Israel - Arava Valley Flyway

The Southern Arava Desert is quite simply one of the world’s best migration hotspots. Besides the impressive numbers and variety of birds present, mid March is an amazing period to visit southern Israel as the weather is great, the desert may still be in bloom and the prospect of rare and enigmatic species is real. Situated on one of the most important flyways in the Western Palaearctic, southern Israel offers birders a magical migration experience. Our trip is timed to coincide with huge numbers of migrants, making their way through the region to their northern breeding grounds. Whilst the itinerary will take in all of the sites mentioned, it will be as flexible as possible, to ensure that time in the field is maximised. We will visit all the main habitats in and around Eilat and the Negev Desert, returning to those that are most productive. One of the most memorable sights in Israel is that of thousands of raptors flying overhead and given the correct conditions this will be one of the highlights of our tour. To offer a real taste of Israeli life, we have chosen to base ourselves at different Kibbutz’s, following our enjoyable stays on previous tours. This uniquely Israeli experience is ideally situated to cover all of the best birding sites in the area and has good birding on site. The walking is generally easy and averages three or four miles per day. Your tour leaders will be Gary Elton who will be assisted by a local guide throughout the tour. Early starts will be necessary for some days and late finishes for others. You can expect to see 150 – 175 species.

DAY ONE

Fly London Luton/Tel Aviv before transferring to our accommodation in the Negev Desert. Overnight Mashabei Sade kibbutz hotel.

DAY TWO
We will make an early start to get acquainted with some of the sites and common species in the region. We will be monitoring the skies as various soaring birds are already on the move Steppe Eagles, Steppe Buzzard, Black Kite and White Storks may be seen in the hundreds during March and we should also encounter our first Black Storks, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Pallid and Marsh Harriers and Egyptian Vultures of the tour. Our day will be spent birding in the high Negev, visiting Sde Boker, Avdat Gorge and more. Overnight Mashabei Sade kibbutz hotel.

DAY THREE

This is our Nizzana and western Negev day. This is one of the world’s most amazing scenic areas. We will head out very early in order to be in Nizzana at first light. The early morning hours will be dedicated to finding the enigmatic McQueen’s Bustard and the elegant Cream-coloured Courser. This area is incredibly productive and we should expect a large and variable list of species. Desert and Greater Hoopoe Larks and Asian Desert Warbler are usually present and in some years Lesser Short-toed, Bimaculated, Thick-billed and Dunn’s Larks can also be found, but these are difficult birds to catch up with and it is unlikely we will be successful with all of them. Nowadays, fewer sandgrouse are present, though we still hope to encounter small numbers of at least three species – Black-bellied, Crowned and Spotted.In the heat of the afternoon we make the journey south towards Eilat to our overnight accommodation at Kibbutz Eilot. If time allows, we will stop on the way at the impressive Ramon Crater, and look for some of the breeding raptors such as Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Long Legged Buzzards, Bonnelli’s Eagle and Lanner as well as passerine migrants. – occasionally Syrian Serin can be found here. After a short birding session to explore the Kibbutz grounds on arrival, we retire to bed ready for an early start tomorrow. Overnight Kibbutz Eilot.

DAY FOUR

We will visit the various migrant magnets around the kibbutz in order for our visiting birders to get a feel for the place. The people here are very birder friendly and are used to visitors birding around the kibbutz. Species that should be seen include Barbary Falcon, Brown-necked Raven, Blackstart, Desert Finch, Little Green Bee-eater, Red-throated Pipit, Palestine Sunbird, Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears and Cretzchmar’s Bunting, whilst species such as Lesser Whitethroat, Laughing Dove, Yellow-vented Bulbul and more.

We will then set out after breakfast to bird the Yotvata area. This is a very productive site and has various habitats such as sewage pools, Acacia scrub and fields. We will search the scrub for Eastern Bonelli’s, Eastern Olivaceous, Graceful and Arabian Warblers, Arabian Babbler, Masked and Woodchat Shrikes, Great Spotted Cuckoo and possibly Rufous Bush Robin, amongst a host of warblers and wagtails. The Yotvata area has produced many rarities throughout the years and there is always a chance to find something unusual which has included a Caspian Plover on each of our previous tours. Small numbers of Oriental Sky Lark winter here, while Common Quail are often seen in the dry sandy areas. We will also return here one evening to look for Egyptian Nightjar. We will enjoy a productive session at Eilat`s reservoirs and salt pans, where interesting species may include Wood Sandpiper, Little Stint, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed, Little, Yellow-legged, Caspian and Baltic Gulls, Black-winged Stilt and Greater Flamingo being found amongst more familiar species. We have also seen rarities such as Kittlitz’s Plover and Sociable Plover here. At North Beach, Eilat, Caspian Tern and possibly White-eyed and Pallas’s Gulls may be found and raptors and species such as Eurasian Spoonbill and Garganey may be seen coming in off the sea, while Western Reef Heron should be somewhere nearby. There are a few migrant hotspots to check near the town too, which in the past have produced rare species such as Black Bush Robin, while Eastern Bonelli’s, Subalpine and Ruppell’s Warblers are far more regular. We will wrap the day up with a visit to a traditional drinking spot for Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse. Overnight Kibbutz Eilot.

