[birdky] RFI on a Group of Five Southbound Sandhill Cranes

Hello.

This may be an unusual request (a "long shot"), but here goes...

I am hoping that someone might have recently seen (and maybe even
photographed) a particular group of five sandhill cranes (one having
an obvious notch in the left wing - please see photo info below) that
was heading southbound from Wareham Massachusetts to Florida (or
perhaps another Gulf Coast state).  Here's the story:

There is a group of five sandhill cranes that recently left Wareham
Massachusetts (just across Buzzards Bay from Cape Cod) on their way to
Florida or thereabouts.  These birds have spent part of each year for
the last several years on the cranberry bogs and ponds of Wareham MA,
and they have been actively watched by MA birders (especially since
sandhill cranes are pretty rare birds in Massachusetts).

On October 29th, the last day the cranes were seen in Wareham, a group
of five cranes was spotted flying from MA into RI, and later that day
there was a report from a hawk watch in Greenwich CT recording a tight
formation of five cranes heading towards the NYC area.

Then, on October 30th, there were two northwestern NJ reports, of a
group of five cranes seen both lifting off the ground at Merrill Creek
NJ and of a group of five in the air at a hawk watch at Scott's
Mountain NJ.

And then, on November 3rd, a group of five cranes were heard and then
seen overhead at Woodstock GA heading southward (and a bit unusual
because that was somewhat earlier than the usual migration of sandhill
cranes coming from Hiwassee TN through that area).

Of course, the big question is, ARE THEY THE SAME FIVE CRANES?  While
certainly not completely definitive, a comparison of a photo taken of
the birds in flight at the Scott's Mountain NJ hawk watch on 10/30 (
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrd_photos/4063137832/sizes/l/ ) and my
photos from Wareham MA of "our" cranes flying at sunset on 10/26 (
http://fredw.smugmug.com/Animals/WarehamCraneberryCranes-102609/10104828_2y3Tr/1/693923477_HJvqD/Large
http://fredw.smugmug.com/Animals/WarehamCraneberryCranes-102609/10104828_2y3Tr/1/693925004_AH4v3/Large
), shows one of the five cranes in each case having what could seem to
be the same notch in the left wing.  (The notch is quite obvious in a
photo, but may not be so obvious to an observer's eyes.)

What is most intriguing, I think, is that the cranes may be taking a
somewhat inland route, along the Appalachians, rather than a more
coastal route.  But, of course, who knows what is a "normal" path for
quite uncommon northeastern sandhill cranes migrating to and from
Florida or thereabouts, especially since all other, more common
midwestern cranes travel along inland routes.

So, I have been trying to ask those on the flyways to Florida and the
Gulf Coast, where the cranes might be heading for the winter season,
if anyone happened to see (and maybe even photographed) a distinctive
group of five sandhill cranes going over.

The group may possibly have gone through the eastern KY area a few
days ago (on October 30th or early November), having come from
northwestern NJ on October 30th, on their way towards northwestern GA
for November 3rd.  So, might there be any reports?

Yes, I know that this sounds like a "wild Grus chase", but who knows...

Thanks for listening.

Fred (Frederick Wasti)

Marshfield Massachusetts ("craneberry country")

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