Broome Bird Observatory report Sunday December 5

["Ricki Coughlan" <>]

Hi Shane

Thanks for your comments.

Yes, "smoking" is also the term used here, but I have always been under the
impression that it generally refers to any huge flock of birds. When you get
tens of 1,000's of birds together along a shoreline, sometimes part of the
flock rises and falls in a "mexican wave" effect and many scramble along the
ground as they land and force others into flight. This can really look like
rising smoke at times. I didn't know, however, that "smoking" also referred
to that "school of fish" effect which occurs as the flock changes direction.
Personally, I'll go with any term, as long as I can keep regularly observing
it!

Could anyone else comment on this terminology or help build a concensus, as
I'd like to find a very succinct way of expressing the incredible "school of
fish" effect which large flocks create as they change direction.

Cheers - Ricki
Broome WA
www.ricki.bigpondhosting.com/background.html