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News from the Swamp

The November Bird Festival has been postponed due to the events in Northern Israel, BUT we hope we will see you all in November 2007 at the Hula Bird Festival 2007.

In the field there has been much activity; White Storks, Honey Buzzards, Levant Sparrowhawks, Lesser Grey Shrikes. have mostly all passed through, presently there are big flocks of Lesser Spotted Eagles and Black Kites around, together with many Harriers, Pelicans, Eurasian Shovlers, Common Teals, Ruffs and many many more Waders, Passerines and Raptors.

The whole area is teaming with more and more birds and every day something else appears. In the last week or so, Common Cranes have started to arrive and yesterday 770  were counted. It won't be long now until thousands of Cranes (at least 50-70 thousand annually) will fill the Hula Valley on their way South.

On the rarities side, one Isabeline Shrike has been seen and we hope it will stay for a while. in early September a first for Israel Northern Red Bishop was photographed in the lake, but this is obviously an escape rather than a genuine vagrant. Just after the 'war' we had some very strange records of a 'Rufus' Marbled Duck and a strange Egret with yellow reaching almost to its tibia (strange Little Egret or maybe the first Dimorphic Egret out of Africa -see photos below).

With so many birds around, it is bound that more updates will appear soon...

I rather go birding...

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