greybeard
Well-known member
Nature is interesting sometimes...Ever watch a big--a really big flock of blackbirds? They have feeding down to an exact science. I've seen several big flocks--thousands I suspect come thru the property. They'll gather in one or 2 big trees on the very south edge of the pasture, and then once the whole flock is assembled, they pour down on to the ground and grass--but not all at once. There seems to be an organization to it.
Almost on command, about 1/3 of them will come out of the trees in a big waterfall or black falling curtain looking effect, cover maybe 100yards x 50yards closest to the trees, then start browsing and eating their way to the north. Then, as soon as they clear out a little ways, another 1/3 come dropping down to again cover the same area the 1st bunch just walked away from. They do the same picking and eating, following the first bunch along, then the last 1/3 drops straight down into the vacated area. In a couple of minutes tho, one member of the last bunch will fly up and it and the entire last 1/3 will leapfrog over the 1st 2/3s of the flock and take their place in the front, followed quickly by the 2nd 1/3, leapfrogging over everyone. They continue this way clean across any open ground, and each leapfrog seems to be orderly, orchestrated so that no one group gets to hog the untouched ground for long. Each section of ground gets picked over by each section of the flock.
It's a heck of a thing to watch and to listen to, as their wings make this loud WHIRRR sound each time one group goes to their place in the front. I'd hate to be a bug or grass seed anywhere in their path--I don't think they miss a single sq inch of ground or a blade of grass. They continue this way till they get out to the highway on the north side of the property then as quickly as they appeared, they all fly off, just to repeat the whole performance a couple days later---unless it's an entirely different flock that comes in.
Almost on command, about 1/3 of them will come out of the trees in a big waterfall or black falling curtain looking effect, cover maybe 100yards x 50yards closest to the trees, then start browsing and eating their way to the north. Then, as soon as they clear out a little ways, another 1/3 come dropping down to again cover the same area the 1st bunch just walked away from. They do the same picking and eating, following the first bunch along, then the last 1/3 drops straight down into the vacated area. In a couple of minutes tho, one member of the last bunch will fly up and it and the entire last 1/3 will leapfrog over the 1st 2/3s of the flock and take their place in the front, followed quickly by the 2nd 1/3, leapfrogging over everyone. They continue this way clean across any open ground, and each leapfrog seems to be orderly, orchestrated so that no one group gets to hog the untouched ground for long. Each section of ground gets picked over by each section of the flock.
It's a heck of a thing to watch and to listen to, as their wings make this loud WHIRRR sound each time one group goes to their place in the front. I'd hate to be a bug or grass seed anywhere in their path--I don't think they miss a single sq inch of ground or a blade of grass. They continue this way till they get out to the highway on the north side of the property then as quickly as they appeared, they all fly off, just to repeat the whole performance a couple days later---unless it's an entirely different flock that comes in.
![PB2 Pure Peanut Butter Powder - [2 lb/32 oz Jar] - No Added Sugar, No Added Salt, No Added Preservatives - 100% All Natural Roasted Peanuts - 6g of Plant-Based Protein](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41PtGEYa9GL._SL500_.jpg)
