Huge flocks of birds! [OT]

I went for a walk this morning here on the farm, and suddenly there were so
many birds that the sky was nearly black! The birds were flying in huge
figure-eight patterns for a while when I noticed them. Must have been at
least 5,000 of them... The figure-eights were longer than a football field.

After a while, most of the birds settled into the bare branches of several
large oak trees. I was walking closer to those trees because I wanted to see
what kind of birds they were. Not small birds like wrens or finches and also
not large like crows. They were not black either, but some very dark color,
and they were all chirping at once and the sound drowned out everything
else.

As I approached the flock, most of them went down into the field and lit on
the ground. As I got closer they flew up and over a fence into another
section of pasture. Then after a short time they all flew up into another
group of trees and started another chorus of chirping. This went on for five
minutes or so, and then they started flying off in groups of perhaps 50-100
at a time until most of them had left the farm.

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even one-tenth as many. I
still wonder what kind they were, and what brought them all together, here,
today, when I was out and could see them.

I'd like to think it was a good omen....

Pat wrote:
I went for a walk this morning here on the farm, and suddenly there
were so many birds that the sky was nearly black! The birds were
flying in huge figure-eight patterns for a while when I noticed them.
Must have been at least 5,000 of them... The figure-eights were
longer than a football field.

After a while, most of the birds settled into the bare branches of
several large oak trees. I was walking closer to those trees because
I wanted to see what kind of birds they were. Not small birds like
wrens or finches and also not large like crows. They were not black
either, but some very dark color, and they were all chirping at once
and the sound drowned out everything else.

As I approached the flock, most of them went down into the field and
lit on the ground. As I got closer they flew up and over a fence into
another section of pasture. Then after a short time they all flew up
into another group of trees and started another chorus of chirping.
This went on for five minutes or so, and then they started flying off
in groups of perhaps 50-100 at a time until most of them had left the
farm.

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even one-tenth as
many. I still wonder what kind they were, and what brought them all
together, here, today, when I was out and could see them.

I'd like to think it was a good omen....

It sounds to me like it could be a flock of starlings, a beautiful sight.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
A House is not a home, without a cat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

Adrian wrote:
Pat wrote:
I went for a walk this morning here on the farm, and suddenly there
were so many birds that the sky was nearly black! The birds were
flying in huge figure-eight patterns for a while when I noticed them.
Must have been at least 5,000 of them... The figure-eights were
longer than a football field.

It sounds to me like it could be a flock of starlings, a beautiful
sight.

I concur they were probably starlings. They flock in very large numbers
particularly if they're on an emigration path.

Jill

You don't live near Bodega Bay, California, do you?

Actually, that sounds like it must have been beautiful. Huge numbers
of birds taking off and swooping around en masse must be an awesome sight!

Joyce


Pat wrote:

I went for a walk this morning here on the farm, and suddenly
there were so many birds that the sky was nearly black! The birds
were flying in huge figure-eight patterns for a while when I
noticed them. Must have been at least 5,000 of them... The
figure-eights were longer than a football field.

No cluons were harmed when "Pat" wrote:
[snips]

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even one-tenth as
many. I
still wonder what kind they were, and what brought them all
together, here,
today, when I was out and could see them.

Here in Texas, we have huge flocks of Grackles. They are loud,
somewhat ugly birds that take over all the trees, phone lines, anthing
a bird will sit on.

Local merchants hate them because they also dump unbelievable amounts
of excrement on the cars of customers parked under those trees (grin).

I would hope you had Starlings instead...


Hugs and Purrs,
Mark
--
Proof of Sanity Forged Upon Request

"Mark Edwards" wrote in message
...
No cluons were harmed when "Pat" wrote:
[snips]

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even one-tenth as
many. I
still wonder what kind they were, and what brought them all
together, here,
today, when I was out and could see them.

Here in Texas, we have huge flocks of Grackles. They are loud,
somewhat ugly birds that take over all the trees, phone lines, anthing
a bird will sit on.

Local merchants hate them because they also dump unbelievable amounts
of excrement on the cars of customers parked under those trees (grin).

I would hope you had Starlings instead...


Maybe

One of those court TV shows yesterday had a couple who found a huge starling
nest in the attic of the house they bought.

It filled about 1/4 of the attic and the expert stated it could have been
built in just a year or so. Seems they like to live in groups.

Jo

"Pat" wrote in message
.. .
I went for a walk this morning here on the farm, and suddenly there were so
many birds that the sky was nearly black! The birds were flying in huge
figure-eight patterns for a while when I noticed them. Must have been at
least 5,000 of them... The figure-eights were longer than a football field.

