Thanks Debbie for your turkey story. Even before my birding days, when we used to hike in the hills of San Jose, CA I loved seeing families of wild turkeys (and families of wild boars, though those I stayed away from as far as possible!).
When I go on a birding tour of Southeastern Mexico next year, one of my "target" birds will definitely be ocellated turkeys- if you are not familiar with them, just Google and you will see something "miraculous," "awesome," "amazing" and "cool"!!! They are competition for peacocks in displaying gorgeous looks naturally department!!!
RT RT...
Whatever the source, oftentimes (especially if one is not a naturalist, zoologist, ichthyologist or ornithologist), nature can certainly appear to work in mysterious ways.
Swallow Story #1
While waiting for the bus in downtown Churintzio, for approximately 30 minutes I witnessed a sight that I have no rational explanation for.
Up to three dozen barn swallows at a time were circling and circling and circling the clock tower of the church in this predominately mestizo and Catholic small Mexican town. While I often see those swallows in flight, it is normally when they dive bomber like, just inches above the town's streets or just over the surface of bodies of water seek out available insects. Other times they are likely to be viewed either flying from one locale to another or resting on utility wires or on the roofs, windowsills or balconies of structures.
Why these swallows around and around and around the church were performing this atypical repetitive airborne maneuver I do not know as it did not appear that they were in pursuit of insects.
The town's faithful whose Catholicism is inextricably intertwined between superstition and religion, may or may not have viewed the swallows' uncharacteristic behavior at the church as a (good, bad?) portent/omen.
As for me, a naturalistic atheistic agnostic who birds daily, it was another instance of nature being nature in its mysterious at times infinite variety.
Swallow Story #2
This time of year barn swallows occur abundantly in Churintzio. Yet, they are not year round residents.
Every year at a certain time, masses of them congregate together, especially on utility wires as I have witnessed for the last 6 years at "Cemetery Pond" and other nearby locations. Then, literally overnight all of them are gone as they collectively participate in their annual migration cycle. That in itself for me is mysterious enough as to how birds en masse, hundreds upon hundreds organize for their departure and how they know when it is time for them to do so.
However, as I have incredulously witnessed in that same time period, the exact day that the barn swallows depart, another species of swallows, tree swallows, appear in great quantities, as none were in town prior to that.
As to what natural mechanism is the cause of this yearly phenomena I am without any knowledge of. All I know is that I am grateful for having the opportunity to witness it!
Nature frequently works in mysterious ways!
And why the heck is the wind blowing so much today that I cannot go out to bird watch and or insect watch???????
