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Give A Whoop

Date:July 31, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:MEMORABLE MOMENTLocation: Main Office
Depending on traffic, I have about a 40 minute commute from home to our Port Perry office. After about 15 minutes at most, my drive becomes rural, passing through farmland dotted with homes and the odd business site. It is a pleasant if not idyllic drive, and with the speed limit dropping to 40mph in places, I am able to take in the scenery.

Yesterday the scenery included something I had never before seen in our area. As I rolled down into a valley between two steep hills, two coyotes emerged from the trees lining the road on my left. Tails streaming behind they raced across the road 50 feet in front of me and disappeared into the underbrush on the other side.

As I recovered from my surprize, the sighting brought to mind the only other time I ever saw coyotes. That happened last year while on migration and it was the subject of my 'Most Memorable Moment', a short piece each team member was asked to write as part of the 2009 migration wrap-up for INformation magazine. For those who don't receive our magazine, here is a reprint of that piece.

My Most Memorable Moment
On a migration of 89 days of which just 25 were ‘fly days’, one might rightly reason there were days and more days that - shall we say – were less than exciting. While because of their inevitability, ‘down days’ are borne with some measure of equanimity, when the weather hits us with a lengthy stretch of going-nowhere-days, anxiety and frustration mount.

Such was the case when for the third consecutive year we faced the reality of the migration running over into the New Year. Although once or twice in the past finishing in time to get home in time for Christmas was a bit of a squeaker, that timing was the rule until the Marathon Migration of 2007.

On December 20th this past year as we contemplated a forecast of at least a week of unfavourable flying weather, we knew a return to pre-Christmas finishes was not in the cards. So it was that the next day the crew began departing for their respective homes for the holidays with their families, with three of us (Robert Doyle, Geoff Tarbox and I) staying behind to hold down the fort.

What I didn’t know at the time was that staying behind to keep the CraneCam operational would put me in line for a most unexpected experience – and memorable moment.

The weatherman produced day after day of cold, wet, windy, mind-numbing, misery-inducing weather. It wasn’t too many days before I would groan at the mere thought of the four times a day ritual of layering up, sticking my feet in icy, rubber boots, and, laptop in tow, trudging through the mud down to the camera trailer where I’d sit, nose dripping, toes freezing, my mouse manipulating fingers gradually stiffening from the cold, and question my sanity at having volunteered. Until…..one trip to the CraneCam changed it all.

That morning when tucking the truck out of view behind a forested hill, my peripheral vision caught a blur of movement. As started my trek down the hill to the camera, I peered through the early morning half light to see what it was that had caught my eye. Holeee! Coyotes! Headed toward the pen!

They had seen me too, and for long moments, heads lowered and ears perked, they stood stock-still staring me down. Frozen in place I gaped open-mouthed while my brain raced. “Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd! What do I do? What do I do?” Then my brain said, “Go get back in the truck, stupid.” Never knew my short, fat legs could move so fast.

Secure in the cab, I watched the coyotes circle and sniff the air with one eye, while with the other I cast about for potential weaponry should they look like they were intent on having a Whooper for breakfast. It was quickly apparent however, that short of running over and beaning them with my laptop, the truck itself was my only weapon – and exposing the birds to it was a huge no-no. “Okay,” I thought, “So now what?”

Long before I figured it out the coyotes trotted off in the other direction, casting what I thought was looks of sheer distain over their shoulders. In the aftermath of the heart palpitating encounter, I of course remembered the hot wires around the pen, and half marveled, half chuckled at the ‘protective mother instinct’ the threat to the chicks had aroused.

While day in and day out I treasured and had toiled for these 20 chicks, they had become, if only for a few minutes, as much mine to personally protect as they ever would. That feeling of possessiveness went beyond the norm. They weren’t WCEP’s chicks. They weren’t even ‘ours,’ as in OM’s chicks. They were MY chicks. Scant seconds later I rightly returned their ownership to all the world, but not before I indulged myself fully in that memorable moment.

Indeed, these gorgeous youngsters not only belong to the world, but by the time you are reading this they will be out on their own in it. And the world better be careful - - woe betide the human that messes with my, er, our kids, because I think I could be the mother from hell.

Date:July 30, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:EASTERN MIGRATORY POPULATION UPDATELocation: Main Office
The Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) numbered 97 Whooping Cranes at the end of the July 24th reporting period. This number breaks down into 52 males, 45 females and 2 wild-hatched chicks.

EMP ‘Families’
Parents 12-02 & 19-04* along with chick W3-10 remain in the area of their nesting marsh in Wood County.
Parents 13-04 & 9-03* with their chick W1-10 remain in the general wetland area of their nest.

WISCONSIN
At the end of the report period (or as of last record) 86 whooping cranes plus 2 chicks were in Wisconsin.

Of Note
The Tracking Team reported that on July 8th, “D7-07 and D39-07* were captured and removed from their location because of diazinon spraying in their use area. They were held in the pen at Site 2 on the Necedah NWR until re-release on their territory July 19. While in the pen D39-07* incurred a minor wing injury of unknown cause, but a previously incurred leg injury was much improved by the time of release. Inspection of wing feathers during a health exam indicated that they had completed molting of primaries earlier in the summer.”

The Tracking Team took advantage of the opportunity to replace the transmitters on both cranes, and the functional time-limited PTT on 39-07* was also replaced with new color bands.

LOCATED OUTSIDE WISCONSIN
North Dakota
Ransom County
13-09, 19-09 (last reported May 25)

Indiana
Marshall County
27-07* (last reported ~July 14 -18)

No Recent Record
16-03NFT (last observed on NNWR May 6)
14-05 NFT (last observed on NNWR May 18)
13-07 (last observed on Meadow Valley Flowage May 22)
20-05*NFT (may have been the unidentified whooping crane reported in Jackson County May 24)
6-05 (last detected on NNWR May 31)
5-05NFT & 15-04*NFT (last observed on NNWR June 16)

Long Term Missing (more than 90 days)
5-08, 12-08 - Columbia County, WI -Dec. 10, 2009
D36-08 - Lawrence County, TN - Dec. 11, 2009
D33-05* - Jackson County, IN - Mar. 6, 2010
27-09 - Waukesha County, WI - Apr. 10, 2010
D37-07 (last reported In Jackson County, MI April12)

OM joins all WCEP partners in thanking ICF Tracking Intern Matt Strausser for his service. Matt completed his internship mid July. “He did an excellent job since joining the Tracking Team last winter,” said Dr. Richard Urbanek, “and the rest of us much enjoyed his insights gained from his past and current work on endangered species. We wish him the best as he moves on to a graduate program at Yale University.”

This update was compiled from data supplied by the WCEP Tracking Team of Dr. Richard Urbanek, (USFWS) Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and Matt Strausser (ICF).

Date: July 29, 2010 - Entry 2Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:COHORT ONE - VIDEO CLIPLocation:Necedah, WI

Cohort One is up to its full compliment of eight birds now that #4-10 has been reunited with the group. Joe ventured out this morning, shortly after 5am to begin training this group, while Brooke headed a bit further north to work with Cohort Two at the Canfield pensite.

Trish and Geoff opened the gates and all eight birds charged out, eager to train with the aircraft. Of course since #4 just arrived yesterday, she hasn't yet seen the large wing so was a bit leery at first but Joe said it didn't take her long to accept it as just another appendage of the ultralight and she charged down the runway with her flock mates, getting airborne for the first time.

Here's a brief video clip that Joe managed to capture during one high-speed taxi run.

Date:July 29, 2010Reporter: Geoff Tarbox
Subject:TOGETHER AGAINLocation: Necedah, WI
I was conscious enough yesterday morning to register the sound of pouring rain and realize that I might as just well go back to my dreams of fighting off the zombie apocalypse. Sure the morning was a washout, but I knew it was going to be a monumental day nonetheless.

It was the day when my pointed optimism was going to pay off and our flock was finally going to be whole. No leg problems, no blood cooties, were going to stop 04-10 and 11-10 from hitching a ride to Necedah to meet up with their brothers and sisters, big and small. Brooke had spent untold hours making the journey from Necedah, to the Indiana halfway point (where the chicks changed hands from Patuxent to ours) and back again.

The birds arrived around daybreak while I was still shooting zombies with shotguns in my semi-conscious mind. 4-10 reunited with her old pals at the North site while 11-10 met up with his buddies at the perennially soggy Canfield site. It wasn’t until 9:30 that Robert asked me to personally check in on them to see how they were taking to their new accommodations.

The North site was my first stop. I crawled into the blind and watched the birds do their thing from behind heavily tinted glass. 04-10 was still adjusting to the move, so we had her cornered off away from the rest of the flock behind some partition fencing. Even though this means she's got half the dry pen to herself she can’t get into wet pen, nor can she really mingle with her old buddies. But we need to be able to get to her pronto if she has any complications, and since she’s been away for so long, there’s no telling how she'd fit in the pecking order here at Necedah - if she fit in at all. So we have to keep her separated, at least for one day, so we can know for sure her arrival isn’t going to turn things upside down.

She spent most of her time pacing behind the fence, looking for any place to slip through as the fence silently mocked her, as it always does in these situations. The rest of the flock paid her no mind, and if anything, seemed more interested in the partition fence than the bird it was imprisoning. It was disheartening to see her in such a funk even though I knew it was for her own good. On the bright side she wasn’t so worked up that she was forgetting to eat, nor was she open mouth breathing. After ten minutes of watching 04-10 in action, I made for the Canfield site.

I had hoped the morning's storm hadn’t again made the pensite the unofficial eighth sea. Call me crazy, but I don’t think leading the chicks down south using Sea Doos instead of ultralights is going to catch on. Thankfully, when I arrived at the pensite I did not have to raise my puppet to the sky to part a flooded runway as though it was the Red Sea.

