Flocks of birds on Google Earth

Reviveing great oGEC thread by Hill, let me restart the search with my first (new)find from Săcele, Romania. (Placemark view is set to proper imagery date.)

As not a bird expert, I need your help in ID, what kind of birds are these? -Geese? (:
flock of birds Scele.kmz (865 B)

>>44.46860, 28.63653<< 4/2003 GE imagery

All your finds related to this topic are welcome!

Best,

g

Im thinking they White Storks, but im no expert.


"White storks fly south from their summer breeding grounds in Europe in August and September, heading for Africa.[41] There, they spend the winter in savannah from Kenya and Uganda south to the Cape Province of South Africa.[52] In these areas they congregate in large flocks which may exceed a thousand individuals.[22] Some diverge westwards into western Sudan and Chad, and may reach Nigeria.[33] In spring, the birds return north; they are recorded from Sudan and Egypt from February to April.[53] They arrive back in Europe around late March and April,[41] after an average journey of 49 days. By comparison, the autumn journey is completed in about 26 days. Tailwinds and scarcity of food and water en route (birds fly faster over regions lacking resources) increase average speed.[34]"


The pic is dated in April 29


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_stork

Hi and welcome icu!

As far as I know storks do not fly in such formation, but take thermals, swirl up to heights of thousands of meters, then they sail down doing very long distances without a wingstroke.

Other oddity, that I thought european migrating birds are arriving from Africa by spring and do not leaving to the S/SE as these are doing on imagery.

My best guesses would be -as it were by an old find of mine- Crane or Goose. But that what kind of, and why these fly to that direction are still in question.

sorry if violating forum etiquette, but just have bumped into related post (by diane9247 ) from around this board, that is only why I bump this thread too...(:

also the question is serious: it is only me who miss migrating flocks of birdies from GE imagery nowdays? 

all your findings welcome!

A good source of birds in flight used to be over the ocean, near shore. But the imagery over the ocean has been scrubbed so we can see the ocean floor. We also lost almost all whales and boats at sea, etc.

hi Hill ! thanks calling in to share your sad experiences on this topic.
well, both of my two spottings were from inner continental locations, but yes; I remember for those from your oGEC thread, and also the whales, ... what a pity! 

great loss both just as it were with panoramio, and now? what will be the next clever step? terminating oGEC without a word for warn seems to be a reliable one. (luck GEC layer data is still displayed on GE)

Starlings, I think.

See in GM

My very first old find from Lapistó, Hungary:
birds flying in formation.kmz (860 B)
A V shape and a much bigger arched formation, all heading eastwards. I think there is no chance for an exact ID. Probably geese or cranes, ...?

>>46.60432, 20.38654<< 3/2007 GE imagery

Pigeon attack

GM Link

Flock of birds flying in formation above the Ethiopean shores of Lake Abhe:
flocks of birds_Lake Abhe.kmz (825 B)

>>11.15321, 41.71728<< 10/2013 GE imagery

Zoom out for magnificent look of the "living waters" of the lake:


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And here birds are stirring up the sediment in the shallow waters of Uru Uru Lake from Bolivia:
birds - Lago Uru Uru.kmz (864 B)

>>-18.06391,-67.07247<< 1/2020 GE imagery