Just as this lovely Snowy Egret lights up the evening with his brilliant white feathers, let us all share the light of Chanukah and this season to brighten up the world around us. “Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of a historical miracle. But no less significantly, Chanukah is the celebration of a […]
Author Archives: Birder's Journey
Once again there are some fascinating connections between the weekly Torah reading and birds. Just last week, we read of Joseph, the son of Jacob who was perhaps best remembered for his dream interpretations (and his “Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat”!). Joseph interprets the dreams of both his fellow inmates in Pharoah’s prison, the wine steward […]
In addition to the huge White Stork above, there were a dozen White Ibis, several Great Egrets, and a host of others sloshing around in one small marshy spot yesterday morning. Must have been some tasty breakfast snacks available.They were literally lined up on the boardwalk railings, and kept taking turns flying in and out […]
The American Bittern featured above is one of those special, elusive birds that we don’t see out in the open very often. Several birders stood watching him for the longest time . . . waiting for him to just DO something! Meantime, he was very accommodating to stand in this little clearing and be […]
As much as I try to be ready to capture shots of birds in flight that might chance to pass overhead when I am in wide open areas, or to adjust my settings to capture a small bird hiding in the shadows, sometimes the only thing I can do is click the shutter – and […]
The Purple Gallinule is one of my favorite wetland birds. I loved how this one looked, surrounded by the dark green plants and dark blues of the water on a late afternoon December walk. We see them frequently here, all throughout the year. Their colors are just glorious in the sun, as their feathers truly […]
The late Chabad Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson is quoted as saying, “Melody is the quill of the soul. Words may be an expression of your heart, but a melody expresses the contents of your soul. . . . “ (Source: Prisms, Uplifting Views on Daily Life, 2014). We made a visit to the renowned world […]
We were visiting our daughter in New York for Thanksgiving, and she suggested we take the subway up to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. What a serene and beautiful place~! The Garden’s 250 acres are varied and beautifully kept, and there are many special exhibits and collections on the grounds. Definitely a […]
Went birding at a little park across from the beach the other day, but there were no birds to be seen. All I found was this Golden Silk Orb Weaver, hanging in front of me, its immense web stretched across the walking path. I’d never seen such gigantic spiders till I moved to Florida – […]
I love to watch Tri-colored Herons as they hunt in the shallow water – their technique is so showy! It’s no wonder they are so slender – they perform feats of acrobatics over and over again just to fill up on a meal of one teeny, tiny, little fish after another. The process begins as […]