Some of my friends and acquaintances have such
distinctive manners of walking I am able to recognize them from a great
distance. A few men walk with such an
exaggerated swagger they stand out like a red light surrounded by greens. I am able to recognize some women by a
certain, almost liquid, sway of their hips.
During my many years of country living, I have also learned
how to identify certain species of birds by their distinct patterns of flight. Pinion jays fly with something of a swagger,
similar to that of a man. Vesper
sparrows fly with a kind of flutter-and-fold stutter. Bluebirds are among the most unique in their flight. Bluebirds initiate rhythmic arcs and dips as
they fly—almost as if they are racing up and down invisible hills. Bluebirds also hover above the brush and
grass.
Yesterday, as I drove home through the ranchlands, I
spotted a bird hovering above some juniper on a nearby hill. After hovering for a few seconds, the bird
scissored its sharp wings and wove away.
Definitely a bluebird. My first
bluebird sighting of 2015.
Out here where I live, the seasons come and go on the
wings of bluebirds. Today, I announce
the electric blue official arrival of spring in Montana.
--Mitchell
Hegman
You have a gift for keen observation Mitch. The different ways by which birds fly would make a very informative tome in itself, especially if accompanied by videos. Could be money making too assuming nobody has yet marketed that kind of information to avid bird watchers.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the way you transitioned your descriptions of birds in flight into the arrival of spring.
Well written blog!
Thanks!
As always, Thank you, Ariel Murphy!
ReplyDelete