OT; What were they?

Gene Dotson · Dec 7, 2008

This afternoon, my dog flushed out 3 birds I have never seen or heard before. They were a light color and appeared to be a member of the crane family and about the same size as our local blue herons. When they flew away they made a sound I can only describe as a "chortling" call. I have never heard or seen them here in western, Ohio before, and are likely a migrating group. Any ideas???... Gene

Janicholson · Dec 7, 2008

Sand hill cranes Google images. JimN

Coffee Helps · Dec 7, 2008

Sandhill cranes, maybe. We didn't used to have them around here, but they're quite common now. They do go South during Winter. Mark SW Wis.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 7, 2008

Gene, they could have been Sand Hill Cranes which are going south by the thousands. I live North of Atlanta and yesterday a large group of probably 200 flew over our house and you can hear them before seeing them.They fly high and fast and make quite a racket.

Gene Dotson · Dec 7, 2008

Thanks, guys. I had wondered about them. Never heard of them being this far east and maybe looking for better flying weather. They were under my apple trees when the dog saw them and flew away as soon as they saw him. Only 3 in the flock and they flew across the road and landed in the pasture field. My dog has been on constant vigil in the yard all afternoon to banish any interlopers... Gene

rrlund · Dec 7, 2008

Better hope those miserable things don't settle in and decide to nest. We've had them for 15 years or so. Getting to be a bigger problem than turkeys. They'll destroy more corn than turkeys and deer combined. Ilegal to kill the d@mned things too.

Gene Dotson · Dec 7, 2008

Jim;
I googled the images and looks pretty certain they were Sand Hill cranes. The pictures in flight were very similar to what I saw... Gene

Gene Dotson · Dec 7, 2008

Are they worse than Canada Geese? My dog doesn't allow them to land anywhere on my farm. Probably discourage the cranes too. Aussies are very protective of their territory... Gene

rrlund · Dec 7, 2008

Much worse. Geese don't go right down the row eating seed corn. If the corn is up,they pull it out of the ground and eat the seed,if it's not up,they'll get their beaks right in the seed furrow horizontally and burrow right along eating it.

Deano · Dec 7, 2008

Gene,

I'm in Wood county Ohio. Normally see Sand Hill cranes passing through this time of year.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 7, 2008

We have hunting season on the up here in AK.
Millions of them here for the summer.
Not many crops for them to destroy here though.
Been gone from here for about 2 months.

Paul from MI · Dec 7, 2008

Probably sandhill cranes. I had a flock of 30 or so fly over while I was unloading wood today here in South Central Michigan. They have become more common in the last ten years or so and have started to summer over around here in the last few years. They are quite a sight due to their size.
Paul

Anonymous-0 · Dec 7, 2008

Strange you should mention that. I was outside this afternoon (west central Ohio) for a short while and heard as you say a "chortling" or warbling sound. Overhead flew a flock of large birds. They were white with black wing tips, probably 3 dozen birds at least. I happened to have a camera and got a couple pictures, tho not very "close up". I looked up birds of their desciption, it appears they're whooping cranes. It said they were nearly extinct in the 1970's, they migrate from northern Canada to Texas and have wingspans up to 8 feet. Wonder why there'd only been a few birds on the ground where you saw them.

OT; What were they?

Gene Dotson

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Janicholson

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Coffee Helps

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Anonymous-0

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Gene Dotson

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rrlund

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Gene Dotson

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Gene Dotson

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rrlund

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Deano

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Anonymous-0

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Paul from MI

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Anonymous-0

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