Autumn's Early Arrival: Migratory Birds and Autumn Crocuses Appear in Israel
Signs of autumn are already evident in Israel, with migratory birds beginning their journey south and autumn crocuses starting to bloom. While the official start of autumn is September 22nd, nature's calendar operates differently. According to Dr. Dotan Rotem, Director of Reserves Interface and Monitoring at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, animals, particularly birds, respond to shortening daylight hours rather than temperature drops. As daylight decreases significantly from mid-June in the Northern Hemisphere, making hunting and finding food difficult due to cold temperatures and animal hibernation, birds migrate to warmer regions in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Israel serves as a crucial stopover point, with approximately half a billion birds migrating through its territory annually. Hundreds of thousands of birds pass over Israel each night, utilizing one of the world's most important avian migration routes. The country's unique geography, situated between the desert to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, makes it a preferred path for these travelers, channeling birds from vast areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.
The autumn crocus (Colchicum stepporum), a harbinger of fall, is also making an early appearance. Contrary to popular belief, its first blooms can be observed as early as July. Dr. Rotem explains that these plants, like other early bloomers, possess internal biological clocks that dictate their flowering times. Their bulbs, buried deep underground, store nutrients gathered during the previous winter. This allows them to bloom during a period of less competition with other plants, ensuring they attract pollinators like bees, flies, and butterflies. The crocuses bloom without leaves, with their white flower stalks emerging directly from the ground. Each day, new flowers open, and bees are observed spiraling upwards to reach the most mature blooms. Following the crocus's flowering season, which lasts until early November, leaves emerge to replenish the bulbs for the following year's bloom.
