ONE IS reminded of the famous poem by Leigh Hunt – ‘what is this life if full of care/we have no time to stand and stare...’ Nature keeps unraveling its mysteries from time to time to amaze us – the migratory songbird of Alaska is one such specimen, a true wonder of nature.

These birds are real tiny creatures, the size of an undernourished sparrow – they weigh around 25 grams each. But they are wonderful long distance flyers and can traverse 29,000 Km every year with ease! Biologists have been left awe struck by the performance of these migratory birds after recording their highly superior endurance levels. They spend the winter in Africa and return to Alaska – the distance is 14,500 Km each way. On an average, they fly over 290 kms every day, reported Canada.com.

A team of biologists had attached miniature geolocators (weighing 1.2 gm) on the legs of 46 wheatear birds in Baffin Islands of Alaska, NE Canada. The biologists discovered that the normal route of the birds covered Siberia, and then across the Arabian Desert, Uganda, and on to Kenya, reported The Times of India.

The time taken for the outward trip from Alaska to Africa was 91-days and for returning to Alaska it was 55-days. Wonder what more surprise Nature has in her store for us.

We already have several unexplained affairs where no one is able to provide any possible solutions – like the Bermuda Triangle or the Loch Ness monster or the Yetis or the UFOs. Obviusly, to quote Shakespeare – ‘..there are many things on Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..’