flying V

Yesterday during our dusk walk I heard a funny sound. I thought, "What are those pigeons doing?" They were making weird squaking sounds. Then I realized, when I looked into the sky, that those weren't pigeons! Those were migrating birds, I think cranes, and I think sandhill cranes.

Months ago, before our dear Paul moved out of state to become a ranger, we were at a nature center with him and saw these same birds leaving. And yesterday they came back.

So Erik and I for a long time watched the flying V change into two Vs, back to one, with sidelines and sometimes a straggler bird who would slip into file. It was beautiful to hear their distant calls and beautiful to see them cross the cloudy dusk sky together.

Then later, there was another grouping. I heard another pigeon-ish sound, but it seemed to be coming from the ground. I looked around, confused, and finally looked up and got excited by the surprise of more.