"What looked like swallows" were probably swifts, which I've encountered at 8,000ft - they follow the insects carried up in the thermals.
Dave ----- Original Message ----- From: "Graham Watts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." <aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 8:10 PM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Soaring with eagles > Saw a large eagle in the Stirling Range wave at around 10,000ft.. He > must have got up there the same way as I did, downwind over the back and > climb up through the slot.. We were well above the cloud deck. Saw him > first as a dot closing fast and he went over about 100ft above me. > Passed him going the other way on the next beat as well.. I've also seen > a few hundred what looked like swallows at around 9,000ft near Mt. > Kaputar and many years ago met up with a bunch of Sorghum leaves at near > 10,000ft near Bellatta, one of which looped over the wing. I managed to > give it the slip (pun) after a bit of rudder work.. > > > Phil wrote: >> The highest eagle I've seen was at cloudbase at 16,500' on one >> spectacular day 200km north of Gawler. I was shivering and on oxygen. >> The wedgetail eagle had its wings half folded in, I'm guessing to stop >> it from being sucked into the cloud. When I left it was still circling >> under the cloud. The only reason it could think for it to be there was >> because it was both fun and cool. It was well into the 40's on the >> ground. If it could see anything on the ground, which I doubt, it >> would take so long to get there that the prey would probably have >> moved under cover. >> >> On another note. Here in SA if you see an eagle it almost certainly is >> in the best thermal around and nearly impossible to outclimb them. >> I've flown at Kingaroy in QLD the last 2 Octobers for the nationals >> and found that more than 1/2 the eagles I saw there were thermalling >> in rubbish. There were often good thermals nearby and it was common to >> out thermal them. I'm not sure if that was because they were just >> young and inexperienced or old and recently moved to QLD to retire. >> >> Philip >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> *From:* Terry Neumann <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> *To:* Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. >> <mailto:aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net> >> *Sent:* Thursday, November 29, 2007 10:23 AM >> *Subject:* [Aus-soaring] Soaring with eagles >> >> >> It's been good to hear the various eagle stories. It begs a >> question as to how high they actually go in thermals. >> >> The highest I've actually seen an soaring bird was in a thermal at >> around 10,000 feet near Farrell Flat many years ago when I was in >> one of our Libelles. It wasn't a wedgetail but a much smaller >> bird. What it was doing there at that height at about 1600 hours >> has puzzled me ever since. It's possible that he/she had the >> same questions about me. >> >> Hoinville relates a fascinating story in his book /Halfway to >> Heaven /about an eagle that went quite some distance on a cross >> country with him. >> >> We are privileged indeed to have these moments. >> >> Terry >> >> PS For anyone in Adelaide wondering whether it might be a good >> day, I can report that the first Cu's were nicely established >> north east of Clare at 0945 SA DST when I first looked. (Sorry, >> I can't make use of them either :'( .) >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> _______________________________________________ >> Aus-soaring mailing list >> Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net >> To check or change subscription details, visit: >> http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Aus-soaring mailing list >> Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net >> To check or change subscription details, visit: >> http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring E-mail message checked by PC Tools Spyware Doctor (5.0.0.187) Database version: 5.08680 http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/ _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
