Annual Wisconsin-to-Florida whooping crane migration makes fitful start

[Donna]

Donna the picture caption say 2001 so its not a picture of this years flock.

DUH and Duh again....I swear I'm 

THANKS BC!

[valhalla]

Donna the picture caption say 2001 so its not a picture of this years flock.

DUH and Duh again....I swear I'm 

THANKS BC!

Nah, just getting old 

[Donna]

One of the forum members here.."Joanne" has sent me a message with all the info...(Cam) for the Whoopers. Right now the cam is focused on the 20 that are grounded until they take flight again..(possibly tomorrow, weather permitting). They set up temp quarters for them during their stop-overs, This is an awesome website. Thank you so much Joanne for this. Now I can get my numbers straight and get a "Whoop eye view" of them in flight when they take off again. 

http://www.operationmigration.org/crane-cam.html

[Donna]

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/09/BandingCodes.html

Meet the class of 2009....whooper babies....all 20. So cute.

[Donna]

Dec 9

Cayuga, IN - The US Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to a conviction in the shooting of an endangered species.

It happened near Cayuga in Vermillion County. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is also investigating.

The crane was shot sometime between Saturday, Nov. 28, when it was observed by an International Crane Foundation staff member, and Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, when an ICF volunteer found the carcass along West County Road 310 North, just west of North County Road 225 West.

The crane was identified by a leg band, and determined to be the seven-year old mother of "Wild-1," the only whooping crane chick successfully hatched (in 2006) and migrated from captivity.

There are approximately 500 whooping cranes left in the world. The crane and its mate were among 19 whooping cranes migrating from their summer grounds in Wisconsin to their wintering grounds in Florida.

"To kill and abandon one of 500 remaining members of species shows a lack of reverence for life and an absence of simple common sense," said John Christian, FWS Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds. "It is inconceivable that someone would have such little regard for conservation."

Anyone with information on the shooting should call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources 24-hour hotline at: 1-800 TIP IDNR (800-847-4367), or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 317-346-7016. Callers can remain anonymous.

In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected by state laws and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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Weather Grounds Whooping Crane Migration in Tennessee
Wednesday, December 09th, 2009, by Blake Farmer

An ultra light pilot guides the flock of whooping cranes south. (credit: Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership)

An ultra light pilot guides the flock of whooping cranes south. (credit: Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership)
Rainy weather has stalled a flock of 20 whooping cranes in Tennessee. The endangered birds are on their first migration south for the winter. An ultra-light aircraft leads the way from Wisconsin to Florida.

A dozen biologists and crew members are waiting out the rain with the birds northeast of Jackson in Carroll County. Liz Condie of Operation Migration says it’s not unusual for weather to get in the way.

    “30% of the time we’re able to fly, and the other 70% of the time we’re on this migration we’re stuck on the ground, either waiting for favorable winds or for the rain to let up.â€�

It takes roughly 25 flying days to make the trip, but last year the human-led migration lasted three months because of unfavorable weather conditions.

The Whooping Crane Recovery Team is working to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. These 20 juveniles were hatched in captivity. The project is halfway to its goal of reintroducing 150 individual cranes into the wild.

The pilots wear white suits and masks. Condie says they remain silent so the birds don’t get accustomed to humans.

    “On one hand, they wear a mechanical crane puppet that looks like an adult crane head, and that’s what the birds focus on when the costumes are around them.â€�

As the flock remains grounded, Condie says the human crew limits contact with the birds who are caged in an open field. In the spring, they will make the return migration trip north unaided.

Some of the birds reintroduced by the Whooping Crane Recovery Team have wintered in the wetlands of Bells Bend, just outside Nashville. Others spend the winter in South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

[valhalla]

Bobbitize  the fool!

[Donna]

Bobbitize  the fool!

[Bird Crazy]

Amen to that

with a very dull knife. So its more painful. 

[Donna]

   December 10, 2009 - Entry 3   Reporter:    Bev Paulan
Subject:   Engine Gremlins: 3 - OM: 0   Location:   Carroll Co. TN

Seems the bad luck just keeps on coming. It’s almost as if someone has asked for extra helpings of it. And not unlike eating three helpings of Thanksgiving turkey, I’m stuffed with it. Full to the brim with the bad luck. Wishing for a trip to the purgatorium to be rid of it.

Yesterday, our morning started out with trying to hold on while getting dressed in a swaying motorhome. Not swaying in a gentle , isn’t this cozy way, but more in a holy moly we’re goin’ over way. The winds were howling out of the northwest across several fields running into nothing until it hit our snug little home. Riding out a typhoon on a sailboat would have been less rocky. Thank goodness the occupants of said camper are pilots and love rollercoasters. No airsick bags were needed!

