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 Operation
Migration needs your financial support
to continue reintroducing the Whooping
crane to eastern North America. Sponsor a
mile of our 2005 fall migration by joining
our MileMaker
Club! You can also sponsor a half mile
or quarter mile. Click
here to contribute, or call our office
at 1-800-675-2618
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| Date: | September
20th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Training
update |
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Notes: It has been a big week for us here at Necedah National Wildlife
Refuge. We had the Crane Fest
on the 17th, moved Cohort One on the same morning, flew the entire flock together this morning, and are in the middle of our annual WCEP meetings
as I type this. Sadly, John Thomton has also left our group for a job with the Disney Wildlife Park. He started with us before any of the birds had
hatched and was a hard worker and great addition to the team.
The Crane Fest was a lot of fun even though attendance seemed to be down quite a bit. The local venders and organizations put on a good show and
the talks were good. The efforts of the Necedah Lions Club, Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge, and the town of Necedah itself made it another great event.
Last Saturday, on the morning of the Crane Fest, we were able to move Cohort One from
the north site down to the east site. We had to wait
forever for the fog to clear, but, once the birds got into the air, they did a great job. Angie and I released the birds and then got our swamp
monster tarps on. 505 broke away and Joe had to swoop in to lead it over. With Joe in the air and the monsters on the ground, we were able to keep
the bird on Joe’s wing. Joe then had to work pretty hard to keep that bird in the air
because it wanted to land for most of the flight. The six new
additions to the east site went right into their new home without much of a fuss.
Two days ago, on the 18th, Richard van Heuvelen led a short flight with
Cohort One. (RIGHT-Click here to
download a Windows
Media video clip). The air was calm at ground level, but just above the
trees the wind made for a bumpy ride. The decision was made to return to the
south site and let the birds exercize on the ground.
This morning’s training turned out to be quite a milestone. We woke to another seemingly great morning but found the Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge pools to be
covered in fog as usual. The winds were also quickly becoming too strong. We decided to go for it while we could and decided to try both groups
together. All but 511 (who I had to herd out) came out well. All but four of the birds then took off with
Richard van Heuvelen, with Joe Duff as chase pilot. Chris Gullikson was
still at the end of the runway and was able to get those four birds still on the runway to follow him for a short flight. The group of sixteen flew
for about ten minutes with 505 staying right with them the whole time.
numbers 511, 519, 520, and 524 were the four stragglers and they came back to the runway. Once everyone was back on the runway, the whole flock got along
very well. They probably could have been left in the pen together but since it is still early we went ahead and kept them separate to prevent
any problems. There is little aggression within Cohort One but Cohort
Two/Three is still figuring a social structure out. There is also a
handful of very submissive birds (505, 511, 519, etc). 511 has actually been pretty mean lately. It has begun attacking the costumes with a vengeance.
Chris Gullikson and I seem to be the particularly favorite punching bags for this bird.
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Photo
representation of 2005 Migration MileMaker sponsorships to date
Not yet a MileMaker Sponsor?
For those
of you who were perhaps waiting for fall migration time to roll around, or
just haven't yet got around to conveying your support, please don't
wait. We really need your help now.
Already
a MileMaker Sponsor?
To you we
express our sincerest and heartfelt thanks. We know that many of you have
even 'stepped up to the plate' more than once.
What else can be done?
-
You can also help by talking to friends,
relatives, and co-workers. Tell them the remarkable story behind our work to
ensure the survival of the Whooping Crane. Encourage them to join you in
supporting this amazing project by taking out a Membership, a MileMaker
sponsorship, or making a donation.
-
Write or speak to individuals, clubs,
groups, organizations, or businesses in your area and ask them for their
support.
- Write letters to your local media outlets
to raise awareness and bring attention to the plight of the Whooping Crane
and our cause.
We are grateful for
your concern and support. A generation of Whooping Cranes is counting on us
- we just can't let them down!
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| Date: | September
14th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Joe
Duff |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | 515's
loss/ training update |
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Notes: Anything that leaves the ground, held aloft by wings of feathers or fabric, carry with it a
degree of risk. For us the danger is managed by quality equipment, good maintenance and
caution. For birds it’s a matter of experience and recognizing danger. Sixty million years of
evolution have made them aware of natural hazards but nothing prepared them for power lines or
the wires that support the wings of our aircraft. This past Monday, at the end of a training
session, the aircraft landed and came to a stop on the runway. Number 515 had been lagging
behind and as she arrived she hit the flying wires above the wing and did not survive. That
day the camp was quiet; there was not much to say. We take consolation in the fact that fewer
would have survived this long if they had been raised in the wild but it is little solace.
Over the years we have refined a guard to protect the birds from coming into contact with the
propeller and the latest edition as virtually eliminated prop strikes. The only real danger
our aircraft poses to the birds are the wires above the wing. Recently several designers have developed wings with cantilevered
spars that support themselves and don’t require top wires.
Our aircraft must be identical, and in order to change over, we would
need to buy four new wings that are not in our budget this year.
There are six captive breeding centers around North America including the Audubon facility
just outside New Orleans. Before the storm the staff left an ample supply of food and water
for their avian collection and evacuated. We heard recently that of the 9 Whooping cranes they
have there only one was lost.
John Thomton joined us as an intern this spring and began his season at the USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center. He help raise the chicks and introduce them to the aircraft. He
moved to Necedah with them in early July and had planned to stay with us through the
migration. In the interim however he was offered a position at Disney in Florida and we
encouraged him to accept the shorter hours, better accommodations, greater job security,
increased opportunity and higher pay. In fact most of us are envious. We have all enjoyed
working with John and hope to see him at the southern end. He leaves this Monday so we are looking for a replacement. If you have bird experience, the ability to drive a large pickup truck pulling and even larger trailer and feel like running away with the circus give us a call.
Yesterday we mixed cohort 2 and 3 at the East Site. On August 28th, Brooke led the middle group
of birds from their home at the West Site, across Rynearson Pond to the East Site. The two
cohorts have been penned side by side ever since but trained separately. Both groups are
flying for over 10 minutes so for the next flight we’ll lead all 14 of them and see what
happens. After that we will start the process over by penning cohort 1 next to this combined
flock.
While he honed his skills and learning the ropes, our new pilot Chris Gullikson has been
flying any of the 3 aircraft that was not being used at the time. Tomorrow he will finally
take to the air in a trike assigned to him. It was actually the aircraft once flown by Deke
Clark and has been reconditioned over the summer. Improvements include new instruments, sound
broadcasting system and a completely rebuilt engine. We are all pleased with his progress and
expect him to be fully up to speed when the migration begins. There are some people that
understand the nuances of handling birds and others that will never get it. Without
coaching or experience Chris seemed to have acquired this ability and has become a valuable
member of the team in a very short time.
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| Date: | September
13th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper,
John Thomton, Angie Maxted, DVM |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Mixing Cohorts Two and Three |
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Notes: Today we were unable to train because of wind but we decided that the birds needed to get out
of the pen anyway. After breakfast, John, Angie, and Mark went out to the
east site to let Cohorts Two and Three out on the runway and mingle a while. This has been going on after
training for about two weeks but we have been separating them in the pen. Today when we put
them back in we left the dividers down and the birds are all together as one Cohort "2/3".
The birds were happy to get out and immediately began running, flapping and
flying  (see
left photo). Especially the younger Cohort Three birds who had not been out in a few days at all. It was
rather humid out and the birds were winded after only a few flights but were still enjoying
their time out. 
There was a lot of dominance play going on. This was mainly done between
numbers 514, 524, and 526. Our basic theory is that these guys all have white
leg bands and are just
not happy about it. 514 still has a very crooked toe, but this has not kept him from becoming the dominant bird of the whole group.
526 is probably in second place right now, but he and 524 go back and forth. All of the birds came back in
to the pen pretty
well (see right photo) except for 512. This bird has been like this for a while. Once in the pen there was little aggression or dominance play going on and the birds looked perfectly
comfortable together.
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More Photos:
Click on a thumbnail image for an enlargement/complete
photo.
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| Date: | September
9th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | John Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Training Update |
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Notes: Yesterday was a very foggy morning here at Necedah, so we were unable to train the birds. We usually lament the days when we
don't get the birds in the air, but occasionally I think the birds do better when
they've had break from the routine. This morning was a pretty good example of this scenario.
I was at the East Site, along with Angie Maxted and pilot Brooke Pennypacker. This site, you may remember, houses cohorts 2 and 3 in adjacent pens.
