Look up at the sky, take your time and and a look at the clouds passing over your head. After a while you will notice something moving up there – it’s not a cloud, it’s not a plane – these are birds – migrating from the northern hemisphere to the south, from geographical locations that are too cold during winter, to warmer and more welcoming areas. This is what you see in Israel during autumn.
The land of Israel functions as a bridge, or a flight corridor. Our location creates a tube-like wind channel, a natural flyway that funnels birds into the country’s airspace. Hundreds of thousands of birds stop here to refresh themselves and refuel, after flying thousands of kilometers. Some birds, such as the wagtail (נַחְלִיאֵלִי, naxli’eli), find Israel to be a wonderful place to stay during winter. Other birds such as the stork (חֲסִידָה, xasida) and the pelican (שַׂקְנַאי, saknai) continue to fly to the warmer south and stay there until the next change of seasons.
The encounter between birds and humans has created some obstacles to this natural heaven. Coexistence of steel birds (airplanes) and real birds has caused problems for both sides, in the form of accidents that have damaged airplanes, and even taken the lives of birds and pilots. A joint study conducted by the Israel Air Force, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the Tel-Aviv University, led to several solutions that have significantly reduced the number of accidents involving aircraft and birds.
The migrating birds also damaged the Israeli agriculture – eating the crops in the fields and the fish in the ponds. This was partially taken care of by creating alternative feeding areas for the birds.
Birds don’t recognize borders, they don’t attempt to understand human politics – they simply respond to nature – recognize the shortening days, follow the sun or the stars and try to make the best out of the wind. Let us learn from them and create a better world for all of us.
לְהִתְרָאוֹת,
Lehitra’ot,
See you,
שִׁירָה כֹּהֵן-רֶגֶב
Shira Cohen-Regev The eTeacherHebrew Team
Birds in Alexander River
By David Sherf / The Eyn Haxoresh Archive
Yea, the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming (Jeremiah 8:7)
Storks on the Tabor Mountain
By Ilan Sherif
Hebrew Words
צִפּוֹר Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transcription: tsipor Translation: bird
נְדִידָה Part of Speech: gerund , Feminine Transcription: nedida Translation: migration
נַחְלִיאֵלִי Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transcription: naxli’eli Translation: wagtail
חֲסִידָה Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transcription: xasida Translation: stork
עָגוּר Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transcription: agur Translation: crane
Hebrew Song
Migrating Birds
צִפּוֹרִים נוֹדְדוֹת
Lyrics: Yoram Teharlev
מִלִּים: יוֹרָם טהרלב
Music: Efi Netser
לַחַן: אֱפִי נֵצֶר
Translation
Transliteration
.
By autumn the birds returned
Across the desert across the mountains
and he saw her on the branch
and she is blue-feathered
and she is fine-tailed
im hastav xazru hatisporim
me’ever lamidbar me’ever leharim
vehu ra’a ota al he’anaf
vehi kxulat notsa vehi dakat kanaf
Seagull. The seagull spends its winters in Israel.
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