2015-03-21

【Aiden in English】

        Warm-blooded animals require warmth to survive like us. We wear winter coats to trap heat and turn on the heating at home during the long freaky weather in the Greater Philadelphia Area. With birds, warmth is just as critical because they do not possess the technology, science, and items to do so. The only remaining way would be to migrate to another place that has a warmer climate.

        Snow geese are just one of the many vagrant birds that migrate when the cold comes, and they don’t enjoy brutal summer heat either. So in the frosty air of the North America, all of the snow geese fly south to the coastal marshland in Mexico. Once spring arrives, they return to the north where temperatures warm up on their feeding grounds in the Arctic tundra. Now on every trip at this time of the year, stops are made across the farm fields on Triassic Lowlands along the Appalachian Mountains prior to dark, since geese don’t have perfect night vision. I don’t know about you, but I like to see where I’m going.

        So one of these stops is in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area of PA, but this man-made “creek” is more of a lake. On Monday, about 110,000 white feather creatures in total. As the days dragged on, the numbers dwindled. By Thursday, 65,000 birds slept there. Today was Saturday, and yesterday, it snowed again. A lot on the Equinox. The temperature wasn’t so pleasant that the creek was frozen over. The snow geese obviously didn’t like the unpredicted incident, so only about 16,000 gathered in the area. Tens of thousands sounded still dramatic, but some decided to leave during the day to the next stop in Finger Lakes of NY. As the night fell, only a portion of 16,000 roosted in the open water while the southerly winds were dying down. 

        Mom parked the car on the side of a trail, and everyone began making their way along the direction to catch up with the migration in the area. We joined a steady flow of twists walking down a single long black-top paved path.  Grandma stayed behind since she had trouble jogging, and so two of us hit on the road. Without Grandma, mom and I cranked up the pace, surpassing other tourists quickly. 

        The bird honks became audible around a bend, and we started sprinting down the winding passageway. When I turned another corner, the trod stretched forward and in the distance sat a pavilion, the size of my hand or so. By the time, the honks got somewhat obvious, but it wasn’t until mom and I figured out the true location and the real culprits. These noises weren’t geese but tundra swans. The tundra swans looked large, graceful, and white plumage birds that floated in clump, swimming around but cautiously keeping their distance from the ice in the waterfowl propagation area. Because the tourists had to watch from what seemed like a light year away, the tundra swans’ features weren’t exactly considered “high-quality HD”. All I could say other than their elegant necks and charming wings was a spot of pure white. The tundra swans kept honking, as if annoyed by having an audience flashing bright lights from these things up to our faces (cameras). Once mom had taken her fill of photos, we walked the remaining distance. Not too long after, we reached the pavilion where no one was sitting down and everyone was standing to see the snow geese. Grabbing a seat wasn’t going to do anyone too much good. The area next to the pavilion was a mob though, with people all packed together. I’d estimate about a hundred people were there, plus another fifty or so if the slow, lazy, late tourists that always took their time getting to a destination count. This creek wasn’t just about the snow geese. I noticed it once mom had forced on opening between the crowds to the front. I didn’t know how she did it, but we came out in one piece.

        On one side were the white, specks of snow geese in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. I recognized them from a lone duet on the road. They were just like regular geese, except for the fact that they’re white. This made them look almost angelic. Almost, because I’m pretty sure angles don’t quack at everything.

        On the other side was a large group of dark Canadian geese, nearly as many as the snow geese. A few were circling the area, looking for a spot to land, while the snow geese clumped together as a black shimmering quacking shape. Those that circled around above them were like planes waiting to receive a docking gate from the control tower. They flew around over and over, and each time the circuit was complete. A few moved loser, and eventually found a spot. Mom finished capturing quicker than I thought. So in no time, we were walking back down the same long path again. A flurry of quacks and honks erupted from behind us. A swirling black mass of snow geese exploded from the creek, writhing and twisting, almost as if all those birds had morphed into one enormous hideous creature. The creature swerved and looped in a wide circle, as if showing off its power and abilities. This was how they migrated though. I really do wonder how they travel so far when they’re moving so erratically. The black mass twirled once again, and then flew off. Moments later, the sky was filled with white, honking, snow geese. Like the Canadians, these geese gathered together, flying in loops, spins, and dives. The birds kept coming, white specks darting into the distance. They resembled a snake, except that this particular snake had a long, white body and could honk. At this position, sixteen thousand seemed like a very reasonable number, considering the sheer size of such migration.

        Nature is full of mysterious. First of all, I want to know how the snow geese fly in that formation, if you even call that a formation, because it’s cool. But the way of life is a mystery, and everything about it is so different. I wonder what humans would do to get warm if we didn’t possess this technology. Would we migrate like the snow geese?

