[Bristol-Birds] BVs

About 12:30 Monday afternoon I watched about 50 Black Vultures assemble on
the wing over a period of about 5 minutes over a small ridge behind my
house.  There was little wind at ground level in the valley.  They milled
around more or less randomly with considerable flapping until all the
stragglers were in, then they started flying in a tight circle maybe 100
yards in diameter.  About two thirds of them were circling clockwise and
the rest counterclockwise.  Gradually they started to gain altitude without
flapping and the circle became a spiral with some, but
not much, vertical separation.  This looked like the classic kettle except
for the large number of large birds so close together.  At some point I saw a 
few
small birds leave the kettle.  I don't know when they joined it.  After
about 5 minutes and without a great deal of gain in altitude, the BVs
dispersed.  Quite a show from very close range.
Jack Litz
Kingsport

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