We've been training one group at a time, and the two adult birds at this site have been quite distracting to the young cranes. After the training is done for both groups, we let them have about ten minutes of supervised social time on the runway, and then we lead them back into their respective pens. Lately, some of the birds have been struggling to keep up with the group;
they've been flying back to the runway and missing out on over half the flight. Birds that have been doing this most frequently are Cohort
2's #512 and #515 (male and female, respectively) and Cohort 3's #519, #520, #524 and #526 (female, female, male and male), with a few other birds occasionally. Some days, #519 and #524
don't even get off the runway; they follow the trike, flying along the ground until the reach the un-mowed grass, and then they stay put.
Well, today we saw a remarkable improvement! Cohort 2 was the first group to train, and they were perfect. All 8 birds took off from the runway on the first try and never looked back. They flew for about 15 minutes. Every time Brooke flew over or near the runway, I was afraid one or two would break away and land, but they stayed with him for the entire flight. Angie and I were very proud! Cohort 3
wasn't quite as slick, but it was still better than previous mornings. They all took off with the trike today and followed Brooke for a few minutes. Then #524 returned to the runway, then #526 and then #519. Brooke then circled back around and passed directly overhead to entice the birds to follow again, and they did! All three became airborne, and followed the trike for about half-a-circle, then they broke off and returned to the runway. The fact that they returned to the air at all is progress. I was happiest for #520, who has been hugging the runway a lot lately. She followed the trike for the entire time today!
That's my girl!! ;)
I haven't been at the North Site for Cohort 1's training in quite awhile, but
they're going through a bit of a regression period. The pilots and handlers are struggling some with #505 especially, a timid male. Some days he
won't come out of the pen, sometimes he won't take off after the trike, and other times he returns to the runway prematurely. Sometimes other birds follow his example, most notably
#'s 503 and 506, both males. Today, however, all of the birds except #502 (a female, and currently the whitest bird of the
'05 flock) tried to leave pilot Richard Van Heuvelen at some point during the flight. While this set back is definitely discouraging for the team, there is still some hope and time to get this Cohort excited to follow the trike once again before migration begins in about a month.
We'll just have to see how they're doing this time next week!
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| Date: | September
4th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Angie Maxted |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | #505 goes missing (temporarily) |
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Notes: This morning we had windy weather so no training was done, much to the chagrin of
some hopeful crane watchers that were waiting patiently at the observation tower. Yesterday,
however, conditions were perfect for flying. Brooke is our only pilot here at Necedah right
now, and he flew in to train at the east site first. Cohorts two and three are still being
trained and housed separately at Site One since the younger birds still have some catching up
to do before the are flying as well as the birds in cohort two. The two groups trained
relatively well, separately, then after the second group was finished we let all fifteen birds
out on the runway for socialization time. All of the birds got along marvelously, but it is
always quite a chore to get each bird into its correct pen afterward. Eventually, though, we
got everyone back in the right place, and Brooke headed up to train at the
north site where
Robert was waiting to help. John and I then headed back to camp for some breakfast.
I was just diving into my bowl of corn flakes when I got a call from Robert on my
cell phone. He said that 505 had apparently landed in the marsh somewhere near site four
during training. 505 and 503 had twice broken away from Brooke in the air and had landed on
the runway, so Robert slipped into the "swamp monster" tarp to try to scare the two
laggers
back into the air. It had worked, but then both birds soon landed in the marsh, presumably
beyond the end of the runway. 503 was quickly making his way back toward the runway, but
505
was nowhere to be seen. Brooke landed and he and Robert put the other five birds back into
the pen. Brooke then took to the air to search for 505 while Robert searched from the ground.
Luckily, 505 and the rest of the birds from his cohort received radio transmitters just this
past Wednesday, as John mentioned in a previous update. After Robert called me, I called
Kelly Maguire of the International Crane Foundation who was out tracking adult
Whooping cranes
on the refuge, and she offered to help locate the missing bird. I borrowed a hand-held
telemetry unit from the tracking crew and headed out to the site. Meanwhile, Brooke was
running low on trike fuel, and since we weren't sure how much longer he would need to search
for the missing bird from the air, John headed to the hanger to pick up more
fuel for him. Kelly
relayed to me that the signals she was picking up from the bird indicated he was still very
near the pen site, which was good news. Kelly, John and I arrived at the site at about the
same time. We all donned our costumes and Kelly and I walked in with our hand-held tracking
units hoping the signal would lead us right to 505. It worked; we quickly narrowed our search
area down to a patch of tall grass near the pen site. When I walked into the grass I saw the
bird laying down on the ground about ten feet from me, trying very hard not to be seen. It's
unusual for one of these chicks to react this way to the costumed handlers, so I was
immediately afraid that the bird was injured in some way and unable to get up.
However, when I started making my way toward him, he got up and ran out of the tall grass onto the runway
toward John. We looked him up and down carefully, but could see no evidence of injury.
505
followed us readily into the pen and was acting perfectly fine, other than being a little
nervous. The bird had been hiding no more than thirty yards from the pen and was only five
or six feet off of the runway. We're not exactly sure why the bird was so spooked or why he
was trying his hardest not to be found. We just felt lucky that he had received a transmitter
three days prior and we were able to find him quickly and get him back safely.
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| Date: | September
2nd, 2005 |
| Reporter: | John Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Pre-migration
health check and leg-banding |
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Notes: So ends another busy "work week" here at Necedah
(we actually work every day, so the work week for most folks means very
little to us!). It's been an interesting week full of visitors, training
and check-ups. Time does seem to fly by so quickly when there's so much
going on; I can't believe that it's already Friday (let alone
September!).
The Whooping Crane chicks that are being trained to follow the aircrafts
received their pre-migration health checks on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings
this past week. All of the birds are caught up by handlers wearing gray
costumes so they are not afraid of the white-costumed handlers when the
ordeal is over. Next, a loose-fitting hood is placed over their face and
eyes, and the bird is carried over to a tent where the veterinarians and
their staff are working. They inspect the bird for injuries, draw blood for
analysis, insert a microchip into the backs of each bird for permanent
identification, and attach their radio transmitters to one of their legs,
among other procedures. This can all be done while not wearing a costume,
because the eyes of the bird are covered by the hood. However, talking is
not allowed, and only very soft whispering is ever appropriate, especially
when the bird is so close. It takes a very organized and competent staff to
carry out the health checks in a quick and safe manner, as it's stressful
for the birds. We had a great group helping out this year: Dr. Barry Hartup
of the International Crane Foundation (ICF), Dr. Chris Hanley from the
University of Wisconsin Veterinary School, Dr. Kurt Volle from Indiana,
Cristin, the Veterinary Technician at ICF, and our own Dr. Angie Maxted. The
birds were expertly handled by ICF's Aviculturalists Kelly Maguire and
Marianne Wellington, and also by Patuxent Wildlife Research Center's
Robert Doyle.
As the medical examinations were happening, Richard Urbanek took the
opportunity to fit each bird with a shiny new radio transmitter and ID band
to their left legs. This allows the birds to be tracked during migration if
the pilots lose sight of one between migration stops. This has proven to be
invaluable during past migrations, and it would have been very helpful if
#506 had received one before he took that trip into the woods a few weeks
ago! The tracking team has already begun to pick up a bunch of these new
signals coming from the pens during their routine checks of the adults on
the refuge. Once the birds reach Florida this winter, they will be fitted
with new ID bands and transmitters before they are permanently released.
Also this week, we have really enjoyed the company of several visitors
courtesy of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. These folks have
been able to watch a training session from a blind at the East site, get a
tour of the refuge from Bobbie Hjelmgren, Necedah's Education Specialist,
and to satisfy curiosities during question and answer sessions with pilots,
ground crew, and tracking personnel. It's been a lot of fun to interact
with these people who are so passionate about saving Whooping Cranes; their
interest and delight in what we do is very encouraging to us as a team, and
we love to share with them our procedures and to give them a glimpse of what
it's like to be on the front lines of Whooping Crane Conservation.
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| Date: | September
2nd, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Bringing aid
to Katrina victims |
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Notes:OM's staff and its Board of Directors join with its many members and supporters in offering hope for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and for everyone's safety and well-being.
Understandably, everyone's current focus is the saving of lives and personal property - and rightly so. But we wouldn't be true to what and who we are if in addition to humankind, we didn't also acknowledge our concern for all of the wildlife species and the habitats vital to their survival.
