Yeah, loons take off like Fred Flinstone- they run across the water and fla=
p until they get airborne. I've been told that they'll die on land without =
access to water. Sometimes they'll land in a puddle by mistake and have no =
way to take off.
How many were there in your merganser squadron?
--- In "hartogj" <> wrote=
:
>
> Paul,
> The mergansers dropped in to land on the small lake from above the rimmin=
g hillside with tall tree canopy. A 200 foot near vertical drop carved shar=
ply for a 200 foot horizontal approach to a water skimming landing - I thin=
k what you mostly hear is drag on wings and tail, however the whole body mu=
st be critically involved in such a maneuver.
> In your recording, it sounds like the bird is flapping wings to maintain =
a sprint across the lake. The sounds might sound even more pronounced if th=
e bird were accelerating to gain altitude at take-off.
>
> John Hartog
>
>
> --- In "PaulD" <pauld@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > John-
> >
> > Wow! I've heard some flybys, but that one's amazing! Find any feathers =
on your rig? It really makes me re-think how aerodynamically sound some bir=
ds are. If they generate that much wind noise, they must also be fighting s=
ubstantial drag.
> >
> > Your suggestion of the duck sounds most plausible- after ruling out RF =
interference, I was thinking a predator flying away with a small distressed=
meal-to-go in its talons, but having heard it a few hundred more times (we=
ll, OK- 20 or so), I started remembering hearing similar in-flight vocaliza=
tions from waterfowl.
> >
> > Loons seem to let their wings do the talking: http://tinyurl.com/2fsyaf=
5
> >
> > Thanks for the ID insight and especially for the merganser- incredible!
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > --- In "hartogj" <hartogj_1999@> wrot=
e:
> > >
> > > Paul,
> > > A little more sound for thought - if you have been on this list for a=
while you might remember my merganser "meteor" recording.
> > >
> > > http://www.rockscallop.org/ear/jh-050430-meteor.mp3
> > >
> > > John Hartog
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In "hartogj" <hartogj_1999@> wr=
ote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi Paul,
> > > > Nice sounds!
> > > > It is the wings of a bird flying by - a duck I'd guess.
> > > >
> > > > John Hartog
> > > >
> > > > --- In "PaulD" <pauld@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > While recording in the Big Island Lake Wilderness area of the Upp=
er Peninsula of Michigan, this very unusual sound popped up. At first, I th=
ought it was RF interference, but the nearest broadcast facilities were 18 =
miles away in Munising, plus the sound has an airy quality, and comb filter=
s as it travels from left to right. It sounds airborne.
> > > > >
> > > > > http://tinyurl.com/2fcuhlb
> > > > >
> > > > > Time: approx 11:00 PM, 6/20/10. Location: thicket on the shore of=
a small glacial lake surrounded by middle-aged maple/birch/poplar/evergree=
n forest.
> > > > >
> > > > > Any thoughts as to its source would be most appreciated.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks!
> > > > >
> > > > > Paul Dickinson
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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