Sitting up in bed this morning at 5.30 a.m.. after listening to the orchestra of thoughts playing in my mind for the last hour.. I abandoned all hope of sleep and turned instead to the Saturday papers that had lain untouched next to the bed...Grabbing the allure of the glossy supplement I turned to an article about migrating birds.. something that has fascinated me, almost subconsciously, since my childhood. I waxed lyrical about Autumn in my last blog post.. as this is a season that I have felt most at home, at peace with, ever since I can remember... and I do remember certain days, years and years ago.. running out in to the dew on the garden lawn and smelling the 'rust' in the air whilst hearing the haunting cry of migrating geese flying over the house.. This sound stirs up strong emotions in me..a sad farewell kind of sound..and one to this day that fills my heart with a reassuring melancholy.
The article that I refer to is in the Telegraph Magazine.. and tucked in between the ads for age defying body lotions and exotic travel.. is a piece of poetry.. a beautifully eloquent homage to these extraordinary creatures... the migratory bird.
The article ' Rites of Passge' is written my Tim Dee who travels on a pilgrimage to Fair Isle ( land of much loved woollen apparel ) where he witnesses the miracle of migration and the arrival of thousands.. nay millions possibly, of these fragile, yet tungsten steel creatures as they stop off on their mammoth journey to warmer climes.. The line that stole my heart was this.. " On a particular day, say September 3, there will be 45 million swallows in the air on their way out of Europe. We are in the middle of it, they fly right through us, but we hardly notice."
We are off for a walk today to savour the last moments of summer as it gently bleeds in to autumn.. I shall turn my head to the skies and say a fond farewell to our feathered friends as they head off for their winter vacation.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
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15 comments:
We notice them leaving here :o)
Housemartins as well,they have bene very busy the past few days lining up on the telephone wires,juggling places & flying off to sit further along the line,new babies being coaxed from nests on learner flights,the air is filled with them swooping & swirling over our heads. One day,I will wake & they will be gone,quite exactly when they leave is a mystery...yet when that morning comes it comes with an eriee silence,no more chattering from the eaves...
I took the smalls outside early yesterday morning so they could see them all lined up! they were quietly awed at the amazing sight
GTM x x x
M...you have struck a chord with me too on this subject. This is the very reason I feel sad when Autumn approaches, as I really miss the Hms and Swallows. I actually witnessed the House Martins leave one year. We live in a cul de sac and a large group of them reeled and swooped within the loop of the road for minutes and then in an instant they all departed and were gone.
For me the first sound of their return in April is the best moment of the year.
thank you Michelle, you jut hit a chord with me ...I remeber standing in my garden as a child and my Dad telling me about migrating birds...a warm and rosy memory....
Gosh what a lovely thoughtful post. I agree, it feels sad, Autumn, but also beautiful. We 'see' the birds in summer but I have to say it will soon be time for me to start to put the bird feeders out and Winter is where I see most birds in my garden, something to look forward to.
Love
Lyn
xxx
xxx
Are you going to count them out then count them back?
It might help you sleep.
I haven't seen as many Swallows this year as I would have liked, probably due to the weather.
However I have noticed their numbers increasing on the wire and just know that they are waiting for the word to go.
You should see them all lining up along the coast. Hundreds of them sitting on the wires above the beach, lining up on the lamp posts. both beautiful and sad...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzSK7y_grBE&feature=PlayList&p=231CFB5608054AC9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=28
Mx
And I thought you were gonna be talking about your other latest kind of twittering!
hope you had a lovely walk in this beautiful weather and you returned full of fresh air and relaxed. The coming and going of the swallows from the barn by the house herald summer and winter to us. Its just amazing to think these little fragile creatures endure the long journey twice a year and come and go to the same place their whole lives! Have a good week, Jane xx
I too loved the Telegraph article yesterday, beautiful and so is this post,
feeling a little melancholic today but that's OK I think!
Love Sarah x
What a lovely post Michele.
Loved your post as I love Autumn. The birds are flying away for the Winter and the smell of bonfires fills the air when I open my backdoor this evening. The nights are drawing in and the blankets are all ready for those cool nights and soon the shops will be full of Christmas things!
Thank you for sharing this! We are seeing many more migrating birds here now - we are near the Pyrenees and I think that many birds hang about here for a few days before (or, in springtime) after that difficult flight. It's a wonderful opportunity to see unusual birds and I feel it's such a priviledge.
Lovely post....thank you. You might enjoy reading The Snow Geese by William Fiennes. It's a hauntingly beautiful book.
The swallows always nest in the eaves of the stables so we notice their departure when they all gather together & set off.
We know it is spring when they come swooping back over our (and the horses) heads & start busily building nests as if they'd never been away.
Jayne
Lovely little birds on your card ! We , in Friesland , get geese flying overhead in skeins ....very pretty . If you listen , sometimes you even hear them .....but that may be wishful thinking .
They'll be back! It's incredible to think that Swifts spend their whole life in the air, and only land to breed. Truly amazing! x
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