Please, do what you can to help bring aid and relief to all those victimized by Hurricane
Katrina.
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| Date: | August
31st |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | 505's lazy
flights/The joy of flight |
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Notes: Last Sunday we began the process of mixing our three cohorts of bird into one cohesive flock, at least that is the ultimate ambition. The threes sites are about a mile apart in the marshlands that surround East Rynearson Pond. The east site has been expanded over the years to accommodate all the birds in one large group or we have the option of dividing it up into as many as four sections. We move the birds by leading them across the pond so we have to wait until they are old enough to cover that distance. Cohort 1 , the oldest group are fling up to 20 minutes and could easily make it but they are the last ones to be mixed. Instead we wait until the middle group, cohort 2 can fly the distance and we lead them to the east site and mix them with the youngest birds. Once this new group has learned to socialize and has formed a dominance structure we can add the oldest and most aggressive birds. Despite their larger size they find themselves on unfamiliar ground and outnumbered. This evens the odds.
This morning before the health checks Brooke and I took off early to train the older birds at the north site. The fog was so thick that we landed at the west site, now empty of birds, to wait it out. We chatted for an hour before taking the cohort 1 birds for a 13 minute flight. The sound of the engine and the crane calls we broadcast gets the birds excited even before they are released. When the doors are opened it is usually like dropping the starting gate and it's a raced to see if we can stay ahead of them on take off. But the birds at the north site have somehow learned a different lesson. They charge out and jump around excited by the freedom but wait for the aircraft to start moving before they launch into the air. This give us time to get the last birds out of the pen and once they are all on the runway, a simple increase of the throttle is all it takes. Number 505 has always been a lazy flyer lagging behind at every opportunity. After only a few minutes airborne and he fell behind preferring to fly just over the surface. We cut the grass in a field at the north end of the refuge to use for out landings and we headed out birds there. The plan was to land and let them regroup and try again. We did a very long and low approach and number 5 caught up thinking we were going to land so I kept going and he stayed on the wing as we turned and headed home. That only lasted a few more minutes before he broke again but we managed to catch up and lead him the rest of the way back.
Gone flying - back soon
Yesterday I received an email from a friend of mine who told me of his first flights with his new ultralight. This friend is a high time pilot with hours of experience in aircraft none of us can afford but the excitement in his message made it seem like he was discovering flight for the first time. He ended his letter with this passage and it reminded me that it has been a while since I flew without a flock of birds following behind.
"Anyway, I feel that I've joined a very special fraternity, Joe, and even though our paths crossed only briefly, I owe a lot to you and to Bill for inspiring me to learn to fly....to really fly.
Very best regards.....I'll be watching the OM website for updates on your progress....
-Peter K"
That evening I slipped out unseen to avoid distractions, taking justification for my escape in the hours I spent all weekend preparing grant applications. Taxiing to the runway without wearing a costume seemed odd like talking at a pen site when
the birds have been moved. The air was perfectly smooth and the sun a golden ball as I dropped down over the marsh. I
throttled back and flew at just under 30 miles an hour, barely above the stall. I cruised a few feet above the marsh grasses over acres of land only assessable by hip waders and hard work. I made a wide, slow turn to avoid disturbing the Sandhill cranes as they prepared to go to roost. They raised their head in curiosity wondering why I made so much noise doing something as simple as flying. The trike has a foot throttle and all you have to do to climb effortlessly over the trees is press down. Lift your toes and you settle back to the surface in a movement so graceful it's like waltzing. I spend an hour in the dance listening to the music in my head a long ways from the pressure of the day. I rolled onto the runway just after sunset and as I closed the hangar, I offered a thank you to Peter K for reminding me what it like.
Here's an update from Chris Danilko who has compiled the whereabouts of
our existing flock.
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WEEKLY TRACKING OF 2001-2004 BIRDS -42 birds in total 25 males,
17 females
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| Date: Week of Aug
21 - 27, 2005 |
| |
| Wisconsin Reintroduction
Area-32 birds |
| 101 |
202 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 102 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
| 105 |
204 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 201 |
306 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 203 |
317 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 205 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 208 |
313 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 209 |
302 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 211 |
217 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 212 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/402, 403, 412, 416 & 417 |
| 213 |
218 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 216 |
303 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 301* |
311 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 304 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 307** |
|
Wisconsin - 4 miles south of refuge |
| 310 |
|
|
Wisconsin
- observed w/313 |
| 318* |
|
|
Wisconsin - left the refuge Aug 23rd |
| 402 |
403 |
412 |
416 |
417 |
|
Wisconsin - w/212 |
| Southeastern
Wisconsin - 6 Birds |
| 107** |
|
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 312 |
316 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
| 415 |
|
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 419 |
420 |
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
|
Central Minnesota - 3 birds |
| 401 |
407 |
408 |
|
|
extensive movement - Central Minnesota Aug 25th |
| New
York -1 bird |
| 309 |
|
Aug 13: reported Lewis County, New York |
|
* retrieved
from Michigan
** nonfunctional transmitter |
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| Date: | August
29th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | John
Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Momentary
mixing of cohorts. |
|
Notes: Yesterday was a big day in the lives for several of the birds. Cohort #2
was flown from their west site home over to their new digs at the east site.
They'll spend a few days in a pen adjacent to their future Cohort #3 flock mates, so they can see one another and size each other up. As
soon as Cohort #3 catches up to the flying ability of the older birds, the barrier between the two pens will be taken down, and they will be one
big cohort. Over the years, the team handling the birds have discovered that
it's best to combine the three cohorts in the youngest group's territory. Since the older birds can potentially be more aggressive and
menacing, being in unfamiliar territory makes them less likely to beat up the younger birds. At the same time, it gives the younger birds a chance
to assert themselves and feel more comfortable, since they don't have to get used to a new place.
Right now, we have to train Cohort 2 and 3 separately, due to a big difference in flying ability. This morning I arrived with Angie Maxted
as my ground crew partner-in-crime, and pilot Brooke Pennypacker landed his trike to conduct the training. Brooke began with Cohort
3, and all birds did fairly well. Cohort 2 birds seemed nervous and excited in the
pen, as they could hear the trike and see the other birds following behind it as it circled around. On his final lap around the site,
crane number 520 (a female) landed in the marsh right behind the Cohort 2 side of the
pen. She stayed close, so Angie and I thought that it would be fine as long as we could see her and she
didn't fly off somewhere. Brooke decided that he was done training the cohort, so we opened the doors and
turned our backs on 520 to get the birds back into the pen. They had their typical dawdle time, where they played with the
trike, poked around in the grass, chased the adult Whoopers that had come in to partake in
the treats, etc., so it took several minutes before the six remaining cohort birds were back inside. Eventually, I counted seven birds instead
of six, so I wrongfully assumed that #520 had returned to the runway and was among her cohort-mates. Then one of the birds excitedly flapped its
wings and jumped up and down a bit inside the pen near the other birds. Since that happens
more often outside on the runway, I took a look to see who was so excited to be inside.
That's when I discovered 512, a male from Cohort 2 who had come through a gap in the fence that separated the
two pens, was this seventh bird amongst Cohort 3, which meant that 520 was still out there. I alerted Angie, and we tried to tell Brooke, but
sometimes during training real communication and understanding takes a beating from all the whispering and hand gestures that go on, and he
didn't know what we were saying. All he knew was that seven birds were in the pen like they were supposed to be.
So Brooke continued on towards the trike to ready it for the next group. Angie and I went into the Cohort
2 pen to get those birds out of the wet pen and ready to train. In the process, we found
520 right outside the Cohort 2 pen, and she didn't appear to be going anywhere. Meanwhile,
512 was still next door, hopefully making new friends. I made one last attempt to alert Brooke on the runway, but he started the
trike's engine and I knew that the Cohort 2 birds would be really excited. So I gave
up, Angie and I released the remaining seven birds of the cohort out on the runway, and Brooke took off.
520 was still right next to the pen and 512 was safe inside (albeit, in the wrong pen!), so I figured that I
didn't want to mess up Cohort 2's enthusiasm as long as we knew where everyone was and that they were safe. I would just make sure Brooke
understood the situation when he returned with the birds.
Cohort 2 trained very well, although 509 may be relapsing with his independent side again; he spent more time on the runway than following
Brooke in the trike. Brooke flew around with the remaining six birds for several minutes; those guys are really getting the hang of it! Angie and
I tried to radio him to alert him to 520's location, but he thought we were talking about
509 back on the runway, so we gave up until he got back. On his last approach,
520 attempted to follow and flew down to the end of the runway, but she stopped as Brooke and the other birds came
closer. I was glad that Brooke was finishing; 520 is a pretty good little flyer already, but
she's probably not ready to fly with Cohort 2. She wouldn't have been able to keep up!
