One day I heard a noise and looked overhead to see a flock flying over. Toward the beginning and end of their migration, they coalesce into an incredibly large grouping. That group took about 15 minutes to pass overhead.They are so numerous this time of year, they schedule flights at Robins Air Force Base to times the birds are not as active.
Those are some pretty cool photos. I remember seeing massive flocks of birds when I was back east. Out here in California--or at least where I am--it's kind of rare to see masses of birds all together unless it's sea gulls near the ocean. On occasion I might see a wedge of geese pass overhead, but never more than a grouping of 8 or so birds and I don't see those all that often.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of birds in the city area, but they seem to appear sporadically rather than in groups.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
You're lucky in that you have lived in different places. I know you have seen a lot.
DeleteWhen people move to California, they never move back.
Once my wife is able to retire I hope we are able to move. California is a beautiful state and has fantastic weather, but the government overall is horrible and the nature of the people is getting worse. This place is going nuts in my opinion.
DeleteI recognized you were a Southerner when I first read your blog. I never planned to move back to small town Georgia. The pleasant surprise was how nice people were. I don't think you would be disappointed to return to your roots. The only drawback is that at our age, it is sometimes hard to network a new group of friends.
DeleteThey are cool to look at in the pictures, not sure I'd want to see them in person :) So many at one time would be a bit frightening!
ReplyDeletebetty
A California transplant I knew had trouble with the trees here. She found it clautrophobic to ride down the road and walk among them. It is what you get used to. Plus Hitchcock's movie featuring birds does not help.
DeleteThat said, I think you would be pleased with them. They keep their distance and are truly a wondrous force of nature.
Some great shots indeed as they fly about. Only thing I can think of though is I'd never want to be walking under them lol
ReplyDeleteThey would avoid you anyway. But I would not want to be there either.
DeleteThat's a lot of birds. It is cool to watch flocks of that size move.
ReplyDeleteI love them.
DeleteOh my Goodness, I bet they are really loud!
ReplyDeleteThey don't talk too much. Mostly it is the sound of them flying. They do have a lookout that gets quite rackety.
DeleteBeautiful birds. Most of our geese stayed here over winter...so we didn't see too many flocks flying overhead. In So CA where, I worked in El Monte, you would see flocks and flocks of starlings in the late afternoon, flying in swooping flocks as they flew west to??? not sure...
ReplyDeleteFrom the animated chatter at sunrise, to the way they huddle close on the line when (if) it's cold, birds are nature's reminder that there is so much more than us out there. I wish I knew why they flock as one across a street and back again. Exercise, maybe? You have some great pictures, especially the one of Loretta, smiling ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've seen some large flocks of them in the fall. Having grown up on a farm, I'm not a big fan of any kind of blackbird, but I can never help stopping and watching those huge flocks.
ReplyDeleteWe get a lot of black birds here but I haven't seen a red wing since we moved from the Midwest. I miss them.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a lot of blackbirds! And yes, your photos are lovely.
ReplyDelete