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See little flocks (5-15?) birds. Look like small grouse or large quail. See alongside roads, in fields near roads. Think are grey. In flight (close to the ground) will flap their wings & then coast with wing tips curved downward. Thx for your help.

Gray (grey) Partridges, if they look like those in the attached picture.  
 
Edited by vegimite, 2022-02-09 15:06:49

They are government surveillance drones

The birds in the photos totally look like Gray Partridges. We have some grouse near us, which I would have guessed yours are, if not for the photo.  
 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Partridge/id

Your des:cription of the birds, flight pattern and their behaviour sounds like they are Grey Partridge. We see groups of them most winter mornings in our pasture when we feed cows. They particularly like ares where we spread straw for bedding or hay/oat green feed. We enjoy seeing them, a sign of wildlife on a cold winters day.  
Typically grouse are spotted as individuals or sometimes pairs and they are a little bigger so I don’t think this is what you have.  
 
Edited by Farmergeorge, 2022-02-09 23:43:05

Thx to all who commented to enlighten us. Agree, Farmer George, nice to see any of God's creatures, especially during these Winter days.