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Birding Sites Taken from A GUIDE TO THE BIRDING HOT-SPOTS OF NORTHERN ISRAEL by Hadoram Shirihai, James P. Smith, Guy M. Kirwan and Dan Alon Gume Junction fish ponds (1), kibbutz Amir fish ponds (2), Lehavot Habashan (3) All of these locations can easily be accessed to the east of Route 90 north of Rosh Pinna. Gume Junction is just 5 km south of Kiryat Shomna. On approaching the junction you will see signs to Kefar Blum and Lehavot Habashan to the east of Route 90. Take the major turn on Route 977, and drive east along this road (a Eucalyptus avenue) for c.1 km Turn left on the first dirt track that you come to and find a suitable place to park. Scan the fish ponds to the north and the fields to the north-east. This area will should provide an excellent first taste of birding in the Hula Valley. Here you have a very good chance of seeing large flocks of White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, as well as White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicollis, Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga and tens of Black Kites Milvus migrans. If the birds are not soaring, check the fields for pelicans and any likely perching posts for raptors. A quality selection of wildfowl can be seen on these ponds including Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. While birding listen for two important calls coming from the tall Phragmites fringes. The first, a thin, high-pitched and rather drawn-out tsweeee, is given by Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus, a common wintering bird in this habitat. The second, the ratchet-like grating call of Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus cannot fail to draw your attention. The fish ponds on the opposite side the road (to the south) are also worthy of attention, especially for wintering Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon, Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus and Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola. From here you can proceed to a number of other productive birding locations, and our recommended accommodation at Kefar Blum. The fish ponds at kibbutz Amir (2) can be reached by turning left onto Route 9778, driving for 5 km and then turning right onto Route 9779. There are ponds on either side of the road c.2 km east of this junction. A similar selection of birds to those at Gume Junction can be found, but may contain larger numbers of wildfowl, including the possibility of small numbers of wintering White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons. White Stork Ciconia ciconia and Black Stork Ciconia nigra can also be found in winter at these pools along with many Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax. Good numbers of Serin Serinus serinus winter throughout the Hula Valley, the banks of fish ponds are a particularly good place to find them, as they feed on the seeds of thistles and other low vegetation. Lehavot Habashan fish ponds (3) are c.5 km south-east of kibbutz Amir. Take Route 9779 until it terminates at the junction of Route 918, and turn right, driving for 2 km until you reach a T-junction and return to Route 977. Turn left, and after less than 1 km you will notice kibbutz Lehavot Habshan on your left. The entrance to the fish ponds is directly opposite the main entrance of the kibbutz. We recommend that you park in a suitable place by the ponds, keeping access clear for kibbutz vehicles, and then bird the ponds on foot. The more neglected pools south-west of the kibbutz are usually the most productive and offer very good habitat for birds such as Night Heron, Ferruginous Duck, Spotted Eagle, Osprey Pandion heliatus, Water Rail Rallus aquaticus, Little Crake Porzana parva, Temminck's Stint Calidris temmincki, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Pallas’s Gull Larus ichthyaetus (December- March), Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis, Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis, Moustached Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler and, especially, Citrine Wagtail. The latter is reliable at this location and up to 10 have been counted in recent winters. Overhead you may also see Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus and Peregrine Falco peregrinus, which leave their roost sites on the western slopes of the Golan Heights, an hour or so after dawn. Kfar Blum kibbutz hotel provides a fine central base for all these locations and is on Route 9778, which can be reached 30 km north of Rosh Pinna via Gume Junction or from Lehavot Habashan along Route 977. Kfar Blum is well signposted from all directions.
