Hello there,
Have you checked the latest thematic challenge in Amazing Nature Comunity? Here is the link. This week @bucipuci challenges us with BIRD MIGRATION.
This is the time for the birds from the Northern hemisphere to leave us. Me, being so fortunate to live on one of the main routes, called Via Pontica, have the chance to observe and photograph flocks of storks and pelicans along with some raptors.
I will start with the latest photos that I took few days ago. The flock of white pelicans was seen from my balcony and they were flying in their typical V formation. However, the image below is from the moment when they possibly use the thermals and the formation has changed. Anyways, it is very distinctive shape and I cannot be mistaken what the birds are.
Next shot may give you an idea about the formation and I did not crop and zoom it intentionally. It was late afternoon and hubby told me he saw during the day another four flocks of pelicans.
And here is another flock I saw earlier, in much better day.
The pelicans were on the move later than the storks. The latter began to gather in August of what I have observed, although some may started earlier, because there are storks in Northern Europe who were passing by over my country. Others, who nested in Bulgaria definetely were on the move in August. There are many who prefer to build their nests in the villages and it is very easy to monitor them, including the live cams that were installed next to some nests. Both pelicans and storks can be seen flying low and then we can make the best shots. When they are very high, I can only watch them gliding and enjoy the view.
I have posts about the stork flocks and I don't want to repeat the same images. Interesting enough to mention that we were seeing the storks every day for more than a month and the flocks were huge, enormous amount of birds has passed by and seemed they were countless.
Now let me show you how marvellous the sight of flying storks above my head was.
Migratory birds cover extremely long distances. Some of them are following straight line, like the raptors, others like the storks, seem to have more chaotic route. This was observed by using tracking devices on some birds and thus following them all the way.
I mentioned in the beginning and I did also in my previous posts about Via Pontica. There are two main migratory routes in Europe, the second one is called Via Aristotelis. Eastern part of Bulgaria is a stop over spot for many birds and what I see from my home is just a small fraction of that major route. I also mentioned raptors as they too are moving south, but I haven't got decent photos of them. They were too high and it was amazing to see about dozen and more buzzards soaring. The other birds I spotted were the bee-eaters, who can be first heard and then seen. The small birds are real challenge, the sawllows and house martins have gone and they just disappeared. The nightingale who I have the pleasure to see growing from a fledgling, also has gone. It is kinda sad feeling, but at the same time I know that with the first days of the spring our feathered friends will be back.
I hope I can see more birds on their way to the warmer places and who knows I may have a chance to make some photos.
You can find me at noise.cash - https://noise.cash/u/JustNeli
banners created by @barbara-orenya
Thank you for viewing
If you like to share your thoughts you can leave a comment.
Amazing sights and images captured in the overhead skies, Neli! Which flocks of birds are the noisier of the two?
You got my vote! @nelinoeva
Thank you Nina for your vote and comment!
Actually they both pelicans and storks were quiet. It is surreal picture with so many birds, but no sound.
I have been seeing a lot of Canadian geese migrating south for the winter however quite a few of the extreme Northern ones hang out here for the winter.
Thank you very much for your content I appreciate it.
Thank you for your comment. It is amazing how many birds migrate.
Your dog is gorgeous.
Thank you very much and a lot of those migrating birds are very tasty. And me and puppy dog love tasty birds after they've been cooked with herbs and spices.
Thank you for entering the competition. Interestingly, many species of birds can be identified by their flight formation. I see geese and swans most often :-)
I wish to see geese too. The swans came to us in the winter. Might be the ones you see.
Swans do not move very far. "Our" swans are moving towards Italy and swans from the Baltics are overwintering here :-).
I didn't catch this year's goose move and I also missed swallows.
I am expecting the swans to arrive this winter and to make more photos of them.
I wish you many happy shots :-)
We appreciate your work and your post has been manually curated by zoology team (oscurity) on behalf of Amazing Nature Community. Keep up the good work!
Thank you @oscurity!
nice information about the migration
We appreciate your work and your post was manually curated by @none! from the DNA team!
Reach us on Discord to learn more about the project!
Arrival/Departure of birds always fascinating to find out where they migrate to/from, some cover such distance one jealously watches the sky thinking, how free it is to be a bird in flight.
Obstacles are many yet somehow they manage, lovely photography sharing the movement in your region @nelinoeva
Thank you Joan, if is mesmerizing to watch the sky and look for the flocks.
I wonder how they manage to cover these distances, especially the small birds.
Watched the swallows arrive in thousands a few months ago, they are not timing arrival quite right of late with weather change either. Too small to really distinguish in photography I took.
Big birds really are easier however we are not on a flight pattern for the coming and going. Nice photography you captured there.
its sharp-shooter's shot into the given subject, I'd say.
Casted my vote. Sadly I could not take part myself.
Thank you very much for your vote. Much appreciated.
Nice entry @nelinoeva good luck in the contest 👍
Thank you very much!
I am happy I can share what I see during the last couple of months.
Always love seeing big flocks of birds in flight like a big happy family 😊
A wonderful post, @nelinoeva! I have never seen pelicans migrating, it sounds so exotical to me!
Oh, they are impressive in flight. Now I am waiting for the spring when they will return.