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Friday, November 23, 2012

What On Earth?



I heard the oddest sound this afternoon. I could tell it was a lot of birds. Big birds making a trilling/cooing/yodeling sound that I'd not heard before. My first thought was wild turkeys and started searching Stella's neighboring corn field, but the sound was coming from above me. Way above me.


My next thought, due to what they looked like, was geese. But it was a large group and they were not even remotely lined up in a V. They were swirling all over the sky, around and around as they moved overhead. And again, a totally foreign sound.


I ran in and grabbed the camera and caught a few pictures as they flew by. I am completely stumped. The only thing (to me) remotely possible was a White Fronted Goose...but the calls I listened to online don't really sound the same, I can't find anything that mentions a weird flight pattern and it didn't sound like they'd be in our area (central Kentucky). 

Any thoughts?

21 comments:

Terry said...

Could it be Sandhill Cranes? I had a similar experience this Fall.
http://moondanceranchco.blogspot.com/2012/10/odds-and-ends.html

Sheepmom said...

Cranes!! That's what I'd guess just from their shapes. We get snow geese go over sometimes. Those are really pretty and have a much different honk than Canada Geese.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

Let us know when you find out--What an amazing sight, that's for sure!

thecrazysheeplady said...

That's it! I am sooo excited :-D.

Julie Zickefoose said...

Perfect description of sandhill crane calls. Lovely photos. Well seen! Believe it or not they are proposed as a species to hunt in Tennessee and were put on the hunted list in Kentucky last year. Wisconsin's now proposing a season on them. Ack. I've blogged a great deal about this. More at my blog, http://juliezickefoose.blogspot.com
Just type "sandhill crane hunting" into the search box in the upper left corner. Not to rain on your terrific parade here, but I try to let people know that this is going on in the East now whenever the opportunity arises.

The Currys said...

I would go with Sandhill Cranes too. I searched for flight silhouettes on the googles. I think I saw some of those Wednesday, but mine were a small group. Probably got caught on a cross wind that sent them over West Virginia. Or not.

Anonymous said...

Why would anyone want to hunt crane? Are they edible??

small farm girl said...

I was gonna say crains but someone already beat me to it. I haven't seen then fly like that, but I've heard about them. Lucky you!

Thirteen Sheep (Or More) said...

If they have long legs trailing behind, I would say Sandhills. It's the most incredible sound. They usually arrive here shortly after the Canada Geese in the spring and stay late into the fall. I wonder if something caused them to change their normal flyways?

Cloverleaf Art and Fibre said...

Sandhill cranes -- I love those birds and miss them when they head south from here. In the late summer, after the chicks have fledged, they fly over my place morning and evening in small family groups, just at treetop height, on their way to feed in grain fields during the day and then back to their trackless marsh at night. Someday I would love to find their nesting ground.

MarmePurl said...

Oh the things i learn in bloggerland! Facinating.

m. said...

We have swans fly over our place sometimes and they sound ridiculous. I don't know if they would fly down near you though.

Anonymous said...

Sandhills spend time in Jasper County Wildlife park in
NW Indiana. There are viewing stands, and you can wait
for them to come back each evening much of the fall.

It's not nearly as well publicized (to people) as much as
the Platte River, but has great numbers of cranes every year.
You would probably be on their route if they decided to
head south from Jasper Co.

I think they kind of sound like a rusty gate. Great photos,
mega cool!
-cheri in urbana

La tribù della valle dei cavalli said...

Ok, this is really strange! We have heard cranes too on thurday evening al 6.30 pm...here people say that they annouce snowy whinter....we hope not like the past one! But yours were in large number so prepare yourself and your animal too!

Dianne@sheepdreams said...

I heard them as I was finishing up barn chores last evening. It was too dark for me to see and I knew they didn't sound like the geese that fly over all the time, so I was totally mystified. At least now I know! Thanks for posting this.

Ed said...

Sounds like everyone else has the answer, from the description and the sounds, I agree too, probably heading to Florida for the winter..:-)

pattyb said...

For future reference there are two sites that will help you to know what birds are migrating through your area. enature.com and www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds! Thanks for posting those great pictures!

Robin said...

I agree, Sandhill cranes! Amazing birds, and a joy to see flying above you.

Anonymous said...

Haven't heard any down here yet this year.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Sandhill Cranes..they make an eerie almost prehistoric sound...they fly over here in the spring:)

Lindy and Paul said...

We have had them over our farm a few times, such strange sound and flight patterns!

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