Global Big Day May 2026

Yesterday it was Global Big Day, plus World Migratory Bird Day. Twice a year, I do my best to see as many bird species as I (reasonably) can in a day. This time, my regular team was disfunctional. Jonathan bunked out completely. Rea was busy with other commitments (?!?) so he joined only for the Agamon Hula part of the day, then left. I birded the full big day with Omer and Shalev (a young keen birder). We birded our 'regular' northern birding route, which isn't regular of course - it's spectacular. Over the years we figured out it provides the best possibilities for great birding in one day and we repeat it almost every Global Big Day.

I left home at 02:00, picked Shalev and Omer up en route, and arrived at the entrance to the Hula Reserve at 03:56. Tawny Owls were properly active as they should:

We drove around in the open fields around Agamon Hula before dusk, in hope for some nightjars that we did not see. We did have however Barn and Scops Owls. We birded the first couple of hours of the morning in and around Agamon Hula. The lake itself hadn't anything special, but the groves and fields surrounding the lake were great. The mulberry trees attracted many migrants, including Olive-tree, Willow and Garden Warblers. The big Eucalyptus trees held nice numbers of Golden Orioles. We heard their fluty vocalisations all over, and saw many briefly, but taking a photo was something else...

Typical view of a Golden Oriole

We left the Hula Valley around 08:30 (and said goodbye to Rea) with 94 species - not bad. We climbed up Mt. Hermon, and swept up mid- and low-elevation specialties efficiently - Western Rock Nuthatch, Sombre Tit, Syrian Serin, Rock Bunting, Eastern Black Redstart, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler. We birded there in typical big day fashion, fast and furious, and none of the birds were showy, so no photos at all. 

When we descended to the Golan Heights in the late morning, the temperatures rose up to 37 degrees C (99 F) which made birding unpleasant. We made a few roadside stops to add species but escaped back to the air conditioned car. Valley of Tears was pretty good, with lots of birds singing and being active despite the heat. Black-headed Bunting, Upcher's Warbler, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes - good fun. A Eurasian Eagle Owl was scoped sat inside its burrow, our fourth owl species of the day. 

Languid Warbler

In the early afternoon we birded some fish ponds in the Bet Shean Valley, braving the extreme heat. Ma'ale Gilboa fishponds had Broad-billed, Curlew and Temminck's Sandpipers, a large flock of Collared Pratincoles, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Namaqua Dove. In Kfar Ruppin fishponds we had a nice tern selection including Common, Little, Gull-billed and Whiskered. We also had a few duck species including two Marbled Ducks.

I was under time pressure to return home, plus I was exhausted, and hot, so we called it a day. Arabian Green Bee-eater was our final new bird of the day. We ended the Big Day as a team with 149 species - pretty good I think (I added Lesser Kestrel on the drive back home). Check our eBird trip report here.

Thanks to Omer, Shalev and Rea for a great day - it was very good fun and totally awesome to be out in big day mode.

Spring catch-up

It's been a very strange spring for me. On the one hand, how can one enjoy the beauty and thrill of bird migration spectacles when all of *this* is going on in my country. On the other hand, what else can I do other than go out birding, enjoy the healing power of nature, appreciate every little bird hero that makes it despite all the troubles. As I have been doing for over five years now, I am out birding every day. During migration seasons this habit offers me even more thrill and excitement, to detect the seasonal changes in the sites I visit often, and enjoy impressive migrations. In recent weeks I have been all over, but often my motivation to photograph and to write is low. This damn war.

In any case, I am still trying to bird hard and see as many birds as possible, without doing a Big Year. This is quite enjoyable actually, and liberating, seeing news of rarities show up in far-flung corners of the country and not going for them! Still, I am doing OK, I think. Here are some of the birds I saw and the few photos I took:

Luckily, fieldwork and site visits take me to places with loads of good birds. While monitoring our restoration site in Maagan Michael I was dazzled by the variation in Western Yellow Wagtails - in this composite are (I think) dombrowskii, superciliaris, feldegg, thunbergi, flava and a hybrid Citrine X Yellow, all in one small flock.

superciliaris

Striated Heron in Tel Aviv

A work visit to Eilat Birding center rewarded me with this gorgeous, deadly Painted Saw-scaled Viper:

Our restoration sites in Kfar Ruppin are exploding with birds now, so much quality too:

When a flock of tired White Storks drops out of the sky after a day of migration and rests on a wetland you've recently restored, you guess you did something right pic.twitter.com/LMfaiiEGg4

— Yoav Perlman (@yoavperlman) April 20, 2024

Clamorous Reed Warbler

Not only birds enjoy our restoration project - also invertebrates. Here are Black Percher and Ivory Featherlegs.

In May, when much of the country clears out of migrant passerines, the relatively cool and lush Jerusalem Mts. still host large numbers of migrants. Mulberry trees are especially attractive to Sylvias, also favoured by Golden Orioles. This photo was taken out of my friend Rami's window:

The Jerusalem Bird Observatory is at its best in early May, with huge numbers of common migrants using the habitat to refuel. Among the common warblers also good numbers of Olive-tree and Barred are seen; I have seen also River, Marsh, Icterine and Upcher's there in recent dats. Also plenty of European Nightjars this year.

One of the Eurasian Sparrowhawks that visit the JBO regularly

Big day at JBO

Big ringing day at JBO this morning. Very good numbers of birds (mainly Blackcaps) and lots of goodies. A total of 16 (!) Olive-tree Warblers was very impressive. This must be one of the better places in the WP for this cool species. Other good birds ringed were a Marsh Warbler and this stonking Collared Flycatcher - one of my favorite birds:

Lots of good birds in the field too - Icterine Warbler, Golden Oriole, a lingering Hawfinch, and this female Little Bittern showing well at times (when I was busy ringing), and distant and skulking whenever I had a free minute: