ML619519455

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Part of the N 435 flock directly overhead at 1800h (**Edit: I recounted this photo and have 480)

Observation details

Careful **minimum** count , see photos. 1st big flock estimated n > 200 flying along banana at 1530h and *leaving* cell 3 area without returning (see photos of partial flock with 193 visible birds in flight; other photos & video available). Small flock of then 15 came off lake from SE at 1550h. Another big group in cell 3 at 1600h n= 370, counted main group by 5s and again from photos , missed many more scattered around. See the stitched-together photo set with resting birds: this group of ~370 was resting in cell 3. Then flyover directly overhead of enormous flock of 435 birds while I was talking with JL on Middle Causeway, at 1800h. We spot-estimated 300-400 birds but I counted birds in the flight photos later, n = 435: we watched them until they disappeared from view several miles to the north and clearly were not circling back to cell 3. This was *not* the same group of whimbrel resting in Cell 3: others (and myself) verified that large group of birds was still present in that cell at the same time we were watching the big flyover at 1800h. Roughly half the cell 3 birds took off N/NW at 1925, most of the rest a bit later. Additional higher res photos available for counting. Neither of 2 flocks in flight (1530h, 1800h) circled back to cell 3. Also note that others reported ~400 birds still in cell 3 after 1900: see AD checklist notes, and I also confirmed that large group of whimbrel was still remaining in cell 3 after the 1800h flyover, and JL counted at least 300 birds still in cell 3 after seeing the same big flyover flock at 1800h. The 1005 count here is the conservative estimate from the 3 clearly distinct groups: 200 (early flyby at 1530h) + 370 (cell 3, resting until 1925h) + 435 (flyover at 1800h). Note comments on individual photos. 1200 is probably a more accurate number but 1005 is a defensible minimum given photos. (**Update: I recounted birds in the 1600h flyover from the photo w telephoto in foreground: n= 485)

Technical information

Model

DSC-RX10M4

Lens

8.8-220mm f/2.4-4.0

ISO

200

Focal length

8.8 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/2.8

Shutter speed

1/5000 sec

Dimensions

5472 pixels x 3648 pixels

Original file size

2.23 MB