Dan, he probably assumed that you could see as well as he could, and was then cursing you for a blind bat with no business flying in clouds, after you blundered into him!

10 years ago I filled my first birdstrike report following an encounter with a flock of ducks barely on top of a 8000' layer of winter cu with ice and turbulence - midway between the norwegian and danish coastline - about 20 minutes after end of evening twilight.

I seem to remember something about them using [amongst other things] the polarisation of light to navigate, and it also told them which way was up.
Or did I dream it?

I think Dave Incognito has stumbled on the answer(see above), it is not birds in the clouds, it is flying fish... ;)

Does anyone have any pictures of birds in flight they have taken..?


Also, I wonder if the birds are asking if we can walk in the dark/with eyes closed..!! :D

Flying once from KTR to DRW in a 402 by day in solid convective cloud at 10000ft I smashed into something. Blood and guts all over the windscreen. After landing found what was left of him slopped around the tailplane. So yeh they do fly in clouds. Silly bastards.

Watched a doumentry once that said Hooper Swans fly at heights of 20k, thought I had misheard, but it was repeated.
According to guinness book of records
Egypian Geese, were photographed crossing the suns disc at 58,080 feet, but this was unverified,{sounds a bit much that} the highest accepted record is 26902 feet by Alpine Choughs.

[ 26 July 2001: Message edited by: tony draper ]

Some years ago, I was flying a glider in Spain and a large vulture formated on my wing while I was thermalling. I carried on into cloud and after about 1000' climb looked out and saw him/her still just aft of my wingtip. After leaving I lost sight of the bird so I don't know what happened.

Shy Torque. If swifts can mate on the wing, does that qualify them for membership of the Mile High Club?

Howdy Y'all
You people are doing some fine work - Two things, Have you ever heard of a human ailment called Vertigo? I believe it is a snag with the inner ear which causes a loss of balance. Could birds have a similar but more developed system to act as a gyro.

The second thing is nothing to do with birds, I have heard a number of learned persons say that Bumble Bees wings are not large enough or fast enough to create lift in excess of their weight. Yet they fly I know, I've seen them. Any thoughts?