Bird Watching

JBtheExplorer

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I went up to the Milwaukee lakefront this past weekend to do some bird watching by the marina. This time of year, they're flying around everywhere. All kinds, too. Most are US birds but a few are from other parts of the world too, including a flock that just came over from France this year and is expected to fly back to france before the year is over and will likely not return, at least not any time soon.

This is where I was bird watching from:
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First, I saw these majestic fire birds, commonly known as Firebirds Xtreme.
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After that, this huge flock flew in from over the city. It's not the time of year for migration, so I was surprised to see such a large flock on the move. They seemed confused on where they were going, sometimes going in circles.
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It's possible they were trying to escape something, because shortly after that, a noisy raptor flew over. It was pretty quick and I only got a few decent photos before it flew away.
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While it was soaring high over the shore, another bird met up with it. I was thrilled to see two of my favorite birds in the same sky, at the same time.
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A little while later, the flock from France flew over. It's a rare sight, a first for me, as they've never been documented in the US before, and it's only a matter of time before they fly back home.
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note the bird droppings:
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Lastly, a much more commonly seen US bird flew over, a Thunderbird. Actually, an entire flock of Thunderbirds.
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I tried birdwatching last year as well, but fog rolled in over Lake Michigan and no birds were flying, so this was the first time I've gone bird watching in three years and I was excited to go, and had a great time! (y)
 
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Hehe that really caught me by surprise when I scrolled down past your first photo! :D

What a fantastic display! @Ian (my husband) studied aerospace engineering at university, and my dad used to work at EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) until he retired, so I find myself surrounded by aircraft buffs. It's been ages since we've been to an air show though, we were hoping we might have been able to go and see the Vulcan again before it is retired, but haven't been able to go. Great photos! (y)
 

JBtheExplorer

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Glad you guys liked my "bird watching" post! :D
I also took short videos of the birds in their habitat. I'll add them to the topic in a few days.
 
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Wow, you got some great footage there! You have a very steady hand considering how far zoomed in you are too (y)
 

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