Flying with hawks

While you guys meet these gorgeous birds I was left the last three weekends with Frankin's Gulls migrating through Northeastern Kansas. Flocks of hundreds are passing through marking thermals in very unorganized gaggles.
Not much Monarch butterflies this year, seems that the hot and dry Summer took its toll.
Finally, have you ever met a Great Heron in a thermal? Last summer I saw one in 8,000 ft over Clinton Lake, KS. I thought they just do low level hops from pond to pond.

Go to ebird,org and report your bird observations.
Ernst

On Oct 9, 12:39*pm, Ernst wrote:

Finally, have you ever met a Great Heron in a thermal? Last summer I saw one in 8,000 ft over Clinton Lake, KS. I thought they just do low level hops from pond to pond.
Yes, I've seen them at cloud base and I've seen them ascend into
cloud.


A first for me last Friday: I shared rotor thermal with a bald eagle
and (with about 98% confidence) saw the eagle enter the wave at around
6500'. Conditions were pretty light, maybe 15 kts of wind, light
turbulence in the rotor. By the time I got well & truly established
in the wave the bird was gone. The last I saw of him he was well
above and I was only about 200" below the bottom of the wave.


Evan Ludeman / T8