We had at least 500-600 Sandhills over around noon. Heard easier than seen as
they were all in the *high altitude" migration mode and circling to get even
higher. They were on a long-range movement with that altitude ! We have seen
them lower and sometimes skirting the foothills closer to Silverton proper but
not today.
I admit to being pretty excited about it. Pam watched some of them but had
other things to do. They are not "new birds" for us or Oregon but there's
nothing like mass movements of them calling to each other to get the blood
(migration urge?) flowing..
We do appreciate seeing them on this side of the valley. Some years they are
missed because we are not home or don't hear them from inside the house. (Lots
of road and farming noise here so the croaks have to get through the noise
pollution.) At this location they have been usually seen between 11:30 AM and
1:30 PM in the Fall . Sometimes they show up circling in the fog or going lower
at odd times. But, like usual in fall migration today are first groups were
noticed at about 12:10 and the last group of 80 at 1:10. (And I hung around
until after 3 doing outside work so the time frame seemed valid again.)
good birding,
John Thomas
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