Once the birds were back on the ground, pilots Joe Duff and Chris Gullikson landed on the runway (they had been up at the North site
training Cohort 1). Despite altercations between the young birds and the adult
Whoopers, it was decided to let all of the birds out onto the runway and give the two cohorts about ten minutes of social time. I
think that's the first time all year when I realized just how many birds we have. When I saw all 15 birds spill out of the pens and onto the
grass, I was admittedly a little overwhelmed, and I began counting them all immediately (and we still have six more birds to add to the mix from
Cohort #1 - WOW!). Talk about monster stimuli: there were also two adult Whooping Cranes, five costumed handlers and three trikes all on that
runway. Many of the birds were very excited. Two of the birds rose to the top of the aggression and being-a-jerk level: Cohort
2's 514 and Cohort 3's 524. These two males were seen biting and chasing other
birds, and when they encountered each other, they began to jump-rake. Jump-raking is an aggressive behavior where the cranes jump into the air
vertically and then kick out their feet to pummel their opponent or potential predator with their sharp claws. Not having experienced this
sensation first hand, other handlers who have had the pleasure insist it is quite painful. Then much to my personal delight,
512, who you may remember had missed out on his cohort's training session while he was
stuck with the younger birds in their pen, took off and flew in a big circle, landing back on the runway with the group. I was glad that he
was able to take off, stretch his wings and get a little exercise. Also, I was REALLY glad when no one else followed him! Also, meek and mild
little girl 519 doesn't put up with any garbage from those adult Whoopers. She chased them repeatedly on the runway, as she often does.
After the ten minutes-or-so expired, we set about getting both groups back in their correct pens. The entire process took about fifteen
minutes, but we eventually got the two groups sorted out and back with their normal gang. If
there's one thing I learned from my first morning of training two cohorts separately at the same site,
it's that things are not always as they seem.
|
| Date: | August
26th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | A scare with
505. |
|
Notes: Well, once a week still seems to be as often as I can make myself do this.
A lot has happened since last week. Staff have been coming and going. Brooke, Joe, and Robert have all joined us this week. Richard left and
John took a short four-day break. Just like last week we have been able to train most days and the birds are doing well. I believe Chris (our
fledgling pilot) wrote an update about his training this week and his first real flights with the chicks. It is real nice to see his enthusiasm
and love for the birds. Chris is a good pilot and so far a natural in the costume with the birds.
The big chore of the week has been mowing and maintenance of the pens. I always say this is the most fun we get to have with the birds and it
really is. This week I have been helping get the birds to their hiding place and then sneaking back to the pen to help. I have been weed-eating
mainly. What would normally be a typical lawn care chore gets a little more complicated out in the marsh. Wading through calf-deep mud and waist-deep water is made especially fun with the cumbersome
combustion-spinning-blade toy in hand. We are also always looking over our shoulders expecting the chicks to come flying back to the runway.
One funny thing for me this week was at west site where Cohort Two is. Getting the chicks to the hiding hole was refreshingly easy after the
disaster we had last time. On my way back to the pen I signaled the mowers to come on in and then looked to see one of the adult birds right
in front of the open gate. I could also hear it calling and looking into the pen. Then I heard the feeder knocking inside and knew that one of
those lazy bums was in there gobbling down the food. Sure enough as I approached and ran off the male I found the female just gorging herself.
Her back was to me and she had not noticed my arrival so I thought I would take the opportunity to run her out of the pen. We do NOT want our
"wild"
adult birds eating out of feeders. I went in and tried to make a big impression but after the initial startling she just looked at me. She
acted like she was going to start eating again right in front of me so I ran her out of the pen. Anything for a free meal I guess... can't say I'm
much different.
Today we had a scare after the mowing at the north site was finished. John, Angie, and I lead Cohort One back from the very nice marsh hiding
spot. I had 505 with me the whole way and once we got to the runway I saw a goose feather and decided to get the birds playing with it. I picked it
up with the puppet and let the wind have it. Sure enough 505 got excited and ran and jumped over as if to pounce on it (all too typical, really).
It went bad as the bird came down and was hobbling and not putting weight on one leg. He was struggling real hard not to fall over and yet not put
even the slightest weight on it as he landed. After a quick once over we got the other birds into the pen and sent John for backup and a crate just
in case. Angie and I checked him over and he appeared to be putting more and more pressure on it. I went in and got the pen ready to be able to
separate him from the rest of the birds and by the time I came back out he walked right into the pen with only a limp. We are giving him some pain
killers but he appears to have just landed funny and tweaked something. We will keep a close eye on him, which is usually all we can do really.
|
| Date: | August
24th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Chris Gullikson |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | First Flight |
|
Notes: As the new pilot in training, I have had many first-time experiences since arriving here in June. The first time I put on the white crane costume, the first time visiting the new arrivals at the north site, the first time I taxi-trained the chicks behind the wingless ultralight, and the first time I had cranes fly with me in ground effect. These were all memorable experiences that will stay with me for a lifetime, but yesterday I got to experience the ultimate first, the one I have been dreaming about for years. I shared the air with six young Whooping Cranes on my wing.
(See photo)
For the last week I have been flying behind Richard or Joe as they train the oldest cohort from the north site. This chase position gives me an excellent view of how the birds and ultralight interact with each other, and it also allows the cranes to get used to another trike being in the air with them. As the chase pilot, my job is to hang back and
fly slightly higher than the lead trike and observe what is happening. When the lead pilot turns, I keep to the outside of the turn to discourage the cranes from taking a shortcut and trying to fly towards me. I am also there to pick up any birds that happen to leave the lead trike. It was inevitable that I would be flying with cranes soon...
Yesterday, Joe took off with 6 birds in tow and I pulled into the chase position while the cranes formed up beautifully on Joe's wing, 3 on each side and riding the wave of air generated from the wing.
(See photo) We flew northeast into a slight headwind and headed out over a heavily wooded area. The birds were flying very well this morning in the chilly air and Joe was able to get them a couple hundred feet off the ground. Everything was going very well until we approached a highway north of Necedah. One bird broke off Joe's wing and decided to head back to the refuge. A couple other birds initially followed the first bird but then decided to stay with the trike.
They lost the benefit of the wing's vortex and were working hard to catch back up to Joe. These two birds then decided that they would head back to the refuge after all and again broke
away from Joe's trike and flew back to the southwest. Joe gave me the go ahead to pick up the birds so I veered off
to the south and was able to get a lone bird on my left wing quite quickly. This bird formed up on my wingtip quite nicely and we continued southwest to chase down the 2 birds who were flying together. Within a few minutes I was able to catch up to these two wayward birds and,
as I passed them to their right, they eagerly joined up on my left wing.
Joe instructed me over the radio to turn them away from the pen and head back north, we don't need these birds to think they can go back home whenever they want to. I must admit I was not exactly sure which way north was at this point. I had 3 huge birds on my wing and I was too busy trying to figure out how fast I needed to fly to keep them comfortably on my wingtip. Too slow and they would begin to fly out ahead of me, too fast and they would be working too hard to stay with me. I sort of figured it out after a few minutes and was able to get re-oriented with my location. We were headed west and were already past the north site. I was beginning to feel somewhat comfortable flying with 3 birds when Joe called out over the radio to turn south and he would hand off his 3 birds to me. With a mixture of excitement and anxiety, I slowly turned south and Joe moved in on my left with his 3 birds, slowly pulling up even with me. I got to experience a perfect handoff as Joe pulled sharply up and over the top of me, while his 3 birds moved in to join up with me.
I now had 4 birds on my left, and one on my right, the 6th bird was nowhere to be seen. Oh wait, there he is, below and behind me to my left and working hard to keep up. The costumed helmet we wear really limits our peripheral vision making it difficult to see behind the trike. Joe instructed me to lead them back to the pen and I could see that they were starting to tire. They were loosing altitude and I had to compensate, dropping down and flying just 20 feet off the deck, maneuvering around the lone trees out on the wetlands of the Necedah Refuge. I could not see the north pen site from this altitude but I knew I was flying in the general direction and that I should be coming up to it soon. I cleared a line of trees and had the pen just to my southeast, although I was not lined up on the runway at all. I turned east to fly a pattern to land on the west runway. Joe informed me one bird left my wing and he moved in to pick it up. I swung around to the west and
set up for a landing, my 5 birds still hanging with me. Wait, Joe's bird just broke off and was headed for the field, on a collision course with my trike! I powered up and popped up over the top of this bird, passing just a few feet over it's massive wings. I did a 180-degree circle 10
feet off the deck and set up for a landing back to the east, my 5 birds still on the wing. I touched down and rolled up to the pen, watching these magnificent birds gracefully step out of the sky on either side of my wing.
