I noticed a tiny green caterpillar float by on a southerly breeze. He was hanging by a thread. Now, I thought, it is time for the birds to come. The next day, a thunderstorm out of the south swept over us, ushering in warm air and our first big wave of long-distance migrants. When these masses of air and inclement weather intersect with a flowing river of migrating birds, the birds drop out of the sky. Birders call this a fallout. If you are out in nature the morning after a fallout, birds are everywhere you look.
I always learn something new from your posts. “Fall Out” is a new one to me. I shall now know what to watch out for. And I especially always love the bird pictures. It inspires me to want to invest in a decent camera just to get some good close ups of the birds at my feeders. The closest shot I ever got was when I was filling a feeder on a little 3-step ladder and a red breasted nut hatch just couldn’t wait. It swooped down before I could get off the little ladder and performed all sorts of antics as it was trying to pick out the “Just right seed”. I had my iPhone on me and was able to get some really close shots within less than two feet away. Other close shots have been when birds have occasionally “clocked” themselves flying into my window panes. I’ve been able to pick them up to make sure they are still alive and have gotten some good unintentional photo’s that way before they fly off. The RBG’s have started coming here the last couple days. Such colorful entertainment!
Hi Gail, New digital cameras are amazing. You can capture beautiful images with a reasonably priced camera. My camera is unreasonably priced, but I worked up to it over several years. The Birdcast website is a really good resource for monitoring bird migration and getting a sense of when the big waves of birds are likely to pass over your area. Fallouts happen to varying degrees all the time. I check the website regularly, but it is mostly a rough guide to migration. I go out even if it is a slow day, because you just never know what you are going to encounter.
The joy and comaraderie of birders . I love how it all starts with a tiny green worm on an invisible thread . I walk every morning around a beautiful woodland path sharing the shoreline
of a quiet lake. Merlin App on. ‘Binos’ at the ready. I feel your excitement as your screen lit up with a new a Symphonic arrangement. Giddy. Swoon worthy.
And yes, magic. I love how you added the ‘human’ language version of birdsong. On ‘our’ little lake, there is a different kind of excitement. This lake is one of many selected for The Loon Conservation Project in Vermont. We’ve gone from just 7 pairs , 3 decades ago to over 90 and counting , breeding pairs. It takes a small community of volunteers . ‘Loon Watch ‘, nest platforms are carefully made and placed in a quiet bay, at just the right time of year. Signs put up to keep boaters out. A breeding pair arrived three days ago! Periodically circling the platform. Though the Geese and a Great Blue have climbed aboard to try it out for size. Those ‘in the know’ patiently wait to see a Loon sit on the nest. Off to the lake, ears and eyes wide open . And just maybe the Loons will have moved in.
And thank you for sharing Chloe Hope. Only Chloe can capture our own bird loving thoughts and gently form them to words that sing to our hearts.
Wow. Your little lake sounds beautiful. 90 pairs of loons must fill the air with their haunting songs. I did not realize that loons needed that much help from people, but it makes sense, given that most birds need our help in one way or another.
I am glad to learn that you also appreciate Chloe Hope. She really has a way with words.
90 pairs and counting is an approximate number given by the Loon Conservation Project. Recorded with the help of volunteers that sign up for a particular lake, keeping an eye out for loon activity . Thats 90 pairs for the entire state.
Thank you. Loved the Harrison quote at the end, too... Such a wonderful way to start the day, seeing all your beautiful photos of our animal companions and reading about your friendships with them.
This is such a great description! I immediately knew what you meant.
Thank you for the gorgeous images. I used one of your goldfinch pics from last week as a model for a watercolor I painted for a book I’m working on. Thank you for the inspiration!
Another beautiful meditation! Thank you, Bill. I watched a clip of the Procession of the Species Celebration. What fun! Would love to see something like that here.
We are working on it and my impression is we will have our version of this type of event in a year or so. The wheels are turning now. It is going to be a lot of fun and it will bring the art community together. I am hoping it leads to more public art and appreciation of beauty.
Exceptionally delightful post today, Bill - thank you! Having the humanized spelling of the bird calls is really helpful along with the images as we had storms all night and I'm about to take Lukas the dog out for his stroll. I'll have my Merlin app open and at the ready. Thank you for the wonderment on this rainy Friday.
Bill, those photos are just phenomenal. What an experience that must have been. I am really looking forward to my post-Navy life when I will have the opportunity to get out and see things like this more frequently. Need to put up some feeders in my yard as well.
