Can anyone confirm the kinds of birds that I am hearing overhead? I am in Mableton. That's next to Smyrna which is a suburb NW of Atlanta. Each year, in late October or early November, (the latter this year) huge flocks of large and loud birds fly south in V formation. Now, February, they are making their return.
Based on this unusual sound they are making, I think they are whooping cranes, but I don't know anything about these birds and am just guessing. Am I correct?
If not, what are they?
And, if you can tell me, where is there summer home and where is their winter home.
I'm going to post this on the bird thread too because I've watched these birds for about 5 years and their calls today have finally prompted me to look into it! Thanks for any help you can give me. ^_^
Birds overhead
Canadian Geese :)
Are you ssuurreeee? They look so big. They are so far up and still so big. Such VERY long necks and legs. I've got my doubtful look on. Don't be mad, I'm holding out for a couple more opinions. (Obviously, I'm not an ornithologist) ;-)
Well, 3gardeners, down here in South GA, we have Sandhill Cranes, which sound a bit like geese, but have more 'warble' or 'vibrato' to their call. Here, tho, they fly VERY high - almost out of sight most of the time. I hear them, then try to spot them. Here's a link: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2060id.html Samantha
Thanks y'all. It is the Sandhill crane. And they do fly VERY high. Pelletory over in the Bird Watching forum got the sound for me since I would NEVER have seen the birds. Here's the link to the thread, (only a few posts long) and it includes the sound of the birds!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/952702/
I can always count on y'all at daves to work towards figuring "whatever" out for me!
Well, there should have been a "?" after my guess. :)
Wow, I haven't seen flocks of cranes, just single ones. I hope you'll let us know when you see some, so I can keep an eye/ear out for them since we're both in Mableton.
I will if you're serious. One small, V went through earlier today. Which means thery're on the move now. Be looking and listening. Since I'm always outside in the fall when they go through, I would assume they usually go overhead on clear sunny days, because thats when I'm gardening in the fall. There is absolutely no scientific information behind that. ;-) (But today is grey and yucky.) I've seen close to 1000 go over me in one day. Like the beautiful, sunny day last November.
I love to hear them. Now that I've gone to the website graceful_garden gave and saw the photo of them, I really wish I could see one in person. They are beautiful. I didn't picture those "mysterious birds overhead" as having such color and markings. I just pictured them as kinda greyish.
3gardeners, last Wednesday during the storm that past through Canton, I was out on the deck and heard the cranes very distinctly and rather close. I ran in to get my camera just in time to catch pics of a few just above the trees. I think the storm had really disoriented them. The few I saw were scattered about, coming out from the dark grey swirling clouds. This was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Carol
The weekend before that I was outside with my DGD, and there was a flock of about a thousand sandhill cranes way up above. You could barely see them, but you could hear that distinctive warble they have. It amazes me that all the birds and butterflies migrate so far.
This is a second pic from last Wednesday.
Every year it is such a special treat to me to hear and then see them. I only have a 300 mm lens, but if I get a larger one, I hope to get photos and see then one day.