I wanted to pump my fist in the air and give a shout of joy, but I don't think that would have gone over very well with the cranes and handlers. Instead I casually got out of the trike, grabbed my puppet head and spread out a few mealworms for the birds which they gladly ate. Joe landed with the bird which had cut me off and taxied up to the pen. Mark and Angie opened up the pen doors and we led the birds back into their pen for the day. Just another normal day of training for the others, but one that will always be a memorable day for me.
|
| Date: | August
24th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Angie Maxted,
DVM |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Mowing |
|
Notes: With the recent rains here at Necedah, the grass has been growing rapidly on the runways and inside the bird pens at all of the sites. Yesterday afternoon the crew tackled the mowing job at
Site East, where the youngest birds are housed. In order to get the job done we have to get the birds out of the area, then we can bring in the mowers and weed-eaters. Mark, Robert Doyle of Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center, and I led the birds down the length of the runway (actually, most of them flew to the end of the runway after flying in circles for a bit), then we walked them through an area of high grass, over a small rise, and down to the edge of the water, out of sight of the pen site and the runway. We didn't have any problems getting the birds to follow us through the grass, but I was told that it was not as high as it had been in years past because the area had been burned recently as part of the habitat management cycle here on the refuge. Five of the birds hesitated for a bit at a downed, burned tree trunk, even though any one of them could have flown right over it. As their handlers got further away though, the birds figured it out and caught up with us.
After getting the birds to the water, Mark went back to assist Joe and Chris with the mowing, and Robert and I set out to keep an eye on the 7 crane chicks for the better part of 2 hours.
(see photos) We included the usual foraging and following practice, but for the most part allowed the birds to entertain themselves and each other.
524 took a nice long bath in the cool water, and one of the birds found the rear half of a dead mouse and had a great time throwing it around and playing with it. Two of the chicks engaged in some jump-and-flap play near Robert, and one of them actually bounced off of his chest with both feet. It's sometimes hard on this job to refrain from laughing out loud while in costume, but we somehow managed to hold to our vow of silence.
After 2 hours, I got the message from Mark that the site was all clear and we could bring the birds back. Robert and I led them back the way we came but avoided the log that tripped them up on the way out. When we got back on the runway, the cranes kept stopping to forage on the insects that the mowers had stirred up. They also resisted going back into the pen, which they have been doing a lot lately. But we eventually got all the birds back in, and are now looking forward to repeating the process when we mow the other 2 sites either today or tomorrow.
|
| Date: | August
18th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Training
update |
|
Notes: Rain, rain, rain... and it looks like it will continue tomorrow. It's
OK, though, because we need every drop. No training this morning also meant
some much-needed sleep for the whole crew. We have had a good run up until
now, with this being the first day down in over two weeks. The birds have been
progressing well with all this practice, of course.
The birds in Cohort One are all flying very well for twenty minutes at a whack.
#505 in this group has been quite a pain the last few days, however. Starting about
five days ago, he started not wanting to come out of the pen. That day he did go out easily once the plane was gone. This has continued each
morning until yesterday, when he was a total nut-weed and refused to come near the door. The poor thing was terrified of me in
my costume and of the
trike every time it would fly by the pen. I spent the training time trying to just make friends with him and slowly got up by the gate. Then,
while the plane was just landing after a short flight with the others, I got him out the door. As soon as he was out the gate
he acted perfectly normal and flew wonderfully with the trike. Afterward,
when it was time to come back in, he came right in on his own and went straight back to the wet-pen
like nothing ever happened. It beats me; we will just have to see what happens
tomorrow. The adults have also been hanging out near the pen, but they cause little interference.
The youngest birds are pictured training with newbie Chris Gullikson in
the trike. If you look closely, you can see that the adults are running
right along with the chicks (see photo). The adults at this site are quite a
nuisance. They stay in the way as much as possible throughout most of the training. Chris has been training Cohort Three for the last week or so
and both pilot and birds have been doing very well. Chris seems to pick it all up quite naturally. Now that the birds in this group are all flying,
Richard van Heuvelen has taken over and Chris has been acting as the handler so we can
train all three sites a little easier in the morning.
Cohort Two is doing much better and has overcome a major obstacle. We have been going
into the pen, before the planes arrive, and leading all the birds into the dry-pen. This was to deal with the problems we were
having with birds not coming out. For the last week, luckily, we have been able to just let them out as we would normally. These birds are flying
well too; they just aren't all at the same level. Just yesterday, however,
all eight birds came out of the pen well and had a good flight together with the trike. We have tried, and may need to continue trying, to train
these birds in two separate groups. The birds are split about half and
half as far as flight ability goes.
|
| Date: | August
16th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Operation
Migration Headquarters, Port Perry, ON |
| Activity: | Flock
location update |
|
Considering that they fly 1,200
miles almost non-stop twice a year, the cranes certainly become sedentary
during the off-season. Dr. Richard Urbanek of the Tracking Team
reports on the older cranes once a week and the location of each bird almost
always begins with the words, "Remained on or near their territory". Of
the 43 birds previously released into the wild, 30 are roosting on the
Necedah Refuge regularly.
Below is a Chart developed by
Operation Migration's office manager, Chris Danilko.
|
WEEKLY TRACKING OF 2001-2004 BIRDS -42 birds in total 25 males,
17 females
|
| Date: Week of Aug 7 - 13, 2005 |
| |
| Wisconsin Reintroduction Area-35 birds |
| 101 |
202 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 102 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
| 105 |
204 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 201 |
306 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 203 |
317 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 205 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/318, 401, 407, 408 |
| 208 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/313 or w/401, 407, 408 |
| 209 |
302 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 211 |
217 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 212 |
|
Wisconsin - challenged 205 & 208 |
| 213 |
218 |
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 216 |
303 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 301* |
311 |
|
Wisconsin - wandering around |
| 304 |
|
Wisconsin |
| 307 |
|
Wisconsin - last seen Aug 4th
w/402, 403, 412, 416 & 417 |
| 310 |
|
|
Wisconsin
- observed w/313 |
| 313 |
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/208 or 310 |
| 318* |
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/401, 407 & 408 |
| 401 |
407 |
408 |
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/318 |
| 402 |
403 |
412 |
416 |
417 |
|
Wisconsin |
| Southeastern
Wisconsin - 6 Birds |
| 107 |
|
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 312 |
316 |
|
|
Wisconsin |
| 415 |
|
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| 419 |
420 |
|
|
Wisconsin - observed w/sandhills |
| New
York -1 bird |
| 309 |
|
Aug 11 & 12: reported Lewis
County, New York |
|
| * retrieved
from Michigan |
Number 309, the last of the famous
Michigan 8, (formally of Ontario, last know address: Vermont), has been
spotted in Lewis County, NY. She appears to be using agriculture fields for
foraging and is roosting nearby. The transmitter on this birds is not
functioning and the Tacking Team are interested in collecting it for
replacement and to return the bird to Necedah in an attempt to re-orient her
before migration. This, however, is a large undertaking, the success of
which is based on many factors, including the distance she will have to be
transported. Her location was reported by a number of birders and has been
posted, with exact directions, on a number of birding sites. The listing
did, however, encourage caution and promoted good birding etiquette. There
is no question that this bird is lost to the others and, in order to give
her a good chance of passing on her genetic material, needs to be collected
and returned to the main group. Also, the attention she seems to generate
wherever she turns up is good reason to bring her home.
The Tracking Team is also monitoring
number 107, (this is the bird that moved to Horicon Marsh her first season
back in Wisconsin and has summered Horicon Marsh ever since). Unfortunately,
the Horicon Marsh area is suffering from a botulism outbreak and over 3,000
birds have died. Number 107 still appears to be healthy and, so far, is in
an area that was not too badly hit - but the team is nervous. Plans are
underway to move her back to Necedah. She has been there before so she knows
the way. She may turn around a go right back, but it will be a good learning
experience for us and her.