Hi Matthew, Thank you. I really enjoy taking pictures of birds and it is nice to know that they are appreciated. Feeders are a great way to bring the birds to you. I watch my feeder all day long.
Thank you so much Mercy! Thank you so much Bill. I don’t know of any equivalent bird event here in Australia but I adore the images and insight you’ve provided us with. Absolutely stunning! Thank you SO much.
My hope is that one day I will win the trust of the birds that I offer food to daily. I do not expect it, because I would also be wary of humans if I were an avian of the air, but it would be thrilling for me as a human. Love the photos and the sentiments contained in the article.
Hi Perry, You can count on chickadees to be trusting. They tend to be fearless little dynamos. White-breasted Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers also seem prone to trusting people they get accustomed to. Sometimes, when I fill the feeders these birds fly in when I am standing right there. It is surprising and wonderful to experience.
Such a great week for birders locally. The rose breasted grosbeaks have been flooding my feeders this week. What urban park/ trail did you find all the birds this week?
Bill, loving every bit of this feast of a post! Your narration in both print and audio brings it to life. Still am stunned that you saw and heard 61 bird species!!! So touched by Old Bird Boy by Jim Harrison.
Thank you so much for sharing about the Procession of the Species Celebration in Olympia, WA! It is a wonderful thing for families to enjoy together. It is grand to think that your town may start to have a similar day of species celebration! Many thank yous for all that you are doing!
Hi Sandy, Thank you for letting me know about the Procession of the Species Celebration. It is a great idea. My wife is the town planner, so we have connections. We have already told the town staff who organize such events that we should create our own version. They were excited by the idea and are already thinking through how to make it happen. It is nice to know that ideas like this can spread so quickly through our like-minded community on Substack.
I always learn something new from your posts. “Fall Out” is a new one to me. I shall now know what to watch out for. And I especially always love the bird pictures. It inspires me to want to invest in a decent camera just to get some good close ups of the birds at my feeders. The closest shot I ever got was when I was filling a feeder on a little 3-step ladder and a red breasted nut hatch just couldn’t wait. It swooped down before I could get off the little ladder and performed all sorts of antics as it was trying to pick out the “Just right seed”. I had my iPhone on me and was able to get some really close shots within less than two feet away. Other close shots have been when birds have occasionally “clocked” themselves flying into my window panes. I’ve been able to pick them up to make sure they are still alive and have gotten some good unintentional photo’s that way before they fly off. The RBG’s have started coming here the last couple days. Such colorful entertainment!
Hi Gail, New digital cameras are amazing. You can capture beautiful images with a reasonably priced camera. My camera is unreasonably priced, but I worked up to it over several years. The Birdcast website is a really good resource for monitoring bird migration and getting a sense of when the big waves of birds are likely to pass over your area. Fallouts happen to varying degrees all the time. I check the website regularly, but it is mostly a rough guide to migration. I go out even if it is a slow day, because you just never know what you are going to encounter.
Wow! Thanks for that information! ❤️
The joy and comaraderie of birders . I love how it all starts with a tiny green worm on an invisible thread . I walk every morning around a beautiful woodland path sharing the shoreline
of a quiet lake. Merlin App on. ‘Binos’ at the ready. I feel your excitement as your screen lit up with a new a Symphonic arrangement. Giddy. Swoon worthy.
And yes, magic. I love how you added the ‘human’ language version of birdsong. On ‘our’ little lake, there is a different kind of excitement. This lake is one of many selected for The Loon Conservation Project in Vermont. We’ve gone from just 7 pairs , 3 decades ago to over 90 and counting , breeding pairs. It takes a small community of volunteers . ‘Loon Watch ‘, nest platforms are carefully made and placed in a quiet bay, at just the right time of year. Signs put up to keep boaters out. A breeding pair arrived three days ago! Periodically circling the platform. Though the Geese and a Great Blue have climbed aboard to try it out for size. Those ‘in the know’ patiently wait to see a Loon sit on the nest. Off to the lake, ears and eyes wide open . And just maybe the Loons will have moved in.
And thank you for sharing Chloe Hope. Only Chloe can capture our own bird loving thoughts and gently form them to words that sing to our hearts.
Wow. Your little lake sounds beautiful. 90 pairs of loons must fill the air with their haunting songs. I did not realize that loons needed that much help from people, but it makes sense, given that most birds need our help in one way or another.
