It’s Skywatch Friday again! I think I may actually be getting it in on time this week. I’m very confused because it’s called Skywatch Friday, but apparently, it begins on Thursday where I live.
This is a view of one of my favorite places that I’ve been blogging about this week. It’s called The Meadows and it’s an area run by The Nature Conservancy. I think when people think of New Jersey, they may often think of maybe the opening to The Sopranos with Tony driving over the bridge and you see a lot of factories and industry. Believe it or not, you can find places where you are in a remote area.
While at the Cape May Autumn Weekend, I spent a lot of time at The Meadows, some for workshops, some just on my own. I had a magical Sunday morning there when I was surrounded by tree swallows. All weekend I could see huge flocks of them feeding on bayberries. Tree Swallows have already moved out of Minnesota, so seeing huge flocks in Cape May was a treat. They can afford to be later migrants because unlike most swallows that eat only insects, these will also eat berries, helping them to survive the late migration should they find a lack of insects.
I saw a huge flock off in the distance. This photo really doesn’t do it justice. I may look like light blue paper sprinkled with fine ground pepper, but these are all tree swallows. I watched them wheeling and spinning in the air, just enjoying the spectacle. I wondered if I could walk towards the flock, but before I could take the first step, I noticed the flock formed a large cylinder and was heading my way.
Within seconds, I had swallows zooming overhead and whizzing on either side of me. I tried to take photos, but realized quickly that it was in vain, they were moving too quickly. There were thousands of them, a groups so loud, they sheer number of dainty wings flapping was an audible rushing sound. The tree swallows dipped down towards the water and took sips, then zipped over the grasses searching for insects. It was an intense, magical experience and my reverie was broken only when a nearby mute swan gave off it’s farty sounding call (yes, that beautiful exotic species that rips up nesting habitat of our native ducks, also sounds like flatulence when it calls).
When the swallows were in the distance, I tried to take a video through my spotting scope. It’s not the best video ever, but you get an idea of the the size of the flock. I would say that the birds you see through my scope is about one fourth of the entire flock. There were thousands of tree swallows:
Quite a spectacle to have all those swallows be part of the sky.
Talk about photos going to the birds!! Love those shots. Perfect for SWF.
I LOVE your first beach picture – that is simply gorgeous! What a great SWF series!
the first photo is amazing. Just a beautiful view.
And I can’t BELIEVE all those swallows! I’ve never seen anythign in concentrations like that other than starlings. Incredible.
Love the swallows pictures, Sharon! That had to be an amazing experience, having them whizzing all around you as they flew by.
Beautiful beach and wow look at those birds!
The beach looks very wide. It is a beautiful scene with the blue sky. The bird video was amazing!
I didn’t see that flock, but I have seen a few like it in my time at the cape. Sometimes there will be streams of them flying past the blinds.
Amazingly lovely — those skies and birds. Amazing.
Amazing!, I have never seen so may birds like that.
Like a swamming bees to me.
Love the shot of the coast line, and isn’t it amazing to be in th midst of so many birds who fly almost through you with total disregard of your presence.
Great post, Sharon. I wish I’d been there–I didn’t get to the Nature Conservancy this time, though.
I too have tried in vain to take pics of tree swallows in flight–it’s impossible! They’re just too fast.
Awesome experience and photos. And thanks for reminding us that New Jersey is the garden state as well as part of the east coast megalopolis. Even though I’ve been to Cape May, you’re right, it’s not the first place I think of when someone says “New Jersey.”
I’ve spent many, many hours in The Meadows trying to shoot scenes of those Tree Sparrows for a film. I was finally able to include three shots of them. They are a spectacle not to be missed in any Cape May visit.
Great series of photographs and your video of the tree swallows gave a good account of what you saw. Amazing!