Hula Valley re-flooded area (4), Hula Reservoir (5) and Hula Nature Reserve (6) The re-flooded area is best approached from Route 90, c.10 km south of Kiryat Shomna. While driving south on this road watch for Koakh Junction and Route 899 on your right-hand side. Proceed for a further 1 km watching for a long avenue of Eucalyptus trees on the left. On reaching the line of trees take a left turn toward a cotton plant at the end of the avenue. Drive past the plant (1 km from the junction) noting that the track changes from tarmac to gravel. Continue driving east over a humpback bridge, turning right for a brief distance and left again along a straight dirt track. You are now in the heart of the Hula Valley. The re-flooded area is a further 800 metres east along this track and can be easily viewed from many angles as a dirt road circuits the entire area. If you are pressed for time you would be advised to proceed directly to the flooded area, however, if not, bird slowly along this track. Between October and April at least, the fields should be full of birds such as: Great White Egret Egretta alba, Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis, Black Kite, Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus, Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, Spotted Eagle, Merlin Falco columbarius, Crane, Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus, Skylark Alauda arvensis, Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra and Corn Bunting Milaria calandra. The drainage canal that runs parallel with the dirt track often holds Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, Water Rail, Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis, Moustached Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Penduline Tit, especially at the point where the canal meets a reedbed c.1 km east of the cotton plant. A search of the south-eastern corner of this reedbed regularly produces Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquata) maura and Caspian Stonechat S. (torquata) variegata in late autumn and Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris on occasion. Due south of the reedbed, you will notice the large expanse of water with several places to park near the shore. This is an excellent place to scan the hordes of waterbirds scattered throughout the re-flooded area and from here you may see: Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, White Pelican, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Great White Egret, White and Black Storks, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber (scarce), a wide variety of diving and dabbling ducks, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, Avocet Recurvirostra avocetta, Curlew Numenius arquata and Marsh Sandpiper; Marbled Teal is occasional here. Another useful vantage point exists on the south side of the flood and is easily reached by following the dirt track for 0.5 km south-east, then turning sharp right at a T-junction for 300 metres and then due west for a further 400 metres. Here a canal opens out into the south-east bay of the flood offering some fine birding: Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Little Crake, Marsh Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Water Rail, Citrine Wagtail, Spotted Eagle and vast rafts of waterfowl. Purple Gallinule was regular here in winter 1996- 97 and could occur again. The fields and rough pasture are quartered by Long-legged Buzzard, and harriers especially Pallid. Good views of Crane with some White and Black Storks are also possible from here. In season, overhead Little Swift Apus affinis and Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba can be found among the hordes of hirundines. To reach the Hula Nature Reserve and reservoir you must retrace your tracks to Route 90 and then head south. After c.5 km watch for a dip in the road with a bus stop and some sheds on the left (east) side of the road. A dirt track between the sheds affords access to more fish ponds with the raised embankment of Hula Reservoir obvious on your right. Follow the dirt track around the bank of the reservoir checking the fish ponds as you go. The ponds can be productive for Night Heron, crakes Porzana spp. and sometimes Marbled Teal and all three kingfishers. As you continue to drive south watch for a gate in the fence (on the right) and a steep track leading up the bank to an overlook where you can park. Remember to park considerately, the track here is quite narrow. The views of the Hula Valley from here are superb and you close enough to the birds to enjoy them, but a telescope is recommended. The reservoir to the north-west, fish ponds to the east and south-east, and Hula Nature Reserve are all ornithologically extremely rich, not to mention the sky over the valley which is often full of pelicans, cranes, storks and raptors. Every bird is worthy a of a second glance and some of the species present may include: Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Marbled Teal, Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, Ferruginous Duck, Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture Aegypius monachus, White-tailed Eagle, Spotted Eagle, Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, Peregrine, Little Crake, Marsh Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Great Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus, Little Swift, Citrine Wagtail, Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta and Penduline Tit. If you can tear yourself away, retrace your steps back to Route 90 in order to reach the nature reserve. NB. Use extreme caution when turning left from Route 90 toward the reservoir. Traffic approaches at speed from both directions. It is often easier and safer to pull off onto the hard shoulder and wait for a traffic-free moment. In addition, the gate and barrier across the dirt track, near the sheds, are usually closed c.30 minutes before dusk. The owners of the fish ponds are usually aware of birders presence and will politely ask you to leave at about this time if you are not on your way already.
Hula Nature Reserve (5) Owned and maintained by the Nature Reserves Authority, this a wonderful pocket of the former swamp that covered most of the Hula Valley. The approach road to the reserve is c.1.5 km south of Hula Reservoir and clearly signposted from Route 90 in both directions, along with signs to Dubrovin Farm. After a pleasant 2 km drive along a Eucalyptus grove you will reach the reserve car park. |
Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius |
