Every evening here we'll get a flock in trees, not always the same tree every night, but they'll find one to gather in.  Sometimes a couple go to one and a couple to another and then they all end up in one or two trees next to each other.  Apparently some crows will migrate, others will have winter feeding grounds.  This video I found looks like the way yours were flying once you get into it.

There is a resident crow flock that roost in the trees on the west side of the parking lot-great view of our dumpster-but it's probably 20-30 individuals.  It's the absolute silence that has me puzzled.  Crows & ravens are a noisy bunch even in flight.

OK...I've never seen that many all at once around here and they were absolutely silent.

As I left work last night (near Kingston NY) I saw a line of birds flying north.  My first thought was starlings or grackles, but they seemed bigger and they weren't in a flock-they were flying in a line-some singles, some maybe 2-3 abreast. And the wings weren't gracklish-seemed longer & more "flappy". By the time I got to my car & got the camera & binoculars out the majority of the flight had passed-50-75 individuals, possibly more.  I got some not great pics & video of some of the stragglers.  Then my battery died & my spares were at home.

A part of me wants to see trailing legs like a heron, but I've never seen that many together here in NY.  There is a lake & stream in the direction they were headed.  And what almost looks like talon-tag at the end of the video doesn't seem heron-like.  I'm stumped.  Any ideas what they might be?

 
 
(larger, less clear versions available if you think it will help)

mystery birds flying north

Thanks!

I was in youtube getting a link for another post & hit favorites instead of my videos.  This is what came up...

Jemison Release at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge Part 1 - 8/23/10

Jemison Release at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge Part 2 - 8/23/10

by Carol P.

What are we looking at?

Found at Bits and Pieces

I've often wondered why they seem to have a fondness for construction noises.  Is it something similar to little boys making car noises & such?

Vrooooom! Vrooooom! Beep, beep!

Just as I suspected 

I've often wondered why they seem to have a fondness for construction noises.  Is it something similar to little boys making car noises & such?

OK-now that I've seen MAK's pics I think I found him...



We were seeing Beauty on the top rail far side and Archer was on the right side down a rung, so he was hidden behind an upright part of the railing

Rhea Mae is at home-photos later...

  some serious digging going on!

 

Still there

Rhea Mae is at home-photos later...

Did you manage to get the recorder started in time?

No, that takes about 5 minutes to set up.

Phooey!  We'll just have to get her to do a rerun on the weekend when I can run streaming & snagit!

That was right after the falcon on the railing took off and flew directly toward the camera for 5-10 seconds before veering off to the right. If you were watching on streaming video, you would have seen me tracking the falcon as it came in closer and closer.

Did you manage to get the recorder started in time?

IDK, I thought it was Beauty, guess Archer. 

I'm not sure.  When I saw the picture I thought it was Beauty, but if I'm reading the tweet right it seems it would be Archer.  I guess we'll have to wait for MAK to get home & look at it herself.