Aerodynamics DSC_6538
Another in the series on Egrets.
It was quite an experience to sit on the boat on the Daintree River in the later afternoon and watch hundreds of Egrets fly past, skimming the water on the way further down the river to roost.
"Skimming permits the birds to take advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as "ground effect." The patterns of airflow around a wing that is operating close to a surface are modified by that surface in a manner that reduces drag, the resistance of the air to the progress of the wing"
The second images shows the birds flying even lower, almost touching the surface of the water not long after this image was taken.
Aerodynamics DSC_6538
Another in the series on Egrets.
It was quite an experience to sit on the boat on the Daintree River in the later afternoon and watch hundreds of Egrets fly past, skimming the water on the way further down the river to roost.
"Skimming permits the birds to take advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as "ground effect." The patterns of airflow around a wing that is operating close to a surface are modified by that surface in a manner that reduces drag, the resistance of the air to the progress of the wing"
The second images shows the birds flying even lower, almost touching the surface of the water not long after this image was taken.