Photographing wintering Eagles in Northern Israel
After three successful weeks of photography in Israel's Northern Valleys in October (see report in english here, a french version here and a german version here.) I spent another two weeks in November in the Hula Valley, Northern Israel. Main aim was to photograph wintering raptors, especially eagles.
The fertile Hula Valley north of the Sea of Galilee and south to the borders with Syria and Lebanon is a perfect place for raptor-photography in winter. Good numbers of the globally endangered Greater Spotted Eagle, single individuals of Lesser Spotted, Steppe and Booted Eagles winter in the area. During my stay about 10 Greater Spotted and roughly about the same number of Lesser Spotted Eagles were present in the area of Lake Hula and the adjacent agricultural fields.
The agricultural fields in the Valley offer plenty of food for wintering raptors.
The Hula-Valley is famous for its large numbers of roosting cranes and pelicans. The picture above (from 2009) shows a tractor bringing out peanuts to thousands of cranes to prevent them from feeding in the agricultural fields.The area once was one of the biggest swamps in the Middle East. A small part was reflooded years ago, the Agamon or Lake Hula. 
Cranes in front of the Golan-Heights
The Lake and the neighboring fishponds attracted thousands of White Pelicans during my stay. Nearly the entire western-palearctic population of this species migrates through Israel, with the Hula-Valley being the most important stopover-site.
INFRASTRUCTURE
A word on the infrastructure of the area: The Agamon offers excellent conditions for both birdwatching and photography with birds being often very close, especially in early morning and a number of observation towers and hides. Cranes can be watched from very close from "Mobile Hides" attached to a tractor. The vast area - framed by the Golan Heights to the east and the Galil mountains to the west - is closed for cars but can be explored on foot, by rental bikes or with electric carts.
Pelicans in front of the "Pelican Lookout", Crane-watching and one of the numerous hides around the lake
British friends Frank and Brian enjoying the excellent coffee Orna from the Agmon-team prepares in the cafeteria. Below: Myself at work in the beautiful first light of the day
Back to birds. Many of the local specialities can be seen in the Lake area.
Bluethroat is a very common winterer in all parts of Israel. It is amazing seeing this bird that is so shy and elusive at its breeding grounds feeding all over the place and very confiding in Israel.
Very common birds: Spur-winged Plover, Palestine Sunbird, Yellow-vented Bulbul and the cute Graceful Prinia.
Below: Three species of kingfishers are common in Northern Israel and illustrate the avifaunistic uniqueness of the country. White-breasted Kingfisher, a foremost Asian species, Common Kingfisher, familiar in Europe and a very common winterer; and Pied Kingfisher, a foremost African species also breeding in Israel.
Citrine Wagtails can be found in the fishponds of the Valley
RAPTORS
Eagle-photography is always a gamble - and despite sitting three and a half days in my hide not a single bird came down to feed on the carcass prepared for them. I was hoping to repeat the success of last year, when several eagles - like this Greater Spotted Eagle (above) came to feed - but this time there was obviously too much food available on the many freshly ploughed agricultural fields around the lake.
After the fruitless days inside my hide I decided to photograph by driving around and searching for eagles in the fields.
This approach was more successful:
Greater Spotted and juvenile Imperial Eagle are fighting over the right to perch on the highest tree far and wide
A Greater Spotted Eagle having a scratch while flying
A juvenile Greater Spotted Eagle perching on a bush
A juvenile Steppe Eagle choose the Hula-Valley to spend the winter
Below: Imperial Eagle, a rare but regular winterer in the area
Pallid Harriers, below shown is a male and a juvenile bird, are regular visitors to the Hula-Valley
UPDATE WITH NEW INFORMATION ON THREE EAGLES FOUND SHOT
Sadly during my stay three shot Eagles - two Lesser and one Greater Spotted - were found in the area. I found one juvenile Lesser Spotted myself while driving around. Based on an analysis of the ammunition used, the Nature and Parks Authority (NPA) concluded the birds were likely shot while passing Lebanon, Jordan or Syria. Ohad Hatzofe, Avian Avifaunist within the NPA states: "20 to 30 percent of all injured raptors found in Northern Israel between September and November are shot with lead pellets with strong correlation to their passage over Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Last year we even had Jordanians that brought two Lesser Spotted Eagles to the border checkpoint for treatment in Israel - both were shot."
The eagle I found was released after recovering in a bird-hospital in the Jizreal-Valley on Nov. 25
Dotan from the SPNIs Hula Birding Center prepairing one of the three rescued eagles found with shot-wounds for the transport to the hospital
BET SHEAN REVISITED
An hour's drive south of the Hula-Valley the Beit-Shean-Valley also held a good number of raptors. Several Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles were present in the fish-pond-complexes and agricultural fields of the Kibbutzes in the Jordan Valley, I visited a month ago.
Lesser (above) and Greater Spotted (below) Eagle in the Beit-Shean-Valley
QUICK VISIT TO THE SOUTH
On my last day together with friend and great bird-photographer Rony Livne I rushed down to the extreme south of the country to catch up with some of the rarities recently discovered north of Eilat.
Rony,"Zakuk le teleskop", waiting for the birds to come.
A male Black-crowned Sparrowlark, found by Itai Shanni was still present in Yotvata's circular fields, accompanied by several Oriental Skylarks
Driving back north, we passed through the spectacular and wild Negev Desert - What a landscape!
I want to thank the team of the Agmon and the SPNI Hula Birding Center for their ongoing support. Toda raba to Kobi Samarano, Inbar Rubin, Nadaf Israeli, Dotan Yosha, Eli Galili, Dan Alon - and to Orna for the excellent catering.
