Date: November 30, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: THE INEFFECTIVE COUNCIL Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles It was 24.2 degrees this morning. Cold as a witch's heart. As the sky turned from gun-metal blue to orange, we pushed our aircraft out of a borrowed hangar, leaving tracks in the frosty grass. We stuffed heat packs into our gloves and boots and buttoned everything down before we took off with every expectation on moving to the next stop. Weather predictions are as reliable as fortune cookies when it comes to ultralight-led migration. Winds on the surface are gathered from data collection points and accessible on the Internet. You can look at all the ones close to you and estimate the conditions in your area. Speeds are recorded on anemometer (those little three cup, spinney things) so they are fairly accurate. This morning they were forecast to be 1 mile per hour. And that’s pretty much what happened. Winds aloft are another animal. The ones that concern us are lower level winds at 1000 and 3000 feet. They can be estimated by looking at the pressure gradient to see how fast the air would be moving from a high to a low system. Or, they can come from pilot reports given to flight stations over the radio by pilots actually flying in the area. The problem is that most are charging along at 300 knots. While the difference between 10 and 20 miles per hour means nothing to them, it means everything to us. Winds aloft today were predicted at 5mph out of the south. That’s a headwind for us but not insurmountable. It would take longer to get there, but better an extra hour in the air, than a day on the ground. So we drove to the hangar, pushed out our airplanes, and one by one, took off into the cold, perfectly smooth air. A meteorologist can spend years studying weather patterns. He can have all the technology at his fingertips from Doppler radar imaging to on-site data collection; even all the King’s horses and all the King’s men, but he can’t be as accurate as actually being there. So the old adage is true. If you want something done right, do it your self. And that’s what we do most mornings. We take off and fly in the same direction we plan to lead the birds and at the same speed. Then we look at the GPS to see how fast we are moving over the ground. This morning, on this seemingly perfect day with the sun shining and no excuse in the world for not leaving, we climbed through a thousand feet making 17 miles an hour. Our headwind was 20mph or better, and the time-to-destination reading was 2 hours and 44 minutes. We only carry three hours of fuel, leaving very little margin if the conditions got worse. Staying low, out of the headwind, was not an option. We would have to climb the birds to at least a thousand feet to clear the ridge by a hundred. We hung in the air like four little kites, stationary on our strings, while we stared at the numbers trying to wish them higher. Over the radio we discussed our options, or lack of them, like a bunch of consultants, each reluctant to state the obvious. We heard from the ground crew at the pensite 4 miles to the north, waiting patiently with their fingers crossed. Brian Clauss in the tracking van talked to us from his position on the hill, ready to follow from below. The top cover pilots checked in from the airport, prepared to launch on our word, and Walter Sturgeon offered encouragement from the hangar below us. And there we were, like a council of ineffective governors whose decision had already been made for them. We had the will and the resources, but not an ounce of authority. Over the radio we polled the team, and then made the official call, like a rubber stamp on a ruling already passed. We landed, pushed our aircraft back in the hangar, and headed back to the trailers, our spirits as grounded as our trikes. When we arrived back at camp our landowner host was holding a fence post. With a twinkle in his eye he offered it to us in case we wanted to put up a mail box. Date: November 30, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE, & A LOT OF PATIENCE, Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Where were we in previous years on November 30th? year county/state location day# 2001 Gilchrist County, FL 45 2002 Chassahowitzka NWR, FL 49 2003 Gordon County, GA 46 2004 Walker County, GA 52 2005 Gordon County, GA 48 2006 Cumberland County, TN 57 2007 Washington County, KY 49 Updating an 'old' entry the good news: The Class of 2007 has logged 555.5 of 1,260 migration miles and are 44% of the way to their Florida wintering grounds. the not so good news: So far, only 731.75 of their 1,260 migration miles have MileMaker sponsors - the equivalent of just 58% of the funding needed to get them all they way there. That means MileMaker will run out of steam les than 10 miles south of the Tennessee/Georgia state line. Please - if you enjoy following the migration and reading our Field Journal but haven't yet opened your heart and your wallet – now is the time. We need 528 people to sponsor one mile; or, 1056 people to sponsor a half mile; or, 2,112 people to sponsor a quarter mile, (or any combination of the above of course.) An estimated 330,000,000+ people share the continent with the endangered Whopping crane. We need only 500 out of those hundreds of millions to step forward and help us safeguard the future of the species. Date: November 30, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE, & A LOT OF PATIENCE, Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Over the last few days we probably covered 3 to 4 thousand miles searching for 733. Liz and Chris at head office received countless emails and phone calls. We logged 15 hours in the air; used several days worth of cell phone minutes; and couldn't begin to count the man-hours. We had the support of hundreds of people, chased down dozens upon dozens of leads; and ate way too much fast food. All of this in an effort to retrieve one bird - albeit a very important one. Like his 16 flock mates, 733 represents the 2007 generation; one part of a huge effort to safeguard a species that we humans drove to the edge of extinction. Maybe the message is getting out to a larger audience, but certainly for us, this bird symbolizes optimism in a time when our environmental future is so uncertain - a time when none of us knows what we, as individuals, can do to slow the onset of global warming. With all the forecasts of catastrophic change, turning down our thermostats and recycling cans seems like such a tiny finger in such a large dike. For us at least, trying to save Whooping cranes, or even one Whooping crane, is a way of atoning for our conservation sins. We are part of the generation that made the biggest mess of things. Our environmental indulgences will impact our children and their children, and this, for us, is a way of making amends, of cleaning up after ourselves - like making the bed before we leave. Based on the overwhelming support we have experienced here in Indiana and Kentucky it is not an uncommon sentiment Today is Day 49 of the 2007 migration and it's another down day. The wind is blowing strongly from the south - BUT we have all of our birds. It takes persistence, perseverance, and A LOT of patience to save a species. Date: November 30, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 49 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles With nothing short of perfect conditions on the surface, the pilots headed for their trikes to prepare for a flight this morning. Fooled again. Winds at altitude precluded any thoughts of a flight today. Joe said he calculated that with the velocity of the wind - even assuming they could fly into it - it would take almost 3 hours of hard work for the birds to make it to our next stopover. And that didn't take into account any potential time for a 'crane rodeo'. The team will spend a fifth day on the ground in Washington County, KY. 2007 Migration Trivia compliments of Vi White and Steve Cohen Washington County, KY Five roads converge in Bear Wallow, named for a small depression where bears came to wallow in a mud hole. Outside of town there is a four-acre corn maze with trails that seen from the air, look like a cartoon