【紅霞譯文】

        恆溫動物像人一樣喜歡生活在氣候溫和的地方，今冬大費城地區千里冰封萬里雪飄，我們要麼將自己裹得嚴嚴實實，要麼把房溫調得暖暖洋洋。而對於那些不懂科學技術無法因地制宜的鳥類生物來說，溫度高低直接關繫到生死存亡，南北遷徙自然成為它們順應季節變化的唯一手段。

        雪雁正是眾多候鳥家族中的一員，既害怕天冷又討厭天熱，每當北方寒流來襲，它們揮師南下，直搗墨西哥沿海濕地避冷過冬；一旦天氣回暖，它們集結北上，重新殺回北極苔原老家生兒育女。每年冬末春初之際，總有大批由南及北長途跋涉的雪雁要在天黑之前趕往阿巴拉契亞山脈三疊紀盆地一帶歇腳過夜，因為它們視力有限，無法摸黑飛行。不知你感覺如何，反正我喜歡看清前面要走的路。

        賓州中溪野生動物管理區便是雪雁北上遷徙路線上若干驛站之一，這個人工開鑿的“河溪”儼若一個大湖，本周一吸引了差不多十一萬隻雪雁前來駐足，但隨着時間推移，數量急劇驟減，到周四為止已降至六萬五千隻。今天是星期六，昨個這兒又慘遭大雪洗禮，而且恰值春分當日，氣溫尚未回升，溪面依然結冰上凍。顯然，這種突如其來的天氣變化令雪雁無所適從，結果僅剩大約一萬六千隻仍在附近徘徊。成千上萬乍聽起來好像不少，但有些已在白天離開了這裡，繼續朝下一站紐約州的五指湖方向前 進，這麼一來，當夜幕降臨偏南風極度減弱的時候，只有其中一部分雪雁樂意降落在沒有積雪覆蓋的水面上。

        媽媽將車停靠路邊，隨即加入到觀賞雪雁遷徙的人群行列之中。中溪野生動物管理區內僅有一條彎彎曲曲的柏油馬路，我們隨大流前進，外婆因為腿腳不適而行走吃力，所以只好留守原地。既然外婆不能加盟同行，我和媽媽立刻大步流星，把其他遊人遠遠地拋在身後。

        轉彎處頻傳鳥叫聲，我們甩開步伐加速往鳥叫的地方衝去；等拐上另一條小路，眼前出現了一間小亭子，亭子本身不大，恐怕跟我腦袋差不多。正在這時，鳥叫聲越來越響，我們好不容易才搞清楚鳥叫的方位，並確認是什麼鳥在引吭高歌，原來這叫聲不是雪雁發出來的，而是小天鵝。小天鵝看上去個頭挺高，姿態優雅飄逸，羽毛潔白如玉，喜歡成群結隊在水禽繁殖區內游來游去，並謹慎地躲讓水面上浮動的冰塊。因為我們只能從貌似光年以遠的地方觀賞小天鵝靚麗的倩影，所以並不能真正看清它們到底長什麼樣，我覺得除了頎長的脖頸和漂亮的翅膀之外，其清爽的羽毛給人留下深刻印象。小天鵝扯開喉嚨仰天長嘯，不知是不是因為我們早已見怪不怪的閃光燈衝着它們閃個不停而惹惱了這些傢伙。等媽媽結束拍照，我們繼續朝目的地走去，不久便來到小亭子跟前。亭子裡面沒有一個人坐着，大家全都站着等候雪雁到來，坐在凳子上確實對觀景一點用也沒有；亭子外面人山人海，估計一百到一百五十人左右，還要加上那些踱方步邁八字既不着急也不着慌慢慢騰騰朝這邊開拔的遊客。我發現來中溪觀賞雪雁必須擅長在里三層外三層的人群中自如穿行，不知媽媽有何絕招，總之，我們自始自終安然無恙。

        中溪野生動物管理區的一側是白得透亮的雪雁，路邊還有一對掉了隊的伴侶，它們除了白羽毛之外，跟普通飛鵝沒有多大區別，不過正因為渾身潔白，倒真像天使一般，但再像畢竟不是，世上哪有天使對什麼都叫個不停呀。

        中溪野生動物管理區的另一側是當地深色的加拿大黑雁，數量不亞於雪雁，它們在空中盤旋，四處尋找落腳的地方；烏央央的雪雁席捲殘雲，凌駕於加拿大黑雁之上，宛若準備降落的飛機正焦急地聽候機場指揮中心通知停靠站台。它們飛呀轉呀，繞着繞着就繞成一圈，偶爾也有幾隻掉隊，但最終都能知途迷返，媽媽見機快速按下快門。轉眼功夫，我們又踏上來時走過的曲長小路，身後接連傳來加拿大黑雁和雪雁嘎嘎嘟嘟的喧鬧聲，此時暮色蒼茫，仍有大批雪雁依然翩翩起舞自由翱翔，在溪面上空好像形成一個超級魔獸，魔獸狂扭着龐大的身軀，極力彰顯其氣勢磅礴的威嚴和無所不及的力量，這正反映出雪雁遷徙的決心。我真弄不明白這些弱不經風的生物竟然無畏遠征辛勞，一路過來還這麼歡蹦亂跳，欲與土生土長的加拿大黑雁比試兜圈翻轉俯衝等高空技巧，中溪如此多嬌，引無數英雄豪傑競折腰。更有甚者，前面一撥先導隊伍剛走，後面一撥志願部隊接上，一撥接一撥，宛若一條白色巨蛇，只不過這條巨蛇不但身長色白，而且還會叫喚。縱觀浩浩蕩蕩遷徙大軍，其實由一萬六千雪雁組成如此氣宇軒昂的巨蛇相當可觀。

        自然界奧秘無窮。首先，我想知道雪雁如何列隊飛行，如果可以用列隊一詞來形容空中這種動態形狀，因為它實在太酷。其次，生活本身神奇無限，每件事情都各不相同。我禁不住設想，假如人類並未掌握取暖技術，那麼後果將會怎樣，難道也像雪雁遷徙一樣遊走天下嗎？