Nomads of necessity

摘要

Animal migration is a wondrous thing. Driven by seasonal changes in daylight and other factors, an incredible array of organisms fly, creep or run through urban and other habitat-restricted areas on their way to or from richer spots for wintering, feeding or breeding. When you watch the movement of migrants (and I know birds best), you see the beauty of the individuals, and are privy to the performance of ancient commands dictated by genetic coding. It is often a species' most vulnerable moment. Human-driven and other shifts can occur too quickly for an individual to adjust: a bird that has flown all night looks down at the landscape that emerges at dawn, and seeks an accommodating wood that may or may not still be standing.