water Pipits, several Pied Kingfishers, etc etc. Late afternoon however, with the weather looking even more iffy, we decided Ma'agan Micheal was not going to produce much more - time to drive 120 km to the north-east to the Hula Valley. Arrived after dark, stayed in a hotel just south of Agamon Hahula.