bear. All-star baseball pitcher Paul Derringer (1906-1987) was born in Springfield. He pitched for several major league teams and notched 223 wins in his career (1931-1945). In 1958 he was named a founding inductee to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Date: November 29, 2007 - Entry 4 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: Timing is Everything Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles One of the amazing things about the recovery of 733 was the timing. Susan Knowles of Muscatatuck NWR reported a credible sighting near Seymour. That came early in the morning giving us time to mobilize the crew. Arthur Mayer of Scottsburg, IN sent us a photo of our bird confirming we were headed in the right direction. Sara Zimorski from ICF was tracking with the pilot from Windway Capital and happened to be passing the right place at just at the right time to get a signal. They broke off for fuel allowing them time to call Richard van Heuvelen who mobilized our top cover team, and Dave Mattingly, Jack Wrighter and Richard were airborne in time to take over. They tracked the bird long enough for the ground crew to pick up the signal from below. Bev Paulan and Brian Clauss drove all the back roads in the tracking van while Brooke Pennypacker and I followed in the truck to back them up. When the top cover team needed to refuel, they landed at Addington Airport. They taxied to the ramp just as Tom Miller and Walter Sturgeon pulled up with a load of fresh fuel in jerry cans. When the ground crew lost the signal in the hills near Big Springs, the top cover aircraft was back on station and able to direct us to the field of a local dairy farmer who just happened to be in his milking parlour and able to give us permission to drive onto his property. Everything seemed to fall into place - except we wish the retrieval would have happened five days ago. Timing is everything. Date: November 29, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: The Hunt for 733! From Top Cover Perspective Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles You'll enjoy this entry authored by top cover pilot, Jack Wrighter. It all began the first day Dave Mattingly and I joined OM to provide top cover for the migrating cranes and ultralight aircraft. I flew my Cessna 172 up from Tennessee, and Dave drove up from Georgia in his SUV, which provided us with ground transportation. When I arrived at a private grass strip near Shelbyville, KY, I was informed that 733 was lost. Richard, Joe and I installed tracking antennas on the struts of my airplane, and Richard and I took off late in the afternoon to look for the bird. We flew over likely areas until darkness forced us to abandon the search until the following day. The next morning was clear and calm. Bev joined Richard and I to continue the search. We took off and flew north, back-tracking the route, thinking 733 may have gone back to the known territory. Zigzagging and circling over the last two stops provided no results for this day. The following 3 days provided marginal weather, but good enough to launch the Cessna and continue the search. We covered all areas we thought this bird could have gone. As search day #6 dawned, Dave, Richard, Bev and I were pretty tired of flying over the same areas day after day with absolutely no results. Discouraged, we hoped 733 may have teamed with migrating Sandhill cranes or struck out on his own. On search day #6, we had almost decided not to fly when we received the call reporting a sighting of a crane about 50 miles north of our location. Dave, Richard and I took off in the plane while Brian and Bev left in the tracking van. Brooke and Joe jumped in one truck and Walter and Tom in another truck. We flew north over Louisville and Richard picked up 733’s signal. With much appreciated help from Louisville air traffic controllers, we were able to start a grid search from there toward the reported sighting area. After following the signal for 1½ hours, Richard shouted, “I’ve got him!” We looked off the left wing and there he was, flying with a group of Sandhills. We reported our position to the ground crew and they stepped on the gas headed our way. We circled overhead slowly, Richard and Dave keeping visual contact with the bird, while I flew the airplane. We hoped 733 would land somewhere. But almost two hours later he was still flying and we were getting a low fuel warning in the aircraft. With about 45 minutes of fuel remaining we reluctantly abandoned the search to refuel. We flew to the nearest small airport where Walter and Tom met us with gas. A quick fuel stop and we were back in the air. But now the sun was sinking and we feared we might not find the bird again before dark. We contacted Bev and Brian in the tracking van. They said they were picking up a signal so we flew to their location and began a grid scan, circling over a farm. Richard then got a strong signal on his scanner and asked me to circle over a small pond. After the third circle, Richard again shouted, “I’ve got him. He is on the ground next to the pond.” With Richard and Dave fixated visually on 733, I continued to fly a tight circle overhead while the others closed in on the ground. Bev, Brooke and Joe donned their crane costumes and cautiously approached the bird. From the air, it looked like 733 was happy to see “Mom and Pop” again, as he walked right up to them. 733 IS BACK!! The report went out and the cheering began. I cannot remember a time when I have had such a great feeling of satisfaction and content. As we headed back to the airport we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the magnificent display of lights from the little towns and villages passing below. After landing, Dave, Richard and I tucked my airplane into a hangar and walked back to our temporary home in the terminal, high-fiving and grinning from ear to ear. And we knew our grins were no larger than the rest of the rescue team’s and everyone else’s involved in this effort. Bone tired and hungry, I smiled, and thought, "Life is good." Date: November 29, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Wood Buffalo-Aransas Whooping Crane Population Update Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles On an aerial census conducted November 27, Tom Stehn, Whooping crane coordinator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, reported a record breaking number of Whooping cranes present. Having located a total of 257 cranes, (220 adults and 37 chicks) Tom estimated that about 97% of the population had completed migration, with 4 to 8 still in the western flyway. "Four Whooping cranes have been confirmed in the flyway in the past few days,” he said, “so the addition of these cranes would bring the estimated size of the flock to 261." The survey, conducted in a Cessna 210 piloted by Gary Ritchey of Air Logistic Solutions of San Antonio, Texas was done by Tom Stehn and Darrin Welchert. "The Whoopers in the flyway include one bird in Saskatchewan sighted November 24; two cranes sighted at Cheyenne Bottoms WMA, Kansas November 26; and one juvenile sighted with Sandhill cranes at Muleshoe NWR in West Texas on the 27th," said Tom. "Additional birds may turn out to be one crane seen in the farm fields just southwest of Aransas on November 24, and one seen in the rice country north of Welder Flats on November 17. However, until these last two single birds are sighted again, it cannot be known if they have moved to the traditional salt marsh wintering area at Aransas and were counted on this census flight." Tom estimated that 16 Whooping cranes arrived since the last flight made on November 17th. He noted that, "A very strong cold front that hit the Texas coast the evening of November 21st brought excellent migration conditions to Aransas for 4 days and allowed the additional cranes to get to Aransas." Stehn said that the estimated population size of 261 is a result of the excellent production of 40 juveniles which were sighted on the nesting grounds in August. "With 37 juveniles at Aransas and 1 in West Texas, survival of the juveniles since August has been excellent," he said. He also noted that adult survival has been good as well. Mortality of white-plumaged cranes