So right at the get go of the still dark day, we knew we weren’t flying, so it was off on a quest for pumpkins. The 20 pre-adolescents we are hosting had gone through all the pumpkins and had sent out an SOS for more, so Brooke and I mounted up to go retrieve some generously donated unfrozen, un-squashed squash. Waiting until a more civilized time of day and having arranged for the pick-up, we set off in the here-to-far trusty tracking van.

After attempting to navigate as Brooke drove (I say attempting because I was trying to read Brooke’s handwriting), and correcting for a wrong turn, Brooke suddenly said “It died�. “Who died?� was my response and the quick answer along with a look that said way more, was “The van, did, Ms. Genius�. Sure enough with absolutely no warning and definitely no fanfare, the van just up and quit. No chugging, no squealing, just that awful sudden silence that goes along with any engine failure.

And if any of you are keeping score, this is now Engine Gremlins 3, OM-0. Luckily, unlike Chris and Don and Paula, we were already on the ground and had to merely pull over to the side of the winding narrow hilly country road, ensuring we were safely out of the flow of traffic.

Our first phone call was to the provider of the pumpkins---and here is where I would like to thank Mrs. Rushing not only for her kind donation of orange-juvenile-Whooping-crane-distracters, but for also providing us with the name of a tow truck service to come to our rescue. After a quick call and explaining our dilemma, a wrecker was dispatched to our location. A very short time later, the flat bed came, loaded us up and we were on our way to an auto repair shop for what would hopefully be an immediate repair. With the hope of flying the next morning (this morning) we needed the van, especially crucial with the absence of top cover.

After first one stop where the soonest we could be helped was the next day, we were toted to another shop, where upon hearing our plight of potential flight, we were ushered into the waiting room and told no problem. And no problem it turned out to be for the wonderful people at Cowan’s Auto Repair---thanks to Jeff and his staff, they diagnosed the problem (bad fuel pump), ordered up a part, drove to get the part and had it in all in a half days work. Not only did they get us back up and running in short order (I never got to see all of Oprah), but they replaced a bad headlight as well and wished us luck with our birds.

We eventually got to pick up the pumpkins, got our other errands done and finally made it back to camp in time to prepare for the next morning’s pre-flight scramble.

Since I am a big believer in things coming in threes, I feel we are now done with the engine issues and will make the rest of the trip with no problems. I can at least hope, can’t I?

[valhalla]

Man!     I'd be over-the-top by now!

[Donna]

Date:    December 11, 2009 - Entry 1   Reporter:   
Subject:   MIGRATION DAY 57   Location:   Hardin Co. TN

Had to put extra woolies on this morning to deal with the 15F temperature. Last night's forecast for minimal surface wind held, and the only possible fly in the ointment was what was waiting for us aloft - a possible headwind.

The weather models showed winds aloft as light, but there's only one way to find out what actually is happening at altitude; launching a test trike. That meant we were all galvanized into the usual early morning scramble. As I drove the several miles from camp to the flyover location, I hoped the faithful folks who kept coming out each morning to view our departure actually got to see it today.

Just before 7:30am we saw trikes approaching in the distance, and shortly thereafter the aviation radio crackled. It was Chris asking the ground crew to release the birds. What remained to be seen was would the gathering actually get to see anything. The position of the pen and gates meant a release to the east. Today's launch was going to be an air pick-up. Would the birds follow and latch on to lead pilot Chris' wing? A launch to the east lessened our chance of getting a good flyover view, while a turn to the west enhanced it.

It turned out to be an 'organized' rodeo if that isn't a bit of an oxymoron. Chris was leading the birds to the southwest to turn on course when they broke and headed back for the pen. He zoomed wide to get back in front of them and they grabbed back on to the wing. As he turned again they followed, but then a group broke away again. Some faithfully followed as Chris cut the renegades off and gathered them back behind him once more.

After that it was text book. Within a very short distance they were flying beautifully off both wings, and to the delight of the viewers, flew right over our heads. We watched until the perfect formation disappeared from sight.

Having said goodbyes to the little crowd of viewers, it was time to hit the road - but not before taking a few minutes to see if I could snag a signal to upload this posting. The answer was, no, despite three attempts.

Once flight was underway, the pen was dismantled and packed up; the camera trailer hauled out of the field; and trailers hooked up to vehicles for hauling. Within an hour or so all the ‘breaking camp’ duties were accomplished and everyone was on their way.

