Monday, March 13, 2023

A female falcon was equipped with a satellite tracking system in South Africa before migrating to Finland. Image shows tracker data. In just 42 days, she flew over 10.000 km, at an incredible average of 230 km per day and nearly in a straight line.

 


14 comments:

  1. I bet a lot of people wish they could fly out of S Africa now.

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  2. The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
    Psalm 19:1

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  3. That's an average of 6mph. So that's flying maybe 8 hours per day. The only incredible thing is reliably finding food over such a wide range of ecosystems.

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  4. With or without a coconut?

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  5. That would be 5.9 mph if the bird flew 24 hours per day. If it flew 8 hours per day the average speed would be 17.9 mph.

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    1. You're right. And 17.9 mph is probably a realistic cruising speed. Point is, if you work hard at something nonstop for 42 days, you'll probably get there -- if you have enough food.

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  6. Hawks and falcons are masters at riding thermals to gain altitude, then gliding long distances.

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  7. 42. The answer to life, the universe, and everything.

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  8. Not straight line if you take a 3-d view.

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  9. These migrating birds are amazing. They possess built in navigation systems that can sense direction like a built in compass, detect magnetic fields, and possess vision so acute that we cannot comprehend it. Their bodies are the epitome of aerodynamic perfection and all the aircraft that man has produced are just crude copies of the magnificent, God designed structure of these CREATED, not evolved, creatures.

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