Cranes again!

This afternoon just before 3pm, we heard a single "greueueue" as a formation of 24 cranes flew over the house. It's been a lovely day today, enough to bring out brimstone and peacock butterflies, and setting the skylarks singing too. The crane formation broke up as the birds encountered the thermals over the sun-baked south-facing scarps of the Aigronne.

Just some of the cranes almost overhead.

They spiralled upwards in a loose group, but the east wind carried them over towards le Grand-Pressigny - sunwards - and they were obviously struggling to keep their ENE direction. They were pointing that way, but heading ESE. They were still trying to gain height when they disappeared from view.

Circling in a thermal... 2nd from left and one at bottom seem to be using the undercarriage!?

Two fighter jets whizzed over at the same height as the birds - heaven help the crew if they hit a crane!

Going away... with the sun glinting on their wings.