the last flight
Last December this flock of birds would start to gather in the last hour and a half of daylight , circling and swooping over the harbour until dark. I found it fascinating, something I'd never seen before in all the years I've been here, and would have to stop what I was doing ~usually preparing dinner ~and watch for a while. Eventually I noticed some slightly larger birds darting into the flock , then out again. I realized they were nighthawks. While I never saw one leave with a bird in it's talons.....soon after I took this shot, the flock of birds came towards me over the corner of the dock, and I saw one individual falling from the sky. It seemed to fall in slow motion......down, down towards either the water or the wharf. I heard the dull 'thunk' as it hit the hard paved surface of the wharf. I assumed it had been hit by the nighthawk, but managed to continue flying until it's injuries prevented further flight. Poor thing.
I haven't seen this activity at all this December.
The birds are starlings, and if any starling experts are out there......is this something they do once every 10 years or so? Or is it another manifestation of the changes our world is going through?
It just seems so strange that the phenomenon only ocurred for the one year.
Anyway.......it's December again, I was going through last December's folder.... and decided to post this. I've barely taken a photo this month, except at gatherings where I took pics to give to the hosts. Didn't even take any photos at my own annual Christmas party.
And , sadly, altho it was a beautiful , clear full moon night on Sunday.....last night......when I would have loved to see the lunar eclipse.......it was cloudy and raining. Sigh.
the last flight
Last December this flock of birds would start to gather in the last hour and a half of daylight , circling and swooping over the harbour until dark. I found it fascinating, something I'd never seen before in all the years I've been here, and would have to stop what I was doing ~usually preparing dinner ~and watch for a while. Eventually I noticed some slightly larger birds darting into the flock , then out again. I realized they were nighthawks. While I never saw one leave with a bird in it's talons.....soon after I took this shot, the flock of birds came towards me over the corner of the dock, and I saw one individual falling from the sky. It seemed to fall in slow motion......down, down towards either the water or the wharf. I heard the dull 'thunk' as it hit the hard paved surface of the wharf. I assumed it had been hit by the nighthawk, but managed to continue flying until it's injuries prevented further flight. Poor thing.
I haven't seen this activity at all this December.
The birds are starlings, and if any starling experts are out there......is this something they do once every 10 years or so? Or is it another manifestation of the changes our world is going through?
It just seems so strange that the phenomenon only ocurred for the one year.
Anyway.......it's December again, I was going through last December's folder.... and decided to post this. I've barely taken a photo this month, except at gatherings where I took pics to give to the hosts. Didn't even take any photos at my own annual Christmas party.
And , sadly, altho it was a beautiful , clear full moon night on Sunday.....last night......when I would have loved to see the lunar eclipse.......it was cloudy and raining. Sigh.