I am glad to learn that you also appreciate Chloe Hope. She really has a way with words.
Quick correction !
90 pairs and counting is an approximate number given by the Loon Conservation Project. Recorded with the help of volunteers that sign up for a particular lake, keeping an eye out for loon activity . Thats 90 pairs for the entire state.
It’s an interesting read if you look it up.
Thank you. Loved the Harrison quote at the end, too... Such a wonderful way to start the day, seeing all your beautiful photos of our animal companions and reading about your friendships with them.
“and took on the demeanor of a Great Blue Heron”
This is such a great description! I immediately knew what you meant.
Thank you for the gorgeous images. I used one of your goldfinch pics from last week as a model for a watercolor I painted for a book I’m working on. Thank you for the inspiration!
Another beautiful meditation! Thank you, Bill. I watched a clip of the Procession of the Species Celebration. What fun! Would love to see something like that here.
We are working on it and my impression is we will have our version of this type of event in a year or so. The wheels are turning now. It is going to be a lot of fun and it will bring the art community together. I am hoping it leads to more public art and appreciation of beauty.
Ooooh. I'd like to be involved if possible. Keep me posted when appropriate.
Okay. I am glad to hear that you would like to be involved. We will keep you updated on our progress.
Exceptionally delightful post today, Bill - thank you! Having the humanized spelling of the bird calls is really helpful along with the images as we had storms all night and I'm about to take Lukas the dog out for his stroll. I'll have my Merlin app open and at the ready. Thank you for the wonderment on this rainy Friday.
Hi Julie, You are welcome. It is fun to come up with your own names and mnemonics for bird songs. I think that is the bet way to learn them.
Bill, those photos are just phenomenal. What an experience that must have been. I am really looking forward to my post-Navy life when I will have the opportunity to get out and see things like this more frequently. Need to put up some feeders in my yard as well.
Gorgeous heartwarming post - even from the UK!
Hi Matthew, Thank you. I really enjoy taking pictures of birds and it is nice to know that they are appreciated. Feeders are a great way to bring the birds to you. I watch my feeder all day long.
Thank you so much Mercy! Thank you so much Bill. I don’t know of any equivalent bird event here in Australia but I adore the images and insight you’ve provided us with. Absolutely stunning! Thank you SO much.
Hi Beth, You are welcome. It is reassuring to know that our shared love of birds spans the whole world.
Stunning photos and brilliant narrative, Bill. Bringing the beauty to those unable to be there—priceless. Thank you!
Hello Diane, Thank you. I am glad to hear that you appreciate my photos and writing.
My hope is that one day I will win the trust of the birds that I offer food to daily. I do not expect it, because I would also be wary of humans if I were an avian of the air, but it would be thrilling for me as a human. Love the photos and the sentiments contained in the article.
Hi Perry, You can count on chickadees to be trusting. They tend to be fearless little dynamos. White-breasted Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers also seem prone to trusting people they get accustomed to. Sometimes, when I fill the feeders these birds fly in when I am standing right there. It is surprising and wonderful to experience.
Such a great week for birders locally. The rose breasted grosbeaks have been flooding my feeders this week. What urban park/ trail did you find all the birds this week?
Hi Cathy,
I was in Ewing Park in Bloomington, IL
Bill, loving every bit of this feast of a post! Your narration in both print and audio brings it to life. Still am stunned that you saw and heard 61 bird species!!! So touched by Old Bird Boy by Jim Harrison.
Thank you so much for sharing about the Procession of the Species Celebration in Olympia, WA! It is a wonderful thing for families to enjoy together. It is grand to think that your town may start to have a similar day of species celebration! Many thank yous for all that you are doing!
Hi Sandy, Thank you for letting me know about the Procession of the Species Celebration. It is a great idea. My wife is the town planner, so we have connections. We have already told the town staff who organize such events that we should create our own version. They were excited by the idea and are already thinking through how to make it happen. It is nice to know that ideas like this can spread so quickly through our like-minded community on Substack.
The images!! The lovely, peaceful words- thank you so much for this invitation to pause and observe, in silence and away from the clamor.
Love birds and your blog!
I love fallouts! When they happen here, near the coast in Corpus, my place turns into aviary. The best ones here are in late April.
Sadly our dry weather has not provided one this year.
Wonderful! Thank you.