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Index of Subjects Any chance they would have been Sandhill Cranes? I did a quick check and see a couple of reports of large numbers around Edmonton in the past few days. I spend winter in southeast Arizona near Whitewater Draw, a large playa where thousands of SHC overwinter. During the day when they fly out from the playa to feed, they will often spend long periods of time circling at various altitudes over the range lands. They do quite a bit of calling - a different sound which is a liitle hard to describe. Their movement when circling is quite distinctive - some flying in straight lines, then switching to circling. As there are often many hundreds in the air at one time, it seems amazing that they do not collide. When I travel west across Canada in autumn, and then south through Montana, Idaho and Utah en route to Arizona, I often encounter large flocks doing their circling as they migrate. I had a flock cross over me while camped out on the range lands of Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan, so I think you could encounter them just about anywhere across the west. I don't think they are noticed that often as they are often flying pretty high, but once you get used to seeing them, their distinctive behaviour will catch your eye immediately if they are far ahead above a highway. Bev Wigney Round Hill --- On Wed, 5/11/11, Greg Campbell <gcampbell@bsc-eoc.org> wrote: > From: Greg Campbell <gcampbell@bsc-eoc.org> > Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Birds in Alberta > To: "'naturens@chebucto.ns.ca'" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Received: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 12:37 PM > Could > they have been nighthawks? I’ve seen flocks of up to > 30-40 feeding together in the air during fall migration. > It’s quite a spectacle and does kind of look like > sandpiper flock behaviour. > GregSackville, > NBFrom: > naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca > [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of V > Redden > Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 12:21 PM > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: [NatureNS] Birds in > Alberta Hi everyone > I was in Alberta this month and the day I was leaving I saw > a huge (maybe hundreds) flock of birds circling overhead. I > did not get a close look ( My binoculars were packed and > they were injured, probably fatally, by Air Canada in my > flight out, ) so I can only describe their behaviour. These > were large birds with a wide wing span, they circled around > each other like a flock of sandpipers in migration. They > called but I can't describe that. Many swans and geese > flocks had been migrating in the previous days. The flock > stayed in the same area just circling and reforming. I > can't discount gulls although I have never seen gulls do > this. > I would appreciate any comments. > i know it's not NS related but many list subscribers > are great travellers. Thanks for all the replies. > Virginia Redden > Port Howe > > > -- A spark burns down the forest > - Ovambo Namibia
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