I’m not exactly a birder, but my late brother was a falconer and interested in birds all his life, and because of that I have a more-than-passing interest in birds. So when a friend who is also interested in birds sent me the news that a juvenile bar-tailed godwit, a very pretty sort of wader, has just flown 8,425 miles from Alaska to New Zealand, trans-Pacific, non-stop, and in eleven days and one hour for an average speed of about 32 mph, I say “What an incredible feat!”
Godwit. Now that is a name filled with wondrous metaphor and hope! Thanks for a super reflection. I love birds and though not a birder in the strict definition, enjoy watching them, watching FOR them and listening to them. Life is so much more than the daily news focused as it so often can be on the dumbasses among us. Blessing to you TC.
The book “A World on the Wing” by Sott Weidensaul offers an excellent account of long range bird migration. The birds sleep while flying by shutting down half of their brains , with the other part continuing to direct the flight.
Wow! I’m traveling to pre-election PA and just read your narrative aloud to my husband. We both both feel better after reading this astonishing info about a bird! Who knew?! I’m grateful to you for reminding me that nature is full of wonders like the Godwit. Although the Godwit is a singular jawdropper! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️
While not an official "birder" I do pay attention to their comings and goings and while my front yard looks like most of my neighbors my back yard is closer to the deep woods. I keep 3 feeders going in the back and go through 44 lbs of birdseed a week in the spring. I have identified close to 50 different species in my yard over the years. I have some recommendations that might make watching these wonderful creatures more enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and get iBird Pro, it lists close to 1000 different birds in NA, with drawings, photos, range, diets, habits, calls, breeding preferences for each. I play their calls in my iPhone sometimes playing a Coopers Hawk to run off the doves that tend to dominate the feeders, at the first sound of the hawk they are gone, they eat them you know. Another good ap is Merlin Bird ID, it's made by Cornell Lab. You can tell it to start recording and over the course of 5 - 10 minutes it will identify the sounds of every bird the mic picks up, it's fascinating to see who's visiting, they also have a link to migrations, many species migrate at night and they do it in mass, thousands of them as if on signal, so it will say there are 25,000 red wing blackbirds at 10,000 ft over Atlanta on a given night. I would guess that the pilots and airlines are aware of them since they will show up on radar. 2 or 3 days after they leave here they are in New England. I never tire of watching them and their displays of the pecking order which they all are very much aware of especially around the feeders, woodpeckers, even the smallest ones, are at the top of the pecking order from what I have witnessed. That was a great post Tom, I knew nothing about that bird, thank you.
Incredible. Again wild creatures prove themselves superior to the human. I almost got lost on a hop from Okinawa to Japan at 1000 feet because I believed a precessing RMI. My wingman saved the day with “ where the f--- are you going😛
Godwit. Now that is a name filled with wondrous metaphor and hope! Thanks for a super reflection. I love birds and though not a birder in the strict definition, enjoy watching them, watching FOR them and listening to them. Life is so much more than the daily news focused as it so often can be on the dumbasses among us. Blessing to you TC.
I am amazed! TY so much. Nature is full of mystery and creativity when we bother to pay attention.
What a great mental break today!
The book “A World on the Wing” by Sott Weidensaul offers an excellent account of long range bird migration. The birds sleep while flying by shutting down half of their brains , with the other part continuing to direct the flight.
Wow! I’m traveling to pre-election PA and just read your narrative aloud to my husband. We both both feel better after reading this astonishing info about a bird! Who knew?! I’m grateful to you for reminding me that nature is full of wonders like the Godwit. Although the Godwit is a singular jawdropper! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️
Thank you for filling me with wonder today!
Thanks for this one, TC. Now I know anything is possible.
Whoever named this bird must have known it was special--Ha!
I am gobsmacked, or godwitted.
The godwit is now my totem until after Election Day. Thank you, TC.
Salud! 🗽
While not an official "birder" I do pay attention to their comings and goings and while my front yard looks like most of my neighbors my back yard is closer to the deep woods. I keep 3 feeders going in the back and go through 44 lbs of birdseed a week in the spring. I have identified close to 50 different species in my yard over the years. I have some recommendations that might make watching these wonderful creatures more enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and get iBird Pro, it lists close to 1000 different birds in NA, with drawings, photos, range, diets, habits, calls, breeding preferences for each. I play their calls in my iPhone sometimes playing a Coopers Hawk to run off the doves that tend to dominate the feeders, at the first sound of the hawk they are gone, they eat them you know. Another good ap is Merlin Bird ID, it's made by Cornell Lab. You can tell it to start recording and over the course of 5 - 10 minutes it will identify the sounds of every bird the mic picks up, it's fascinating to see who's visiting, they also have a link to migrations, many species migrate at night and they do it in mass, thousands of them as if on signal, so it will say there are 25,000 red wing blackbirds at 10,000 ft over Atlanta on a given night. I would guess that the pilots and airlines are aware of them since they will show up on radar. 2 or 3 days after they leave here they are in New England. I never tire of watching them and their displays of the pecking order which they all are very much aware of especially around the feeders, woodpeckers, even the smallest ones, are at the top of the pecking order from what I have witnessed. That was a great post Tom, I knew nothing about that bird, thank you.
Incredible. Again wild creatures prove themselves superior to the human. I almost got lost on a hop from Okinawa to Japan at 1000 feet because I believed a precessing RMI. My wingman saved the day with “ where the f--- are you going😛
Thanks for sharing. I marvel at the birds in my backyard.
Thanks TC.
Absolutely amazing! I fancy myself kind of an amateur birder. But I wasn’t aware of these incredible birds. Thank you TC!
Needed a lift today, thanks. Fascinating about their internal organs restructuring before takeoff.
Love this! Thanks for brightening my day.