between spring and fall, 2007 being at most, 13 birds. "This is calculated by taking the spring flock size (236), adding the number of juveniles that made it to Texas (38), and subtracting the current estimated flock size (261). In the past two years, mortality between spring and fall has been above average and totaled over 20 birds each year." "There could have been crane movements during our survey that resulted in a duplicate count involving a few birds," cautioned Tom. "A family group of 1 adult + 1 chick was found this week south of Pringle Lake on Matagorda Island. Previously, this grouping had been sighted on the refuge and at Welder Flats. I’m speculating that the single adult is a female that lost her mate after nesting and unable so far to defend a territory and thus is moving around considerably. A 2-adult family group was present in front of the refuge's observation tower where the 1+1 grouping had been last week." Date: November 29, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 48 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles The OM Migration Team will have a day to recover from the days of searching for 733 - not to mention have a shower and maybe even find a laundromat so they don't have to keep 'turning the outside to the inside'. LOL. Warmer temps and overcast skies this morning, but neither the winds on the surface nor aloft are favorable for a flight today. Joe told us, "The winds are strong and gusty - even blowing our trailer back and forth." We don't know of course what tomorrow or the next day holds in store for us weather/wind-wise, but those of you who hope to go to the Russell County departure viewing at the Wolf Creek Hatchery will want to keep a close eye here. Once we reach Russell County, if at all possible – and I stress the words if possible, we will try to give you some indication the evening before if we think we might be able to take off for Tennessee - and there may be a departure viewing opportunity. Remember – we said we'd try - we're not making any promises. In our exuberance and our anxiousness to thank every one yesterday we missed mentioning John Belski of WAVE3 News. John has been keeping everyone updated on the progress of the search via his "Belski's Blog". Hope we can be forgiven for not being able to acknowledge many of you personally. You know who you are. Please know you have the gratitude of all of us at OM and thousands of Craniacs across the country. 2007 Migration Trivia compliments of Vi White and Steve Cohen Washington County, KY Thanks to Kathy Miner from Wisconsin for this little known fact about Abraham Lincoln. He was the only US President to hold a patent. US Patent#6469 was issued on March 10th, 1849 for a system of chambers designed to re-float boats that had run aground. What we don't know is if shipbuilders ever utilized it. In the lead-up to the July 27, 2007 release of "The Simpsons Movie," 20th Century Fox  held a contest to choose one of a number of towns named Springfield (home of the Simpsons) to host the premiere of the film. Springfield, Kentucky was the smallest of these towns and, to overcome the population difference, the mayor of nearby Louisville asked his city's 1.4 million residents to vote for their neighboring city. The effort failed and the premiere was awarded to Springfield, Vermont, with Springfield, Kentucky finishing fifth in the voting. Date: November 28, 2007 - Entry 5 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: FOUND! Location: Main Office Oh joy! Oh Bliss! 733 is on his way to join his mates in the Class of 2007. If these past five days haven’t been 'edge of seat drama', I sure don't know what is! When Bev telephoned with the news, I knew, before she told me, that they had found 733. The stress, fatigue, and frustration that I'd heard in her voice on each call over the past 5 days was gone. I could 'hear' her ear to ear smile as clear as a bell. She had moved away from the tracking van so she could speak without 733 hearing her. I'm not sure she’d moved far enough away however – he may have heard my "Whoop Whoop". As we spoke, Joe and Brian were loading the crate containing 733 into the rear compartment for the drive over to our Washington County pensite. Trying to describe the retrieval scene for me, Bev said, "Picture the trees silhouetted against a peach and pink sunset. Top cover circled above maintaining a visual of 733 and his position on the ground. With their help, and the sounds of lowing of cows growing louder and louder, Brian and Joe in their costumes walked off through a farmer's field toward 733's location. They found the young chick standing in a small area of water across the fence from a group of cows. Joe and Brian had to coax the cows out of the way as they made their way over to 733. They said he was, "peeping like crazy". Not sure if he was awfully glad to see them or was giving them heck for taking so long to find him. In short order 733 was in one of our specially designed crates, and two elated crew carried him back across the field and out to where they had left the tracking van out of sight. Today was quite an adventure for both 733 and the trackers. After this morning's confirmed sighting near Scottsburg, IN, he was also sighted back up near Muscatatuck NWR, and was finally retrieved near Big Spring, KY, about 50 miles to the southwest of where he began his wandering today. Earlier today the trackers in the air had seen him soaring on thermals with some Sandhills, but when he was found he was all alone. We are going to have one heck of a time thanking everyone who has helped us with this escapade. To the hundreds and hundreds who have called and emailed to report sightings of 733, we say a huge ‘Thank YOU’ for taking the time to contact us. I have never answered so many phone calls in my life - on average about one every 3 minutes for the past two days! (And I apologize to the many who left messages and I could not get back to.) Special thanks to Arthur Mayer of Scottsburg, IN who even managed to get this photograph to the right when 733 landed on his property. And to John Castrale from the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife who raced to the scene and got us pointed in the right direction. Our top cover pilots from Touch our Planet, Dave Mattingly and Jack Wrighter both deserve some kind of medal. Even Windway Capital’s plane and pilot joined the action to assist and we want to thank them too. Kudos have to go to the media, especially Joe Arnold of WHAS TV and Jim Bruggers of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Without them getting the word out we never would have had the leads and the assistance that came to us. Thank you so very much! To the left is the "Missing Poster" created by Joe from WHAS. Lastly, thanks to all of OM's migration crew. Talk about persistence and perseverance! Chris and I sure wish we were there to celebrate with you and give each of you the all-time biggest hug! Remember the theme song to Gilligan's Island? Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a five day trip, that started behind an ultralight and ended with a radio blip. Hopefully the crew will fill in more details of the 'tale' in a posting tomorrow. View the photos here in the 2007 Migration photo journal. Date: November 28, 2007 - Entry 4 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: FOUND! Location: Main Office Minutes ago, (5:45pm) Bev called with the news that they had found 733. As soon as I stop dancing and my heart stops pounding I'll post another entry with some details. Date: November 28, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Doubling Opportunity Location: Main Office If you’ve been reading our Field Journal and following the progress of the 2007 migration - but have never been a MileMaker – here's an opportunity for you to make a big impact. Supporters, Mr. & Mrs. 