Lior Borenstein

Northen Israeli Bird ringer and butterfly lover.
Did my national service at the International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE) .

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

On Tuesday I went for a walk in wadi Rosh Pinna. Its full with blooming almond trees at the moment and Mountain gazelles and a small Tortoise were seen. Later I went to the southern Golan Hights to Nov nature reserve that was full with hundreds of the rare Iris Grant-duffii.

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

My semester break was just 7 days long and I decided to use every minute of it! On Sunday I went to Nachlit winter pond in the upper galili and found c. neumanni and tadpoles that probably belong to Spadefoot Toads. Later I went to Nahal Misgav nature to look for Tulipa agenensis

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

After a long time without birdwatching I went last Friday to the Arbel cliff to look for the Alpine Accentor with my old friends from Eilat. It was a beautiful clear day and the bird was showing really nicely. A great start for the weekend!

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

@MikePepler @JacTurner_Moss They are not invasive but they are doing a bit too well because of lack of predators and the fect that people feed them.

[Jacques Turner-Moss @JacTurner_Moss]

Dropping down into Man Valley, we came upon a valley full of geophytes.

There were thousands of Colchicum szovitsii subsp. brachyphyllum flowering alongside 4 Crocus spp.

Although a little past it, there were still some flowers of a Hermon speciality Colchicum antilibanoticum.

[Jacques Turner-Moss @JacTurner_Moss]

Tel Dan, a site occupied for thousands of years, contains the well preserved ancient City of Dan, mentioned in the Bible.

It wasn't only archeology which was the draw to the site, the huge Quercus ithaburensis had by far the largest acorns I'd ever seen.

[Jacques Turner-Moss @JacTurner_Moss]

First trip out and it seems I've bought the rain with me to Israel but a very pleasant walk in Wadi Rosh Pina with the aim of finding Sternbergia clausiana.

It was strange to see such a dry landscape but there were still plenty in flower.

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

I participated yesterday in champions of the flyway #YearOfTheDove in the Hula valley. It was an amazing day, full with birds and lovely people and we finished first place on the green race with 101 species.
Thank you @BirdLifeIsrael for this great day!

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

It was a great experience

[BirdLife Israel @BirdLifeIsrael]

(2/3) Winners of the green race are the Bulbuls, who recorded 101 species without the use of any motorised vehicles! The team included Aya Marck, Uriya Sade, @LiorBorenstein Anat Levi and Yoni Vortman

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

New location for my moth trap!
In the last month I moved to Kfar Giladi in northen Israel, just next to the Lebanese border, and I took my trap with me.
Here are few nice moths I cought in the past few weeks:
Pachypasa otus, male
Spodoptera littoralis 
Phaiogramma faustinata

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

The first Hawkmoth for my trap!
Hyles livornica from yesterday and a nice Mantis, Sphodromantis viridis, from the other day.

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

Despite the windy weather last night, my moth trap caught a few interesting things.
In the photos: Ascotis selenaria, Neognopharmia stevenaria and Polypogon plumigeralis.

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

Two moths from the past week:
Daphnis nerii רפרף ההרדוף
Problepsis ocellata מודד עינוני

[Lior Borenstein @LiorBorenstein]

Great morning in Wadi Rosh Pinna. A lot of butterflies, lizards and young birds around. The highlights were 8 Freyer's Graylings, my first Schneider's skink, a funny Little Owl and a Mountain Gazelle.