We have always wanted to see a murmuration—that breathtaking sight of hundreds or even thousands of birds moving together in ever-changing, synchronized patterns. Thanks to a tip on the Tampa Audubon Society Facebook page, we got our chance in Hillsborough County.
The first swallow species to migrate north, Tree Swallows are a beautiful iridescent blue and white bird, and we were excited to see them. We arrived at the area around Cockroach Bay Preserve and watched for about a half hour. The birds never stopped coming in, but it didn’t seem like enough for the spectacle we were hoping for. All the while, a spectacular sunset was happening behind us.
Next, we drove further northeast on Gulf City Road to the intersection with Smilodon Trail. A number of cars were already pulled over, so we grabbed our bins and cameras and rushed to join the group. We joined the crowd at the fence line just in time to see thousands of swallows bunching together into a huge, swirling cloud. Several people were saying, “wait for it,” so we knew something special was about to happen.
Then, as if on cue, the swallows formed a funnel and, all at once, started diving to the ground in unison. It was like watching a giant pepper shaker in the sky dumping swallows until it was empty. We estimated at least 100,000 Tree Swallows in the murmuration. It was a truly amazing sight for us and the several dozen other birders there that night.
Seeing a spectacle like this makes us think of the phrase: “If you see something, say something.” We are so glad the Tampa Audubon did! We hope to see this again next year.
Trip Summary:
Trip Birds: 10
Life Birds: 0
Next up: West Palm to Sebastian
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