Flyways
I have a confession. I’m a birder.
Considering that the hobby is generally associated with pensioners, my affinity for our feathered friends often makes me the subject of mockery amongst friends. But I don’t care. Birds are amazing.
In the last week or two, I’ve been woken up at 5 AM by a distinctly different bird sound from outside our window. Although I haven’t been able to spot the culprit (because it’s still dark), I’m confident it’s a migratory species. This got me wondering. Where did this bird come from?
“Twice a year, in spring and autumn, billions of birds migrate vast distances across the globe. Many species migrate along broadly similar, well-established routes known as flyways. Many different species share broadly similar routes, which have been loosely split into eight major flyways – think of them as bird super-highways across the sky” - Birdlife.org
Arctic Terns (a bird species) stand out as they cover the more than 30 000 km journey between the Arctic and Antarctic Circles twice per year. They do this to follow the almost 24 hours of daily sunlight in these regions during summer.
The Bar-tailed godwit holds the record for the longest (recorded) non-stop bird flight. Last year, one of these guys flew more than 12 000km from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days in a single journey.
Nature is miraculous.
My investigation into the identity and the origin of the bird outside my window carries on. Who knows, it may even be an Arctic Tern.
To be continued…
If birding isn’t your thing and my piece on flyways bored you to death, you may enjoy this humorous Twitter thread on funny bird names (thanks for sharing Alex!). Here’s an example.
What I’m listening to
I love podcasts, and my friend Andrew recommended this interview with All Black rugby legend, Dan Carter. They look back at his career highlights, and Dan shares interesting stories on the competitive drive that created arguably the greatest rugby player of all time. Despite being a superstar, Dan also seems to be a nice guy and a great ambassador for rugby's ethos. If rugby is your thing, it’s a must.
Click here for the audio version.
Thanks for tuning in. See you on Friday.