Home / Bird Festival / News / Hula Valley / Birds Checklist / Birding Sites / About Us / Contact Us

Hula Valley Bird Festival - Israel 2006 5-11 November

News from the Swamp

5.3.06       

Our Bird Survey in the Golan Heights has started recently and nice records are coming by the day. Not many soaring birds are moving through for now (few Steppe Buzzards and Common Cranes so far), but 2 different individuals of Northern Goshawks (a rarity in Israel) have been spotted; 1 Ad. Female flying low next to the wind turbine filed and 1 Juv' (probably female judging by the size) flying low and being harassed by Hooded Crow next to Mt. Varda (Northern Golan).

Other than these, at the Oak forest next to the Wind turbines, a group of 5 Rock Buntings and a single male Syrian Serin were a nice addition. In the plains to the West of the turbines many Calandra and Wood Larks are very aggressive on their new territories, while Finsch's, Isabeline and Northern Wheatears are joining the many seed-eaters (Linnets, Chaffinches, Greenfinches. ) and they all paint the area with nice spring colours.

Itai Shanni

News Archive