From 24 up to 31 December 2019, my wife and I spent the Christmas Holidays in Tel Aviv, Israel.

We stayed at a lovely appartment at Ben Yehuda Street, in the heart of the city, and from here we explored the city. We enjoyed the city’s Bauhaus architecture and walking through the narrow streets of Jaffa in the southern part of Tel Aviv which is the second oldest port city in the world. At the old port area in the north of the city we had a delicious lunch at one of the best restaurants in town: Market Kitchen.

On the the city’s latest gadget and mode of transportation, the electric scooter, we explored the city through out and on the only sunny day we had, we sat down in a lazy beach chair and enjoyed the sea breeze while watching the people walking along the beach promenade.

On one of the rainy days, we visited the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, which held various very interesting expositions of young modern artists.

On 26 December, we joined a tour group to the ancient city of Jerusalem. Despite the bad rainy weather, we were impressed by this beautiful and magical holy city. We visited the Jewish cemetery on Mount of Olives, the Western Wall where the Jewish people can pray and the Temple Mount, a holy site within the Old City for Jewish, Christian and Muslim people and the third holiest site for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

The birding part of this trip took mainly place in Yarkon River Park, the largest urban park in Tel Aviv and located in the north of the city. I visited this lovely park on one morning and one afternoon and I loved it!

Yarkon River Park

The park’s environment attracts different species of birds. The park also has cycling and walking paths, playgrounds, botanical garden, and other amenities commonly found in nature reserves. It offers a large, rich and diverse habitat, in the heart of the largest metropolitan area in Israel, and provides shelter and resources for millions of migratory birds.

The best spots are at the east side of the Ayalon Highway.

I saw the following resident birds that are usually easy to find:

Yellow-legged Gull, Striated Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spur-winged Plover, Great Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Grey Wagtail, Pied Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, Laughing Dove, Palestine Sunbird, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Graceful Prinia, Cetti’s Warbler, Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Kestrel, Common Myna, Ring-necked Parakeet, Monk Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Mallard, Egyptian Goose, Moorhen.

I was happy to find numerous Hoopoes, one Syrian Woodpecker and one Water Rail, that was very willingly posing in front of my camera.

Please check all my photos taken in Tel Aviv here.