I am back in Ontario now and will be
heading for Wisconsin next week. Mark sends me updates to keep me in the
loop while I am busy trying to raise funds and I thought I would share this
update with you. Each week the birds must receive
medication prescribed by the Health Team. As Angie Maxted reported in an
earlier update, this powder is stuffed into the body cavity of a smelt but
some often sticks to the outside. It has a taste cranes don't like and
they are soon wise to our ulterior motives. This problem piqued the interest
of everyone involved and there has been an ongoing evolution of ideas. Mark
sent me the latest with photos. The most amusing part is that they are
perfectly serious:
"We
have tried a new technique for getting the fish ready for meds. Richard
van Heuvelen took a frozen fish and drilled a hole into it. As the photos
show, it basically turned the insides of the fish into a horrible goo."
- Mark Nipper
|
| Date: | August
16th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | John Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Waiting |
|
Notes: There are many moments of fast-paced excitement here at Necedah: tracking
wayward birds in the thick forest, watching birds take off following the trike on shaky new wings, giving each bird their medicated smelt while at
the same time keeping the others away, etc. All of these events require
quick thinking and good reflexes, things that, thankfully, the team here possesses.
And then there are those times when the action is not so thrilling. Take this morning's training session, for example. The pilots, (Richard
van Heuvelen and Chris Gullikson), decided to train the North site birds first,
then the West site, and then the East. I arrived at the North site ready to release the birds as soon as the pilots arrived. However, when I got
there I quickly noticed the thick blanket of fog that was surrounding both the North and the West sites. With a sigh and a roll of the eyes, I
put on my costume and headed for the runway, waiting to hear the sure-to-come postponement of the training session from the pilots over
the walkie-talkie I was carrying. As soon as I reached the runway, the pilots announced that because the East site was clear, they were both
going to stop and train there first, and then continue on to the other two when the fog had dissipated. This left Mark Nipper and Angie Maxted
sitting at the West site with nothing to do but go back to sleep in the feed
shed. As for myself, I was left standing on the runway at the North site.
I waited... I watched adults #101 and #202 forage their way by me on the edge of the runway
(see photo)... I waited... And I waited some more... I heard some geese
calling in the distance... More waiting... I stared down a mosquito hovering
outside my visor... I bent down to give my tired lower back muscles a stretch... I saw a deer appear on the far end of the runway
(see photo)... Still waiting...
A Downy Woodpecker flew over... waiting, waiting, waiting... I fiddled with my helmet position in order to reduce the amount of fog inside the visor
from my exhaling... I daydreamed about life, about what I would do if I had a little free time today, and I thought about a funny dream that I had
last night... and, oh yeah, I was STILL WAITING!!!
Finally, after about an hour of standing on that runway, the fog finally cleared enough so that the birds could be led safely around the refuge
through the air. The fog has really been a challenge to us lately. We'll wake up to a beautiful, calm morning, only to find the fog is
centered directly over our pen sites and runways once we have already
arrived out there. It really isn't a big deal; it's just one of those little
things that can feel like an annoyance sometimes. We could be done with AM training in half the time if it weren't for the fog. At least we can
still have training, though, once the fog clears. I guess we all need times like that in our busy schedules where we can just stand there to
think and observe our surroundings. Also, it sure makes the actual training part that much more exciting after standing around for an hour!
Note from Joe Duff: This is the first season for John and he is experiencing the frustration we have all felt. Just wait until we get him on migration.
|
| Date: | August
15th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Richard van
Heuvelen |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Training
Update |
Notes: The last few days have been very busy. With the events of July 11th
still in our heads, we were eager to train and get things back to normal,
whatever that is. Friday, however, ended up a bust and we were only able to
train at the south site, and even had to cut
that short as the wind picked up.
Saturday was much better and we were able to train at all three sites. We
decided to train at the west site first. The usual take-off occurred
with 508, 509 and 510 following the trike 'round and 'round the pen site
while most of the other chicks flew from end to end of the runway. Number
516 following well but landed, once again, in the swamp at the end of the
first circuit.
At the north site, number 505 was slow to come out of the pen so we took off
with out it. After circling around to group the birds up on the wing, Mark
got number 505 out and scared it into the air as the rest of us flew by. It
joined in eagerly and all continued to fly with the trike as if Thursday had
never happened. The chicks seemed slightly nervous when flying over the
trees but still followed wherever the trike went.
At the south site all the chicks came out
eagerly, flying into the wind, with most going beyond the end of the runway.
A couple of them then circled back around with the trike. All in all, a good
morning without too much stress and a minimum of exercise for the ground
crew, (who all came back to camp hungry anyway).
|
| Date: | August
12th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Another view
of 506's disappearance |
|
Notes: Well, it has been a while since I sent an update in. Yesterday we had such a big day that it is going to take
both Richard Van Heuvelen (RVH) and myself to talk about it. The weather was good except for a very low ceiling. John Thomton (JT) released Cohort One to RVH and everything was going great. They made a great flight all around the main pools of the refuge and then even out towards the highway. I believe that RVH told the story of the flight so I will pick up towards the end. Now we don't know exactly what happened, but this is what we think.
Around 0600 the birds were heading back to the refuge after being spooked by the traffic and they had to cross over the Ducks Unlimited (DU) wetlands. After this there is a set of woods between them and the Rynearson pools where our pens are. Well
, poor little 506 just couldn't get the altitude and speed to keep up with the trike and went down in the woods. RVH told me that he was looking at the bird one second and the next it was just gone right as he should have been over the treetops. The potential for injury here is obviously quite high. It brought back images of birds from 2002 that hit trees in Sauk
County, WI, during migration. They were all scratched up and a little cut up but fine for the most part.
So as RVH was heading back to the North Site with the rest of the birds, Angie Maxted (AM) and I learned what was going on and headed out to see what could be seen. After some frantic driving, and circling from RVH in the air, we gave up all hopes that the bird would just be out in the open and easy to find. Of course you would be surprised how easy it is for a five foot tall
bird to disappear, even in the open. Even when the birds are adults and are stark white they can be pretty sneaky. RVH let AM and I know where he had been flying so we went back to camp and got the capture gear: crate, first aid kit, and bull horn speaker for the vocalizer, waders, treats, binoculars, and GPS. We spent the next
45 minutes or so wandering around in the woods. JT stayed at the north site
pen in the hopes that the bird might return.
We gave up and all four of us regrouped at camp. RVH had analyzed his flight plan, we developed our search plan, and the four of us headed out to the
woods. Unfortunately I didn't think of asking the tracking staff to help
'til we were already thoroughly wandering and mostly lost in the middle of the forest. We tried the best we could to line up and walk through like a real search party would, but when you are in costume and have no good way to communicate it is easy to lose each other. We regrouped several times but ended up separated and scattered all over. RVH and I eventually made it separately to the wetlands we were looking for while JT and AM found each other and brought the vehicles around.
Well, what could have been a really cool and beautiful hike through some really great woods on the Necedah NWR, turned into an extremely grueling and fruitless march. We were all soaked and hurt in one way or another. The strap on the bull horn had come loose and ended
up snapping the wire so we were in rough shape. After another quick pow-wow we split up to check on the other two cohorts and RVH headed back to the airport. On his way there, RVH discovered JT trying to get into the locked OM Blue Truck, since the Blazer he had been driving wouldn't start, and lay dormant near the Observation Tower where he
had been scanning the area with binoculars. Thankfully, RVH directed JT to the spare key, and JT had a vehicle for the search once again. RVH then came back to search from the air despite the rain and rough winds that had set
in. We were quickly losing hope as I wandered around the DU Unit with the jimmy-rigged bullhorn and RVH circled in the air. I was becoming sure that the bird had hit a tree and was injured and unable to respond somewhere on the forest floor and it would take a small army to find it. A further problem is that
506 has had respiratory trouble. This not only makes it a little weaker but has also affected its peeping ability. A good way to find a bird is to play your vocalizer and then turn it off to listen for the chick to answer. It was looking pretty bleak
and the rain was only getting heavier.
You can probably guess what I am leading up to. Suddenly RVH comes over the radio yelling that he has the bird in the air and it is heading right for the wing. I don't think I can repeat his exact words but he was definitely happy. The bird followed for a short distance then made its way over to another wetland on the refuge and landed. RVH pulled off a daredevil landing on a dike and joined the bird. I, being stranded in the middle of the wetland with no vehicle, began to call JT and AM make sure they were on their way to RVH and the bird. They arrived to discover the bird in perfect shape and mood. They got
506 in the crate and back to the pen. I had run most of the way over to where they were and was so tired I was hardly
any help. So the happy ending is that bird was perfectly fine and remains so today after being lost for about six hours in the woods just South of the refuge headquarters...