When I saw 11-10 from the blind he was busy taking in the sights on his side of the pen, munching on the feeder, and playing in the waterpan. As with 04-10, there were some worries that 11-10 was going to have to re-establish his niche in the pecking order after being away for so long. And since he had been the resident bully back in Patuxent, to the point where he had to be trained and socialized separately, some were worried he would go back pecking birds on the head, and giving them wedgies and pink bellies. But thankfully, 11-10 wasn’t interested in going back to his old habits and just went about his own business, as did the rest of the chicks.

I checked the birds again around 3:30 to make sure they were still enjoying their new home. 04-10 seemed to be in a calmer mood, as I found her laying down (by the wet pen, naturally) preening her feathers. None of the other birds were inclined to jab at her through the fence, nor was she, but I didn’t think she would. She was never the terror that 11-10 was.

Speaking of 11-10, he wasn’t quite as laid back as he was in the morning. I could hear him peeping, as he paced the fence near where the rest of Cohort 2 was hanging out. My guess was that he was starting to miss his old pals. Either that, 15-10 made the mistake of counting his lunch money in front of him again. But that wasn't likely the case, as neither bird on either side took any shots at each other through the fence. Not even 10-10, who squared off with 11-10 at Patuxent more than anyone. Since he was still eating and he wasn’t open mouth breathing, I saw no cause for alarm.

However, Cohort 2 was too busy battling their own fence to really care about what was bugging 11-10. The nefarious wetpen fence had reappeared and cut off their route the marshy goodness that they should’ve been sick of after having their pen flooded twice already. 10-10 and 16-10 took frontline positions next to the wetpen gate, while 17-10 covered their flanks. 15-10 was resupplying at the feeders, preparing himself for the long bitter struggle that lay ahead. They tried everything from laying down next to the fence, to staring at it, to really really wishing it’d go away. But the battle waged on, even after I left. They just wished whoever was peeping would shut up already.

Yes, at long last the whole flock’s finally made it to Necedah. It was a day I’d been on pins and needles for as long as I can remember. And I know Cohort 1 still has a place in their hearts for the always pretty 04-10. And I know 11-10 isn’t going to feel the urge to hang 11-10 from the topnet by his underwear. The family’s together again.

Now if you excuse me, I have to muster the remaining Autobot forces to battle against the evil Decepticons that have taken over the home planet of all Transformers. Granted, I spent all of this week helping the Decepticons conquer and corrupt it, but there’s no need to point fingers or anything.

   

 

 

Top Left: Cohort 2 at the Canfield pensite.

Top Right: 17-10 is in the foreground at the waterpan while 11-10 naps in the fenced off area of the pen.

Bottom Left:  17-10 and 11-10 spend some time getting re-acquainted through the protective fencing.

Photos by Joe Duff

 

 

Date:July 28, 2010 - Entry 2Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:TWO ADDED TO CLASS OF 2010Location: Main Office
4-10 and 11-10's almost 1,000 mile road trip from Laurel, MD to Necedah, WI ended today when they arrived at the refuge around 6:30am. Both have been ensconced in the same pen as their Cohort mates - #4 with Cohort 1 and #11 with Cohort 2, but both fencing separates them from the other birds until the crew can be sure they will all 'play nice' together.

The photo to the right was snapped by Joe Duff with his phone at the North site after 4-10 was released onto the runway in front of the pen.

Date:July 28, 2010 - Entry 1Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:COHORT 2 TRAININGLocation: Main Office
The cyber gods smiled on us and allowed the crew to hold a signal long enough to send us some photos taken during yesterday's taxi training session with Cohort 2 at the Canfield site.
The costumes in the photo disguise pilot Joe Duff on the left and handler Geoff Tarbox on the right. They keep an eye on the four Cohort 2 chicks as they enjoy some 'free time' after their morning taxi training session.

As the photo illustrates, there is no evidence in this shot of the grassy strip runway of the flooding as a result of the recent heavy rains at Necedah. The dry pen is back to being dry. The water level in the wet pen now fluctuates within normal range.

That is 17-10 you see in the foreground. To the right in the middle background, the white bird making an appearance is none other than 9-05 who was also a frequent (and disruptive) visitor to the the pensite in 2009.

Last September when all of the Class of 2009 were socializing together he interfered once too often. Some of the chicks, perhaps emboldened by their numbers, put 09-5 on notice with displays of aggression.

Date:July 27, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:CHICKS HEADING WEST / TAXI TRAININGLocation: Main Office
CHICKS HEADING WEST
The word is that the two chicks, which for health reasons were left behind when their respective cohorts were shipped, will be travelling today.

4-10 was held back when its seven Cohort 1 classmates made the trip from Patuxent's Wildlife Research Center to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin on June 30th. 11-10 missed the Windway Capital flight with its four fellow Cohort 2 chicks when they were shipped on July 9th.

Both chicks have now been cleared to travel by the Vet Team. They will be departing Laurel, MD in the care of Patuxent crew around noon today and met by Brooke at the halfway point (likely somewhere in Indiana) for a hand off which should take place around 10:00pm tonight. That should put Brooke and his two passengers back in Necedah around 5:00am Wednesday morning.

The chicks will be housed with their respective Cohorts, but separated at first until they have time to socialize/reintroduce themselves.

TAXI TRAINING
The weather is cooperating this morning and as I type this, Brooke is training with Cohort 1 at the North site. The water level is dropping at the Canfield site allowing the trike to land, so Joe will be training there with the youngest chicks - those in Cohort 2. Intern Trish Gallagher is armed with a camera today, so if a strong enough signal can be maintained long enough to transmit photos, we could have visuals to post here tomorrow.

For some reason cell and internet signals have been unusually unreliable this season - so unreliable/intermittent in fact, that it is rare that we can complete even a short conversation before the call is dropped. Lately our conversations consist of a lot of repetitions of "ARE YOU STILL THERE?" and, "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!?!?"

Date:July 26, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:CLASS OF 2010 COULD GROWLocation: Main Office
Cohort 1, which was shipped from Laurel, MD’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge on June 30th, should have consisted of eight young Whooping cranes. Instead only seven made it onto the Windway Capital flight. 4-10 was held back due to leg problems. Subsequent to its pre-departure health check, 4-10 was observed limping and it was decided not to chance exacerbating the problem by crating and shipping.

Similarly, 11-10 was held back when its Cohort 2 classmates made the same journey west on July 9th. 11-10 had developed some respiratory problems, and as a result, what the future held for this chick was uncertain.

Thanks to the excellent care and attention of the Crane Ecology Crew at Patuxent, it appears that both these chicks may be joining the rest of the Class of 2010 in Necedah very soon. They have been cleared for travel by the Vet Team, and a plan is being developed to transport them by road. It is likely that a vehicle from Patuxent will be met half way by a vehicle from Necedah for the hand off of the two crated cranes.

While perhaps not as ideal as a zippy flight in Windway’s jet, it should not be a problem for the birds. OM’s resident crane expert, Walter Sturgeon, raises several species of cranes and provides them to a variety of facilities around the country. When they have to be transported, they make the journey via Walter’s van, arriving none the worse for wear.

Not to 'count our cranes' before they leave and arrive safely, but, the happy prospect of returning the number of young Whoopers in the Class of 2010 to 13 is difficult to not celebrate.

We will update you on what is happening with 4-10 and 11-10 as events unfold. Fingers crossed.

Date:July 25, 2010Reporter: Trish Gallagher
Subject: Look Mom, We’re Flying!Location: Necedah, WI

Friday morning Brooke and I were training together at the North site. We hadn’t trained Thursday, so the chicks were eager for some action. They exploded out of the pen, and even 9-10, who is a lollygagger most days, was standing there at the back of the pack and didn’t have to be coaxed out of the wet pen.

Almost immediately, three of the chicks started running down the runway flapping their wings and then they were off the ground, flying a good distance down the runway. As I stepped back in the pen and pulled the door closed the other four ran after them, flapping. I hesitated for a moment, watching them through a crack in the door, and then reluctantly closed the door all the way.

I usually watch the training through peepholes in the fence in case the pilot needs assistance. On this particular morning, however, I was sweeping up food under the feeders while Brooke trained. I heard a noise and looked up to see a wondrous sight – three chicks were flying over me. But wait, they were over the dry pen and then the wet pen, and heading straight for the marsh! They looked like novice bike riders who can’t steer very well, and end up careening into the lamppost.

I imagined they were having a moment of panic, thinking, “Good grief, where am I going to land? I thought there was open water there, but there’s something on top of it! I’m going to crash!” They landed a few seconds later in the marsh near the back of the pen, none the worse for wear from my imaginings. And while they weren’t out too far into the marsh, it was far enough that I had a moment of worry about luring them back out of that nice wetland and into their boring pen.

I stepped outside the pen and walked over towards the edge of the runway where the tall grass begins. I could see three chicks out there among the tall grass, just standing there, perhaps not quite sure how they got there or what they should do next. They were just about the same height as the grass and blended in nicely, but since I knew what I was looking for, I could spot them.

As Brooke taxied over, I looked behind him for the other four birds, but there were only the two youngsters of the cohort,  8-10 and 9-10, walking calmly along behind the trike. I didn’t know where the other two were, but I figured three in sight was better than two out of sight, so I switched my focus back to the three in the grass. I flapped my arms a little and held up my puppet while I waited for Brooke. I didn’t want them to get any ideas about heading farther into the marsh.

