In a recent thread, the topic of bird fly-bys came up, and I mentioned that we have a splendid view of a bird commute from approximately mid-January through March each year. During that time, flocks of White Ibises fly west along the river just after sunrise and east around sunset — thousands daily.
We call the start of the evening rush hour “Flock O’Clock” and make sure we’re on the porch or in the boat to watch. If it’s a large flock, sometimes the wings sound like a waterfall. I took the above video at sunset from the jon boat with my phone. Can’t remember if I shared it here or not. If so, please pardon the rerun.
Open thread!
Alison Rose
That’s awesome! Occasionally I’ll get a flock of what I presume are geese going by overhead, but not often, since I’m kind of in the middle of the city.
However, earlier today a few Oregon Juncos were basically divebombing each other in the tree outside my windows, so that was entertaining. Especially for my cat.
Gravenstone
Scroll up to find two fresh threads a minute apart. Already gave bigfoot his grief.
Geo Wilcox
We get to see the sandhill cranes and every so often a whooping crane in the flock. Also we are on the fly lane of bald eagles from Brookville Lake (Indiana). We’ve had one hanging around our valley fishing in ponds and the stream at the back of our land.
Kristine
Oh, ibises!
Back in the 80s, when I lived in Columbus OH, the place I lived was right under a major flyway. Folks up and down the street came out and stood and watched as birds just kept flying overhead. Hundreds of thousands, if not more. I forget what kind other than that they were smaller, not duck or goose-size.
Yutsano
We don’t have ibises (ibii?) up this way, but eastern Washington has sandhill cranes. They look so graceful soaring through the skies!
Alison Rose
@Yutsano: Definitely calling them ibii from now on.
Betty Cracker
@Yutsano: We have Sandhills too (migratory and residential populations), and they’re incredible. So loud!
Princess
Spectacular.
Jharp
We too get the sandhill cranes (central Indiana).
And they soar so friggin high that they are hard to spot.
You can hear them clearly. And can see where you’d think they be.
But you’ve got to look a few thousand feet higher to actually see them.
Nonrev
Very nice. To remember
Old School
Very nice!
way2blue
Ms Betty. You live in the most amazing corner of our world—visited by so many exotic critters. I’m lucky to see a blue heron on my walks or hear the coyotes yipping at night…
Trivia Man
For a time i lived near Horicon marsh (locally known as The Everglades of the North. Hardly. But I digress.)
The most spectacular flocks of Canada Geese you will ever see. And old pictures dhow that at one time they could literally blot out the sky. I miss the honking.
satby
Don’t see much more than geese, ducks, various songbirds and crows, and every so often small starling murmurations over the St.Joe river. Not bad for a few blocks off of the downtown area..
Quaker in a Basement
Garrjuss! as our Irish friends might say.
Here in Colorado, we have Canada geese hanging around this time of year. It’s a treat to hear them flying overhead, even after dark The trailing geese honk their encouragement to the leader at the point of the formation. The make quite a ruckus.
WaterGirl
That’s so beautiful, Betty! I love the sounds in your nature videos, they almost make me feel like i am there. Until the video stops!
emjayay
My bird related discovery is that it isn’t a good idea to park your car under a tree in winter. Apparently a lot of birds stick around.
Clue: trees don’t have any leaves on them now.
zeecube
Driving home the other day from my office in downtown New Orleans I came across a murder of about 500 crows flying east to west toward the Superdome, and when I turned on the side street saw another 100 or so flying north to south joining up. Thought to myself – must be a cawvention in town this week
note to emjayjay: That was my second thought.
eclare
OMG that is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.
Betty
What a beautiful sight.
Xavier
@Geo Wilcox: When the sandhill cranes migrate north in the spring, you can hear them croaking when they’re so high you can barely see them.
bbleh
Wetlands rule!
I suppose it’s a sensitive topic in, uh, certain areas, but I am not entirely opposed to the likelihood that, thanks to the Great Chinese Global Warming Hoax, wetland areas are likely to increase in coming decades.
(And yes, there will also be terrible costs that far outweigh this benefit, notably the loss of arable coastal lands and the mass misery and political instability that will ensue. But at least it’ll be good for the birdz.)
TriassicSands
The thread seems to be dead, but I wanted to report that one of the cooler bird things I’ve seen in my life was when I was in Joshua Tree N.P. and turkey vultures were flying overhead, more or less in single file, on their annual trek back north as the weather warmed. The line stretched out of sight both north and south. No Canada goose V for those guys.
SkyBluePink
I may have stayed in FL had I lived in the country.
I enjoy your slices of life.
OzarkHillbilly
You live in a beautiful place, Betty. It’s almost enough to make me move to Florida. HA! Not happening, not that Misery is all that much better, but it does have granddaughters.
frosty
What fun! I’m keeping track on eBird and a couple of people have seen 8,000 to 10,000 Snow Geese fly north over the Chesapeake.
Bird commutes and migrations are amazing. So cool that you have a porch front seat.
frosty
What fun! I’m keeping track on eBird while I’m in Florida and a couple of people have seen 8,000 to 10,000 Snow Geese fly north over the Chesapeake.
Bird commutes and migrations are amazing. So cool that you have a porch front seat.
S Cerevisiae
I’ve been doing eBird checklists in the backyard here in St. Pete, since it’s a peninsula you never know what might fly over. I still get a kick out of seeing wild parakeets, you can usually hear them before you see them.