Yesterday, as we were driving home from a visit to Dear Husband's daughter and her family, we saw the most amazing flock of birds. I can't tell you what kind of birds they were, except to say that they were dark (black looking against a gray, rainy sky), and seemed to be larger than sparrows.
There were two flocks, and the flocks were immense! I've never seen so many birds together in one place. They flew in groups that were about as wide as four or five lanes of highway, and perhaps a block, or more than a block, long. The birds were tightly packed together and moved like a school of fish. There was no way to determine who was in charge of the groups, but one of them had to be calling out directions, because they definitely were playing follow the leader.
One of the flocks headed for the phone lines, and barely a quarter of the birds were down when the lines were covered around the intersection with birds sitting shoulder to shoulder. The other group headed for a very old tree, and several trees nearby, and the trees came alive with the rustling birds.
It looked like the birds were practicing migration maneuvers, but it seems a bit early to be migrating. And, I don't recall ever seeing such a large group of birds migrating together. It makes you wonder what they eat, because there couldn't be enough feed available for two groups this size this time of year.
It was quite a sight! I couldn't help commenting about Hitchcock's "The Birds." The flocks above us put those in the movie to shame.
Comments (3)
Starlings? (Again!)
Posted by Cop Car | January 31, 2006 4:21 AM
Posted on January 31, 2006 04:21
Don't tell me I wrote "starlings!" I'll have to go look. I meant to say that the birds were larger than sparrows....at least it looked like it from the distance. Drat! CC, I'll NEVER be allowed to join the Audubon Society! *G*
Posted by buffy | January 31, 2006 10:42 AM
Posted on January 31, 2006 10:42
No, you did not write "starlings". That was my guess as to what your "larger than sparrows" birds were. Of course, if they were enough larger than sparrows, I should have guessed turkey vultures! *smirking* Flocks of starlings have grown to tremendous proportions; but, of course, if one is in the right place at the right time, red-wing blackbirds, swallows of various types, etcetera can also be seen in large flocks. Just think of the "olden days" when passenger pigeons could cloud the sky for hours at a time! My hope is that the flock that you saw comprised a species native to North America.
Posted by Cop Car | January 31, 2006 6:28 PM
Posted on January 31, 2006 18:28