'J' want to issue a challenge to OM's Field Journal readers who have never before been a MileMaker sponsor. The couple will match new MileMaker sponsorships – whether ¼, ½, or 1 mile - up to a total of 5 miles. So c'mon all you 'never before MileMakers', this is your chance to double the value of your contribution. This challenge comes from two Colorado Craniacs who wish to remain anonymous. They told us, "We would just like to see Whooping cranes in the wild someday." Date: November 28, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 47 Location: Main Office Bev reported clear skies and calm conditions on the surface this morning so the pilots headed for their trikes which are stored about 5 miles away from the pensite. They tried - but once aloft they again faced a plus 15mph headwind and had to declare it a no-go. The entire team will now be convening this morning to re-formulate the plan for the search for 733. We are still being deluged with calls reporting possible sightings. Unfortunately, the majority are ones that occurred some sometime ago. At this point, with the tracking team having traversed much of Indiana and Kentucky several times – both in the air and on the ground, only current sightings are of help. In order to have even a remote chance of tracking 733, sightings have to be 'fresh', that is, less than a couple of hours old. Date: November 28, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Canada's Whooping Crane Recovery Plan Location: Main Office Brian Johns, Wildlife Biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, and co-chair of the International Whooping Crane Recovery team advised that the Recovery Strategy for the Whooping Crane in Canada has been finalized. "It was a long time in the making," said Brian," and I want to thank all those who have contributed to the Canadian Recovery Strategy and the International Recovery Plan. Your contributions towards Whooping crane recovery are greatly appreciated." A link to the document can also be found on OM’s Site Map under 'Important Documents'. Date: November 27, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Last Departure Flyover Viewing Opportunity in KY is coming up Location: Main Office Take advantage of a great wildlife viewing opportunity as we make our way from Washington County to Russell County, Kentucky and the on to Tennessee. The USFWS staff at the Wolf Creek Dam National Fish Hatchery and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources will host the Departure Flyover Viewing at the Hatchery as we depart Russell County. Meet in the hatchery parking lot at 6:30AM the morning of the flight, but be sure to check the local weather forecast as our ability to fly on any given morning is entirely dictated by weather conditions. The Lake Cumberland Trail is part of the Watchable Wildlife and Birding Trails Across Eastern and Western Kentucky. Take advantage of these attractions while you are in the area: - Check out the new education wing at the Hatchery and meet their education staff, tour the hatchery where USFWS raises rainbow trout and brown trout for release in the waters of Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. The hatchery produces over 1,000,000 trout annually. - Stay overnight at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park and Lure Lodge and enjoy the scenic beauty of Lake Cumberland. Interpretive programs are offered year round by the park’s naturalist. - Planning on staying longer? Make your way to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Enjoy 15 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Overnight accommodations are available at Mary Ray Oaken Lodge. Click here for more details about the Lake Cumberland Trail. Date: November 27, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: Almost Too Much Help Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles We have special tracking antennas designed by an aviation company fitted to the struts of our top cover aircraft. The air time and piloting skills are all donated by Jack Wrighter who volunteers his aircraft and time to help us get our birds south. He estimated the number of hours it would take to accomplish that task, but that didn't include searching for 733. So far he has logged and additional 10 hours and he’s willing to go again if we have a sighting worth pursuing. We have checked most of south-eastern Indiana and a good part of Kentucky. That same area has been searched from the ground and so far we have not heard even a single beep from 733's transmitter. WHAS TV from Louisville broadcast the story in hope that their audience would help us find him. They followed that up with a description of Blue herons, Sandhill cranes and Whooping cranes. James Bruggers of the Louisville Courier-Journal also did a superb story. It ran as the centerpiece on their local news section in the newspaper and you can click the link above to read the web version. We are very grateful because the coverage generated some credible leads,  but either the bird in question was gone by the time we got there, or it wasn't our bird in the first place. Most people have never seen a Whooping crane so it not surprising that we had a few odd sightings reported. One gentleman told us he saw our bird golfing on Sunday. We assume he meant he was golfing when he saw a bird, but it made us chuckle. People from Kentucky and Indiana are conservation minded because so many of them have called us with places for us to check. Our problem now is following up on all the leads. Operation Migration is a small organization with three people working in a basement office. We have one phone line and it has not stopped ringing. Many are calls from well meaning people who are not normally bird watchers, but this story of a lost bird has touched something in them and they want to help. We have chased a plastic heron in a backyard pond and several white plastic bags waving on a distant fence line, but so far no 733. We can't keep up with all the calls, and unfortunately won't be able to answer most of them. If you see what you think is our bird in flight it won't help us because he obviously won't be there when we arrive. And, if you just saw something unusual please hold off calling until you can give us a good description. We are very grateful for all the support, and are sorry that we can't follow up on every lead. We are overwhelmed by offers of help and the generosity of all you folks from Indiana and Kentucky. Thank you all. View the photos here in the 2007 Migration photo journal. Date: November 27, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 46 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Weather has the migration team stuck on the ground in Washington County, KY again today. They will take advantage of their inability to progress to do more searching for missing bird #733. Bev is flying with top cover this morning to do a sweep of all the areas where recent sightings have been reported. Also armed with telemetry equipment, the rest of the team continues to drive the roads searching from the ground. 733 dropped out of the migration leg flight being flown from Jackson County, IN to Shelby County, KY on Friday, November 23rd. We have received literally hundreds of reports of sightings and the team has been/is checking them out. Should you spot a large, white and cinnamon colored bird (wearing a green leg band) either flying or on the ground, please call 1-800-675-2618 or 1-905-718-1034 immediately so we can notify trackers right away go to get to the location. 2007 Migration Trivia compliments of Vi White and Steve Cohen Washington County, KY In Springfield, the seat of Washington County, the Courthouse contains records dating from the 1790s. The most important of these is the marriage certificate of President Abraham Lincoln's parents, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. The courthouse is the oldest still in use in Kentucky. Just 4 miles from Springfield is the home built in 1797 by Mordecai Lincoln, an uncle of the President. It is the only remaining residence to have been owned and occupied by a member of the President's family that is still standing on its original site. At Lincoln Homestead State Park you can go walking on the same paths walked by a young Abraham Lincoln. Date: November 26, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 45 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Warmer temps in Washington County, KY this morning, but winds out of the SSW and rain with isolated thunder storms in the forecast mean the migration will not advance to Russell County, KY today. Late last night we received a lead on a possible sighting of 733 and the team was on it to follow up before daylight. Unfortunately it turned out to be a Great Blue Herron. With the weather today, nothing will be flying - neither planes or birds - so the team is again back-tracking on the ground and following up on leads as they come in. For spotters - 733's plumage is still mostly cinnamon color with some white and he is wearing only one green leg band. Please call us immediately with any potential sightings. 