The Birds

We awoke to discover lots and lots of unknown birds in our yard in the morning. The whole situation was making our regular birds (and my husband's favorite bunny) really nervous. As we watched, the new birds, which turned out to be starlings, swarmed up into the sky and landed in the neighbors' yard. Then they came back, moving in a large mass together, all coordinated. 

I went for a walk and followed them around the neighborhood with my camera. The sight and sound of all of those wings when the whole group lifted up into the sky was AMAZING. Murmuration is a fine thing to witness! A source I found says "murmuration is their way of scaring away any potential predators by creating threateningly large, ominous shapes that make them look unapproachable." Here is a very neat tidbit:

"One incredibly interesting fact that has emerged from recent research is that the movement of a starling only affects the movement of the closest seven surrounding birds. The closest statistical analogy is that of magnetism, where various particles align in a single direction as the metals become magnetised. Apparently, a similar thing occurs when a starling moves."

It was very cool to witness. I was starting to feel like Tippi Hedren, but I didn't have a single love bird on me. Neither was I wearing a lovely twin-set, on my way to Bodega Bay. I took this photo and turned it into monochrome, added a noir filter, and beefed up the darkness and definition. So here is my photo of the starlings as they all lifted up into the air in our neighborhood. I wish I could bottle and share with you the sound that accompanied this motion!!!!

As far as music . . . I couldn't decide between two bird songs to go with this posting, so here they both are. First is Dolly Parton's collaboration with Lynyrd Skynyrd on her album Rockstar; for the first time ever since 1977, Ronnie Van Zant's vocals appear in new music. His widow gave Dolly permission! So here are Dolly and Ronnie with Free Bird (authentically, weighing in at more than 10 minutes long). The second song is a fun 80s confection: A Flock of Seagulls, with I Ran.