A new bird-watching festival, Aloft 2000 will be held for the first time in Israel's Hula Valley from January 9-14, 2000. Readers with an interest in Ornithology who can't make it to the festival this year may want to consider attending the festival next year.

In northeast Israel, the Hula Valley serves as one of the prime wintering sites in the Middle East for a wide variety of birds. Located between the Galilee mountains and the Golan Heights, this was previously one of the largest swamp areas (and cause of malaria) but was drained in the 1950's. Yesod Hama'ala was settled in 1883 and was the first modern Jewish settlement in the area.

Today the southern part of the valley is a nature reserve (established in 1961) while the rest of the area provides some of the most fertile agricultural fields in the country as well as many fish ponds.

According to Dan Alon, Director of the Israel Ornithological Center, this area is one of the best bird-watching regions in the world. There are 390 bird species in the area and the season lasts from October until the end of March. In the Hula Valley bird lovers can see endangered species such as Common Cranes, Imperial and Greater Spotted Eagles, Pygmy Cormorant, Black Stork as well as 30 types of bird of prey, pelicans, ducks and geese.

The festival includes guided tours to the best bird-watching sites (Hula Valley, Mt. Hermon, Beit Shean Valley, Jezreel Valley, Sea of Galilee etc.) and features professional lectures, photography competition, Internet tracking and much more.

The festival is organized by The Society for the Protection of Nature of Israel (SPNI).

For more information about bird-watching in Israel, visit, http://www.birds.org.il/