Falco peregrinus

Migratory restlessness, or zugenruhe, is a fun phenomenon. (Some say it is spelled zugunruhe, by the way). Lots of critters migrate. Desert ants, spiny lobsters, some bats, lots of birds, wildebeest, caribou, tuna, salmon, ahh the list goes on and on. There's even variation within some species--some individuals migrate, and others don't. One of my favorites is the peregrine falcon. "Peregrine" means wanderer (in some language that I don't know)--not only are they the fastest birds on the planet but some move as much as 25,000 miles a year. Pretty fancy.

Well, if you had to label me, I'd be classified as migratory. I've had a bit of guilt about this for years--why can't I stay put? Especially these days, when I have a nice nest with Mr. Nuthatch, and a nice kitty. Well, no one would ask a migratory spiny lobster to stay put. No one judges the spiny lobster as being any less lovable for having wanderlust. Luckily Mr. Nuthatch knew this about me before we built our little nest, so he doesn't mind and joins me when he can.

Right now I'm experiencing zugenruhe. If I was a warbler in a cage I'd be bouncing all over the place. So, in a few weeks I'm jumping ship. Just for a month or so. A chance to see the mountains and get some fresh air and play with my friend's dog and roll down hills and other crucial pre-winter activities. But then I'll come home and stay put until spring. Promise.

Another fun link for ya'll is over to the right, a USGS document about migratory birds. Woohoo!