0129_鸟类默默低语

The parking lot at the north gate shopping mall in San Rafael California,
自疫情爆发以来，
has been much quieter since the pandemic began.
加利福尼亚州圣拉斐尔北门购物中心的停车场已经安静了很多。
But this evening cars are pouring in.
但今天晚上，车辆蜂拥而至。
Not for a movie at the multiplex which is closed,
电影院已经关门，他们来这里不是为了看电影，
but for a rare opportunity to see a murmuration.
而是为了一个难得的机会看到鸟类的喃喃低语。
It's a phenomenon I've always wanted to see.
这是我一直想看到的现象。
For the past week, thousands of starlings have gathered here at dusk,
在过去的一周里，数以千计的八哥在黄昏聚集在这里，
to fly in intricate synchronized patterns.
以错综复杂的同步模式飞行。
Judy and Bill Lauter have been seeing the birds from their house,
朱迪和比尔·劳特一直在他们的房子里看到这些鸟，
but wanted to get a closer look.
但他们想更近距离地看看。
The crowds are birds, it's unbelievable.
成群结队的鸟，真让人难以相信。
We honestly are not very sure what we will see tonight.
老实说，我们不太确定今晚会看到什么。
We wanted to keep it a surprise so we didn't see a lot of videos.
我们想保留一丝惊喜，所以我们还没有看视频。
Garji and Akshay make nature journals to document their experiences.
加里和阿沙溢制作自然期刊来记录他们的经历。
It's just given us a new way of looking at things around us like really noticing my new details.
它给了我们一种看待周围事物的新方式，比如真正注意到新细节。
As the sun sets, the show begins.
太阳落山时，表演开始了。
Starlings are social creatures and on winter evenings,
生物学家罗杰·哈里斯说，八哥是社会性生物，
they gather together in large groups, says biologist Roger Harris.
在冬夜，它们会成群结队地聚集在一起。
They're probably making what we call contact calls,
它们可能正在交际，
saying I'm okay, are you okay, how are you doing and just sort of getting into sync.
说着我还好，你好吗，你怎么样，而且它们是同步的。
You'll see maybe 500 birds all appearing to turn exactly at the same time.
你会看到大约五百只鸟似乎完全同时转向。
But with the high-speed photography,
但随着高速摄影的进行，
what is discovered is that one bird actually turns and then has a ripple effect.
人们发现，一只鸟实际上转过身来，就会产生涟漪效应。
Part of the nightly drama involves evading peregrine falcons that come to feed on the starlings.
夜间来临时，出现了前来捕食八哥的游隼。
When a predator comes the flock tightens up it gets denser.
当捕食者到来时，鸟群会变得更紧，变得更密集。
It makes it more difficult more confusing for the predator.
这给捕食者带来了更大的困难。
But also from a selfish point of view, if you're in the flock,
但从自私的角度来看，如果你是群体中的一员，
you're going to try to get into the middle of the flock,
当有捕食者的时候，你会试图进入群体的中间，
when there's a predator rather than being at the outside.
而不是在外面。
The birds seem to be having fun just like their audience on the ground.
鸟儿们似乎和地面上的观众一样玩得很开心。
So I've been here like four nights in a row checking this out.
我已经连续四天来这里观察这一幕了。
It's unbelievable.
真是难以置信。
I think the joy and wonderment that everybody is here for is a really good thing.
我认为每个人在这里感受到的喜悦和惊奇是一件非常好的事情。
We all need something like this to feel good about.
我们都需要这样的东西让自己感觉良好。
And then like a curtain dropping on a stage,
然后，帷幕落下，
the starlings descend into a grove of eucalyptus trees for the night.
八哥们下到一片桉树林中过夜。
Matt Dibble for voa news San Rafael California
美国之音记者Matt Dibble加利福尼亚州圣拉斐尔