Where was the bird this whole time? Well, Bobbie Hjelmgren (one of the refuge staff) spotted
506 walking down Headquarters Rd (the main entrance to the refuge)! This was shortly before RVH
flew over, so it must have gotten in the air from there. We think that the bird was in the woods and that we must have just missed it. It eventually found a lovely clearing with nice foraging along a road that we had driven back and forth on at least ten times and within ten minutes of RVH spotting it. We were all quite happy and celebrated
by eating lunch and sleeping the rest of the day.
|
| Date: | August
11th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Richard van
Heuvelen |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | 506 on the
loose |
|
Notes: Today began with overcast conditions, and rain in the forecast for
later in the morning. Since we didn't train yesterday we decided to start as
soon as possible. With a low ceiling, I approached the north site anticipating a
long morning as there was only one pilot to train birds at all three sites. John got
there at the same time and went about stuffing the Swamp Monster (a
camo tarp) under his costume. This was a ridiculous, humorous and somewhat
troubling sight in the gray morning.
The chicks were released but number 505 would not come out. So, waiting
patiently as John finally coaxed him
out, we were able to take off. And what a great way to start the day - all
the chicks flew away with the aircraft in perfect formation: three on one
wing and three on the other, all riding the wake of the wing within a few
minutes of take off. This was too easy! Off we went, and I had a tune in my
head: "The Piano Man." The chicks, God knows, were
diggin' this flight!
Three days previous, on August 8th, when we took off, number 505 would not
leave until scared off by the Swamp Monster and, after a few minutes,
number 506 joined 505 and the two of them went back to the pen. After training
the other four birds, and getting them back into the pen, we decided to
have another go with 505 and 506. This time I managed to get them to go
and we flew over to Williams Field, (a plot of land that Harold
Carter of the Necedah refuge had generously mowed and rolled flat for
us) where the chicks were fed smelt and grapes. You would think they
were royalty the way they expected these treats. After their small feast
we flew out over Rynearson Pool 2 at which time number 506 decided to go
back to the pen. While I lead them back, number 506 landed but 505 wanted to
keep going, so off we went with number 505 struggling to get on the wing.
After a few minutes, 505 got the hang of it and we went on a tour of the
refuge. On the way back to the pen 505 suddenly went down and, to my
amazement,
landed next to one of the previous years' adults. A very concerned pilot
made a quick turn and flew by the confused chick at which time the adult
attacked the chick, and the chick flew up and got on the wing as if
nothing had happened. A deeply relieved pilot, and I'm sure chick, made
there way back to the pen.
The following day, all six chicks took off simultaneously and
followed the trike for about fifteen minutes. 505 and 506 struggled at
first but eventually found their place in the line-up. All-in-all, a good
morning.
So you can see my high expectations for today, flying at about three
hundred feet, I figured we could fly about ten minutes into the wind and
have an easy flight back. I was in the middle of a pilot's worst
scenario - pilot complacency. Suddenly we were over the highway,
(which the
chicks had never seen before), and we were all very nervous. We made a
left turn to go back, but, as we were going back over the highway, the
chicks scattered. I managed to get four of them on the wing but the other
two went low. Flying the trike down, I attempted to pick them up, but they
would have none of it. Already flying at tree-top level, there was no room to get
lower. Veering around a pine tree sticking out of the forest, I looked back
and could only see one chick. Looking around, I finally saw the other four still
up high, but no sight of the sixth one. We headed back with four on the
wing and one down low, and an idea of where to look for the lost bird
later. Five in the hand is better than one in the bush.
We struggled back with the lone bird still low, just over the water,
weaving around obstacles, the other four still on the wing. As we neared
the pen, it was looking like we would have to find two chicks. After
landing with
the four and getting out of the trike to put them in the pen, we were
relieved to look up and see that 505 had arrived, breathing hard, but he had made it. So, with John's help, we put
the five birds away.
Heading back to find 506, I contacted Mark and Angie
who were waiting patiently at the west site. They would search on the
ground as I looked from the air. With much frustration and weaving back
and fourth over the area where the chick had last been seen, we found
nothing. After two hours of flying we decided to fly a track were I had
flown the first time to establish a new track on my GPS unit, the first
one had to be criss-crossed to be of any use. I would land, put
the trike away, get together with the ground crew and do a ground search.
The plan was to spread out in a scrimmage line and back-track using the GPS.
It sounded like an excellent plan! It was not to be. We spent another two hours
hiking
through the woods and swamp, Mark ending up on Headquarters Road with a
broken loud haler, John and Angie lost, and ended up back at the
Annex Building. Heading back to join the crew and rethink this, while checking out the
odd clearing, it was looking a little grim for 506's
future. John
went to the pen to see if had flown back. It had not. Angie went to the
Ducks Unlimited (DU) area of the refuge to see what she could find, and
Mark was still in the woods.
Meeting up with the crew, we decided to drive out on the DU dike. When
we did not see the bird, it was decided to leave Mark out there in costume with
the hastily repaired loud haler. We hoped the bird would hear it and come to
him. Meanwhile, I would get airborne again and have another look.
On the way to the airport it began to rain. It wasn't that hard, I
convinced myself on take-off. Flying over the area in a pattern back and
forth, still not seeing anything, with bad weather closing in, things were
not looking good. I extended the pattern across Headquarters Road and over
Suk-Cerney
Pool, then back again. And it was there that, to my great surprise, I
saw number 506
trying to catch up to the trike! I announced this excitedly over the radio
to the ground crew. But 506 gave up and turned away, probably just as
frustrated as we are. Turning the trike in hot pursuit, I attempted to take
the lead. 506 landed on the Suk-Cerney
dike. I told the ground
crew over the radio were it was. Only Mark heard me because the other radio
is dead, but he was in the middle of the DU area without a vehicle so he
called Angie on the phone to let her know were to go. Meanwhile, number 506
was nervous and wanting to go back in the brush so I landed the trike on the
dike. 506 flew to the trike, but was a little stand-off-ish. Angie
arrived and we lead it down the dike to put it in a crate. Angie, John,
and Mark drove it back to the pen. I headed off down the dike
to the trike and took off in the rain.
On the way back from the airport, I received a call from the crew
that 506 is fine and not injured. It is now one o'clock, (506
did his unscheduled landing just after six thirty). To give credit
where credit
is due, upon arriving at the Annex I found the crew in a great mood, though
hungry, even after seven hours of non-stop searching.
|
| Date: | August
10th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Mark Nipper, Angie Maxted,
D.V.M., and John
Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Chick update |
|
Notes: This morning's training
session was canceled due to windy and rainy weather. However, I can't say
that I heard one person complain about it; occasionally, it feels really
good to go back to bed at 5:30 AM and sleep until 8:00! I'm sure the
cranes think so, too.
Because of the rain, we had to go out mid-morning to
check on the chicks and to change the food that had gotten wet in the storm.
John went out to the East site where the third cohort of birds is living. He
found the birds all in good spirits, and they ran right up to him and began
pecking at his costume. John noted the chronic deep peep that #523 has had
since he was a small chick. Also, he noted #526 act aggressively towards
#520. This behavior is normal in every cohort as the cranes work out who is
the most dominant among them. Otherwise, all seemed perfectly normal at the
East site.
Mark and Angie went out to the West and North sites. #516 at the
West site has had a possible foot injury for the last few days. He has had a
pain killer (Piroxicam) prescribed to improve his comfort. He took his
medicine readily and without incident. #505 in the North site was very cute,
coming up to the handlers and seeking attention. #506 sounded very good;
this bird has had periodic respiratory issues since he arrived at Necedah.
His normal-sounding peep was very encouraging today.
