Worldwide birding normally requires passing via an airport or two, interrupted by a number of hours of birdless flying – the worst model of flying doable. Whereas the flight will be made extra fulfilling by learning the sphere information or listening to hen calls, the airports are a special matter. Some are actively anti-bird whereas others resemble windowless bus terminals. There are some notable exceptions, however beware: taking a look at flying objects comes with a safety warning. This collaborative put up explores each pleasant and unfriendly airports world wide. Be part of us along with your examples within the feedback, please.
Scooping between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean on the tip of Florida in the USA lies a crescent string of islands. Within the center is an eight sq. mile piece of land referred to as Marathon Key. On the northwestern facet is a one-runway airport constructed by the U.S. Navy in 1943. It’s right here that small piles of feathers collect on the runway ready for nightfall – the Antillean Nighthawk. From April to September within the U.S., this “mosquito hawk” is a uncommon incidence; solely identified to go to the Florida Keys. At this particular and unlikely location, stand simply outdoors the chain hyperlink fence and anticipate them to launch, then buoyantly dive and catch their insect dinners on the wing. (Angela Minor)
Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport all the time had lots going for it: the outlets promoting hen guidebooks, bars laden with Tusker beer, the impossibility to overlook a aircraft as they’d all the time anticipate you and Little Swifts. Terminal 1’s large home windows have a moulding of swift nests that assure a steady stream of Little Swifts slamming at excessive velocity into their nests. No want for binoculars to take pleasure in this spectacle, which can simply be an excellent factor as David will testify subsequent. (Peter Penning)
In November 1982 I used to be flying again from a visit to Kenya on Ethiopian Airways. After taking off from Addis Ababa, the aircraft made the comparatively brief hop to Asmara, which on the time was a part of Ethiopia. (It’s now the capital of Eritrea). In keeping with my diary “we left nearly on time, and had been on the level of take-off when one of many engines sucked in a hen, more than likely a Black Kite. We got here again to grinding halt, however with a burst tyre, so needed to abandon the aircraft”. We then had a wait of seven hours earlier than a alternative aircraft arrived to permit us to proceed our flight to Europe. These seven hours may have been nicely used, as there was a gradual however spectacular motion of raptors over the airfield. Sadly, there was no probability to determine them, for as quickly as I received out my binoculars I used to be warned that the airport was a safety zone, and the usage of binoculars, or cameras, was strictly forbidden. My binoculars went straight again into my bag: the safety males weren’t pleasant. (David Tomlinson)
After main a birding vacation in Cyprus, I arrived early for a flight from Paphos again to the UK. With loads of time to spare I took my group to search for Black Francolins: the airfield and its environs are a favoured habitat for this shy however good-looking hen. We did see our Francolins, however moments later a 4×4 police car raced up and the unsmiling policeman requested us what we had been doing. My little group of middle-aged English birdwatchers hardly seemed like spies, however the police clearly thought that we’d nicely be. We narrowly averted being arrested: ever since I’ve been very cautious about utilizing binoculars anyplace close to airports. (David Tomlinson)
Boston’s Logan Worldwide Airport has been sited on a coastal saltmarsh habitat. Inside earshot of the airport lies Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Earshot must be taken fairly actually – the touchdown planes will thunder overhead when you discover the reserve. It’s arguably the perfect place within the USA to see Saltmarsh Sparrow. On the mudflats (a scope turns out to be useful) giant flocks of waders will be noticed. Count on American Oystercatcher, Quick-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Better Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper, but in addition American Herring Gull, Snowy Egret, Nice White Egret, Nice Blue Heron and Osprey. Within the wooded areas and clearings, I noticed Downy Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Track Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, American Robin and Japanese Towhee. Throw in American Black Duck and Mallard on the quite a few ponds and you may spend a contented morning right here earlier than catching your subsequent flight. (Peter Penning)
Photographs by the authors (Angela and David) or from the 10000birds archive (Peter after all). Featured picture of touchdown aircraft at Boston is by Fletcher, CC BY 4.0, through Wikimedia Commons. Though product placement was not our intention, we’ll graciously settle for a donation from JetBlue.