The mornings and evenings are a bit cooler and less humid these days, and some migrating birds have arrived in our area. But the wetland birds’ courting and breeding season that brings so many visitors has really not yet begun. Lots of marsh plants are still in bloom, including these delicate Fireflags dangling over the ponds, and […]
You can hear the unmistakable, loud hammering of a busy Pileated Woodpecker from quite a distance. As soon as I got out of the car at the refuge, I knew he was there, and followed the sound all the way from the parking lot to the woods several hundred yards away. There he was – hard at work! […]
The Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) by King Solomon was read in synagogues around the world this week during the holiday of Sukkot. Kohelet is well known for its verses in Chapter 3 which include. . . “there is a time for every purpose under heaven” (3:1). As I look around at the inexplicable wonders of nature on […]
The small wonders of nature never cease to amaze me. My husband always reminds me to be open to noticing . . . . You never know what you’ll be privileged to see. Sometimes we find hidden little surprises in our photos only when we get them home and open up the image on the […]
All of sudden, there they were – a flurry of pink as several juvenile Roseate Spoonbills came swooping in, jockeying for the best position as they settled onto the pond.The population of these magnificent birds was greatly reduced a little over a century ago, when they were hunted for their feathers at the height of […]
Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, takes place this Tuesday evening through Wednesday. On this day, also known as the Day of Atonement, one refrains from eating and drinking, and spends most of the day in the synagogue engaged in prayer. Much of the liturgy focuses on repentance, confession, and seeking forgiveness. Yet Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz reminds […]
I’ve written several previous posts about the wonderful Yellow-crowned Night Herons we have in our local preserves. At this time of year, these special birds like to frequent a small wooded area along the boardwalk. At first, you might not see any, as they are amazingly well-camouflaged. But little by little, they come into view, and you may soon […]
While watching some of my fine-looking bird friends just before a rain shower the other evening, I got to wondering about the origin of the expression “fine feathered friends”. As a child, I learned from my father that we “look it up” if we want to find out about something. I recall running often to the bookshelf […]
We are nearing the end of the Hebrew month of Elul. Elul has been a time of introspection, a time to look back and reflect on our past year, and think about what our journey through the next year will be like. During Elul, as Rabbi Simon Jacobson so beautifully describes it, we prepare to enter “a […]
Common Gallinules (also known as Common Moorhens), members of the Rail family, are extremely common in our wetland preserves. They breed all year round in Florida, and can have many broods per season. The adults are very protective of their nesting territory and can be quite bossy, squawking loudly at anyone they perceive as an intruder. The parents must be […]
Birder's Journey 