Monday 21 February 2011

Crane migration!

Two flights of cranes just came overhead along the Aigronne valley, heading east and gruuuing like champions. About 300 altogether. Sorry no pix! Weather mild (10C), overcast with showers, very light winds S/SW/W less than 3kph.

4:15 Second flight just passed over this time heading ENE, about the same number. Got some pix this time....
but light very poor [it was about to pour!] so silhouettes only...

Just 177 of them... using long lens...wrong lens [couldn't get them all in!!]
The lead group almost overhead.


Continuing to hear more cranes, not within sight.

This is the earliest sighting yet for La Forge. Our previous records are:
24/2/2008
Clear sunny day, warm wind w/sw moderate. Large flock gathering over Etableau and flew off NE in 3 large skeins upward of 200 birds. Followed by second group. Noise incredible!
10/03/2009
Cranes flying ENE 5:45 pm approx 60 common cranes after rainy day quite mild, wind almost due west, quite strong.
03/03/2010
2 flights of cranes flying ENE - one over Grandmont 4pmish of around 100-150 and one over Bezuard at 18:06 of 150 - 200. The ones over Grandmont circled gaining height for about 4 minutes.
(04/03/2010 Alex Crawford reported a huge flight low over Les Limornières at 9 that morning)

Four...directly overhead!

8 comments:

Niall & Antoinette said...

Lovely!
Hope we hear/see some soon.

Jean said...

Great photos.
Where are they going to and from?

Tim said...

Niall and Antoinette: Keep an ear open... we heard some south of us crossing the Claise valley... they would have crossed the Aigronne somewhere near Charnizay. They are incredibly loud!

Jean: Towards Lac du Der probably, then North Germany/Denmark before going further north into Scandanavia... you can follow some of their movements on http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/grus-grus/index.htm# , but it is as Susan is always saying... "Results depend on observers!" Click on season 2010/2011 for a map of observations... most usually at weekends.

Susan said...

Blimey. I got a report yesterday that they were massing at some staging post in Spain, so I wasn't expecting them for a few days. The blighters must have gone over while we were out today.

Amanda said...

Wonderful! A sure sign that spring is in the way then. I saw 7 geese few days ago going up North (Canada I guess).

Tim said...

Susan, it doesn't follow that these were the only batch... there may be more later [I hope so, with todays NICE weather... I might get some colour photos!?!]

GaynorB said...

Great shots. It is a great spectacle, shame it happens so quickly.

Tim said...

Yes Gaynor... GrusGrus [the migration website Susan mentioned some time back] are stating that the migration over France is all but over!