ISRAEL

Israel is one of the world's finest migration hotspots, especially for raptors, storks and songbirds. Millions of northbound migrants find the vegetation around Eilat and the Arava Valley an irresistible place to stop and feed on their long journey. Many Middle Eastern specialities reach the edge of their range here overlapping in range with some African species such as Namaqua Dove. Extra-limital vagrants are discovered here with some regularity, and the comfortable conditions and favourable climate all add to Israel's popularity as a top birding destination. With our new itinerary this is a tour not to be missed.

Day 1 Early morning flight from a London airport to Tel Aviv where we pick up our minibuses and make the four-hour transfer to Eilat where we will be based for the next six nights.

Day 2 An introductory pre-breakfast walk is the norm for the first hours of daylight. We will not be disappointed: one can expect to see Yellow-vented Bulbul, Laughing Dove, House Crow, Rüppell's, Eastern Olivaceous and Eastern Bonelli's Warblers, White and Yellow (Black-headed) Wagtails, Woodchat and Masked Shrikes, Tree Pipit, Bluethroat, Eurasian Wryneck and many other migrants. After breakfast we will explore the variety of habitats within the short driving distance from Eilat. We should see our first Green Bee-eaters hawking for insects and Spur-winged Lapwings are common. As the day warms up, Black Kites, Steppe Buzzards and Baltic Gulls may start passing overhead, some of them quite low. On a good day, we will see literally thousands of them accompanied by Steppe Eagles and an occasional Short-toed, Booted, Imperial or Greater Spotted Eagle thrown in for good measure! The Date Palms may hold more migrants which could include Semi-collared Flycatcher, Common Redstarts of the eastern race (samamisicus) and, surprisingly, in the small irrigation puddles, Little Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper or Squacco Heron as well as Namaqua Doves close by. On one evening, we will try a very special drinking spot at dusk for Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse before returning to our hotel for dinner.

Day 3 Today we explore the desert regions north of Eilat. At first sight the stony desert looks rather devoid of life, with just a few scattered Acacia trees and bushes. However, these areas can be productive and with patience, we could find Cream-coloured Courser, Bar-tailed, Short-toed and Crested Larks, Desert, Northern, Isabelline and Black-eared Wheatears and possibly Asian Desert Warbler. We may also turn up one of the rarities that have been seen on recent trips such as Caspian Plover, Cyprus Pied Wheatear or Ménétries's Warbler. In mid-morning we will move on to the settlement of Yotvata which has an excellent air-conditioned restaurant! This handy location has excellent birding close by and, in the Acacia trees around the complex, we will look for the elusive Red Sea (Arabian) Warbler, endemic to the Red Sea basin. In the vicinity we could also find Barbary Falcon, Eurasian Hoopoe, Blackstart, Sardinian and Rüppell's Warblers, Tristram's Grackle and Brown-necked Raven. Previous visits have often discovered rarer species: Pallid Harrier, Oriental Lark, Rufous and Black Scrub-robins, and Hume's Warbler amongst others. Returning south towards Eilat, we will stop off at more Date Palm plantations that have a reputation for turning up scarce migrants including Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush, Bimaculated Lark and Cinereous Bunting. Indian Silverbill can also be found here and the Cretzschmar's and Ortolan Buntings are worth searching through as in 2005 we saw a superb male Rustic Bunting with them. Red-throated and Tawny Pipits are often common here. A little further down the road a series of salt pools serves as an absolute magnet for migrants. Greater Flamingo is the most conspicuous bird here and there will be plenty to see including Common and possibly Ruddy Shelducks, Kentish Plover and Greater Sandplovers, Little Stint, Ruff and maybe even Broad-billed, Curlew or Marsh Sandpiper. Slender-billed Gulls are numerous and Little and Great Black-headed Gulls can also be found. Some nearby cultivations bring in more migrants and Common Quails can be quite easy to see at this spot. The whole area is a hotspot for rarities including the Kittlitz's Plover, Demoiselle Cranes and Hypocolius recorded on previous Birdfinders tours, not forgetting the Lesser Flamingo found by Birdfinders in 2006 – a National first! To the west of the salt pools, the scenery changes dramatically as we drive across the desert to reach Amram's pillars. The change in bird species is equally dramatic as suddenly we're in the habitat of Sand Partridge, Hooded Wheatear, Blackstart and Desert Lark. Sinai Rosefinch winter here but are unpredictable by mid-March. Returning to Eilat, our last stop will be at the north beach, where birdwatchers from all over gather to exchange information. We will still be seeing new birds with Striated Heron, Western Reef-egret, White-eyed Gull and Pied Kingfisher being amongst the list of possibilities. This is also a good place to see Great Black-headed, Siberian, Caspian and Armenian Gulls whilst rarities including Brown Booby and Bridled Tern have been seen by Birdfinders groups over the years.

