Playing Chicken With The Birds

On Tue, 20 Nov 2018 05:53:52 -0800, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
wrote:

Agreed, most birds will dive if threatened, so, try to get above or move
to the side.

That's my experience too - but with smaller, solitary hawks. The few
times I've met them in a thermal they've joined flying in the wrong
direction and have not been looking ahead until they've seen me about the
same time as I've seen them. They've looked startled, closed wings and
plummeted. Its quite hard to see small hawks doing this because the
closing speed is quite high.

I've no experience of flying with eagles (except one bald eagle I met at
10,000 over Boulder, CO - he formated above and behind our inside wing
until he'd checked us out and then cleared off). What I have noticed is
that gulls are fine - they join your thermal turning in the same
direction as you and don't cause problems if you join them.

I have a theory that birds that normally soar in groups (gulls, kites,
storks etc) are less likely to hit you while the more solitary hunters
don't really know how to gaggle without having near misses and
collisions. But, what do I know. Can anybody confirm or deny this idea?


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org