12 January 10
Geese Flying IFR
We had rain today, both a shower in the early morning and another in the afternoon. This is a change in weather pattern from this past week, where we’ve had dense and low fog (tule fogs) in the morning lifting to about 1000 feet by midday. The wetlands of the Sacramento Valley have lots of water by now, and frequently I will hear the calls of geese flying above well in the fog. As a pilot would put it, they are flying under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions. It’s easy to imagine that they are calling frequently so as to stay in touch with other members of their flock, but how are they managing to navigate? How do they know when to set down in their favorite flooded field? It’s a mystery. To me that is, but not to the geese.
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I have also been awed at how not only geese but all migrating birds manage to navigate. It is a mystery and amazing!
The number of worlds God fit on this planet! You’re more aware of the geese’s world than I am. I usually take the honking for granted (sadly).