Thursday, April 7, 2011

WHITE STORKS - CHASIDOT - חסידות

The word for stork in Arabic is "Laclac" - can you hear them? - laclaclaclaclaclac laclaclaclaclaclac...

I love storks! If I had to choose to be an animal I would choose to be a stork (second choice would be a goose!). Those beautiful big birds always fascinated me. During my childhood we once lived near a church and there high up in a nest on the spire a stork couple would breed each year and tend to their hatched young till they could fly. I was happy with the sight and the clattering! 

The White Storks (ciconia ciconia) are very handsome. Their white plumage with the black edging on the wings, their red long thin legs and the red straight beak, long too and pointed, their small pretty head and graceful curved neck make them a charming and very attractive sight. Their flight is mostly soaring, gliding on warm air currents without flapping the wings, slowly, steadily and elegantly. And they walk calmly - I never saw a nervous stork!
Since Israel is on their migration route from Europe to Africa and back, we are lucky to see them twice a year. Big flocks will cross the country high up in the sky and often small groups will touch down to rest and to feed. Like this one we passed on our way at the Golan and my husband quietly and luckily photographed from the car window.
 

6 comments:

Dawn of LaTouchables said...

I love storks, too, Yael! We have been re-integrating them into our village for some years now, and there are two stork towers and dozens of storks have returned here...they are so graceful and I can't believe how lucky we are that we both can enjoy their wild beauty--and again, stunning photos from Uri!

XO

Dies und Das vom Neckarstrand said...

Liebe Yael,
ich mag Störche auch. Aber bei uns sind sie nicht handzahm. Ich freue mich, dass immer mehr Storchenpaare wieder hier nisten.
Liebe Grüße
Irmi

Yael said...

Okay Dawn, next time I give them a message for you while they pass here! :-)

Sie sind hier auch nicht handzahm, liebe Irmi.

... said...

The storks are such pretty birds.
Great photo :)

Annuk said...

They are so beautiful!!! I love them too!

Eva said...

Was für eine wundervolle Versammlung dieser edlen Vögel! Mögen sie es alle sicher und gesund in den Norden schaffen. Glücksbringer!