Brooke came up and whispered that he knew four were in the marsh and did I see where the fifth went down. He went back to the trike for his puppet and vocalizer and I turned back to the marsh. As I looked closely, I could now see another tawny head blending in with the grass. I turned on my vocalizer and started flapping in my arms in earnest, with the intent of luring the chicks back to the runway. I didn’t want to go in to get them because I didn’t want them to head farther into the marsh.

They stood there for a few minutes, but the lure of the costume and the vocalizer were too great. The first to join me on the runway was my pal 1-10, who is usually in the dry pen in the morning to greet me. After giving him a silent look of praise, I looked back in the grass and still saw four heads, so I was relieved to have spotted the last wayward chick. Brooke joined me with his puppet and vocalizer and we patiently lured them back onto the runway, one by one.

Luckily, it was a minor misadventure for the kids. And oh, the sight of my babies flying overhead! Look Mom, we’re flying! Yes, my darlings, and you look beautiful.

Date:July 24, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:CHICK PATROLLocation: Main Office
As faithful Field Journal readers will know, just two of the season’s seven wild-hatched chicks still survive. While that number is not what we were wishing for, the positive outcome of the season remains the record nesting successes.

The surviving chicks are Wild1-10, the first hatched of the season, and W3-10. The wild chicks’ parents are 9-03* & 3-04 and 19-04* & 12-02 respectively. 3-10 came from an egg supplied by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center which was substituted for the parents’ two infertile eggs.

Subsequent to the end of the nesting season during which OM’s pilots flew multiple aerial nest surveys daily, the flights were switched to chick monitoring. The multiple flights per day are now reduced to once daily – weather permitting of course.

On one such chick patrol flight (this past Wednesday), flying backseat with pilot Joe Duff was spotter Heather Ray. Heather was able to snap off a photo of Wild 01-10 with its parents. In the photo above, the adult nearest the chick is the female,    9-03* with the male, 3-04, seen on the right. Even from a distance it is evident how much the chick has grown.

Date:July 23, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject: DON'T REPEAT MISTAKES SAYS ABCLocation: Main Office
A report entitled, "Gulf Oil Spill: Field Survey Report and Recommendations," was released by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) July 19. Announcing the report’s release, ABC said it showed that, “some of BP’s oil spill cleanup efforts are actually causing harm to birds and their habitats rather than helping them.”

The report was “based on a just-completed week-long field assessment by ABC staff, who observed oil impacts and cleaning operations from Louisiana through Mississippi to Dauphin Island, Alabama. As part of the overview, ABC staff toured affected areas by boat with local and federal officials and charter boat captains. With Coast Guard officials, they also undertook an aerial over-flight of the spill area and points northwest of that location.

Restoration needs to start as soon as major coastal oiling has been effectively addressed. The Gulf doesn’t have the decades it took to resolve the legal wrangling that followed the Exxon Valdez spill. The hydrology of the Mississippi Delta and the surrounding area is already facing dire threats from climate change, erosion, and hurricanes. Let’s not repeat the same mistakes we made in Alaska twenty years ago,” said ABC Vice President and report author Mike Parr.

Click here to view ABC’s entire report.

Date: July 22, 2010Reporter: Brooke Pennypacker
Subject:SURF'S UP!Location: Necedah, WI
When you spend your life aboard the “Crane Train,” you'd better be prepared to hit the ground running at each stop…or in the case of Necedah lately, swimming.

I arrived in Necedah last Tuesday having been followed for two days by our Sierra trailer. If we could just get the birds to follow as well as the Sierra does, we’d have it made. Trish arrived later that night driving my car which she refers to as a “toaster oven” due to its lack of air conditioning. “Hey, twenty years ago when that car was new air conditioning hadn’t been invented yet!” I shrugged as she blew past me on her way to find a scale to see how much weight she’d lost on the trip.
It was my ninth year driving into Necedah and for the ninth straight year the local high school band did not line the street to play my favorite song welcoming me back.

The next day, this being Indian country, somebody inadvertently did a rain dance followed by a tornado dance so while I was at the local Wal-Mart filling out an application for the Greeter’s Position, the sky turned black and began dropping a curtain of solid water as the tornado warning sirens chorused in the distance.

I stuffed the half completed application into my pocket and hurried back to the refuge where I found half the camp running for the safety of the headquarters basement while the rest headed for the annex bathrooms. I chose the latter because I’m getting older and tornado warnings can last a long time, and well, you know.... But even a tornadic cloud comes standard with a silver lining, which is in this case the fact that a bathroom is a great place for a reunion and an opportunity to catch up on things with folks you haven’t seen for a year.

Then Bev called from her DNR flight base in Eau Clare to say weather radar was showing a short break in the storm coming and that it might be a good opportunity to go out and check the birds. Robert and I stripped ourselves of everything metallic, which in my case included all the quarters I’d pulled out of payphone coin returns for the last month, and we headed out to the Canfield site while Trish and Geoff left for the North site. Before they left, Trish asked Geoff to wear his hat with the big shiny metal hat band. Since he’s taller than she is, as is everyone else on the planet, she felt comfortably immune to a lightning strike.

The birds were fine. The chicks at Canfield were in the bathroom, and the ones at the North site were in the basement.

The next day we trained the chicks at the Canfield site with the ground trike and they did great. The huge military tent/ refuge blind overlooking the site did not do as well having been blown down and shredded during the storm. But the refuge staff located a new one, and were soon performing an 'out with the old -in with the new' dance while we stood in the pen calming the chicks.

It was about then that the water began to rise, and rise, and rise...until the pen and 80% of the runway were under water. In the midst of this, my cell phone began ringing. It was Noah asking me what time he could sail his ark in and pick up the chicks. Funny guy, that Noah. A real Jerk! Robert and transformed our costumes into genuine deep sea diving apparel and re-configured the hot wire around the pen before leaving for the night.

In the morning, after a futile attempt to trade in our yellow trike for a yellow submarine, we walked the birds through the runway/lake and up onto the only remaining dry spot in the area to allow them to lie down and rest.

At first they jumped around excitedly in their new found freedom, so Robert and I knelt down and soon the birds, except the ever energetic #10, dropped down next to us, folded their heads back into their wings. Before long their bodies were heaving in deep regular breaths as they slept the sleep of the dead. Even whooper chicks sleep better at the beach.

Then two adults suddenly appeared. One of them, instantly recognizing the genuine appeal of beach life, flopped down next to the chicks and joined them in slumber while the other stood guard. Robert, always one to promote calm and security, walked over to the pen and put up a 'Lifeguard On Duty' sign. “Just in case they want to go swimming,” he said.

 

 

They say that, "Life is no day at the beach,” but every once in a while in Crane Land, it is. And after a couple of hours it was time to shake the sand out of the blankets, take down the umbrella, find out what Grandpa did with his metal detector, put all the empty cans and bottles in the cooler, and head for the car…...I mean the pen.

It would be three days before the water dropped to any appreciable degree, so there were more beach days to come. We even took the brood call off our MP3 players and replaced it with some old Beach Boys tunes, and checked to see if we had any crane costumes that would fit Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

Last night , as I left the chicks to exit the pen door at the Canfield pensite I could swear I heard #15 call to me, “Surfs Up, Moon Daddy!’ I turned and grinned. “Hang ten…errr I mean six, #15.”

Date: July 21, 2010Reporter: Trish Gallagher
Subject: The Great FloodLocation: Necedah, WI
Last Wednesday, around 5:00 in the evening, it got so dark that I thought I must have mistaken the time because it looked like nightfall. I was supposed to do roost check, so I jumped up to get out there quickly! But then I heard the news – a tornado had touched down west of here and was heading down Highway 21 toward Necedah.

Geoff and I hunkered down in the annex, which is the building adjacent to our campers with some offices and the restrooms. We were careful to collect our valuables out of our trailers just in case a tornado materialized and flung our campers about.
There was lots of tension and drama as we listened to the weather radio, but the tornado veered north, so we were lucky to just get a severe thunderstorm.

We got out to do roost check around 7:30, during a lull in the storm, and then it continued to rain all night. We heard that the tornado hit north of us in Wood County, and that the storm dropped 7 or 8 inches of rain up there.

Thursday morning dawned clear and bright and beautiful. When we got out to the Canfield site where the babies are, there was some water on the runway and the dry pen was a little wet, but the chicks were none the worse for wear. The day before the wet pen had been nearly dry, but there was plenty of water in it Thursday morning and we joked about too much of a good thing. Little did we know…

All the rain that fell up in Wood County had to go somewhere, and Necedah happens to be downstream from there. When we arrived Thursday morning, we didn’t know it, but the water was just beginning to rise. By early afternoon, the dry pen was entirely under water, as was a large stretch of the runway. It was over the top of my boots – I measured and they stand 14 inches above the floor. At the height of the flood I would guess the water on the runway was at least another inch or two above the top of my boots.

The flood would not have been a huge problem if the chicks were older, because after a time, they roost standing up. But these chicks are still young enough that they roost on the ground. The water looked like it had stopped rising by nightfall, so it was decided that the chicks could stay in the pen overnight while we figured out what to do. Brooke and Patuxent's Robert Doyle lifted the electric fence wire so it was out of the water and could be turned on and we left them in the pen and retired with some anxiety, but confident that all would be well by morning.

Friday morning, Robert and Brooke took the chicks out, not for training, not for a swim, but for a nap on the dry part of the runway. According to their report, 15, 16, and 17 got to dry land, heaved a sigh of relief, and conked out. #10 is a little older, and she foraged around, apparently not tired enough for a nap.

Geoff and I took them out for a nap that afternoon, and it was a repeat of the morning. #10 wandered off into the marsh and foraged while 15, 16, and 17 slept. After about an hour, 10 finally conked out and she was down for the count like the others. Even the adults at the Canfield site decided to join the slumber party, so everyone except the interns had a good rest. We had the rare privilege of sitting with the babies and adults, watching them sleep, then waking up to preen, and then dozing off again. Just before sunset, we guided them back to the pen for the night.

Saturday was similar to Friday – morning and evening naps for all. The chicks were all happy to come out of the wet pen and rest on dry land, even 10, who gave up the pretense of being too old for a nap. After an hour or so of rest, they would get up and start wandering around, occasionally giving the adults an exploratory peck, and then sit down again.

The water started receding Saturday and we were hopeful that there would be a “dry” pen again by nightfall, but no such luck.

The pattern continued until finally, Sunday night, a few tussocks of grass emerged and it looked like we would have “dry” land by morning. And indeed, when Geoff and I got to the pen Monday morning, 10 and 17 were roosting on the ground. When they stood up, their fronts were all wet, but they looked rested in spite of their dampness.

After training, Geoff and I took 15 and 16 out for one last nap. The adult and chicks and Geoff and I spent one last quiet hour together. I think we were all relieved to see land, except maybe the adult, who seemed to enjoy hosting the slumber parties.

Photo to the right shows adult 09-05 and 10-10 hock sitting beside one another.

Photos by Trish Gallagher

Date: July 20, 2010Reporter: Joe Duff
Subject:JUST TOO CUTELocation: Necedah NWR

Maybe if we were working with snails or trying to reintroduce an endangered cactus it would be easier to maintain the proper scientific aloofness. If it were anything less regal than a Whooping crane, it would be simpler to stay emotionally detached. As it is, we use numbers instead of names and minimize the amount of time we spend with them but it is still hard to remain impartial. We keep our distance so they can be wild creatures but it is not easy.

When they get older and after they have been on their own for a while, they tend to be a little more aggressive. Each encounter starts with a little posturing. But when they are young and covered in fluff, more legs and feet than body, they are just too hard to resist. When they run behind you in unquestioning loyalty with wing outstretched for a purpose they have yet to comprehend, they are just too damned cute.

Necedah sits roughly in the center of an ancient 1800 square miles glacial lakebed. The elevation from one end to the other is only a few feet so when 8 inches of rain fell on the area last week it left a lot of water that is slow to run off. The refuge hydrologist John Olsen has been manipulating water structures to deal with the excess but he can’t let too much go or he risks flooding downstream.

By noon the next day, even the dry pen at the Canfield site was flooded. It kept rising until the runway was also underwater. The chicks of course, loved it. They probed and poked and kept themselves cool in the 90 degree temperatures, but young birds like these need to rest once in a while. Unlike adults, they can’t stand all day and all night so we started letting them out. We lead them to high ground where they immediately drop down to hock sit.

The joint that is half way up a bird’s leg is often mistaken for a knee that works backwards. In fact, it’s their ankle and it works the same direction ours does. Birds walk on their toes and all the bones that form our feet are fused together in birds to form what many mistake for the shin. A bird’s real knee is just hidden by the feathers and their hips are even higher up. When wading birds get tired and are secure enough with their surroundings, they will often hock sit. They look like disproportioned penguins with long necks and huge feet.

Just as everyone was getting comfortable, number 9-05 walked onto the runway from his normal foraging spot just behind the pen. No one objected so he sat down beside us to take in the afternoon sun.

So there we were, Geoff Tarbox and me, sitting is the short grass surrounded by four sleepy chicks and a relaxed 5 year old adult. Puffy clouds were drifting by, the buttercups were poking through and a thick layer of cute was starting to form. It reminded me of one of those happy Beatles song from the 60’s like Strawberry Fields Forever.

After an hour and a half, the chicks began to stretch. Number 9-05 wasn’t ready for it to end and he issued a throaty little call to the first chick that wandered away. It was more of a rattle than the brood call we use. Who knows what was said but the chick didn’t go any farther. Eventually our lazy afternoon in the sun ended and we put the rested chicks back into their pen.

Yesterday morning we introduced them to the wing for the first time and 9-05 was eager to help. He dutifully followed the trike up and down the runway and I even noticed that when one of the chicks stopped to poke in the grass, he came up behind it and gave a gentle poke of his own to get it back on track.

(Be sure to click the thumbnails to view full-sized images)

Date: July 19, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:SUMMER FIELD REPORTLocation: Main Office
Word from the field out of Necedah has been scarce lately, something that hopefully will change this week.

The last news we've received came from Joe Duff, who recently arrived on site to relieve Richard van Heuvelen from his scheduled weeks of duty. Joe texted to say that he had trained with both Cohorts 1 and 2 on Saturday, but that the session had to be cut short when storms with lightning moved into the area.

His aerial vantage point did give him a glimpse of one of the wild chicks, but with darkening skies he wasn't able to take a photograph.

With the 'chick patrol' flights added to normal duties this season, it is even busier than usual at Necedah. We know you are all hungry for news about the Class of 2010 - as are we. Please bear with us. We hope to have more reports this week.

Date: July 18, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:C'MON TO NECEDAH!Location: Main Office
Each year the entire OM Team looks forward to the third Saturday in September and 2010 is no exception. That day is always the first date on the ‘Whooping crane calendar’ that gives us a chance to meet hundreds of Craniacs and OM supporters face-to-face.

The event that gives us that opportunity every year is the Necedah Lions Club Whooping Crane Festival. (Use this link to see complete information and the festival schedule.)

This September the third Saturday falls on the 18th, and it marks the tenth year the Necedah Lions Club have hosted the ever popular event. Held at the Town of Necedah Fairgrounds, the festival that we affectionately call, “CraneFest”, continually attracts bigger and bigger crowds. Visitors come from all over the U.S. and each year area accommodations are booked up earlier and earlier. We would not be surprised if a count proved that the population of Necedah doubled on that September weekend.

In addition to an abundance of exhibitors’ booths to visit, attendees can sit in on a variety of bird and wildlife seminars put on by expert presenters. Arts and craft displays dot the grounds as do many booths offering most everything you’d expect to see at a country fair. There are activities for youngsters, and opportunities to win special items via raffles and silent auctions.

As always, Operation Migration will have a booth at CraneFest. Outfitted with our photo backdrop, and fronted by tables laden with OM branded gear for sale, our booth is manned by OM crew, members of our Board of Directors, and other volunteers - and all are hoping you will stop by and say hello. Folks can also get an up close look one of our ultralight aircraft that will share our booth space.

We encourage you to make plans to attend, if you haven’t already. Join us early, early morning on the Observation Tower at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to watch flight training of the Class of 2010 and then head to the Fairgrounds for the Lions’ All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast.

The exhibits open at 9:00am and the seminars start then too. Catch one of the special buses for a tour of the refuge or join the guided walk. And you can polish off your day of fun with even more fun. The Lions Club serves a BBQ chicken dinner which you can enjoy while listening to live music (or even kick up your heels if the spirit moves you).

You can’t beat a great day in the outdoors, an opportunity to meet lots of other Craniacs, and hopefully see some Whooping cranes – all wrapped up in warm Wisconsin hospitality! See YOU there?

Date: July 17, 2010Reporter: Joe Duff
Subject:CALLING ALL PILOTS....Location: Necedah, WI
Just when you think it is all going well, nature has a habit of pulling the rug out from under you.

Last year at this time we had 23 birds in our flock. All three pen sites at Necedah were full, and everyone was working at top speed. Every time you took off it was like a big party with white and fawn feathers everywhere. This year we are down to only 11 birds, and rather than being excited about finally adding to the wild flock and growing the eastern population, we are hoping instead to hold our own against the natural attrition.

There are many reasons for the low numbers this year. The propagation centers like U.S.G.S. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the International Crane Foundation (ICF) maintain large captive flocks, but only so many eggs are produced every season and there is only so much the staff can do to promote Whooping crane passion. Thereafter they try the less romantic methods like artificial insemination. Additionally, there are all the ailments and afflictions that complicate the early development of the Whooping crane chicks. And occasionally a few are held back to ensure that important genetic lines are protected.

During all of this, the flock managers and the chair of the Whooping Crane Recovery Team must tackle the problem that we have been told all of our lives to avoid -- counting our chicks before they hatch.

Because breeding has been a problem at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, (NNWR) at least until this year, many members of the Recovery Team are reluctant to keep putting birds into that ecosystem. There are strong arguments on both sides of that debate, but in the interim the State of Louisiana has expressed interest in having Whooping cranes back in their wetlands after a 70 year absence. This provides an opportunity to hedge the bet, (is that a real term??) so a small resident population will be started there early next year to test the environment.

For the last five years, Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) has been testing the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) method. It was designed to augment the population once we reach our magic numbers and the Eastern Migratory Population became self-sustaining. In years of low production, or if some genetically important birds need to be added, the DAR method would be ideal for boosting the flock a little whenever it was needed. Over the years the program has been struggling with small sample sizes. Every reintroduction scientist will tell you that it is all about numbers so this year the DAR project has been assigned a full cohort of birds to finally test the program's viability. Luckily, with the 11 chicks assigned to the Ultralight method and the 11 currently in the DAR cohort we still have a reasonable number to add to the eastern population.

Originally, we had 14 birds that we were training at Patuxent, but two were held back at the last minute for health reason. One had a high white blood cell count and the other a respiratory issue. Everyone is working hard for these two birds, hoping they will recover, but in the interim, 04-10 and 14-10 have missed the last flight to Necedah.

Each season, Windway Capital from Sheboygan, WI donates the use of one of their corporate aircraft to deliver our birds from Maryland to Wisconsin. So far they have made 28 trips back and forth in either their Cessna Citation, which is a very fast corporate jet, or their ten passenger turboprop Cessna Caravan. These are not little side trip for them when they happen to be in the Washington area. They are full, dedicated round trips with an overnight stay in Baltimore so the birds can be moved in the cool morning air. We cannot tell you how grateful we are to Windway Capital and their team.

After that kind of generosity, we can’t ask them to be on standby in case one or two of these birds recovers. Besides both of the Windway aircraft a booked solid for the rest of the summer.

We are not sure if either of these birds will recover or, if they will be too old by that time to transport and risk leg injury. They may even be reassigned to the Louisiana project, but just in case we thought we would ask you for help.

If any of the many pilots out there who follow this project might be in Maryland in the next week or so, and might be heading in the direction of Necedah, WI, and might have room for a crate or two, perhaps you would give us a call. Who knows, it may work out, and you could be part of the team to save Whooping cranes.

If you are a pilot and can help us and two Whooping cranes out, you can reach us by calling us toll free at    1-800-675-2618. We would be eternally grateful.

Date: July 16, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:HEROES STAND THE TEST OF TIMELocation: Main Office
Growing up in rural northern Ontario, my early years were blessed with unbounded enjoyment of nature and the outdoors. A single strand of electric wire kept the neighbor's cows out of our backyard, and a giant idle grain hoist standing in a nearby hay field was the perfect jungle gym for me and my friends.

Early spring and fall were exciting times. Our Mom’s would let us pack picnic lunches, (oh how I loved those bologna and ketchup sandwiches) and see us off on a trek through the fields to a not so distant woodland. There, we would spend the day as adventurers extraordinaire, the Daniel Boones and Davey Crocketts of our time. Much of what I learned during our forays into what we thought of as wilderness, came from my friend, Cheryl. A full-blooded Algonquin Indian, she knew more about the flora and fauna we encountered than the rest of us put together. And she imbued us all with a respect for nature that seemed her natural heritage.

So it was, that even at our tender age we had an appreciation for the wild violets, crocuses, daffodils, trilliums, jack-in-the-pulpits and pussy willows that abounded there. When I think of it now, I marvel at how long an energetic bunch of kids could sit soundlessly and perfectly still; long enough for squirrels, chipmunks and birds to accept us and venture close by.

We weren't allowed to pick any flowers, and each departure began with a lecture about how our future fun in the woods depended on our leaving no trace of our visit. My Mom would say, "Remember, don't make Mother Nature angry. She should never be able to tell you were there." (Unlike the pretty, cheery version portrayed in today's TV commercials, I always pictured Mother Nature as a wizened and scary ogre; a bent and gnarled old hag in drab rags, sprouting leaves and trailing moss.) Perhaps not the best psychological approach or one that would work today. But back then it did its job. We left our 'playhouse' as we found it, and the only souvenirs our forays produced came a couple of weeks later when the grainy black and white photos we took with an old box Brownie camera came back from the drugstore. (Oh my, a Brownie camera - how's that for dating one's self!)

Perhaps it was those special experiences combined with my inquisitive nature that first attracted me to Dr. David Suzuki. For years it was a toss up. I couldn’t decide if I was going to marry him when I grew up, or my fun cousin Don, or Myles, my parents’ exceedingly handsome insurance agent . David Suzuki’s TV show, “The Nature of Things” topped my favorites list. He became my hero and, in later years my inspiration and motivation to participate, at least in some small way, in caring about and for the earth and its creatures.

By the 1960’s, the work of primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall also became a fascination. I read more, learned more, and as I came to understand her philosophies, had to nudge Dr. Suzuki over a bit so there was room for Dr. Jane on my personal heroes pedestal. High on the list of things I owe to Whooping cranes is the opportunity they gave me to meet Dr. Goodall in person when she visited us in 2006. Today, when worry or despair about Whooping cranes or our project creeps in, I just have to conjure up Jane’s face and words. She is hope for our planet personified.

While I haven’t always agreed with all of Dr. Suzuki’s positions, inevitably he raises awareness and more importantly provokes thought. All this is leading up to telling you about an article I read recently that talked about learning from nature. The closing paragraph of the article entitled, “What the beluga can teach us about ourselves,” jumped off the page. It seemed to me the perfect takeaway, and something that can’t be repeated often or loud enough.

It said, “What we do in our lives affects our entire world - its soils, its rivers, lakes and oceans, its atmosphere, and all the living things that share our planet. We must understand that when we do something that harms the beluga, or the grizzly, or the spotted owl, we are also harming ourselves.”

How right my Mom's simple philosophy of ensuring that Mother Nature never knew we were there was. How typical but sad that I had to grow up before I was smart enough recognize her wisdom and include her as one of my heroes.

Click the image if you would like to read the full article from “Science Matters” by the David Suzuki Foundation.

Date:July 15, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:EASTERN MIGRATORY POPULATION UPDATELocation: Main Office
The Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) has shrunk by three with the loss of wild-hatched chicks W4-10, W6-10 and W7-10. The latter two chicks disappeared approximately 10 days ago. The carcass of W4-10 was found yesterday.

W6-10 was last seen alive with its male parent 12-04 on July 3rd. When 12-04 was observed on July 6th it was without the chick. W7-10 was also last seen in the early morning of July 3rd, and it too was no longer in evidence when checked on July 6th. Parents 17-03 & 3-03*and their chick W4-10 frequented Pool 13 on the Necedah NWR. Twin chick W5-10 disappeared mid June.

These losses reduce the EMP to 97 Whooping cranes; 52 males, 43 females and 2 chicks.

The photo to the right supplied by Richard Urbanek shows parents 17-03 & 3-03* with their now demised chick W4-10.

EMP ‘Families’
Parents 12-02 & 19-04* along with chick W3-10 remain in the area of their nesting marsh in Wood County. Hatched June 7, this chick was produced from an egg supplied by Patuxent WRC that was substituted for the parents’ two infertile eggs.

Parents 3-04 & 9-03* with their chick W1-10 remain in the general wetland area of their nest. Chick W2-10 also hatched by this pair disappeared in early June.

Note: The female of pair 12-04 & D27-05*NFT disappeared between the morning of June 29 and the afternoon of June 30 but reappeared July 12. In the interim, the male continue to attend to the chick (W6-10) until it disappeared ~July 3-6.

LOCATED OUTSIDE WISCONSIN
North Dakota
Ransom County
13-09, 19-09 (last reported May 25)

Michigan
Jackson County
D37-07 (last reported April12)

Indiana
Kosciusko County
27-07*

No Recent Record
16-03NFT (last observed on NNWR May 6)
14-05 NFT (last observed on NNWR May 18)
13-07 (last observed on Meadow Valley Flowage May 22)
20-05*NFT (may have been the unidentified whooping crane reported in Jackson County May 24)
6-05 (last detected on NNWR May 31)
5-05NFT & 15-04*NFT (last observed on NNWR June 16)

Long Term Missing (more than 90 days)
5-08, 12-08 - Columbia County, WI -Dec. 10, 2009,
D36-08 - Lawrence County, TN - Dec. 11, 2009,
D33-05* - Jackson County, IN - Mar. 6, 2010,
27-09 - Waukesha County, WI - Apr. 10, 2010,

This update was compiled from data supplied by the WCEP Tracking Team of Richard Urbanek, Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and Matt Strausser.

Date: July 14 - Entry 2Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:...AND THEN THERE WERE TWOLocation: Main Office
In an email from Dr. Richard Urbanek that came in at 6pm this evening we learned that a fifth wild-hatched chick has been lost.

In his note Richard said, "This morning Necedah NWR staff discovered the intact carcass of whooping crane chick W4-10 in its usual area on Pool 13. The chick had last been observed alive with its parents, 17-03 & 3-03, on the previous evening. The carcass has been forwarded to the National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, for necropsy."

This mortality leaves just two of the seven wild-hatched chicks surviving.

Date:July 14, 2010 - Entry 1Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:CRANIACS' GENEROUS GESTURELocation: Main Office
We recognize that there are many worthy charitable causes out there, many of which are unknown to us, and we suspect to our Field Journal readers too. One such endeavor came to our attention recently when we learned of a philanthropic gesture made by long time Craniacs Dale Shriver and Judy Rogers of Marengo, Illinois.

It seems that for some time now Dale has been wondering what to do with his, "little spunky plane of 29 years.” On discovering Wisconsin based ’88 Charlies Inc’ Dale and Judy paid them a visit to check them out. Thrilled with what they found, Dale and Judy donated his aircraft, ‘Greenie’, to the cause.

The 88 CHARLIES Restore A Plane foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting aviation by giving students the opportunity to restore real airplanes. “Our wish has been granted,” said Dale. “As kids learn about science, engineering, and aviation, Greenie will also help them to learn about themselves and about life. He added, “Being in Wisconsin, these kids are within Whooper range and in case they don't already know it, I will definitely make sure they are aware of the Whooping crane story.”

To repeat what I wrote on 88 Charlies Inc’s FaceBook wall, What a good friend Dale and Judy are to 'fliers'! They are hugely supportive of endangered Whooping cranes through their support of Operation Migration and now they are also benefactors to fliers of the two-legged variety. Congratulations to 88 Charlies Inc and to Dale and Judy for their wonderful generosity. Click here to see photos.

Date: July 13, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:TWO WILD CHICKS MISSINGLocation: Main Office
Yesterday we received the latest news on the wild-hatched chicks from WCEP's Administration and Communications Team leader, Joan Garland. She advised that in a July 9th update from the Monitoring and Management Team they reported that there were now only three surviving wild-hatched chicks. These are:
W1-10 (parents 9-03 & 3-04)
W3-10 (parents 12-02 & 19-04)
W4-10 (parents 3-03 & 17-03)

In all, the 2010 hatch season saw a total of seven wild chicks hatched. W2-10 (parents 3-04 & 9-03*) disappeared June 6-7th, and W5-10 (parents 12-04 & D27-05*) seemingly had disappeared by June 16. The parent female, D27-05*, is also missing having not been seen since approximately June 30th.

Joan noted that, "The two youngest chicks, W6-10 (parents 12-04 & 27-05) and W7-10 (parents 11-03 & 12-03), have not been seen for awhile, and there’s every indication that they are unfortunately no longer alive."

Date:July 12, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:YOUNG CRANIAC HONOREDLocation: Main Office

The Richter’s, (Dale and Karen) of Leesburg, Georgia are justifiably proud of son Taylor.

Fox31 News recently reported on Taylor being awarded a $1,000 college scholarship. The scholarship, awarded to him for his volunteer efforts, was part of a program operated by Kohl’s department stores. (Click here for the full story including video.)

At the tender age of 12, Taylor is already a veteran Craniac. Not only has he undertaken making presentations about Whooping cranes to peer groups, he has been a contributing writer to OM’s magazine, INformation. Several years ago, with some assistance from his dad, Taylor successfully campaigned the state legislature of his home state of Georgia to have November declared, Migratory Bird Month.

Congratulations to Taylor for earning the scholarship- and to Dale and Karen for their outstanding parenting.

Date:July 11, 2010Reporter: Brooke Pennypacker
Subject:CAGE MANLocation: Laurel, MD

Those of you who have followed our project through the years have no doubt become familiar with the names and even some of the faces of our team. But there is one team member you never hear about; one who resides mysteriously behind a veil of anonymity and yet contributes greatly year after year to the success of the project. His name is Cage Man.

Cage Man is the creation of Patuxent’s very own Brian Clauss, who one day after suffering a bout of heat stroke while sitting in the White Series pen socializing a cohort of chicks, arrived at a point in his life where art intersected utility, form collided head on with function, ingenuity trumped heat prostration, and where all that had been difficult became easy.

On that fateful day, Brian crawled in his debilitated state from the pens to the shop, and seizing a role of wire mesh with one hand and a pair of wire cutters with the other, embarked on a veritable frenzy of creation. The resulting humanoid-like armature was soon clothed in a white crane costume, and faster than you could say “Dr. Frankenstein, I presume," Cage Man was born.

Soon after, he was hanging in the White Series pen where he underwent a metamorphosis from Scarecrow to Love Crow. In the years that followed, he would preside over the socialization of cohort after cohort of Whooper chicks just prior to their shipment to Necedah and all that came after. His presence would calm them, reassure them, give them comfort.
If this was Hollywood, that would be the end of the story. But this is real life so the story gets crazier.

It seems our little Whoopers weren’t the only chicks to fall under Cage Man’s spell. Soon, women from all over the Refuge, then all over the town, were lined up outside the pen with the sole intention of getting next to the old boy because it turned out that deep within all that mesh and cloth there resided a small pearl of cosmic wisdom, which in this case turned out to be the secret of how to make women happy. And what was the secret? TO LISTEN! Cage Man was nothing if not a good listener.

Hour after hour they shared their innermost feelings with him. Day after day they poured out their hearts to him while the Whoopers sat nearby, holding their hocks tightly over their ears, reminding themselves the noise could be worse, it could be a “John Tesh’s Greatest Hits” album . And the only time he showed any emotion at all was when a breeze picked up.

Then relationship guru Dr. Shades of Gray came to interview Cage Man and that interview provided the basis for his best selling book, “Male Whoopers Are From Necedah, Female Whoopers Are From St. Marks”’. Soon, Cage Man was on “Oprah” (“What’s your favorite color?” she asked. “White.” he replied. Cage Man did not leave with a new car) Then it was ” Face the Nation” and eventually the “Jerry Springer Show” when they found out there was a trailer parked near the bird pen on which he hung. People Magazine voted him “Sexiest Man of the Year” and a famous actress and tabloid darling claimed he was the father of 8 of her 16 adopted children and that he had better moves than her hunk actor husband. Then President Bush visited Patuxent and spent an hour talking to Cage Man. The President, in a subsequent interview, stated that Cage Man was the most interesting man he had talked to while in office.

June 30th, the day Cohort One left, was thankfully cool. The dew covered ground glistened while the sun peeked over the tree line and we lined the bird boxes up in front of the pen. Cage Man looked on as we entered the pen, led each chick into a box, then on to the van, and he watched, as did I, while the van and the other costumes disappeared, leaving us to the morning’s stillness. And that’s when he said it, in a whisper so soft it could have only have come from my own within, “Sometimes…just being there says all there is to say.”

I shook my head and popped a smile as I gazed back at Cage Man. The old boy always did have a way with words.

Date: July 10, 2010Reporter: Geoff Tarbox
Subject:MOVING - SETTLING INLocation: Necedah, WI
I had a good feeling about the day before me as I staggered out of my dingy lair in the morning. For starters, I was optimistic that we were in for a good day of training with the big kids at the North pen site. Sure, 2-10 and 3-10 have always had a bad habit of refusing to come out of the wet pen for training. And it always takes a lot of sweet-talking, pleading, bribing, and even a little Sicilian death curse invoking to get them to come out (if they ever do). But I took the time to lock all the birds in the dry pen. This morning, they had no choice but to come out for training. Sure, it left them at the mercy of the evil, sadistic wet pen fence for the night. But if that doesn’t whip them into shape, nothing will.

Nonetheless, the kids did every bit as well as I hoped they would. Everyone including the increasingly independent 2-10 and 3-10 came out to play with the trike. And they all did marvelously. Sure, 2-10 and 3-10 mostly just brought up the rear, but they still followed the trike. And watching the birds running after the trike, flapping their wings as they beefed up those flight muscles, the ground effect so close they could taste it, is nothing short of endearing.

After a few quick final touches to get the Canfield site ready, all we had left to do was wait for the birds’ big arrival. When they arrived at 12:45 at Necedah Airport, it was much like it was with Cohort 1. OM waiting patiently along the runway for the plane to make its grand entrance. The ICF vet crew talking with us and amongst themselves. The only difference was that the refuge rounded up a few lucky locals and photographers to witness the big event.

Once the plane arrived, we off-loaded the birds and the vet crew looked them over. I tried not to think about how poor 4-10 and 11-10 weren’t among the birds on the plane, and how they may not be coming at all thanks to their respective bugs in their plumbing. And how sweet old 14-10, one of our best and brightest this year and my recurring favorite, would never come at all.

But thankfully, the hardworking folks at ICF assured us that 10-10, 15-10, 16-10, and 17-10 had a clean bill of health and were ready for the next big step in their journey. After ferrying them to the luxurious Canfield site, we turned the kids loose and left them to their own devices. They couldn’t have been happier. Each of them took off in their own separate direction, exploring their new little world. Some of them stopped to gobble up any unsuspecting bugs, tiny frogs, and rocks unfortunate enough to cross their path. From the blind, I even saw 15-10 and 10-10 playing in one of the water pans. From the way they were dipping their feet and sipping up the water, I think it’s the start of a beautiful friendship.

The birds were still good spirits when I checked them several hours later. They had moved under the shade to get out of the deceptively oppressive Wisconsin sun. Good ol’ 10-10 was still getting familiar with his surroundings. Part of it was that I think the poor guy was a little lonely. His oldest training buddies, 11-10 through 14-10, the first birds he was introduced to, had gone their own separate ways. Although he’s had plenty of time to get to know 15-10 and 17-10 my gut tells me that bond isn’t as strong as the one I watched him forge between 13-10 and 14-10.

But that didn’t stop him or any of the other kids in Cohort 2 from eagerly embarking on the next big phase in their life. They’re all happy to be here, and they’re ready for everything that Necedah has to offer them. And from what Robert Doyle told me this morning, there’s still a chance that 11-10 and 4-10 could get better enough to catch a later flight. And when they do, I know they’re going to be every bit as stoked as their bigger and younger siblings were. Or if they don’t, that blood parasite and that respiratory bug have made themselves an enemy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue my ongoing struggle against the zombie apocalypse in one of my video games. The game will give me an award if I kill 53,595 zombies. And I’m still at a pitiful 38,931. Pitiful.

Date: July 9, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:COHORT TWOLocation:Main Office

The second cohort of Whooping crane chicks made their first flight this morning - all the way from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD to their new summer home located at the Necedah NWR in Wisconsin.

Of course they didn't fly that distance on their own! they barely have wings yet - instead, chicks 10-10, 15-10, 16-10 and 17-10 were carefully led into individuals crates this morning by the Patuxent crane crew and driven to the BWI airport in Baltimore. Once there, they were loaded into a single turboprop Cessna Caravan, owned and operated by Windway Aviation, who just last week made the same flight with the seven cranes that make up Cohort One.

Windway pilots flew the aircraft containing the special passengers, at an altitude of ~8,000 ft. from Baltimore to Muskegon Airport in Michigan for refueling before crossing Lake Michigan and heading to the Necedah airport.

As I write this there are 8 minutes remaining in the flight, which we've been tracking online. We have asked OM intern extraordinaire, Geoff Tarbox to draft an update regarding their arrival, which we hope to post over the weekend.

Date:July 9, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:TIP OF THE MONTHLocation: Main Office
In its July “Tip of the Month”, THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN talked about recycling and we liked the twist they put on it.

“Recycling your bird-and-nature magazines can be so much more than simply using those paper-recycling bins once or twice a week. You can make sure that those wonderful magazines do not disappear, underappreciated.

We know people who will keep every single copy of BIRD WATCHER’ S DIGEST, WILDBIRD, BIRDER’S WORLD, BIRDING, LIVING BIRD, and every local or regional bird publication that they get. But we also know people who make sure that these magazines will have a second life in somebody else’s hands.

You can give the magazine to a friend or neighbor who is modestly curious in birds. How about your doctor’s or dentist’s office, or a school library? Remember: a good bird magazine is a great way to reach all sorts of people with a message about the wonder of birds and nature.”

This form of recycling struck us as a terrific alternative to one-time-use. As we currently work on the fall issue of OM’s semi-annual magazine, INformation, we thought we should encourage our membership (who receive complimentary copies of INformation) to do the same and help expand OM’s outreach and raise awareness for the Whooping crane project.

Not yet a member? If you’d like to become one click here.

Note: Sometimes folks mistakenly think that by virtue of making a donation they automatically become members of Operation Migration. This is not the case. Ethical fundraising practices require that funds designated for a specific purpose must be used for that purpose. For example, a MileMaker sponsorship to help offset the cost of the annual migration cannot be applied to Membership. Membership in Operation Migration is kept totally separate from all fundraising campaigns and unless funds are designated as being for that purpose they are not applied there.

Date:July 8, 2010Reporter: Richard van Heuvelen
Subject:TRAINING UPDATE - COHORT 1+Location: Necedah, WI
Wednesday morning’s training went very well with nine birds following the trike with uncommon obedience.

The sky was overcast, and sporadic fog hung over the refuge. As the fog had me grounded, we decided to ground train the chicks before I went on my morning wild-chick monitoring flight.

Geoff and Robert opened the pen doors and all seven chicks kind of jumped out all at once. When we roared off down the run way two adults joined in. They ran along with the trike and chicks, their buts wiggling back and forth as they attempted to keep up to the young chicks. Soon they gave up running and just flew along side the young cohort of chicks. When training finished up and the chicks were put back in the pen the two adults sauntered off down the runway.

Morning training concluded, I drove back to the hangar anticipating a chick monitoring flight, but was faced with a wait for the fog to clear.

Date:July 7, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:WHITE’S WHOOPERTHON – IT’S A WRAPLocation: Main Office
Continuing her Mother’s Day tradition of several years, Illinois Craniac Vi White once again conducted her fundraising Whooperthon. As in the past, joining Vi for her day of birding were daughters Ellen Savage and Lynn O’Connor. The 2010 version of Vi’s Whooperthon took place on May 14, a clear, sunny, but windy day that following days of rain had left them wondering about their chances of pulling it off.

The trio began their bird spotting adventure at The Grove, a national landmark on the outskirts of Glenview, Illinois. Once home to Robert Kennicott, a famous 19th century explorer-naturalist, The Grove’s walking trails wind through acres of woodlands and marsh. Although as it turned out they sighted most of the 45 species of birds they racked up for the day at their first location, they also spent some time in another riverside forest preserve not far down the road.

Vi told us that one of the treats of the day was being able to observe a very busy and vocal pair of Black-Capped Chickadees excavating a nest cavity in a dead snag. Their most unusual and notable bird spotted was a Black-Billed Cuckoo.

Much like the walk-a-thons we are all familiar with, Vi’s annual Whooperthon asks folks to pledge an amount per bird sighted. While some preferred to commit to contributing a lump sum, the end result was a grand total of $3100 raised. What gives Vi’s yearly fundraising initiative even more impact, is the matching funds added to the pot by another Illinoisan. Someone Vi calls, ‘an Anonymous Angel’, matches the Whooperthon total dollar for dollar.

Vi said, “Years ago, this Mother’s Day outing started out as just a fun day of birding with my daughters during which they included treating me to lunch. At one point we decided to add a conservation twist and turned it into a fundraising vehicle. For the past four years our intent has been to add visibility to the plight of the Whooping crane and to engender interest in Operation Migration’s work to safeguard the species from extinction. And together, we have a marvellous time doing it!”

All of us at OM are thrilled with the result of Vi, Ellen, and Lynn’s efforts. We are sincerely grateful to you, and to your ‘Anonymous Angel’. It just goes to show what individual initiative can do to help the cause. We wish we had a hundred Vi Whites.

Date: July 6, 2010Reporter: Joe Duff
Subject: FAMILIARITYLocation: Main Office
You would think after ten years most of what we do would be routine. Admittedly some things are familiar, but it is surprising how much can change and how quickly.

This spring started early with warm temperatures and the discouragement we have become accustomed to as one by one the nests were abandoned. Then the weather cooled and re-nesting was delayed just long enough to miss the second wave of black flies, and from the ashes of yet another failure grew the promise of seven wild hatched chicks. Five pairs with a chick each and two sets of twins changed everything. Our budget went out the window as the team went from two flights a day checking on the nests to four daily trips to monitor chicks.

One chick from each set of twins was lost over the next few weeks but that is normal for Whooping cranes. Richard van Heuvelen reported yesterday that the search continues for 27-05, the first DAR bird to produce offspring. She was paired with 12-04 in Juneau County, but has been missing since last Wednesday. She has a non-functional transmitter so she can’t be tracked, and has not been seen anywhere in the area despite the fact that the male and the chick are still there.

Richard told us the 24 day old chick (W6-10) is now referred to as super-chick for its ability to cover ground. The male frequents two ponds almost a mile apart. They seem to be travelling back and forth, and the chick keeps up. The male could be anxious and looking for its mate, or avoiding whatever took the female.

The end product of this entire project is wild-hatched chicks that learn the migration route we taught to their parents. With so many years of nesting failure, many among us were starting to lose confidence. Ideas and alternative began to emerge that ranged from ending releases in Wisconsin to finding new introduction sites, and from controlling the black fly population to changing the rearing methods. Some of those ideas still have merit and should be explored, but there is renewed faith that we have not been wasting our time over the last ten years.

Robert Doyle, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Geoff Tarbox, OM, and Richard van Heuvelen have been working with the seven birds from Cohort 1. They are also preparing the Canfield pensite for the arrival of Cohort 2 planned for July 9th.

Brooke Pennypacker changed everything again today when he reported from Patuxent that number 14-10 was lost as a result of an accidental broken leg. Number 14 was one of the strongest birds. That leaves only 6 birds for Cohort 2 and no Cohort 3 at all.

Last year we had 20 birds. This season we will be lucky to have 13. There are many reasons for that low number. Part of it is lower production within the captive flock. Also, in years past, several eggs were collected from abandoned nests at Necedah and transferred to Patuxent. They were trained to follow the ultralight, then returned to Necedah and we became surrogate grandparents. We only have one of those chicks this year.

Part of the mandate of the Whooping Crane Recovery Team is to establish three discrete populations so that one catastrophe does not threaten the entire species. Partly because of the ongoing nest failures at Necedah, they decided to begin a resident population in Louisiana. Those birds will be released next January but they were hatched this spring and reduced our numbers substantially.

This is the fifth year for the DAR experiment and a critical one to test the method. We all agreed that program should be allocated a full cohort this season to finally determine if it is a viable release method. Currently there are 11 birds at ICF being prepared for Direct Autumn Release.

There was also a proposal to conduct a Parent-Reared study this season. Four birds were to be raised by their captive parents at Patuxent and released in the fall in Wisconsin to see if some parental instinct that would keep them on their nests was missed by birds hatched in an incubator. Also, a couple of genetically surplus birds were to be sacrificed to test the impact of Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) on Whooping cranes. Neither of these studies was prepared in time so they were not conducted but we could have had even fewer birds this season for the ultralight program.

As the summer training begins, year ten looks a lot different than year nine. After this many seasons maybe it’s the constant change that becomes familiar.

Date:July 5, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:DUCK STAMP FUNDS MORE WETLANDSLocation: Main Office
Excerpt from the July Birding Community e-Bulletin

In mid-June, the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced that the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) approved a total $5.3 million in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 1,849 wetland acres to six units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

These acquisitions have been funded with proceeds from sales of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, otherwise known as the Federal Duck Stamp. These acquisitions include:

- Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (Arkansas) - 180 acres of bottomland wetlands,
- Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (California) - 110 acres of the last remaining riparian habitat along South Stone Lake, as well as associated wetlands and uplands,
- Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey) - 243 acres of wetlands and upland fringes, the last natural open space on the northern portion of Barnegat Bay,
- Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (New Hampshire) - 162 acres of northern forest wetland
- Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee) - 866 acres of wetland and associated habitat, and
- San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (Texas) - 288 acres for the protection of a wetland complex.

For every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to secure vital habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System. To date, more than 5.3 million acres of wetlands have been purchased using more than $750 million in Stamp revenue.

The most recent Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (2010-2011) was released on June 26. Birders and conservationists can get their Stamps at Post Offices and National Wildlife Refuges across the country.

Date:July 4, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:EASTERN MIGRATORY POPULATION UPDATELocation: Main Office
As of June 26, the end of the most recent report period, there was no change in the number of Whooping cranes in the Eastern Migration Population (EMP). 86 of the EMP’s 100 cranes were located in Wisconsin, two in North Dakota, one in Michigan, and one in Indiana.

In their report, the WCEP Tracking Team, consisting of Dr. Richard Urbanek, (USFWS) Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and Matt Strausser, (ICF) noted that two Whooping cranes have not been located since spring migration and that three have been missing long-term.