We've had to say good-bye to a lot of good folks today. Brooke Pennypacker went home to
Virginia for a couple of weeks. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center's
Charlie Shafer had to return to Maryland today, as did Dan Sprague, (Dan was
here at
Necedah for one night to bring a lot of crane food from Patuxent). Also, Tim,
one of the interns from the tracking team, had to head back to his native
South Carolina this morning. We'll all miss his southern charm and
cooking! We can't think of a bigger South Carolina cheerleader! Man, he
loves that place!!
|
| Date: | August
8th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Introductions
to the 2005 migration crew |
|
Notes: Working with Whooping cranes in the field at Necedah is more of a calling than a job and it is not so much the efficiency with which the OM team tackles the hard work and long
hours as their attitude. If extra effort will benefit a bird, or lessen the chance of injury, then it is undertaken without question. If the crew needs to be up at 4:30 in the morning for early training, they begin to gather in the dark at 20
minutes to four. Four hours in full costume in sweltering heat is normal activity and no one complains. If the welfare of the birds depends
on low flying over rough terrain in frigid temperatures,
there is no need to draw straws. But ask them to write and update for the website and all you will get are good intentions. After daily training there are always stories and we are eager to exchange them as we drive back to the camp,
but taking the time to record them on the computer and hit the send button somehow slows the process to a trickle. This year, however, they have agreed to make an effort and the results have brought accolades from many of you.
You may have noticed the many names now listed as reporters of the field updates and I thought I should introduce them. We are too small an organization with too little funding to pay staff
year-round, and each season I pray we can convince the crew to return and work with us
again. It works to our advantage that migration becomes as instinctive in our field team as it is in the birds and I guess it is this excitement that brings them back.
It is obviously not the money.
Richard Van Heuvelen
I have known Richard Van Heuvelen for over 15 years. He has worked with Bill Lishman since leaving school and learned to mould and form solid metal the way you and I would shape silly putty. He is a master sculptor in his own right with an impressive portfolio. I have learned over the years that if it is broken he can fix it and if it doesn't exist he can create it. During Bill Lishman's early years he taught himself to fly hang gliders and that inevitably resulted in a lot of repairs to delicate wings. Up until we began to fly trikes, Richard thought flying was foolhardy and avoided it at all cost. Once he realized that modern ultralights are safe and reliable, he took to the air with the rest of us. Richard has participated in every migration from the very beginning, first as master mechanic and later as head of the ground crew. He became an experienced trike pilot and was available to fill in when one of us was sick. There is perfection in everything Richard does and in 2002 we asked him to become a lead pilot. Richard has a working knowledge of every aspect of this study and a great understanding of birds and how they behave. Without him we would be lost.
Brooke Pennypacker
Brooke Pennypacker has a colourful history and once built a raft to drift down the Mississippi while reading Huckleberry Finn. He is also a skilled diver and worked on the oil rigs off the coast of Scotland. He lived underwater in a diving chamber for weeks at a time breathing helium until the squeaky voices began to sound normal. Brooke has an easy
humor and tells captivating stories that teach us more about his history with every tale. He has worked as a prospector, a fire fighter,
and an aircraft salvage technician. He had something to do with hydro electric generators and dams and owned a boat in the Caribbean until the hurricanes last year. He works with Environmental Studies at Airlie in Virginia when he is not with us. He joined us in 2003 after learning to fly with birds while teaching Trumpeter Swans to migrate. Brooke has an easy charm and a long list of nicknames that speaks of his likeable nature. He starts every morning with a list of jobs he wants to accomplish and when he disappears for hours at a time you find projects completed that you were just beginning to contemplate.
Mark Nipper
This is Mark Nipper's fourth season with OM. He began as an intern making $15 per day plus his room and board. Over the years we watched him evolve from awkward adolescent to a confident adult. A well rounded training team consists of pilots experienced in our teaching methods and aviculturists able to spot health concerns early. Mark has had the benefit of all the talents that exist at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the International Crane Foundation and has become an expert bird handler. He has also been involved in the training from the beginning and knows the protocol as well as any of us. Mark's season begins at Patuxent before the chicks are hatched and he works with them daily. He follows the last cohort to Necedah in early July and spends his summer as Supervisor of Field Operations. He is responsible for the birds and their welfare until the migration is complete and they are safely in Florida. Mark then joins the winter monitoring team and assists the tracking team until it is time to hatch a new generation of chicks. All tallied, he spends more time with the birds than anyone.
Mark's good nature, quick humor and charm make him welcome at the facilities of all of our partners.
Chris Gullikson
Chris is our new pilot this season. When he met us last year on the migration he expressed interest in flying with us and I spent considerable time trying to dissuade him. I warned him about the long hours and tight accommodations and told him that once we had trained him we would want him back year after year. But he didn't listen and we are very glad of it. Chris is an experienced trike instructor but
is not above taking lessons from us. Some people have a natural way with birds. They instinctively know when to crouch to appear less intimidating or when to stand tall. They somehow understand how to read a
bird's intentions, anticipate its fears or predict its behavior. Chris has that talent and already he moves around the pen like a practiced handler. He has yet to fly with birds but we are sure he will take it in stride. I expected he would be of great use to us next season but I may have underestimated his adaptability. He is also
an experienced electronics technician and runs storm watch tours on the side so he has become our weather consultant.
Angie Maxted, DVM
Angie Maxted, DVM, is a full fledged veterinarian but she has ambitions to further her education and eventually get involved in research. Each year we hire two interns to help with the training and care of the birds but we never expected to be paying subsistence wages to
a certified vet. Knowing we have the best care available right on staff adds greatly to the team's confidence and Angie's warm smile and easy temperament adds to the camaraderie.
John Thomton
John Thomton is our other intern and he joined the team when the birds were still at Patuxent. He is only a few miles from his home town of Chicago and a great addition to the crew. His has a gentle manner and is quietly eager to help at any task. John is the first to step in and before you know it, the job is accomplished. He has a true appreciation for the birds and always has their welfare in mind. On top of all that, he's a pretty good cook.
Robert Doyle
Robert Doyle works for the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland but spent most of the summer with us in Necedah. There is hardly a moment when Robert is not smiling and never a time when he is in a bad mood. He was born in Papua, New Guinea, and ran a plantation before coming to America to work with birds. By far the most fun you can have in camp is watching Robert relate a funny story. He laughs so hard in the process he can hardly get the punch line out. He has us all in
stitches and we haven't a clue what he is talking about.
Charlie Shaffer
Charlie Shaffer is also from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and joined us a few weeks ago. He will also spend time with us during the migration. Charlie is one of those quiet, unassuming guys that allows you
to prattle on about something you know little about until you realize that, by comparison, he is an expert on the subject. He is efficient, congenial and always in a pleasant mood.
If you tired to describe our team in one sentence the result would be a long list of disjointed superlatives beginning with eclectic. We have among us a deep sea diver and professional photographer, metal sculptors and storm chaser; we have a veterinarian and a plantation farmer. There are Canadians, Australians, Russians and Americans from every corner of the United States but they're all here for one reason.
|
| Date: | August
6th, 2005 |
| Reporter: | John Thomton |
| Location: | Necedah National Wildlife Refuge |
| Activity: | Frustration
during training turns to progress. |
|
Notes: It's been an interesting few days here in central Wisconsin! I have been primarily working at the West site (eight birds) during the morning training sessions, and boy are they keeping us on our toes. While it's wonderful when the birds truly begin to take off and follow the trike through the air, it's also pretty nerve-racking as you watch them land WAY far off in the marsh.
Yesterday morning (8/5/05) was a perfect example of the potential mayhem. I was on the ground with the chicks along with Patuxent Wildlife Research Center's Charlie Shafer; pilot Brooke Pennypacker was our trainer for the morning. Brooke decided that he was going to take off from the ground and see how many of the chicks would follow him for a few laps around the general vicinity of the pen and runway. Well, almost as soon as the birds were released from the pen, all resemblance to an organized and cohesive training session quickly disintegrated.
First off, number 516 hesitated coming out of the pen, so Charlie and I left the doors open a few seconds longer than normal to wait for him. Meanwhile, Brooke took off from the runway, with only four birds following him, as the other three were distracted by the costumed handlers and the open doors. So Brooke had four new, shaky flyers doing their best to keep up, while we had four excited birds still hanging out by the pen doors on the ground. The next two or three minutes were very confusing for Charlie and I. We could hear various peeps and movements from the chicks who were still around, but we couldn't see any of them through the peepholes or the camouflaged viewing tube, because there was too much dew and condensation. At the same time, we could hear Brooke flying all around us and over the pen. He already had less than the four birds he took off with. Then one of the birds came in flying low right over the pen from a direction not near to Brooke's location, adding to the confusion. He or she actually almost landed on the top-netting of the pen, but decided at the last minute that it was a bad idea and proceeded to the runway. Was this one of the four who stayed behind, or one of the birds that had followed Brooke? Those eight birds could have been anywhere!
When Brooke landed and the dust settled, and we were finally able to see ou | |
