Flight of the Birds

I have always admired the beauty of birds in flight. The grace, precision, and fluidity of their motion is breathtaking. One of the best places I enjoy going to watch birds in flight is at the beach not far from our home. On Monday the cold weather let up a little  and we were able to go to our favorite place, the beach, and spend a couple of hours. Whenever I or we get the chance to enjoy the beach, I always take chips or crackers to draw in the seagulls. I can't explain what it is about them that so fascinates me but I can express how much I love to watch them in flight. Monday morning, the temps were in the upper 50's into the low 60's. There was a pretty consistent west wind that was blowing which made the day a tad cooler than we would have liked. Looking out over the water, it was sheer majesty in motion. The waves were rolling in nicely and with a glorious sound that soothed the soul.

Although the waves were on the smaller side, there was plenty of activity to be found. Ghost crabs were scurrying in and out of the surf while others were just content peaking their heads out of their holes in the sand. Sandpipers were scouring the sand for a little bit of breakfast. There were only a few other people who had ventured to the beach on this cool morning and even fewer seagulls. There was one that was visible and he wouldn't come any where near us. Well, as I always do, I went into our snack bag and pulled out some barbecue potato chips. With one quick toss of a handful of chips into the air, the masses came flying in. I am so amazed that even when there are no gulls in sight, within 2 seconds of casting something into the air that looks or smells like food, seagulls come out of the wood work!! My son and I began to feed them handful by handful, watching as they flit about so skillfully maneuvering between one another. As my son enjoyed the frenzy I grabbed the camera in hopes of a few good shots.

 

 

 

 

I was not disappointed! Of the 30 or so seagulls, there was no lack of chatter among them. Some offered up the traditional caw while a few more aggressive ones made a clicking machine gun sound. In times before we have been able to actually get the birds to eat right out of our outstretched finger tips but not today. With larger pieces to offer I am certain we would have had some takers in that manner. We continued feeding them, admiring the skillfulness of their flight. Having lived in Pensacola, Florida for the past 20+ years I have seen my share of precision flight by way of the famous Navy Blue Angels. It is no wonder why the Wright Brothers and others engineered aircraft after watching the movement of birds. No amount of training could ever elevate man's ability to a tenth of what nature has given these creatures. My wife laughed then and again as I would let the birds settle off into another area and then walk quietly behind our son and throw chips into the air right behind him. In that instant, it was nothing but birds, birds, birds surrounding him. I was very proud that he wasn't afraid and more or less just stood there in awe.  

 



 

 

 

As he and I enjoyed the morning, mom was wrapped up like an Eskimo chilled by the wind. You know, I kind of expected she would possibly be a bit chilly but what I didn't expect what was showed up amongst the birds. Out of nowhere, a pigeon, yes, a pigeon landed right in the middle of all of the feeding gulls and sandpipers. I have been in this area and coming to the local beaches since the late 80's and I have never seen a pigeon on the beach! Granted the mainland isn't but a couple of miles across the intercoastal waterway but this blew me away. Seeing this pigeon seemingly right at home among his beach living counterparts led me to thinking. Why is it that we tend to pigeon hole people in the same way sometimes? You know what I mean. We see someone of a different race or from a different area and we condemningly think that they are "out of pocket." Nature has proven once again, that even we can be a bit narrow minded and jaded in our perceptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we made mom endure the coldness of the wind long enough and it was time to pack up our gear and head back home. Again, the beach, our beach, gave us a restful, restorative experience and for that we are grateful. The sun shone brightly, the sand was clean and squeaky under our feet and the whole of nature sang us their song. From the lapping of the waves at the shore with their roar of entrance to the caw of the birds, this day had been another to add to our string of memories. Whether we lay in the sun and soak up our vitamin D, feed the birds or I cast a line into the Gulf of Mexico, we can always count on the beach to be our pristine vacation, if only for a little while.

 

 

From our family to yours, I hope that the warmth of Spring finds you soon and that the grip of cold and winter fades as quickly as it came.