Sandhill Crane flyover

[Panama]

Heard them and just had barely enough time to run in and grab my camera.
I really needed a longer lens, but these were the best I could get as they were gaining altitude while they circled and jockeyed for position over my house today.

Cool birds to watch and hear!

 

[Mike H]

Cool pic's. Thanks for sharing.
Where ya located at?

 

[kludge]

Which way were they headed?

As far as I can tell they just fly in random circles.

Thanks for sharing, I love seeing them too.

 

[Panama]

Cool pic's. Thanks for sharing.
Where ya located at?

Just south of Lake Monroe

Which way were they headed?

When they finally got organized they looked to be headed southwest.

 

[OWGEM]

Nice photos. I kind of like the wide angle views.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

They flew over my house after they were at Panama's!

 

[Bmrdude]

I saw a flock yesterday from Noblesville. I can't believe they are flying North already.

 

[Rickshaw]

Saw a fly over yesterday in Muncie. Heading north. Seems very early

 

[aijk]

I was working at 79th and river road for the last two days and we seen some yesterday and a flock of about 75 today (counted 35 and was about half) that were all heading north.

 

[Gunaria]

There is a hunting season for them in Canada. Wonder what they taste like?

 

[Mike H]

I heard they taste just like chicken.

 

[nicajack]

I love to hear them! There used to be hundreds that spent the winters around Lake Okeechobee, and heard them every day, there. They fly over my house here, every spring and fall. Their cry is always is so haunting and primitive, and I think beautiful.....

 

[OWGEM]

A few minutes ago I had 100 Sandhills, in three groups, fly over my house headed north. Heard them first, love the sound.

 

[bbarker]

They are neat birds to watch. I saw several flocks of them flying southwest while hunting one day. Must have been several thousand birds!

 

[Butch627]

Im just south of Cedar Lake in Lake County, they pass over our yard and are a beautiful sight. Whenever I see them they always seem to be flying in circles and regrouping, never flying in a straight line. Their movement is always NW or SE and always in the same part of the sky. Do you guys see them flying in a straight line? Their migration south this year seemed 6 weeks later than I usually saw them.

 

[jonkertb]

flying in circles

It's my understanding that many migratory birds will circle on thermal updrafts to gain altitude before peeling off and flying "downhill" to the next thermal so as to conserve energy......hang gliders will watch for circling birds also to find the updraft to prolong a flight
tom

 

[Scutter01]

Well, the group on the left seems to have it together, but the group on the right? I can't tell WHAT letter they're trying to make. Is that supposed to be a "B"? Clearly, that's the remedial group.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Just south of Lake Monroe

I know Lake Monroe is pretty large so "south of Lake Monroe" could be a wide area, but we must live fairly close to one another...

 

[whiteman]

Had them over my house in northern Indiana today.

 

[ZS84]

There is a hunting season for them in Canada. Wonder what they taste like?

A guy in know shot one in Canada and said he was no so sure that is was going to be good to eat but another guy he was with insisted that it would be good. To his surprise (and to mine)he told me that it was one of the best birds he has ever eaten. I am not sure how they prepared it. I also saw some yesterday (friday the 3rd) flying over Columbus but they were headed west