1-800-675-2618 or 1-905-718-1034. 2007 Migration Trivia compliments of Hugh Grundy, of Springfield, KY Washington County, KY Just a few hills over is Lincoln state park and golf course. In the park is the log cabin (rebuilt) where Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, President Lincoln’s parents, were married in 1806. Valley Hill Store which closed in 2006 was built by the Grundy family on their farm in 1886 in anticipation of the first railroad to Washington County/Springfield. Date: November 26, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Searching for 733 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Thanks to Lori Trout of Louisville, KY for this link to a local newscast video clip. The video shows the cranes and planes flying and an interview with Joe about the missing 733. Click here to go to WHAS-TV and newscaster Joe Arnold. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 6 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: Searching for 733 Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 48.6 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles As you can imagine the last few days have been hectic. Our volunteer top cover pilots, Dave Mattingly and Jack Wrighter from the non-profit Touch Our Planet, have been airborne for many hours. Chris and Richard have tracked in the trikes, and our three ground vehicles have crisscrossed two states. Everywhere we drive, we run with antennas attached and receivers tuned. Every trip, even if only to get gas, is regularly interrupted by detours to check on suspicious beeps. The WECP Tracking Team has been informed and they have added 733's frequency to the list. They will include him in the scan as they follow the migration. Even today, while our top cover pilots were monitoring our flight to Washington County, they broke away to investigate a promising signal. So far our search has not been successful. If we don’t find 733, he will be the first bird we have ever lost. Several have dropped out, but all of them have been retrieved the same day, except 615 last migration who was found after two days. We focused most our search in the area where the bird was last seen and we have back-tracked at least four stops of the route. Now we will look ahead in case he found some Sandhills and followed them to Hiwassee. If we find him there, the question becomes, do we bring him back here and make him fly the route again, or, leave him there until we arrive? That would depend on how long it takes us to get to Hiawassee. Leaving him in the company of Sandhills might make it difficult to retrieve him, and retrieving him is our ultimate goal. We have too much invested in this bird to risk a direct release. If he is repatriated we know we can get him to the Chassahowitzka pen in Florida. If he becomes a direct release, we can’t be sure where he will winter, and long term association with Sandhills at this stage in life may cause problems when he reaches breeding age. If 733 can't be found and recovered, he will automatically become a direct release bird, which does not mean he will be a compete loss. But he dropped out a few times already and there are gaps in his knowledge of the route. His chances of getting back to Necedah and being a viable member of the population are better with his flock mates in the Class of 2007, than alone in the wild or with Sandhills. We could pen him there if we had staff to monitor him, but leaving him with the wild Sandhills is likely not the answer. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 5 Reporter: Bev Paulan Subject: It's all in the perspective Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 48.6 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Having been a pilot for over half my life has given me a unique perspective on life. A perspective that I have come to find reassuring, and one that has contributed to who I am as person. When I took this job, I voluntarily grounded myself to be able to participate in this worthy project. However, and there is always a ‘however’, I do miss spending a good part of my week in the air. Being grounded I have lost that perspective and I feel lost a times. When one is flying, one is unconcerned with life below. There is no room for everyday worries and troubles. One has to concentrate on juggling the physicality of flying with a very vigilant watch for traffic and monitoring of systems. The altitude gives life the perspective we all so desperately need, and that is the sense of smallness of everything. Viewed from above, one can see the pattern of the landscape -whether the layout of city blocks or plowed fields. When you can see the pattern and the seeming insignificance of things, problems seem that way also. Being a pilot has given me the ability to put life, and the trials and tribulations found therein, into the proper perspective; the small stuff – and everything is ‘small stuff’. Since starting this job I have lost that perspective. I have felt lost not being able to see the pattern and size of things. I, in turn, am the one who seems insignificant, and life seems too big. Luckily today, I regained some of that perspective. Today was my first day of flying in the top cover plane. Since we are all very concerned with trying to find 733, I offered to ride in the backseat and track for that bird while our volunteer pilots flew and observed the trikes. When I showed up at the airport this morning I discovered I was to both track and observe. As we started the plane, the trikes slowly came into sight and we were afforded the best view of the day as Richard flew right over the field with 15 chicks trailing behind. Once the trikes, pilots, and their charges were at a safe distance, Jack glided the plane off the turf runway, and the curtain rose on one of the best days I have had on this job. In no time at all we had all the trikes with all chicks in view. As chicks shifted from one trike to another, and the pilots did their dance trying to keep all following, I felt I was looking at one of those pictures you have to stare at just the right way to see the hidden image. It took a few moments and a few shifts of focus but then the trikes popped clearly into view against the background and I was ready to roll. Joe was having the hardest time with his five chicks, and when it was obvious that Richard with Chris in chase position had their birds under control, we got back to keeping our eye on Joe. When one of his chicks decided to turn back, he gave him up for the good of the other four. He radioed me saying, “He’s yours now,” and continued on his way. We dropped back, floated down, and thanks to Jack’s excellent flying skills, we kept the little guy in our sight at all times. It soon became obvious that this little one was not happy being on his own, and when he realized ‘Daddy crane’ was not going to play chase, he quickly turned and tried to catch up. I alerted Joe and kept a running commentary on where the chick was in relation to him and the four birds he had on his wing. Joe slowed to his slowest safe speed, and after about 20 minutes, the chick caught up to him and immediately found that sweet spot on the wing and seemingly gratefully glided on the vortex. After we exchanged high five’s in the plane we set up to fly wide lazy circles around Joe to keep an eye on the wayward chick just in case. As the miles unfolded below us I had the opportunity to really see a flight. This was a view I had never had of the trikes and chicks; one from above. They looked so fragile against the increasing rugged terrain and unbelievably beautiful. Man and nature in tandem working as one. Just as I thought things couldn’t get anymore beautiful, Joe crossed a reservoir and suddenly one trike became two, and five chicks ten, as their image was perfectly reflected in the mirror-like surface of the water. Tears came to my eyes as the realization hit of how incredible this whole project is, and how lucky I am to be a part of it. What a gift perspective can be. