There is something very special about taking a mid-afternoon walk on Friday in the wetland preserve, with the sun shining and a lovely breeze blowing. I know that in just a few hours, SHABBAT will begin, a beautiful day of rest and quiet. The ever-present song of Red-Winged Blackbirds flying about in the rushes is […]
This week marks the Days of Joy on the Jewish calendar~! We note this special time period between the Days of Awe, which include Rosh HaShana through Yom Kippur, and the beginning of the week-long holiday of Sukkot, when we commemorate the travels of our ancestors in the wilderness, and the building of the sanctuary, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Browsing the shelves of a book shop in Israel last summer, I came upon a little volume called צפור הנפש, written by Michal Snunit and illustrated by Na’ama Golomb. Published in Hebrew in 1985, it was later translated into over 20 languages, including in English (1999) as The Soul Bird. This children’s story/poem teaches that […]
Sometimes we are fortunate enough to see a rainbow high in the sky when the sun appears after the rain. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks uses such beautiful imagery when he describes this special sign between G-d and human beings! He refers to: “. . . the symbol of the covenant, the rainbow, in which the […]
I am always fascinated observing how birds often appear to be sharing some little secret, or chatting about events of the day. How I would love to know what they are saying! It brings to mind the famous legend about King Solomon, who was thought to have ability to understand the language of the birds: […]
Birder's Journey 