On 4 Jul 2004 14:20:05 GMT, Derrick Steed
wrote:

I once observed a seagull from the restaurant at the top of the OMPI
building in Geneva - a seagull was already soaring near the ITU building
when suddenly another shot past the window in a fast glide headed straight
for a point below the other seagull, when it got there it pulled up into the
climb underneath the other gull turning in the same direction. Obviously
his/her CSI (Chief Seagull Instructor) had made the point about proper
thermal entry.

I've noticed that gulls joining a thermal will almost always circle
the same way as the birds or gliders already in it. I've had them join
me when I was the sole occupant of the thermal and they have always
respected my turn direction. I wish I could say the same about the
small raptors around Cambridgeshire - they often join going the wrong
way and keep a pretty poor lookout too.

Judging from what I've seen from the ground kites and vultures have
better thermalling manners than their smaller relatives. That said,
back in the late '70s I remember seeing a stationary thermal in Jaipur
over the local abattoir that was stuffed with several hundred Indian
vultures. They were flapping up to join at 100 ft or so and riding it
to at least 1000 ft before peeling off in a skein that crossed the
city to another thermal - a magical sight. I wasn't a glider pilot
then, but I remember that a few were turning the wrong way. Sadly, I'm
told that this sight has now vanished from Indian skies. 95% of the
vultures have been killed by a now-common veterinary medicine and the
farmers are learning the hard way just how much cleaning up the
vultures did for them.

--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :