Agmon Hula, Israel Autumn 2011
I spent a week guiding a Photography Workshop in Northern Israel in November. There is hardly a better place than the Agmon Hula - Hula Lake - to locate an workshop. Excellent birds are abundant - more than 30.000 Cranes, Hundreds of Egrets, Herons, Plovers and Waterfowl, and Dozens of Kingfishers of three different species give excellent opportunities for photography. Also rarer birds such as Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagles can be encountered easily. The reconstructed wetland itself is scenic and the Golan Heights just to the east form a dramatic background. Guiding the participating photographers I did not have as much time as usually doing my own photography, but still got some good results. We will show a gallery with the work of the Workshops participants soon. Until then enjoy some of my results:
The Golan Heights - the eastern limit of the Hula Valley
CRANES
Every evening tens of thousands of Cranes come to roost in the shallow water of the Agmon. With first light they leave for the feeding areas. The autumn climate with frequent fog, clouds, sun and sometimes rain creates a completely new scenery for photography every single day.
The same place after and before sunrise.
With first light the birds take off from the water in endless streams. The incredibly dynamic atmosphere inspired me to play with abstraction
To portray the birds as part of the landscape I used a focal length of only 16 resp. 19 mm for these pictures (below). The cranes passed me in a distance of sometimes less than five meters.
A NEW STAR BIRD FOR ISRAEL - BLACK-WINGED KITE
For the first time ever a pair of Black.winged Kites was breeding in Israel this autumn. The new residents of the Holy Land choose a crow-nest on an island in the Hula-Lake to raise their chicks. Four grown youngsters were flying around and hunting their first prey during my stay. Although quite successful in hunting, they liked to return to the nest very often - waiting for the parents to come and feed them.
Escorted by one of the fledlings an adult arrives with prey.
Two other fledglings are awaiting the food in the nest
Practicing landing and flying - recently fledged Black-winged Kites
A favorite roost close to the nest - in the background hundreds of Cranes
Proud parents guarding their chicks
Neighbors but no friends: Black-winged Kite and Hooded Crow.
Intruders are attacked aggressively, like this Lesser Spotted Eagle
DJUNGLE-CAT
The "Kite-Island" is also home to a family of Djungle Cats, leaving their dens in late afternoon to hunt overnight.
Soon to come here more Birds - small and large:
I want to thank Kobi Samarano (Manager of the Agmon), Dan Alon (Head of the Israeli Ornithological Center), Eli Galili ((Crane Management and Crane Tours), Nadav Israeli (Head of the IOC station at the Agmon) Dotan Yosha (Head of the ringing station) and many others for their ongoing suppport.
