The Sempach Snowfinches (Switzerland), the Victorious Bird Nerds VBN (Netherlands) and the Cape May Bird Observatory American Dippers (USA) started for Leica at The Champions of the Flyways in Israel this year. Leica also sponsored the „Artists for Nature Foundation“.
The Snowfinches and the Bird Nerds started their races in the North, close to Nitzana. They went there from Eilat in the middle of the night and tried to catch he sound of different owl species, like the Barn Owl. In the morning, the birders wanted to spot houbara bustards and coursers in Nitzana.
The American Dippers started in Eilat and went looking for owls and tried to spot seabirds at sunrise. On their way back to Eilat via Mitzpe Ramon, the Dutch and the Swiss team held their eyes open for White-tailed Wheatears, Hume’s leaf warblers and vultures.
The Big Dippers chose a different route up north. They put special GPS-trackers on their Leica binoculars – which made it possible to follow the team everywhere they went. Check out their tour here.
