And when they're not striding around in fields or flying in breathtaking formations, calling loudly to one another, they're poking about secluded streams and swamps. The birds maintain fairly strict territories, and if they're comfortable in an area, they're likely to turn up there day after day. Of those tagged in the vicinity of Gainesville, Nesbitt says, the missing birds should be within a 40-mile radius. Each caller is asked the location of the sighting, and if it's a known area, and that's usually the end of the investigation. Bird-loving callers need not fear the game commission.
Every little bit helps.
They're each about one inch wide. And we don't necessarily expect the general public to be able to differentiate, to give us an accurate reading,'' he says. The sandhill migrants will be here in November. That's one reason Nesbitt is sending out his message now. At this point, they're happy to get any news at all.