DAYS FIVE – SIX
We will pend our days looking for migrants in this bird rich southern region of Israel. This will inlcude birding around the Kibbutz, and local park in Eilat, as well as its famous North Beach. We will set out early to the Eilat Mountains, to one of the best raptor watch points in the Western Palaearctic. We will focus on raptor monitoring and identification. We will then descend back to the Arava valley and visit some less visited sites for migrant shorebirds, waterfowl, passerines and more. We will also search for more localized species like Sinai Rosefinch, Syrian Serin, Mourning, White-crowned Black and Hooded Wheatears, Desert and Bar-tailed Larks, Scrub and Cyprus Warblers, Sand Partridge, Spotted Sandgrouse and more, all in spectacular scenery. Overnights Kibbutz Eilot.

DAY SEVEN

We will continue to bird around the sewage farms and various migrant traps – in addition to species already mentioned, we should also find Yellow Wagtails of various races, Little Crake, Sardinian Warbler, Namaqua Dove, Eurasian Wryneck, European Hoopoe, Little Green and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Blackstart, Southern Grey Shrike, Eastern Orphean Warbler and Chukar while sometimes a late overwintering Cyprus Warbler, Cyprus Pied Wheatear or Black Bush Robin can occur. In the afternoon we will head north towards the Dead Sea region, visiting some sites along the way. The main one will be the Shezaf Nature Reserve to look for the elusive Arabian Warbler. Overnight En Gedi area.

DAY EIGHT

We will be covering a lot of road in search for some of the areas special species that include Dead Sea Sparrow, Fan-tailed Raven, Mountain Bunting, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Trumpeter Finch, Pallid Swift and more. During the day we will visit a special ‘new” site in the southern Dead Sea where recent visits have produced African Swamp-hen, Ferruginous Ducks and a nice selection of waterfowl. We will visit a local site for Nubian Nightjar and hopefully Pharaoh Eagle Owl too, on one of our nights in this area. Overnight En Gedi area.

DAY NINE
The final morning of the tour is spent at various birding spots in the Dead Sea region up to Jeruslaem, in search for whatever species we might have missed. Our return flight departs mid afternoon local time from Tel-Aviv back to the UK, where the tour will conclude.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
Return flights London/Tel Aviv, eight nights’ accommodation at Kibbutz accommodation, meals from dinner on day one to lunch on final day, airport transfers, services of leaders, transport and reserve entrance fees.

NOT INCLUDED
Transport to/ from UK airport and any overnight stay involved, travel insurance, drinks and all items of a purely personal nature.

PASSPORT, VISA & HEALTH

Visas are not required by UK nationals. Passports must have 6 months validity beyond the return travel date. Standard health and inoculation requirements apply for UK nationals, visit www.masta-travel-health.com to check these and if necessary, download a free health brief to take to a travel appointment at your local medical practice. Evidence of a previous visit to another country in the region like an entry/exit stamp in your passport does not normally prevent entry into Israel, although it may lead to additional questioning at the border. It is for the Israeli authorities to determine the right of entry into Israel, so if you have any particular concerns about previous travel to another country, you should contact the Israeli Embassy in London.

Israel 2009

Israel 2010

“Just a quick email to thank you all for such a wonderful week! The birds were great and the company perfect – it was a pleasure birding with you all”

T.F, Yeovil

“It was a great experience, a fantastic country with great birds. I really enjoyed the company and would like to thank you and Ashley for finding the birds and helping to improve my identification skills. Hope to travel again with you in the near future”

P.R, Kent

“This was the best birding holiday I have had to date. The great views of the birds, stunning scenery and a nice group of people more than compensated for the basic rooms and uninspiring food. Neil & Ashley did a great job and the addition of Jonathan at various times allowed us to visit sites and see birds that would have otherwise been difficult if not impossible. He was a really nice guy too. Once again – thanks for a great holiday!”

A.D, Edinburgh

“Hi Guys – Hope you are all well and have come down to earth after such a fantastic trip and awesome birds. I echo what Tim said in thanking you for all your hard work and thanking you guys for your great company and also your ID help. As well as the fantastic birds it was also fun”

C.L, Coventry

“I just wanted to thank you for a great holiday. There was an excellent spirit in the group, and I had a lot of fun as well as seeing many fantastic birds at close quarters. You did a top job”

N.P, Nottingham

“Thanks to Oriole I enjoyed my holiday very much. I had a fantastic time and superb birds. The small group was so much better than the larger ones. I would participate on another holiday and would recommend Oriole Birding to others”

J.S, Nottingham

“First, very many thanks for a super trip and for a very comprehensive trip report. Our fellow birders were splendid company and we enjoyed a laugh with you all!. Thanks again for working so hard to make our holiday a success and we’ll see you all again.”

B & L.R. Lincolnshire

“Holiday was great value for money. I particularly enjoyed the loose itinerary. The holiday was excellent.”

P.S.H, Birmingham.

Tour at a glance

12th Mar 2022 - 20th Mar 2022

AVAILABLE

Cost: £2499

Deposit: £500

Single Supplement: £400

Tour Description: A two-centre tour covering Israel's Southern Arava Valley and Negev Desert regions during Spring migration. Some early starts and late finishes required, but not too much travelling involved and mainly short walks. Simple but comfortable en suite kibbutz accommodation

Group Size: Ten plus leaders

Tour Leader: Gary Elton and local guide