FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: Fw: Migration question

[WEalding@xxxxxxx]

I'm with Margaret on this being a mixed icterid flock.  The icterid  family 
includes blackbirds and grackles.
 
To narrow it down further, I wonder if the observer noticed the shape of  the 
birds - whether they had relatively long or short tails.  Short tail  would 
point to starlings, longer tails would be blackbirds or grackles.
 
Wendy  Ealding
 
 
It is probably a mixed flock of starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and maybe  
some grackles.
 
Margaret
 
 
Would anyone have any ideas on this?
----- Original Message -----  
From: _Moore_ (mailto:bobbim@xxxxxxxx)  
To: _audubon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:audubon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)  
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2005 4:42 PM
Subject: Migration question



If possible, I would appreciate an answer to a  question, or direction to 
where I could find the information.  
 
This evening, August 7, 2005 around 7:00 pm, we  observed thousands of birds 
flying north, then north-east.  This lasted for  over 15 minutes.  The main 
group (thousands of birds) took about 8 minutes  to fly over, then the 
stragglers took up the remaining time.  I do not know  the species, I could 
only tell 
that they were very dark - I could not see any  color.  The size was smaller 
than a crow, but bigger than a wren.  The  song we heard was only a single 
"Cha" 
sound.  I realize that this is not  much detail, but we have never seen this 
many birds flying over in August.   We live in Halifax, VA, about 30 miles 
east of Danville, 50 miles north of  Durham, and 115 miles south-west of 
Richmond.  
 
I would greatly appreciate it if you could help  me.  
 
Thank you,
Bobbi Moore
Halifax,  VA