That sounds gorgeous! We get lots of flocks of waxwings this time of year
and I love the trilling sound they make - very distinctive.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Jo Firey wrote:
"Mark Edwards" wrote in message
...
No cluons were harmed when "Pat" wrote:
[snips]

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even one-tenth as
many. I
still wonder what kind they were, and what brought them all
together, here,
today, when I was out and could see them.

Here in Texas, we have huge flocks of Grackles. They are loud,
somewhat ugly birds that take over all the trees, phone lines,
anthing
a bird will sit on.

Local merchants hate them because they also dump unbelievable amounts
of excrement on the cars of customers parked under those trees
(grin).

I would hope you had Starlings instead...


Maybe

One of those court TV shows yesterday had a couple who found a huge
starling nest in the attic of the house they bought.

It filled about 1/4 of the attic and the expert stated it could have
been built in just a year or so. Seems they like to live in groups.

Jo

LOL I saw that show. They do indeed nest in "colonies".

I was very fortunate in that I only had a small nest in my apartment attic.
I became known as the 'bird lady' of the apartment complex for a couple of
years for different types of birds.

The first year I moved in, I was in my bedroom reading when a bird came
zooming through, then back out. I had parakeets at the time and I said to
myself, wait a minute, that wasn't a parakeet! Went into the living room
and found a sparrow sitting on a silk plant way up high. I opened the back
door and managed to shooo it outside. Still no idea how it got in.

When spring came, I had a wreath on my front door. Just decorative, you
know. I'd come home from work and find "fluff" in the wreath, so I'd pull
it out. Come back the next day, the "fluff" was there again. And now
twigs. It was a nest! Oddly enough, the wreath is one that has little
wooden birdhouses on it and the legend, "Home is where you build your nest".
Apparently this Carolina wren could read. It build a nest and laid eggs. I
was careful to exit by the back door so as not to disturb the mother bird,
but the front door is glass and she could see me approaching the kitchen
even through the closed blinds so she'd fly away. It appeared a week or so
later she abandoned the nest and the eggs were gone. A squirrel or lizard
got to them. The same thing happened next year, although I was always
careful not to disturb the nesting mom or her birds.

A year or so later I heard this clamour in my hallway. WTF? CHEEEP CHEEEP
CHEEEP!!! I opened the door to the utility closet (where the heating unit
is) and out hopped this fledgling starling. It had fallen through a hole in
the attic where the insulation takes the heating pipe up to vent. It hopped
right over to me and up onto my hand. Remember that children's book, "Are
you my mommy?" It was like that!

I tried to put it outside. I could hear the mother screeching for it. But,
as with Persia, it was a very stormy day and was getting nasty with rain. I
set it outside for its mom to get it and it fluttered onto my back door
window panes and CRIED. I am such a sucker. I couldn't just leave it out
there in the rain clinging to the glass pane on the door!

Having had birds all my life I had a small cage so I prepared it with some
cotton "fluff" and brought in the bird (who was happy as hell to get inside
from the storm). It could perch and flutter, fairly big bird... just
couldn't fly well yet. I fed it bread dipped in milk and I found a can of
dog food and gave it bits of that. The bird ate from my finger and just
about took it off while eating (greedy little thing!). But just as fast it
would tuck its head back and sleep. It was a baby. Then it would wake up
screaming to be fed. Baby birds eat and sleep a LOT and often, in case you
didn't know.

Anyway, long story short, I let this bird go the next afternoon in a bush
behind my apartment... with a bunch of moist bread, a shallow bowl of water
and hoping its mom was still looking for it. I could still hear her calling
for it so I think she probably found the fledgling.

I also called the apartment office and had them seal off my attic. I am no
longer in possession of drop-into-your-apartment birds, although I wouldn't
mind a nest on the OUTSIDE. In fact, I feed them and encourage nesting
around here.

Jill

On Sat 17 Dec 2005 03:36:22p, Pat wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
) :

I've never seen such a quantity of birds here. Not even
one-tenth as many. I still wonder what kind they were, and what
brought them all together, here, today, when I was out and could
see them.

I'd like to think it was a good omen....

This time of year we get huge flocks of starlings or grackles. I
think Starlings, though. I have pictures that I've taken of my yard,
my neighbors yard, and the cemetary across the street just FILLED
with squawking birds. Of course I looked at them later and was like
WTF is this a picture of?? LOL I think they were migrating.

--
Cheryl