Bay of Fundy Migration - MANY Birds
Sept 16, 2016 19:52:59 GMT -5
garock, adrian65, and 11 more like this
Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 16, 2016 19:52:59 GMT -5
The Bay of Fundy is a major migration route for many shorebirds as they travel from their summer breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to their wintering grounds in South America. One of the more interesting spectacles occurs for about three weeks every July when the Sandpipers and Plovers pass through.
These birds have three weeks to double their weight in preparation for a three day non-stop flight back to South America. During low tide, the birds are virtually invisible as they are spread out over miles of mud flat. However, at high tide they are flocked together on a narrow margin of beach waiting for the next low tide.
Flocks are estimated at 50,000 birds, and there are typically 5 flocks along different areas of the Bay. These photos were taken on Johnson’s Mills which is too small to be a dot on the map. The area is slowly being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect the feeding grounds and keep access available to the public.
The photos are a little blurry as the winds were high that day and photographing these birds is a little like photographing a swarm of bees. Here we go.
The beach at Johnson’s Mills is typical of the Bay. Beach rounded cobbles litter mile after mile of beach. The water looks brown as the high winds and waves have stirred up the red mud of the Bay.
As you walk a little farther along the beach things get a little fuzzy as the beach rock turns to a carpet of birds. The birds need to conserve energy and will not fly unless they absolutely have to in order to preserve their fat reserves.
The excitement begins when a Peregrine Falcon or an overzealous photographer send the flock to flight.
For the most part, the formations are tight. However, every once in a while someone gets out of sync, or had their wing flipped by the guy next door.
Enjoy the pics.
Darryl.
These birds have three weeks to double their weight in preparation for a three day non-stop flight back to South America. During low tide, the birds are virtually invisible as they are spread out over miles of mud flat. However, at high tide they are flocked together on a narrow margin of beach waiting for the next low tide.
Flocks are estimated at 50,000 birds, and there are typically 5 flocks along different areas of the Bay. These photos were taken on Johnson’s Mills which is too small to be a dot on the map. The area is slowly being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect the feeding grounds and keep access available to the public.
The photos are a little blurry as the winds were high that day and photographing these birds is a little like photographing a swarm of bees. Here we go.
The beach at Johnson’s Mills is typical of the Bay. Beach rounded cobbles litter mile after mile of beach. The water looks brown as the high winds and waves have stirred up the red mud of the Bay.
As you walk a little farther along the beach things get a little fuzzy as the beach rock turns to a carpet of birds. The birds need to conserve energy and will not fly unless they absolutely have to in order to preserve their fat reserves.
The excitement begins when a Peregrine Falcon or an overzealous photographer send the flock to flight.
For the most part, the formations are tight. However, every once in a while someone gets out of sync, or had their wing flipped by the guy next door.
Enjoy the pics.
Darryl.