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 4 Reporter: Richard van Heuvelen Subject: Lead Pilot's update Location: Washington Cty, KY Distance Traveled 48.6 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles When we landed at Shelby County, KY two days ago without 733 our work had just begun. While some of the ground crew searched for him, the rest drove down to join up with the pilots. When they arrived we decided to send some crew to help search, and others to go set up the pen at the next stop. After rigging up an antenna on my trike, Chris and I also headed north in our trikes. Without a receiver and head set I was unable to communicate with everyone else, so Chris flew along behind me to communicate for me to both ground crew and any conflicting air traffic, making the flight much safer. Mile after mile we headed north, circling every few miles hopping to hear the little beep, beep, beep of  733 ’s transmitter. Crossing the river we saw Brian in the tracking van down below so I landed in a field next to him so in order to get a clearer plan. After a quick conversation, off we went heading north again with Brian in pursuit on the ground. A long time later with not even a sound or clue as to 733’s whereabouts, I landed in a farm field. Knowing we needed to regroup Chris landed as well. He informed me that Brian had purchased fuel and he was nearby. Within minutes Brian was on the scene and we added more fuel to our trikes. This gave us the opportunity to fly all the way to Muscatatuck Refuge - thinking perhaps 733 went back to the last familiar stop. But it was not to be. We circled the refuge a few times and heard nothing. It was time to head back before we ran out of fuel and day light. We continued this routine for the flight back, taking a slightly different course, but to no avail. Still nothing. Finally, with daylight and fuel running, low self preservation took over and we made a bee-line for camp. After landing we were informed that our top cover replacements had arrived and had  just finished installing our aircraft tracking antennas. So still shivering after the cold long flight I grabbed the receiver from my trike and headed off to join up with Jack Wrighter, our new top cover pilot in his Cessna 172. We were soon airborne and hoping to cover some ground before it got too dark. It’s much more efficient to track with this type of aircraft because you can cover a lot of ground much quicker. But still nothing!!! After six and a half hours of flying various aircraft trying to find one lost bird I gained new respect for the tracking crew who spend as much as ten hours a day for a month tracking the adult cranes during fall migration. Cold, tired, and sore, I crawled into bed at ten o’clock. Tomorrow we would try again. Saturday, the 24th dawned a cool crisp nice morning. We would fly the cranes today while Bev would fly with Jack and attempt to find 733. Well - plans changed. Four trikes took off only to be turned back by unexpected head winds and four oversells. The pilots sheepishly put their trikes away. Then, Jack, Bev and I headed off to once again try to find our wayward 733. The rest of the crew divided up into three groups and attempted to track from the ground, all heading off for different areas to search. Today proved just as frustrating as yesterday. We flew all the way back to our stop in Morgan County, circling every few miles. Nothing, nothing!! Jack informed us of his low fuel situation so it was time to head back. We took a different route back, still filled with hope. When we got back to the river we had time to circle around down the river before flying back to refuel. With daylight and hope  failing once again it was time wrap it up. After searching for 733 for two days we decided to make an attempt for the next stop in Washington County KY. Although there was a headwind, it was too fine a morning not to try. Chris went up to test the winds and came back with a report of calm stable air and a headwind, but with only 39 miles to our next stop it was doable with an ETA of 1.5 hours. We rolled out the other three trikes and we were off. While the three other pilots continued to test the air I landed at the pen site where the efficient ground crew was ready. I turned on the vocalizer and at my quick hand signal, the panels were swung wide and fifteen birds were off and one on the wing. 721 lagged behind in the pen to be escorted out for Joe to pick up. Making a wide smooth arc we came on course with fifteen birds strung out off my right wing. After a few minutes of slow climbing the chicks became distracted and began to turn back, so the process of rounding them up shifted to high gear. The end result was Joe with five birds, Brooke with one, and myself with ten. And then the headwind battle began. Chris, free of birds, climbed to find the faster air, which turned out to be at around 1200 feet AGL. So up we slowly climbed finding a headwind of 7miles per hour and smooth air. As we progressed the head wind slowly increased and our ETA of 1.5 hours seemed not to change. However the miles slowly ticked away and eventually we were within ten miles of our destination. Pulling the bar in to gain speed and maintain a slow decent, we began to make headway. The wind seemed to be picking up however, and we lost ground speed instead of gaining. Having come this far the birds seemed to understand that they would be better off following the trike and cooperated extremely well. After a very long flight for just 39 miles to go we were circling the pen to land. Chris zoomed in below and landed first to attract the chicks down. Again they seemed to know what was good for them and they landed before I could. On my approach, one chick cut in front of me so I had to accelerate and climb out over him. As all the birds landed I continued to climb out leaving Chris on the ground with ten birds. Brooke and Joe were coming over the horizon to join him, so I headed off to find hangar space for the trikes. With thunder storms and high winds coming in to the area so it was desirable to have the trikes inside. There was a private strip just five miles away so it was worth a try as most aviators are happy to have some one land on their strip. I flew over and landed. And sure enough I was greeted by very friendly people (names with held for privacy) who were eager to help. In short order we had hangar space. With a huge worry off our minds I climbed back into my trike to fly back and let the other pilots know were they could seek shelter from the storm. By the smiles on their faces when they landed I could tell they were just as relieved as I was. Thank you so much to the hangar owners and neighbor who were of so much help. Off we went to regroup and try to sort out the wayward number 733. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Love to hear from you, but.... Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 48.6 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles Between folks emailing to inquire about viewing opportunities and whether or not 733 has been found, my inbox is now groaning with more than 1,600 new emails. Please know we are grateful for your care, concern and interest and the last thing we want to do is offend anyone, but it is a sheer impossibility for me to answer them all. All migration flight news and information about departure viewing opportunities are posted as quickly as is humanly possible. And we will without question immediately post an entry with any news regarding 733. Before the evening is out we should have an update from today's lead pilot, Richard - or from Joe on his behalf if Richard is working on pen set up or is still out tracking 733. