19 August 2023
Fall migration is underway throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Some birds migrate alone or in small flocks that don’t entice a lot consideration. Others collect in such large flocks that they’re laborious to overlook.
At pinch factors alongside their migration routes from Europe to Africa, white storks (Ciconia ciconia) journey in very giant flocks just like the kettles of broad-winged hawks in North America. Two such pinch factors are within the airspace over Israel, above, and on the Strait of Gibraltar.
On this quick video white storks are about to cross the Straits from Spain to Morocco however hit a wall within the air — the levant wind blowing from the east — so that they wheel again. They didn’t depart Spain that day.
1,640 White #Storks trying to cross The #Straits this morning ! The #levante wind forcing them to interrupt rank and head again ! ….possibly tomorrow. #FlywayBirding #Tarifa #Facinas #Birding #Migration #VisMig pic.twitter.com/TUcgIc3Rth
— Inglorious Bustards (@Otis_inglorius) August 9, 2023
In North America semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) migrate in large numbers from their breeding grounds within the Arctic to the shores of South America.
On the Bay of Fundy the flocks can quantity within the tons of of hundreds in August and early September.
One spotlight on our @EagleEyeTours journey to New Brunswick is a go to to Johnson Mills Shorebird Reserve. In addition to the unimaginable Bay of Fundy tides, we witnessed the spectacle of 65+ THOUSAND Semipalmated Sandpipers roosting, flocking and doing synchronized aerial acrobatics. pic.twitter.com/6aqAJUtt9p
— Jared Clarke (@birdtherock) August 18, 2023
(pictures from Wikimedia Commons; tweets embedded)
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