Mass Migration
Each fall we see hundreds of birds, particularly geese, fly south for the winter. In our neighborhood, we see many geese, some of whom are already back this spring and getting ready to nest. I always mark when I see the first robin of spring. My neighbor counts on the hummingbirds which should arrive within the next two weeks. They really are amusing as they love to buzz us in the garden.
The most remarkable sight this past fall was the Turkey Vultures. It is rather common to see them in the warmer months doing their job of cleaning up the carrion in the area. But migration time is a totally different story. We are on the very edge of their migratory path, meaning many migrate from the north and pass over us, but some stay year-round. Because we are at this segue, we have hundreds of them descend upon our neighborhood in the fall. In fact, even the local sheriff’s office staked them out this year. They perched in trees, on roofs, on fences, and along the roadside. Of course, this was just as the latest wave of COVID-19 was passing through as well. So, neighbors were making comments like “I think they are just waiting for me to die.” The sight really rather ominous, hundreds of birds with almost a six-foot wingspan staring at you in your yard. They generally wait until something dies, but no one wanted to tempt them, especially our pets. Even my big bear Fergus was not keen on their hanging around the house. The venue, or flock of vultures, stayed for about a week and then flew the coop so to speak. I am sure we are about to see them head back toward us soon though!
So why am I bringing up the odd topic of bird migrations? Well, I am excited about Hoffman’s new fabric collection, “Fly Home for Winter.” It features metallics on blue tinged fabrics, with prints of foliage and adorable chickadees! Given the bird theme, I just had to design a quilt with similarly themed blocks, Mass Migration, Mass Migration is 74″ square and feature Flying Goose (not Flying Geese) blocks and Birds in the Air on a large scale. The big blocks assemble quickly for a great weekend project.
We hope you enjoy Mass Migration. It is available for retail and wholesale in our shop.
Happy Quilting!
Laureen