The decision as to whether a skip is possible is usually made by pilot consensus as the cranes and planes approach the next stopover. If the conditions ahead and the birds' performance permit, they sometimes elect to carry on past the next stopover. This was not the case this morning. The cranes and planes are all safe on the ground in Hardin County.

This officially puts us past the halfway mark of the migration, albeit by only 2.5 miles, but we're more than half way nonetheless. As Martha Stewart would say, "That's a good thing."

Date:    December 11, 2009 - Entry 4   Reporter:   
Subject:   PREDICTING   Location:   Hardin Co. TN
Sorry folks, I have no lead pilot report to post for you. But, thanks to flyover attendee, John Bendall, I do have a super photo to share.

We were unable to deploy the CraneCam this afternoon. Heather has been suffering with a pain in her right side ribcage for some time, and lifting some pumpkins today did her in. Once we reached Savannah,  I drove her to emergency where x-rays revealed she had a cracked rib and some badly pulled muscles. A couple of injections later, a stop to fill prescriptions, a quick bite to eat, and it was off to bed for a very drowsy Miss Heather.

Now for tomorrow. Even if the weatherman isn't 100% right, we can almost 100% guarantee you we will not be able to fly. South winds and rain that may turn to ice pellets appear to be the order of the day.

[Bird Crazy]

why does that picture make me want to cry?

[Wing Goose]

Glad the flight took off, albeit however short !  Thank you for the updates.

   Lola
 

[gayle]

Great news!  The Direct Autumn Release whooping crane chicks are finally on their way!  From the International Crane Foundation:

http://www.savingcranes.org/remainingdarbirdsbeginmigrationdecember132009.html

Gayle

[Donna]

And here's today's ~Whooper~ news

Date:    December 13, 2009 - Entry 2   Reporter:   
Subject:   GOOD NEWS AND GREAT NEWS   Location:   Hardin Co. TN
On December 9th, a reporter from the Toronto Star newspaper called for a telephone interview concerning the recent break in at our Necedah, WI hangar. Before I go on with this story, you have to appreciate that despite the idea for ultralight-led migration being initiated by Canadians, and researched and developed in Ontario, Canada, Operation Migration rarely attracts any coverage from Canadian media. This makes what I'm about to tell you even more extraordinary.

The Good News: As a result of the story appearing in the Toronto Star, several other Ontario media, including the Scugog community newspaper from OM’s Canadian home base of Port Perry, have called and have done or are doing articles. Although the stories focus on the break-in, there is collateral benefit in that they also describe the work of the reintroduction project.

The Great News: While the entire crew was all sitting down to breakfast after standing down from December 10th’s aborted flight, my cell phone rang. The caller was Mary Desjardins, the Executive Director of the Toronto Dominion Bank’s Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Mary said, and I quote, “I am happy to offer a donation of $15,000 from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation to cover the cost of damages resulting from vandalism of your Wisconsin hangar. Our team was shocked by the story in this morning’s Toronto Star and felt moved to take action. Protecting species at risk is one of our funding focus areas. We hope that word of this donation may also spur additional donations for your worthwhile cause.�

Later in the day Mary emailed to tell me that she had since issued a response to the Toronto Star reporter who wrote the article, (link to it is below) indicating to him that it was the Foundation’s hope that their contribution would kick start additional contributions.

And Mary's wish would be our wish too – along with raising greater awareness for the plight of the Whooping crane with more of the Canadian public and media. Click here to read the Toronto Star article.

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. They have helped to turn a dark cloud over our heads to one with a silver lining.

Date:   December 13, 2009 - Entry 1   Reporter:   
Subject:   Migration Day 59   Location:   Hardin Co. TN
It was already in the mid 40's at 4am this morning so no need to check a windsock for the wind direction. As for the rest of it, the weatherman was right again; its the 'R' word, and it's coming down steadily. Aloft, even it if was blowing in the right direction - which it is not - it's about 10 times as powerful as we like to see.

Today will be Down Day #2 in Hardin County, TN.

migration trivia compliments of vi white and steve cohen
HARDIN COUNTY, TN
The story of Hardin County begins with the prehistoric mound builders of the Woodland and Mississippian Periods. Savannah, the modern county seat, is built partially within a wall and trench, and amid a line of fourteen mounds on a bluff parallel to the Tennessee River.

These prehistoric peoples also built a considerable structure covering approximately four acres in the northwest corner of the county near Middleton, and several mounds at Pittsburg Landing in what is now the Shiloh National Military Park. After the Mississippian era, Hardin County, along with most of the rest of West Tennessee, became an area shared by various