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 44 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 48.6 miles Washington Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 555.5 miles After a flight of 2 hours, everyone is safely on the ground in Washington County, KY. Richard left with 15 birds and Joe coaxed one recalcitrant bird out of the pen. Six birds dropped off Richard's wing enroute and Joe and Brooke fought through trashy air to pick them up. Chris said the birds did well as cranes and planes fought a 12mph headwind all the way. At one point, one of the birds flying with Joe turned back, but then turned again to chase Joe but a long way back. Amazingly it eventually caught up and rejoined the little group. Bev is still flying with top cover pilot Jack Wrighter looking for 733's signal. Another day of searching is underway. Date: November 25, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 44 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Shelby Cty, KY - Washington Cty, KY? Accumulated Distance 506.9 miles With her first call this morning, Bev advised it was uncertain whether they would be able to fly today. Chris was 'test dummy' today and he went aloft to check things out - wind and rain wise - as there were / are light rain showers between our Shelby County location and today's destination in Washington County - and they were forecast to worsen not improve. A few minutes ago the team made the decision to 'give it a go' and they are in the air. Richard is in the lead with 15 birds and Joe has the other one. 15 + 1 = 16, so you will have gathered that 733 is still missing. Bev, and top cover have already left to go back and again try to track 733. The cranes and planes are fighting a headwind and will undoubtedly run into the rain as well. When we last heard from Nathan in the field, he was still not sure if they would be able to successfully fly the migration leg to Washington or have to turn back. Oh, my shattered nerves! Date: November 24, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 43 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Shelby Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 506.9 miles Taking advantage of a 'lull in the action' to provide some photos sent to us by supporters who were on hand for the recent departure (and attempted departures) from Muscatatuck. View the photos here in the 2007 Migration photo journal. Date: November 24, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 43 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Shelby Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 506.9 miles This morning dawned a beautiful, sunny, calm day in Shelby County, and the team had great hopes of making it a fly day for the second day in a row. It was not to be however. Chris told us, "Conditions looked absolutely perfect this morning. A heavy frost was forming but the skies were crystal clear with no wind. We expected a bit of a headwind aloft, but we hoped that the birds would be willing to plow ahead in the calm air." The pilots launched, but unfortunately encountered a much stronger headwind than expected. At 500 feet they had a 10mph headwind which increased to about 20mph at 1000 feet. With a ground speed of also 20mph, progress would almost be neutral. Joe calculated that under those conditions the flight to Washington County would take at least 3 hours with the birds fighting the strong headwind all the way. As a result, the next leg of the migration will have to wait for another day. Each day, once the birds are released from the pen, the ground crew waits until the pilots radio back that everyone is safely underway and the pen can be taken down - or, to stand by because birds appear to be returning and they may need the Swamp Monster. The plan for today was that as soon as that 'OK' message was received, Bev would head out back north to again try and track down 733, and the team would fly without top cover as pilots Dave Mattingly and Jack Wrighter would also join the search for 733 from the air as soon as their aircraft was de-iced. Much of the plan remains in place. Dave and Jack are aloft searching for 733's signal from the air. Brian Clauss is on the ground in the tracking van, and most of the rest of the team are also in vehicles heading northward to spread out along our migration path. With clear skies, they think 733 will likely be aloft by mid-morning making the signal much stronger and easier to detect. More news as it comes in. Date: November 23, 2007 - Entry 3 Reporter: Joe Duff Subject: Migration Day 42 Location: Shelby Cty, KY Distance Traveled 51.4 miles Shelby Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 506.9 miles We arrived at Muscatatuck last week and the long range forecast told us this Thursday was going to be good. Then our weather window was postponed until Friday. We, of course, negotiated with the weather in good faith; we'll be patient all week if you give us what we need on Friday. But the weather does not negotiate, at least not fairly. The weather is not even funny. In fact the weather is #@%^&* (the spell checker highlighted all those expletives and I'm sure Liz took them out before she posted this, but the weather knows who I’m talking about.) When you wait a week for calm air, your expectations begin to build. Maybe it's just human nature, but we still believe that good things come to those who wait - - and wait. After all, we did our part. We got up every morning before sunrise to check the conditions. If it was blowing anything less than 30 knots, we sent a pilot up hoping he'd come back with an incredible story about how he's never seen anything like it. Just a mile away it’s dead calm and the sun is shining. But that never happened. Instead, our pilots came back with a glazed look in their eyes and you couldn't tell when they took their helmet off because their faces were as white as their costumes. If the wind was even stronger than our denial, we drove over to the viewing area to tell the crowd that we were grounded for another day. We told some stories and tried to make it up to the people who drove a hundred miles just to see the birds fly. On down days we polished the planes and put in new GPS batteries but most of all we just waited - - and our expectation grew. When Friday finally came it wasn't the golden day we hoped for. Instead the wind was light but steady and the solid grey cloud cover was moving southwest at a good clip. Chris Gullikson was leading this morning, and if you are wondering why I'm writing the update instead of him, it's because he's still looking for a bird. That will be your clue that this story is not over. The field at Muscatatuck is too rough to risk landing our trikes so Chris swooped low over the pen while Bev, Meagan and Nathan opened the gates. All the birds came charging out and began to form on his wing. But the wind was rough down low as it rolled over the trees and caused mechanical turbulences.  The birds broke and congregated into little flocks all moving in different directions. Identifying individual birds in flight is impossible. Their leg bands disappear into the tail feathers so trying to figure out which one is turning them back is difficult. They would all form on the wing and then one gets the idea to break away. All the birds in the formation that are behind him, turn as well and you can see his beak open as he calls his encouragement. "C'mon guys, this is too cold, let's go home." After a ten minute battle that must have looked like chaos from the ground, Richard managed to get a bird to follow him and he headed off. Brooke joined him with 2 others. They weren’t really leaving, just heading on course in the hopes that if they removed a few birds and a couple of aircraft from the confusion that things would be better for Chris and I. Well that didn't work either. Chris and I took turns cutting off the returning flocks and bringing them back on course only to have them break again. On one intercept, there seemed to be a lead bird out in front and making a beeline for the pen. I moved in behind him and took his birds off to the west. We called the ground crew to hide the swamp monsters so that lone bird would land back at the pen. Once again we turned on course thinking we were finally rid of our mutineer. Most of the remaining birds moved over to Chris and things looked fine - for 30 seconds or so. Then they all headed for the pen, with us in chase. When