A couple of days ago I stepped out of my house and heard what sounded like a flock of birds sitting in a nearby tree chattering and muttering to each other like birds do....so I looked around for them wondering what they were.

I looked and looked but found no birds in any nearby trees.

Then I looked up and looked up and looked up and maybe a mile up there were a flock of very large brown birds circling with a minimum of wing flapping, rising on the heat coming up from the city.

A flock of sandhill cranes! They were so high it literally was difficult to see them right away. (These are birds with seven foot wingspans).

As I stood fascinated, I noticed a group of additional cranes flying to join the first group, these were in a v. Then as I watched I noted another group coming in from a different direction....in all I must have seen about six groups all converging on the original group.

I suspect that they were using the heat of the city like a spiraling escalator. Perhaps they all were part of a super flock that had dispersed in this general area to feed and rest and were regrouping for the flight north.

They are fascintating birds.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.