Red Knot/Moonbird (Draw a Bird Day)
Birds need no maps of the earth,
no compass to locate the forces
that pull and repel.
Their geography is larger
than what can be painted, written down.
Their landscape is contained inside
their very bones,
invisible roots woven through
the air.
Birds move on currents
of sun sky wind and water–
alert to the pauses,
the imperfections
in the movement of the light.
They hear the world
as it slumbers, as it awakens,
as it waits.
They have no need to build bridges
for crossing over.
Birds don’t need to mark their path,
to provide proof
of their connection to the cosmos
with signs or constructs.
Who they are
is part of their being.
The way is within
the first cell of
the first song of
the first particle of
dust from the first star.
I recently read an article about the red knot B95, nicknamed Moonbird. B95 is a banded bird that was both trapped and photographed through 20 years of migration between the tip of South America, where it winters, and the Arctic, where it summers and breeds, a distance of 9000 miles each way. B95 traveled enough miles to go to the moon and most of the way back–hence, Moonbird.
Considering the fact that one half of juvenile red knots dies during their first year’s mirgration, that is quite an accomplishment.
Red knots are robin-sized shore birds that have greyish feathers during their southern winters, but grow red feathers for the summer layover in the Arctic. As recently as 1995 there were over 150,000 red knots making the north-south-north trip, but half of the adult red knot population died between 2000-2002 due to climate change and human intrusions on their habitat. Of particular concern was the reduction of the horseshoe crab population in the tidal waters of the Delaware Bay, an important last feeding stopover before the final flight to the Arctic. Red knots time their migrations to coincide with the yearly egg-laying of horseshoe crabs, feeding on the eggs laid on the beaches. Horseshoe crabs are important to many other species in the bay as well, and scientists are working to restore this vital component of the ecosystem, which was dying due to overfishing and overdevelopment.
Red knots fly in acrobatic groups and perform evasive movements in unison meant to confuse predators like hawks. How do they “know” where to go? One theory is that they have an internal genetic flight map, but they are also known to respond to the position of the sun and the movements of the stars as they often fly all night. Red knots may also recognize both landmarks and magnetic fields. No wonder they have been called “a flying compass”
Moonbird was last spotted in 2014, 19 years after he was first caught and banded.
Red knots were the first bird ever listed under the Endangered Species Act.
I love what the ‘pull of the paper’ is giving your impressionist image of the Red Knots in flight.
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Rice paper does really interesting things when it meets paint. Thanks Phil.
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I love birds and I love this article with the accompanying illustrations. Beautiful :)X
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Thanks Janet.
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Wow! I love the poem and its consideration of the birds’ internal navigational systems. The information you included with your wonderful drawings was a fascinating read this morning. Thank you for all this.
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Thanks D. I don’t usually write so much, but these birds are fascinating. And now I think I should investigate horseshoe crabs…
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They are a pretty cool animal, horseshoe crabs.
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It seems so. Ancient.
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Very informative and nice to know on these birds. Loved the poem too. Very good.
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Thanks! I was glad to become acquainted with these birds also.
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Welcome and yes so nice to be acquainted with birds, M.
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I love your pictures, Kerfe. I also like birds and these are very pretty. Your poem is beautiful. I often think it must be nice to be free like a bird, although I know they are also driven by their version of need to survive.
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Thanks Robbie. I had not heard of these birds before, but I was fascinated by their story. Red knots are very dependent on particular food sources being in the right place and time. It really shows how fragile and interrelated ecosystems are.
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Yes, our blue cranes are suffering because of the destruction of the marsh lands where they live. They can’t survive anywhere else.
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A very beautiful poem, artwork and information. Birds are extraordinary.
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They are! Every month when I draw them I learn something new.
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Oh, to have that connection with nature.
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Something to dream about.
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This bird and your tribute are thoroughly captivating. So many things I never knew before. And 19 years, wow. I have no idea of the average lifespan of a bird like this, but it seems extraordinary.
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It does. I found this bird particularly fascinating as it really shows both how connected and how fragile our ecosystems are. The smallest change can make everything fall apart.
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By turns fascinating and tragic: your poem captures the magic and freedom of this miracle of nature. It does make me wonder how such creatures can have this inherent wisdom and yet we believe we are more wise in all our wanton destruction.
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Much of what we see as logical makes little sense to me.
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I really like the first one, truly delightful!
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Thanks!
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Your poem was thought provoking… I haven’t given this idea much thought about how birds know where to fly, etc. So interesting to think about… I liked all your drawings and interpretations of the Red Knot.
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Thanks Jill. Red knots are really interesting birds, and I learned a lot about both migration and ecology in general from my research.
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Beautiful
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Thanks.
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My Pleasure
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Hence the term ‘free as a bird’ I guess. Really like the poem and the art.
Pat
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Thanks Pat. There is always more to learn about birds.
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Kerfe, I see I’ve missed several of your posts. Not sure why they haven’t shown up in my newsfeed. Glad I followed one of your comments and saw this marvelous critter. I learned a lot from this post. I love the paintings. The one of them flying as a group, the white around them looks like energy or ripples from their wings. How a bird can make that journey and back each year still astounds.
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Thanks Jade. I really enjoyed the research on this bird. Astounding is right.
I haven’t been posting much, although I hope to get something up today or tomorrow. I’ve been working and reworking some paintings, and trying to figure out a poem for them. One of those time bubbles where the hours whiz by but nothing gets done. The pandemic has been full of them.
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You’re very welcome. What is Draw a Bird Day and is it something you started? I would love to try to draw a bird and learn about it in the process. I’m glad to hear you’re making art, there is something comforting in that knowledge. Hoping the sunshine is visiting you there. It’s been sunny the past 2 days here, the snow is melting, AND the thermostats have been off during the day. We are getting there!
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There actually is an official draw a bird day, I think its the 8th of April. There were a few bloggers no longer active who started doing it the 8th of each month. I enjoy the monthly prompt to draw a bird, so I’ve continued it. A few people here and there still do it as well.
We did get sun yesterday, but rain is coming back tonight, or a “wintery mix” as they like to say. My daughters and I met for a cold cup of coffee on Columbia campus on Sunday and saw a robin hopping through the snow!
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I will put the 8th in my calendar and try to join in on it. It’s good to have deadlines. Sorry for the mix but happy you’re still able to meet up with your daughters.
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The more birds the better I say. The girls and I can usually manage at least a half hour sitting out in the cold–we’ve missed a few weeks, but most Sundays we get together. It’s only a mile walk for me, but for my younger daughter it’s 2 1/2 miles. Sometimes her sister walks partway home with her though so she can get her walking in too–she’s the one in the middle.
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This post has it all… information, art and poetry. I love the bird. The texture in the piece was nice. Your poetry was so engaging.
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Thanks! I was really entranced by this bird as well. It encompasses so much of how everything is connected and how fragile that connection is.
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