we arrived we saw one bird tucked safely in the pen and three costumes waving a welcome, exactly what we'd asked them to do. This greeting was too much for the birds to resist and they all began to descend. Confusion reigned as I asked for the swamp monsters one more time, then changed my mind causing white costumes to run into camo tarps as they tried to follow my instructions. I should take this opportunity to apologize to the ground crew. I am sorry for the confusion. As expected, you did a fantastic job of wardrobe changes and improvising in this impromptu drama staged in isolation for an audience of birds. With the handlers all hiding in the pen trailer, the birds landed in the field. Chris and I gave them a few minutes to settle down while the crew let the one bird out of the pen. Chris again tried an air pick up, and as the birds launched, the handlers charged out of the trailer in their swamp monster costumes, hoping to discourage any returnees. This time all the birds followed Chris. By now the wind had picked up and the air was rough. To add to our misery, we could hear Richard and Brooke climbing through 2000 feet with a ground speed of 50mph in smooth air. Three birds fell behind Chris, and when it was safe, I moved in to pick them up. This was all the provocation the others needed and soon I had 8 birds forming on my wing while the other 6 stayed with Chris. Chris and I moved apart about a mile to avoid the indecision that comes with too many choices. After another few minutes, we called the ground crew to let them know that they could start taking the pen down. We had been fighting the battle for 54 minutes and we were only a mile or two from the starting point. Chris must have corralled the best flyers because he began to climb and soon found some smooth air. The other birds and I weren't so lucky. Every time we managed to claw out a few feet of altitude, we'd hit a big area of sink and lose it all. The Vertical Speed Indicator or VSI has a needle that points horizontally to the zero on the left side of the gauge. If you are climbing, the needle point up slightly. But every time I managed to take my eyes off the birds for a quick look at this instrument, the needle was drooping down like middle age. We flew the entire leg below a thousand feet and never did get out of the trashy air. The birds did their best to stay on the wing and I did my best to keep it steady, but neither of us was too successful. Just before crossing the Ohio River and entering Kentucky, one of the birds began to drop. We lost most of our altitude trying to retrieve it, but it descended at the same rate and stayed below us as we went lower. Closer to the ground the air was even rougher and we finally had to let the bird go. We radioed the last-seen-at, coordinates to Brain Clauss in the tracking van. By this time he was on the south side of the river and had to backtrack to the bridge in Madison. Chris slowed down with his birds and was able to keep an eye on us from above. On the south side of the river the terrain gets hillier and that caused more mechanical turbulences. We were at 300 feet with 19 miles left to go. At five miles out, two more birds fell behind but we were confident they could make it if we could. Richard landed near the pen at our destination, and called the rest of the birds down. I circled a few times to make sure we had a full count then landed nearby. Brian Clauss searched he entire area from Muscatatuck south but couldn’t even get a signal. Bev and Brooke joined him, and Richard and Chris flew back with a tracking radio in one of the trikes. Everyone searched till after dark before returning to camp. 733 will have to fend for himself tonight. Our top cover pilots arrived today and we'll get them tracking that bird in the morning while the rest of us take advantage of another good day. Maybe the weather will cooperate tomorrow, but I doubt it. After the names I called it today, I'll likely get hit by lightning. Date: November 23, 2007 - Entry 2 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 42 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 51.4 miles Jackson Cty, IN to Shelby Cty, KY Accumulated Distance 506.9 miles Wow! From all indications it was one heck of a ride up there today. Joe said the flight was rough as all get out, and cold, cold, cold. The pilots are tired, sore, and frozen. It took 52 minutes of flying before they were even able to leave the pensite at Muscatatuck, and at one point they had to land with the birds and take off again. The flight lasted almost an hour and 45 minutes. 733 dropped out around 10 to 15 miles out. A miscue meant our top cover for the lower half of migration didn't arrive in time to join the team, so the ground crew doesn't have GPS coordinates of where 733 went down. Brian Clauss is on the hunt in the tracking van but hasn’t been able to pick up 733’s signal yet. Because of the search for 733, it may be very late before Chris is able to get to his lead pilot's report. Date: November 23, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Migration Day 42 Location: Main Office Distance Traveled ? miles Muscatatuck NWR Jackson Cty, IN to ? Accumulated Distance ? miles Chris is lead pilot today and we are finally getting out of Dodge...errr Windiana With a temp of 28 degrees, overcast skies and relative calm on the surface, the team got moving early this morning to, as Bev said, "mount up". She reported that they had to circle a few times to get the birds up and moving, but she said they are all off and flying. Richard radioed that it was choppy through 800 feet, but then the air smoothed out and he estimated around an hour's flying to the closest stopover site in Shelby County, KY. Whether they are able to push on to our next stopover site in Washington County, KY will be dependent on the wind conditions and how the birds cooperate. 2007 Migration Trivia compliments of Vi White and Steve Cohen And one last JACKSON COUNTY Trivia Seymour is called the "Crossroads of America" because major North/South and East/West railroads cross in downtown. Singer John Mellencamp was born in Seymour. Recently, his rendition of "Our Country" has been featured in commercials for Chevy trucks aired on many TV sporting events. Date: November 23, 2007 - Entry 1 Reporter: Liz Condie Subject: Upcoming Event Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Muscatatuck NWR, IN Accumulated Distance 455.5 miles Operation Migration is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming 11th annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival being presented by the Brevard Nature Alliance and sponsored by Nikon. The Festival, billed as, "A celebration of birds and wildlife," will be held January 23rd to 28th in Titusville, Florida and is expected to attract more than 3,000 visitors. It's a perfect opportunity for residents of Florida and adjoining states as well as 'Snowbirds' to broaden their birding and wildlife horizons and have fun at the same time. The event will feature a line up of renowned speakers/presenters, and an exhibit hall with booths hosted by artists, crafters, and organizations specializing in wildlife, birding, photography, optics and nature-tourism. Other activities include an art competition, a silent auction, and seminars, field trips, and workshops are also offered. The Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival is a 'must see' for birding and wildlife enthusiasts. Plan to attend - there is something for the whole family. In addition to two presentations by Joe Duff, (Jan 25 & 26) OM staff and volunteers will host a booth in the Exhibit Hall, and if suitable arrangements can be made, we will also have one of our 'working' ultralights on display. To read about OM's participation click here. Our thanks go to Mark and Peggy Chenoweth of Kissimmee, FL for their initiative and help with arrangements for OM's participation, and to sponsors Jim And Jonnie Swann Corporation, Barbara Hoelscher and Family, and The Brevard Nature Alliance for making our attendance possible. Date: November 22, 2007 - Entry 4 Reporter: Brooke Pennypacker Subject: Thanksgiving.... Location: Main Office Distance Traveled 0 miles Muscatatuck NWR, IN Accumulated Distance