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Les Grues


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7.0 pm - just overhead - Nr Castillonnes, Dept 47 - large group of over 100 flying - and cooing at one another - headed from north east to south west into a beautiful sunset.

Wonderful sight - but sad because it really marks the end of summer, and sunshine (even though we're enjoying a glorious warm sunny October) - but we all know the sun is setting earlier and earlier....sigh...

Hope many of you catch sight of these wonderful birds - they are on their way - look and listen for them - and enjoy one of Nature's wonders........

Chessie

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I'm in Dept 46 (near Cahors) and haven't seen them yet, but don't want to miss them. I have seen them before and it's a magnificent site, this year I'd like to have the camera at the ready.

Is there a way to track which way they're going, i.e. Dept wise as I have difficulty telling my north to my south LOL.

Obviously I know they are heading for warmer climes but don't know which way that is from my location.
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[quote user="mogs"]I'm in Dept 46 (near Cahors) and haven't seen them yet, but don't want to miss them. I have seen them before and it's a magnificent site, this year I'd like to have the camera at the ready. Is there a way to track which way they're going, i.e. Dept wise as I have difficulty telling my north to my south LOL. Obviously I know they are heading for warmer climes but don't know which way that is from my location.[/quote]

 

 This link may help Mogs.....It shows the past migration route : :http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/grues/e_synthese_migration_grue_06_07C.htm

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There's usually 600-700 (I haven't actually counted them myself! figures from the Bird/Nature Reserve) who over-winter on the lake near us - dept 65 Puydarrieux - and every day during the winter they fly overhead on their way to and from the lake to feed in the surrounding fields. Absolutely wonderful and very distinctive call they have.

Haven't seen or heard any yet but I'd say compared to previous years it's a week or two early yet

Lou

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Thanks for the web link Frederick.  Very useful.

Ours was just a small flock in the distance - heard them well before we could see them.  We have visitors at the moment, who didn't manage to see them or hear them and now think we are completely barking mad - LOL. 

Can't wait for the next batch to come over and if we are really lucky we will have them circling over the house like we did in the Spring.

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The site Frederick quoted also has up to date info on this year's observations:

http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/grues/point_sur_la_migration.htm#

and figures for previous year's over-wintering:

http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/grus-grus/donnee_mig/point_mig.htm

it seems my figures of 600-700 for Puydarrieux were somewhat off - more like 2.500 - 3.000 observed last year!!

Lou

(hope the links work)

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Came over us last night (we are right by the Dordogne river) - just a few I think - about midnight as I was trying to get to sleep! Woke the OH up - which didn't go down too well!!

Made me think about how far do they go in a night - surely they don't try and land in their next stopping off point at night - do they? Unless they have night vision?
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Yup, working on the land today (24 degrees), 87440 - droves of them all flying north - superb sight. I have to stop work to watch them go over - apparently they have a 3 metre wingspan! The noise is wonderful. I only saw a batch heading south a month ago, so to see them coming home as well is wonderful

First batch I saw went overhead Monday. So, spring is coming![:D]

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  • 4 years later...
Tonight we were sat outside when we heard an unforgetable noise. The grues. We have seen them before in other years but not as many as tonight. Five flocks came over with about 100 plus in each flock, three minutes apart heading southwest. Last year the first ones we saw flew over on the 13th Oct so are they early this year ?.

Maybe a sign of an early winter ?
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I like tall birds with long legs [;-)]

The grues are circling overhead, forming up into massive flocks.  On the radio they said it was normal for this time of year but did not give dates compared to previous years.

I think Autumn has definitely arrived as I had to scrape ice off my windscreen for the first time since early Spring

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