There has been a rite of spring occurring over our home for the last several nights. The Tundra Swan have been leaving Lake Mattamuskeet in North Carolina and migrating northward over Virginia. They migrate at night in long undulating V shaped flocks and are usually several thousand feet in the air by the time they pass over our home. They keep up a constant conversation amongst themselves while flying which can be heard from many portions of the sky at the same time as different groups wing by. There has been enough moonlight most nights that we can see the white translucency of their wings as they pass over. Occasionally we will also see smaller dark shapes of ducks zipping in and around the larger swans calling in softer pips and whistles. We are hoping to hear the sand hill cranes which often fly over at night on their way to the Midwest within the next week or so.
thanks, what a special thing to witness.
wish I could hear-see them too.
tansy
Ah, so that’s what this is about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gZbMOq_Ge8
There is no “Chosen One” in this rite. You would need to talk to the Druids about that.
We live by a river and get to witness Canadian Geese in formation regularly over our house. Swans, you are indeed a lucky duck.
They’re American geese.
You could say that about the bacon as well.
I seldom see Canadian Bacon in formation regularly over our house.
Note, I say seldom.
They’re abundant on Bude Marshes (assuming that you’re talking about Canada geese). They are introduced here but are thriving like mad. It isn’t a migration thing - they live here all year round. Their daily en masse formation flights from one wetland to the next are spectacular.
The first birdie sign of spring round here is the return of the sand martins, usually around 7 March, followed by a few early wheatears on the sea-cliffs before the main flush. I haven’t seen any sand martins yet though I’m looking every day. I think the African bush telegraph must have alerted them to the fact that it’s still a bit chilly this end.
Irishers in the east of England like Canada’s. Cam Canada’s. My oldest girl’s grandmother could clear a five foot fence with a Canada in her mouth. Came in handy while hunting across private property lines.
BTW there are still “real” Canada geese(migratory) in Virginia and West Virginia, ya can tell 'cause they don’t hang out at the mall.
Sandhill cranes flying in multiple formations high over the city are a fairly common sight here in Indianapolis. I always hear their sound first, and then I look up to try to get my eyes focused on the V formations. Sometimes they go round and round in circles, probably gaining altitude on thermals over the city. We have a state forest with lakes in northern Indiana where thousands of sandhill cranes stopover and feed for weeks at a time every year. It is a sight to be at one of the small lakes at evening to watch the groups of birds fly in to roost from every direction.
Here in Oxfordshire it’s chiffchaffs that are the first heralds of spring - at least for me. They’re due in the next week or so. My ears are already straining to hear the first one. Nowt as yet (unsurprisingly). 
Chiffchaffs have taken to overwintering around here. You occasionally get to hear little snatches of song all through winter near Bude Canal, but the proper song (probably from returnees) usually starts around late March, drives us nuts 'til mid-July, has a rest 'til September then has a final fling. They’re getting bolder too, these days collecting nesting material from the dead stuff in my window boxes.
Steve, do you know how well they’ve coped with this cold winter?
I must admit I haven’t heard any all winter and I’ve been to the place a good number of times. There’s an old bloke round here who carefully logs all first-and-last bird sightings, but I haven’t seen him for over a year either! I should think that horrible freeze-up in January was pretty bad for 'em. The wrens are quiet at the moment too and you wonder whether they suffered as well. On the upside, the party of long-tailed tits that have taken to dominating my feeding station all winter seem to be doing really well. Summat to do with eating me out of house and home I suppose. One of 'em keeps attacking its reflection in my kitchen window.
Let’s hope someone logged his last sighting.
And I do.
As it happens I have felt slightly concerned…I’ll probably bump into him when he’s out spotting the peregrines breeding on the cliffs. The peregrines breeding, not him.
How about: “I’ll probably bump into him when he’s out, spotting the peregrines, breeding on the cliffs.”
I don’t really understand, why not just use the wireless RC cameras from the comfort of the office? They’re great for all kinds of “behavioral studies.” 