Did you ever play Animal Lotto as a kid, the Memory game of matching picture pairs? That’s where I first learned about the Ostrich, the Platypus, and many other unique curiosities of the animal world. Many years later, I saw Ostriches for the first time in the wild at the Hai Bar, a large preserve established in the 1970’s […]
We started in Jerusalem, and travelled south through the Judean Desert, the Negev, and on to the Arava. More to come soon about the southern views. While in Jerusalem I made a quick stop at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, with its new Visitor Center. Its wonderful schedule of events, exhibits, bird banding, and tours included […]
It was such an amazing feeling to stand so close to this beautiful Little Bittern featured above, as our host and his team member measured and discussed its size and general condition. I had an even greater thrill when the IBRCE (see last week’s post about the International Birding & Research Center Eilat) director Noam Weiss let […]
There is a real gem of a sanctuary for birds in the south of Israel. The International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE) is a vital haven for literally millions of migratory birds crossing twice annually between Africa and Europe/Asia. How can I convey what an amazing visit I had there? Where to begin. […]
My husband and I were recently inspired to take a long drive to Central Florida, several hours north of us, to hear two wonderful experts from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) speak about ‘birding and habitat restoration along Israel’s Rift Valley, a major flyway of the world.’ Dan Alon, Director of […]
Jews around the world recently concluded the yearly celebration of Pesach (Passover), the commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. I’ve previously posted about stories of birds in the Torah, and even how birds accompanied the Jewish people as they crossed the Red Sea in the Exodus from bondage in Egypt. But it was such a busy […]
“Shabbat Shalom,” said the sleepy Eurasian Collared Dove~! This peaceful dove was roosting in the middle of a sunny day today in the Wetlands of South Florida. The last time I saw – and blogged about – this bird was in the Ashkelon National Park in Israel.
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, […]
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 […]
In 2013, the editors of Audubon Magazine posed the question, “Why do birds matter?”. One of my favorite responses was this: No other creature can transcend earth, evoke beauty, inspire dreams, and ground us in nature as does even the smallest bird. –Julie Sacco, Director, North Park Village Nature Center. I’ve been reading two fascinating […]
Birder's Journey 