Page 9 - September 29, 2021

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These skimmers face the wind for lift should they need to take to flight to avoid
perceived danger. PHOTO: FESTIVE COQUETTE, FLICKR
wingbeats. Furthermore an outstretched but these seaside conditions allow for sus-
wing is good for gliding and a bent wing is tained flight.
advantageous for quick maneuverability. Perhaps the most implausible and
Soon people will be heading to Cape impressive of the soarers is the wandering
May Point to watch large numbers of birds albatross. It has the largest wingspan of any
migrate across Delaware Bay. By soaring bird, at 11 t0 12 feet across. In southern New
and utilizing updrafts and thermals the Jersey our largest wingspans belong to the
birds achieve heights that permit them to great blue heron, brown pelican, and bald
glide across the intervening water. They and golden eagle, measuring from six to 7.5
will also swirl in groups, drafting each other feet, and a sporadic trumpeter swan at eight
as they climb in a silo-shaped formation feet (occasional winter visitor).
called a “kettle.” This allows them to reduce Wandering albatrosses make use of
drag on those who follow. dynamic soaring in which the water is key.
Colonial birds face the wind for a fast They rely on riding thermals but at differ-
getaway. Skimmers, because of their very ent heights they change strategy. When
long beaks, make this readily observable. they fly so high that they can travel in the
Many birds remain at the ready to take same direction as the wind they move with
flight, or if not they normally adjust to face it, and on descent they travel swiftly, thus
the wind before becoming airborne; oth- progressing forward. They can also rely on
$
erwise they would have to flap harder and a tacking technique, zig-zagging like a sail- Complete Pair 89
faster to lift off. boat but still making progress. Researchers
Different shapes or designs of birds spell found they can move 3,000 miles per week
out the different approaches to flight. For while expending very little energy. of Glasses Includes Exam
chimney swifts flight might be somewhat Buckle your safety belts or better yet $ 95 * with Contact
dictated by their feet—well, sort of. Their take note of emergency liferafts for these Lens Fitting,
long claws are not designed for perching facts. Wandering albatross only come 49. Trials & Glasses
but rather for clinging to vertical surfaces ashore to breed. When they first fledge they
weeks of age they start floating up and low- like those found in caves, hollow trees, may stay at sea for five years, never return- Includes Eye Exam
ering back to the nest. They exercise their chimneys, and airshafts. So when they leave ing to land. In their southern ocean habitat
wings a lot in preparation for their first their cavities they can’t simply land on a they only need to flap every few hours and
solos at seven to eight weeks of age. branch. With the exception of nesting and can fly more than 50 miles per hour. They
Ospreys, like other hawks, also make use roosting these birds fly continuously. They can smell prey and track fish for up to 12
of high perches; thus they can rely on glid- eat while flying and can even sleep in that miles. They can live to be 60 years of age. $15 OFF
ing, thermals, and flapping. Young osprey state. Their long wings and relatively short Clearly humans were first inspired any frame
who are not used to flight are often found cigar-shaped bodies are perfectly suited to to fly by our fascination with birds, and
exhausted on the ground or on docks and maintain this flight. over time we have had technological suc- over $49.95
are unable to get airborne. In these instanc- The world has some extraordinary cess. There is still a lot to learn from our
es they are susceptible to predation and winged creatures. The Andean condor, at feathered friends, whose biomechanics are
elements, but if allowed sufficient time to 35 pounds, is the heaviest soaring bird, aloft continually studied. When it comes to fly- BRAND Ultra Wide Field Retinal Imaging
rest they are normally able to achieve flight. about 99 percent of the time. It lives on cliff ing unassisted birds have truly captured the NEW Without Drops!
Experienced osprey can fly from a low sur- faces in the Andes where updrafts created imagination of people since the beginning
face and even after submerging in water. along these formations aid its flight. of time. n
They are often said to be the only bird that In Peru I had the opportunity to soar the *Offer valid with frames tagged $49 (with SV lenses). Eye exam alone priced $39.
can shake off water in flight. cliff faces of Lima with the assistance of a Sources All eye exams performed by Dr. Christopher Mrochko. NJ Optometrist Lic#27OA00607700
So larger, heavier birds prefer to rely paraglider—oh, yes, and a pilot. The ocean Audubon, “Masters of the Sky…” by
on soaring or gliding to get started, and creates wind currents against the cliff’s face María Paula, Sept. 4, 2020 856.507.1800 | eyedealvision.com
they also position their wings to create an that produce an updraft. Most places only Cornell’s www.allaboutbirds.org
updraft. Small songbirds depend on rapid allow a downward glide with a paraglider, Smithsonian Magazine 301 South Main Road (Maintree Shopping Center) Vineland, NJ