My excursions into the woods and prairies can be unremarkable. Somedays it seems there is little to see that is new or exciting. It is cold enough that the fungi are not popping up like they were just a few weeks ago. Flowers and grasses have faded. The strong winds and rains have stripped the trees of much of the color that we were just beginning to enjoy. The skyholes have opened up in my little section of woods, allowing me to see through, acknowledging to myself that my woods doesn't go on forever.
But sometimes, when you least expect it, nature can surprise you. I took a trip to Glacial Lakes State Park on Sunday. I knew the colors were past peak, but the urge to get out on what could be one of the last nice days of fall was too much to ignore. The blend of woods and prairie always makes for an interesting walk. Broad vistas of brown hills roll away in the distance. Winding paths through the oaks, now showing their gnarled trunks and branches. A wood frog on the path. Then, as rain clouds moved in, it happened.
The noise caught my attention first. Loud and raucous, seeming to come from north and south. Blackbirds. Our local blackbirds have been gone for a week or two, already south. These must be traveling from further north, from the plains and potholes in Canada. And not just a flock high above. These were on the ground, in the trees and flying in endless streams along the trails.
A murmuration is when a flock of birds flys in an undulating mass, that often turns back on itself and seems to be one creature. Other species do this, but this was a flock of blackbirds, redwinged, brewers, and grackles. For a time I was in the middle, as birds were moving constantly from north to south and back again. As I walked up the trail, those closest would lift, then more would join them. Some disappeared over a hill, while others would circle around and cover the ground behind me. It was impossible to count how many, but I would estimate over a thousand birds swirled over the prairie. The noise, the movement, the pure energy of life. It is a moment I will not forget any time soon.
It was a reminder that we don't know what awaits us over the next hill, or around a bend. So put on a jacket, and a hat, maybe some gloves, and go for a walk...nature awaits.
A flock of migrating blackbirds against the fall poplars.