Day 4 After breakfast, we'll head north up the Arava Valley towards the Dead Sea birding en-route. We may see Eurasian Griffons, Egyptian Vultures, Bonelli's Eagle and Lanner Falcon along the way whilst desert residents worth looking out for include Mourning Wheatear, Scrub Warbler, and Arabian Babbler. By midday we will have reached the Dead Sea at Ein Gedi, the surroundings of a very large Kibbutz where we have seen White-breasted Kingfisher and House Bunting. En Gedi is famous for its natural springs, therapeutic minerals and bathing beach as well as the numerous spectacular gorges in the area. We shall have time for those who want to have a dip in the Dead Sea! The distinctive Fan-tailed Raven is common here and one can also find Brown-necked and the rarer Common Raven. After lunch we will return south to the southern end of the Dead Sea where crakes are possible as well as Clamorous Reed-warbler and Dead Sea Sparrow. At sunset we will go with a local guide to a highly restricted area to look for one of the last pairs of Nubian Nightjars in the Western Palearctic. After we leave the restricted area, we will head for a site for Hume's Owl, a highly enigmatic bird of remote desert cliffs. We will be too late for our evening meal at the hotel but will stop for refreshments on the way back to Eilat.

Day 5 After breakfast today we will keep our agenda open to look for newly arrived migrants or perhaps some raptor migration. How we proceed during the day depends on the latest bird news. We may visit the Eilat Mountains for White-tailed Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch and Palestine Sunbird. Not far out of town are some sewage pools that are often swarming with birds. Great White Pelican, Little Crake, White-tailed Lapwing, Citrine Wagtail, Buff-bellied Pipit and Bluethroat have all been seen on previous occasions and the air can be alive with hirundines and swifts including Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Red-rumped Swallow and Rock Martin. In the afternoon we may head north again to check some areas for Greater Hoopoe-lark which has become very difficult to see in Israel in recent years. The search may also detect Thick-billed and Temminck's Larks being found with increasing frequency in the southern deserts.

Day 6 We will spend the day in a relaxed manner, revisiting sites around Eilat looking for species that may have eluded us. The day will be split into two halves so that those who wish to can visit the Coral Sea Underwater Observatory or the several shopping centres. Every day is different at the peak of migration and we should be ready for virtually anything to show up. Real rarities in previous years have included Oriental Honey Buzzard, Egyptian Nightjar, Dunn's Lark, Basra Reed-warbler, Pied Stonechat, Red-tailed Wheatear and Rose-colored Starling whilst more regular species have included European Scops-owl and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.

Day 7 After early morning local birding and breakfast, we will pack up and leave Eilat via the Central Negev desert, bound for Nizzana. En-route we will visit a number of sites including Mitzpe Ramon, Sde Boker and the vast plains at Ha'Meishar looking for larks including the unpredictable Dunn's, Thick-billed and Temminck's Larks, Trumpeter Finch and with luck, some remaining wintering Syrian Serins. Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse can also be found with patience. After stopping for lunch, we will arrive mid afternoon at our overnight lodgings in a very comfortable kibbutz guesthouse. Birding in the grounds can be excellent with Eurasian Thick-knee, Barn and Long-eared Owls, several pairs of Syrian Woodpeckers and occasionally White-breasted Kingfisher present. Graceful Prinia is abundant here. Other breeding species not present in the southern desert include Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Blackbird, Great Tit, European Greenfnch and European Goldfinch! In recent years, Common Myna has become an established exotic. The mature wooded grounds can host some very good migrants including Blue Rock-thrush, Common and Thrush Nightingales, Eastern Orphean Warbler and Collared Flycatcher. We'll also explore a nearby riverbed, which can hold Purple Swamphen, and Little or Spotted Crakes and take a look at some vast agricultural fields that act as a staging area for huge numbers of White Storks and Common Cranes. Dinner and overnight at the kibbutz guesthouse.

Day 8 This morning we will make an early start for the 50-minute drive to Nizzana. We arrive at dawn to look for Macqueen's Bustard but also Cream-coloured Courser Desert Wheatear and Southern Grey Shrike. Other regular species include Chukar, Desert Little Owl, Spectacled Warbler, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Black-bellied, Spotted and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, and Isabelline Wheatear. Raptors often feature here: Golden Eagles are rare residents and Long-legged Buzzard and Lesser Spotted Eagle and all four species of harrier pass through this area. After packing and lunch, we'll start on the two-hour drive back to Tel Aviv but birding hasn't quite finished as we will visit a site in the Southern Judean hills to look for Long-billed Pipit before concluding the tour in late afternoon in Tel Aviv.

General Information Spring weather is unpredictable though afternoon temps can be hot, as high as 35ºC. Early mornings can be chilly. As well as a sun hat you will need a warm layer or two. Rain is a possibility in March and mornings in the Negev can be distinctly cold. However, this is a desert climate and it's essential to drink plenty, so a water bottle is a good idea and we frequently stop for refreshment. There are no compulsory health requirements and most of the area is pleasantly insect free. Walking is generally easy, although in the heat of the day it can sometimes be tiring. Some walks along the wadis need a little extra effort and underfoot conditions can be difficult. Visas are not necessary. The areas we are visiting are entirely safe but do be prepared for extra security measures at the airport, which is perfectly normal for travel in and out of Israel. The itinerary is designed to be flexible in order to accommodate changes in weather patterns, bird migration and habitat changes. Expect about 190 species.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 7; maximum group size: 7 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.