Today is Erev Rosh HaShanah, the eve of the Jewish New Year. We’ve spent the past month turning our attention inward, toward the deepest part of our souls, in preparation for the Days of Awe that begin with Rosh HaShana. This evening begins a season of holidays, remembrances, and reflection for Jewish people all over the world. At […]
It seemed a bit late in the morning to be heading out for my walk the other day . . . nearly 9:30 am already. . . I never go birding that late! By then, the sun is getting hot and high in the sky, and mid-morning is generally past the birds’ most active […]
When I’m out strolling with my camera, people passing by often ask, “Did you see anything interesting today?” I always wonder how anyone could actually be out here in the marshes and wetlands, and ask this question! 😉 There is so much beauty and wonder that I respond every time with a resounding, “YES!” […]
We have incredible skies in South Florida, and they are exceptionally beautiful in the fall when we see “rainbow clouds” like the ones above. The sun hides behind a large growing mass of clouds just before an impending storm, and the colors are as brilliant as a rainbow. What a striking scene to behold! As […]
Just as I was finishing my walk this morning, a huge and powerful Great Blue Heron suddenly appeared out of nowhere and glided right by me at eye level! My camera settings weren’t really right for the moment, yet I couldn’t help but snap a photo when I literally felt the whoosh… of his massive wings as […]
The Purple Gallinule is one of my favorite birds – luckily for me, they are very common in our wetlands!! Like other Gallinule babies, they are just little balls of black fluff when they are born. By mid-August, there were still a few groups of chicks toddling after their parents in the reeds and peeking […]
Every once in a blue moon, I take only my binoculars when I go birding these days. But then, I miss the opportunity to capture a lasting image of the creatures who are out and about, like the noisy Tri-colored Heron above, or this beautiful White Ibis. Every time I leave my camera at home, […]
On a walk through the ruins of Ashkelon National Park this past spring, I was fortunate to spot this beautiful Turtledove below, foraging through the rocky landscape. It was very early May, and surely around the time of year about which King Solomon wrote in the Song of Songs: “12.The blossoms have appeared in the land, […]
I love walking in the wetland preserves at this time of year. Sometimes it is far too hot at midday, but if you go very early, just after sunrise, or late in the day, just before sunset, it is perfect! I spotted the Black-bellied Whistling Duck pair above recently, and discovered a plump young Gallinule […]
Sometimes it isn’t birds that capture my attention on my walks. Sometimes it’s the reptiles, the amphibians, the fish, the plant life whose beauty just makes me stop in my tracks. Experiencing, and truly appreciating, the wonder of the natural world on a daily basis has become more and more essential to me in recent […]
Birder's Journey 