Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Friday, November 13, 2015

I Call This Scientific Phenomenon of Murmuration, Flight Dancing~


This will be an easy breezy share.  Just double click on the images and I hope that you will enjoy them.  I call them flight dancing, the scientific phenomenon is called Murmuration.  Either way, it is absolutely stunning, even if you no like ;) these birds, and huge sigh, many people do not.  I find it so intoxicating to observe these displays that I arise at 4:00 AM, walk the dogs, feed them, walk them again and grab something for myself to eat on they way.  I then travel the 20 miles to arrive before sunrise and watch them for just under 10 or so minutes.  I have shared 4 different visits to the roosting area in this post, along with some of the land that I see as I stand and watch their beauty.  There are thousands of birds in what I call waves of them as they take off and each morning there have been as many as 7 of those waves heading in my direction, while others go off in other directions.  The noise of their voices is complete wild frenzy, and I love that as well.
If you don't like Starlings, be sure to check out my older post from last week, lots of wee birds and the end of Autumnal colours on my patch of land.

I have visited many blogs this past week and still missed some along the way, but I will try and catch up with you.  How do you check out blog posts?  I have 2 memes that I flow with and then also use Blogger that shows when entries are made.  Another good way is having some blogs listed along side my own blog.  I love this world of sharing!
Have a wonderful week~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

&

Stewart for:
   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/



First visit was before we rolled our clocks back an hour~





















We set our clocks back an hour here 2 weeks ago in Kentucky and now it is quite dark as the birds begin to take off...no time change for them.
Second visit~








I did an invert just to show the reality of how many birds there actually are.... It looks like thousands of snowflakes, doesn't it ;)


Third visit~








Fourth visit~




This is my proof of arriving before dawn ;)


26 comments:

  1. Hello again Mary. Your determination in wishing to see the murmurations is so commendable. Few would do as you do, but as you remark, very few people are as steeped in appreciating wildlife as you do. The red-sky mornings make such a sight all the more spectacular, as your photos prove. Communal roosts are not just spectacular but so interesting in telling us how birds communicate and socialise.

    We too have turned our clocks back and enter winter with very poor wet and windy weather. I long for some clear, frosty days to enjoy the outdoors with binoculars and camera even if those days are short.

    Enjoy your weekend.

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    1. Yes! This is incredible. I can only imagine what it is like to be a part of that experience. We have it here in Tucson during the winter but there are a LOT of birds in those photos. Perhaps in the 100,000 category???!!!! Thanks for sharing.

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  2. ahhhh

    much enjoyed ... I do love twilight shots ... Mother Nature does amazing things

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  3. I've never seen so many starlings. You captured the movement of their murmurations quite well Mary. I love the day 4 shots with the pink sky. We have a few starlings around here - just a handful. They hog the bird seed but I bought a feeder with a cage around the silo so the little birds can get in but the larger ones can't. Have a lovely weekend.

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  4. Spectacular photos, Mary! Your collages are especially impressive this time, I think.
    Thank you very much for sharing these wonderful images and have a lovely weekend!

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  5. Fantastic Mary, you caught so many at the time, lovely shooting.

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  6. This are extraordinary photos of this phenomenon. I can see why it is worth it to rise so early.

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  7. Mary, that is just amazing! Wish I could go along with you and see it in person.

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  8. Just beautiful! And isn't it amazing what God has put into his creatures that enables them to fly this way and that, turn course, and not run into each other and get killed! It's not like they're individually worrying about running into the guy next to them. This just an amazing phenomenon. Love your photos! And I didn't even have to get up that early to see them. Thank you!

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  9. Oh Mary, I, too, have always adored the lively sound and stunning visual artistry of starlings and your spectacular images are the epitome of their grand performance! Yes, the inversion version of this flight dance magically mimics a pretty snowfall, indeed!

    Your capture of the path you walked, featuring the wooden fence, rooted in thick, autumn shrubbery, is so seasonally pretty, and reminds me of my own walks in the Cretan countryside, surrounding my own home, which I miss so very much.

    Thank you for sharing your observations at dawn; for us, they are a daylight delight!

    Miss you!

    Much love, sweet friend!

    Hugs,
    Poppy

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  10. You are an artist....capturing this magical flight against the colorful skies....fabulous and breathtaking.

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  11. Wow Mary, that is the biggest murmuration I've seen! These flight dances always mesmerize me too, especially when there are never any crashes in the air. We know who choreographed this phenomenon.

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  12. Amazing photo story,Mary. I have never seen that sky with lot's of birds in person.Great work!

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  13. Starling murmurations are addictive to watch. My neck can get sore as I look up at them. They are so graceful and I wonder how they do it. The photo with the mist on the ground is also beautiful.

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  14. Beautiful photos and I love your description of this sight as "flight dancing"!

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  15. This is always a wonderful spectacle to see and toy captured it very well with gorgeous sunsets collages as well.

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  16. Being plentiful seems to label this bird as a nuisance but I label it as successful. They really are beautiful birds as individuals and the murmurations are mind boggling. You certainly have many more Starlings in your area than we do, but we do have some big groups that go through this amazing routine regularly and occasionally I am there to witness it. These are wonderful pictures all of them and good for you getting up and going so early. There is a whole other world out there at that time in the morning and most people miss it. Wonderful post, Mary ...

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  17. Lovely shots Mary. I think every state excep Arizona does the time change. Dang it gets dark early this time of year. When we were in Texas an old gentleman at my favorite birding spot told me that when he was a kid the sky would be dark every spring because there were so many migrating birds overhead. It's still good birding in Texas in the spring, but not that good! I guess starlings in Kentucky are the closest thing! I love the word murmuration. And your skies are stunning behind the birds.

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  18. Also, I try to get to return visits to all who comment on mine and visit as many links on the memes as I can. At least those who are next to my link and the first. Some weeks I do better than others. I don't let myself feel guilty when it's a busy week and I can't... Blogging is supposed to be a hobby, not a job... At least for most of us. That being said, the comments I get and my visits to others all over the world is the best part of this hobby and why I've stayed with it for years! I love my virtual friends and all I've learned from y'all!

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  19. I'm amazed! It looks like a Hitchcock movie. You can see them dancing in your pictures!

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  20. Hello mary, these are awesome photos. I have seen the murmuration, it is so cool. Great captures and post. Have a happy day!

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  21. I have never seen murmuration like this - only on a small scale of about 100 birds. Great pictures as always. You are incredible.

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  22. Stunning photos and a wonderful experience to capture. I remember seeing large murmurations of Starlings like this when I was a child but the numbers have declined over the years and the groups are very much smaller now, but still amazing to watch. Starlings are one of my favourite birds, they are so beautiful and look like they have been embroidered with little seed pearls and jewels. You've done a wonderful job of capturing them at their most magical, and I've really enjoyed sharing in your experience - thank you!

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  23. Wonderful shots. There is a place close to where I was born that has become famous for its huge flocks of starlings - I'd love to go back and see them.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: my slowness to comment and visit has been caused by a trip to an island in the Pacific!

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  24. Stunning images of nature in fall! Fabulous pictures in the wild, indeed! And your work of photo editing is so delicate; I love the way you expressed (and yes i can imagine, birds as looking like snowflakes...*_*) A lot of imagination and creativity shown in collages, as well!
    I'll come back to see more of your post in the future! So glad you came by my blog, too!
    (And please excuse any possible english grammar, if they occur, but english is not my maternal language and i'm still in learning process)
    Warm greetings from here!

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