October Birds

The birds gather in flocks of hundreds along the ocean shore on our barrier beaches now. They practice their maneuvers back and forth, up and down, along the tide line inches above the sand and waves. Spinning, darting, turning, they resemble a squirrel pursued by a hungry dog. But the birds move as a group, sometimes intercepting, and then joining, their cousins flying nearby. The flocks rest on the sand between drills and this activity extends for miles. An air of anticipation and fear permeates the searing, austere gale visiting from the dark, wide ocean. They are about to accept an annual challenge and they choose to face it together. I admire their courage.