Migration time N 1 - better seen large

I would like to tell you about a very special phenomenon that is occurring right now in Israel. It is the BIRD'S MIGRATION.

Israel has a very unique location. It is situated at the junction of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. That location has made it a political strife, and better still a passage and cross roads, for 500 Million! birds of all kinds, on the other hand.

That huge migration takes place twice a year. In spring (about February - May) and Autumn (about August - October) and longer. In Autumn the birds are leaving their nesting area, and usually fly to the south. In the Spring they fly back to their nesting locations.

The birds are roughly divided into two groups: those who are actively flying, and those who are using their gliding ability. The difference is connected to the relation between body weight of the bird and wingspread.

Most of them , the small species (they can weigh 10 grams!), are the active ones that are flying by wing beats. They can fly for hours on end and are looking for the shortest way. They are called “sea crosser” aswell, as they fly across large water (like the Mediterranean sea) and deserts. They usually fly at night. an example of that kind: the Quails.

The second group is the soaring birds. Their weight can reach 15 kg. For them crossing large water bodies is an obstacle. They have to make a detour to avoid it, as they need air currents for gliding, which do not exist on water. They are therefore flying on land, mountains, valleys, rifts etc. Example: the Storks, and Pelicans. They fly in daylight.

What dictates their migration is where food is available, and is bound as well to the seasonal climate changing. The birds know very well to determine the timing of migration. It is the shortening of day, or rain and cold that are earlier in coming.

All of them are navigating as well, according to geographical landscapes like rivers, mountains and shore lines.

How do they find their way?

The day flyer birds are navigating according the sun’s location in the sky, the night flyers are navigating according to the night sky (like stars, moon etc.) They navigate as well by sound waves, that people are not able to hear, (very low), and birds can hear from a very far distance.

They are fly over Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel on their way to Africa.

We know that there are storks that come every year to the same location (they are marked birds) in Israel.

Why do Israel and Jordan form a good route for soaring birds? As I have said, it is the geographical location. The Syrian-African rift, the mountains (Galilee mountains), the high temperature provides the best condition for gliding bird  .

They are damaging the field near by(30.000 of them) so in order to save the fields, the agriculture people are spreading 6 tone of corn  every day!

Israel has a very advanced national research center located in Latrun (between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, which is the western passage of the migrating birds) one can see many groups of birds in our sky these days, a very beautiful sight.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that birds don’t pay attention to borders…....…..

I hope you will enjoy  the information, thanks for viewing and reading!

A fabulous composition!  I really wish I were there to see this - next best thing, I guess. Nice narrative.  what a wonderful time of year in Israel to see this.   Really gorgeous

Thanks for your wide visit, and you are welcomed! I promis to take you  there, it is worth the way!  

 I will  upload for you to see how the corn grains are spread....

The article were sent to my Soroptimist International  women org.

 It is still not even sunrise time...

All the muted colors seem very in keeping with the quiet of the time of day and the softness of the scene. It's as if the grain has infiltrated the entire photo. The positioning of the lone bird in the foreground with the soft reflection of weeds works nicely as the birds in motion in the background tell an important part of the story. It's a very well done series, evocative of the feel of the birds and the land, telling a story with a consistent style in keeping with that story. It's a soft rather than a dramatic telling of a story and seems natural and authentic.

Thanks for your nice impression. I think that this one is  the best  of the series , as it shows and hints  the single vs. the mass. I'm glad that you have commented on this one, and defined it as a story, which  I feel it is.