Five of this season’s seven wild-hatched chicks still survive. They are:
Wild 1-10 – Parents   3-04 &   9-03*
Wild 3-10 – Parents 12-02 & 19-04*
Wild 4-10 – Parents 17-03 & 03-03*
Wild 6-10 – Parents 12-04 & D27-05*
Wild 7-10 – Parents 11-03 & 12-03*

Date: July 3, 2010Reporter:Joe Duff
Subject:A BIRD BY ANY OTHER NAMELocation:Main Office

If you have followed this website for a while, you will remember that there has been lots of discussion over the years about numbering or naming the birds. Some feel that names would personalize them and makes it easier to generate support for a project that lives on donations. Others contend that numbering the birds removes the impression that they are pets and discourages anthropomorphism.

Lately it hasn’t been the naming under scrutiny as much as the numbers themselves. Since our first migration with Canada geese back into the early 1990’s we have been using a numbering system that begins with the common denominator. We put the year first followed by the number of the individual bird beginning with the first hatched. The lower the number, the older the bird.

Another system evolved in the early years of the Whooping crane project. That listed the bird number first with the year at the end. When this change took place we had a large website audience and to avoid confusion we kept using our numbers while the rest of WCEP adopted the other method.

In truth, we don’t have to deal with the year portion of the numbers very often because we work with a new class every season. To us they are just one, two and so on and it’s only when they are released that it becomes important to distinguish them from the ones and twos of other years. We now have a hundred birds migrating in the eastern flyway and the WCEP numbering system is far more commonly used than ours. In fact, newcomers to our site are often confused by the two systems so we have decided to finally switch over. It is going to be perplexing for a great many people but it will be a short term bewilderment rather than an ongoing confusion.

There are thousands of pages of information on our website and the mechanics of switching over all of that archived material are frightening. So we will simply start using the other system and post a note warning of the discrepancy for anyone searching older pages. Journey North also uses our numbering system and they agree that it is time to switch over.

We apologize to all of our readers for the confusion this is likely to produce but maybe it is better to eliminate the inconsistency once and for all.

Date: July 2, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:A BIRD IN THE HAND... GULF SURVIVALLocation:Main Office

Readers familiar with the Eastern Migratory Reintroduction are no doubt familiar with the name, Mark Chenoweth. For several years, Mark volunteered his time to write and produce a podcast, titled Whoopers Happening. Mark has recently moved on and is now producing a regular podcast for the Endangered Species Coalition but he hasn’t stopped thinking about Whooping cranes and keeps in regular contact with us. He sent me the following yesterday and I asked if he would mind if I posted it in the Field Journal.

I had the privilege to talk with a guy very much in the current media spotlight, Jay Holcomb, the Executive Director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center out of California, with a facility now in Fort Jackson, LA. His team, along with others and Tri State Bird Rescue, were brought in by BP to rescue oiled birds, assess their situation, and save as many as possible.

This is not work done by the faint of heart; what they are doing in Fort Jackson makes it possible to see 72 Brown pelicans fly back into freedom last Sunday morning at the Aransas NWR in coastal Texas (the same home to Whoopers each winter, and which should, we hope, continue be a safe haven for them). There are concerns, and you can hear what he said in the latest podcast I did for the ESC which can be found at this link.

Many people have offered their services to help clean oiled birds, only to learn that rightly so, there are strict regulations in place to ensure only licensed wildlife rehabbers are called into action. Some have said that those who rescue birds and clean them do so just to ‘feel good,’ mentioning the poor survival these birds may have after their release. I asked Jay about this, and he responded, ‘Well, I have to tell you… holding dying birds in your hands and watching this horrific event is not a ‘feel-good’ experience for me or any of the staff here. And there’s nothing wrong with the ‘feel-good’ part of it, which is using your skills to give something a second chance for life.’ It’s almost made like it’s a bad thing because you feel good about your job. Jay says such criticisms are often a result of evaluating old data recorded from different situations with other species. And in some cases, based on old legband returns, which are not reflecting what is happening now with more resources and the intense care these birds are receiving. Some data was nearly a decade old.

The work that the folks at Patuxent do is not a world apart from those saving birds in the Gulf right now. The birds in the Gulf are mostly healthy and became oiled as a result of this man-made disaster, while the issues they have at Patuxent are from genetic weakness perhaps, or the fragile chicks can become ill very quickly, developing respiratory problems that can result in mortality. Dr. Glenn Olson and his team, which includes OM’s Brooke Pennypacker, interns, and Brian and Barbara Clauss, do a job no less spectacular, though removed from the public and TV cameras, caring for, nourishing and insuring the best health possible to the young Whooper chicks. The degree of dedication and the emotional ‘roller coaster’ that Brooke wrote about in the June 26th entry are the same ride, and they also hold the young chicks in their hands at times, with too many dying even as they look at them. It is a job that few of us could comfortably perform, but one that must be done by special people.

Cleaning the oiled birds from the Gulf, perhaps the most visual aspect, is not the most important job performed when birds are rescued. Jay says assessment, nourishment and treatment to keep them warm and under watchful eyes is vital initially, and that many times the oil cleaning occurs later, sometimes even days after they are brought to the center in Fort Jackson. Birds regard those who rescue them as predators… the cleaning process is traumatic, and their strength to endure it must be ascertained before it begins. Cleaning oiled wildlife is something most of us would do, and it is a ‘feel-good thing’! Seeing wildlife trapped, fighting thick, gooey oil patches and sludge would motivate most of us to want to save them and want to see them as they were. But the trauma of this and time in the hot sun, combined with toxic effects the crude oil has on such fragile life forms often make death inevitable.

Watching life ebb and then disappear from the creatures we love and want to be with us is never easy, and those who do this have a special calling. The Patuxent Chick Rearing Team and those at the IBRRC are in a special comradeship, and while few may actually know each other, they share a bond of dedication and skill few of us ever will.

Holding a dying bird you are unable to help is not high on the bucket list for any of us I am sure, but special people at Fort Jackson, Patuxent, and many others, do what they do with our best wishes and prayers! Their work makes most of us feel pretty good, and that means they are entitled to feel great! Our heartfelt thanks go out to Jay and his dedicated team, those with Tri State Bird Rescue and many others, and always of course… thanks Brooke!

Date: July 1, 2010Reporter: Geoff Tarbox
Subject:JUNE 30TH - MOVING DAYLocation: Necedah, WI
The morning was dull and uninteresting, as I waited for the first cohort to arrive at Baraboo. But that all changed as soon as Windway's jet touched down on the runway at 10:30.

June 30th was Cohort One’s long-awaited big day. The day when they’d would leave the simple life of Patuxent behind them and stretch their wings at the luxurious Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. I was bummed that poor 1004 wouldn’t make this flight, thanks to that pesky blood parasite in his/her plumbing. But I’ll bet you clean money he’ll/she’ll make the next flight. He’s/she’s come too far to let this bug get the best of him/her. But I digress.

Once the kids were offloaded from the plane, Dr. Barry Hartup and his trusty entourage from ICF examined each of them through the air holes in their crates and assured that they were in tip-top shape. From there, we were homeward bound back to Necedah. We turned them loose in their new digs at the North pen site, the same pen that Cohort 1 hung out at last year, and Patuxent's Robert Doyle and I spent the rest of the day taking turns watching them from the blinds.

I’m not ashamed to say, the kids took the move very well when I checked on them at 3:00pm. It didn’t take them long for acclimate to their new surroundings. They were already foraging, pigging out at the feeders, and strolling around like they’ve always been there. And when I saw them again at 6:00pm, they still seemed more or less happy with their new home.

The wet pen was starting to catch their eye. I counted at least four birds, including 1001 through 1005 hovering around every chicks’ archenemy; the chain-link fence that blocks off the wet pen from the dry pen. Those four were trying everything from pacing (not frantically) to sweet-talking it, to shooting it dirty looks. But for whatever reason, the fence remained adamant even after I left. Sadly for them, outsmarting a chain link fence isn’t as easy as outsmarting the ICUs at Patuxent. If Robert and Richard van Heuvelen think Cohort One does well enough tomorrow or the day after, maybe we’ll see how cocky that fence is against our uncanny ability to open doors.

But in the midst of all this, I had a sense of déjà vu creeping over me. I felt like could’ve been watching my little pretties from 2009's Cohort One. They've got the same lovable, five year-old mentality and curiosity, the same charm, and the same hankering to get into that wet pen. And of course, that same old bitter rivalry with that same sinister wet pen chain link fence.

Really, wouldn’t you do this job again? I just hope they don’t have the same rocky start to the migration that the Class of 2009 had last year. Chasing and flagging down birds like 918, 926 and 910 is one slice of nostalgia I don’t need.

Now if you excuse me, I’m off to watch my favorite musical number from 'Brave Little Toaster', then play a video game where I’m one of four survivors slugging it out in the zombie apocalypse. I’ve got over 1200 zombies to kill and the evening’s still young.

Photos by Geoff Tarbox

Cohort 1 gets offloaded from the aircraft. Travel crates lined up outside the North pen site.

One by one Cohort 1 chicks are released. Checking out their new digs.

Appearing to gaze longingly at the wetpen. The footbath is the closest they'll come to water for today.

Date: June 30, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:COHORT ONE ARRIVES AT NECEDAH!Location:Main Office

One would think with this being the tenth year we've done this that it would be old hat but let me assure you, we still hold our breath and sit on the edge of our seats each time an event takes place. This morning, just like they have for the past ten years, Windway Capital pilots were waiting at BWI airport in Baltimore, ready to transport some precious cargo.

First, we heard from Brooke Pennypacker that 7 of the 8 planned for birds in Cohort One had been crated and transported from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD to Baltimore by Charlie Shafer. It turns out that #1004 currently has a blood parasite that must be treated before he/she can make the trip to Necedah, so this bird will make the trip with the second cohort in a week or so.

We tracked the flight online and as the screen updated we began to relax ever so slightly but it wasn't until just a few minutes ago when a call came in from Richard van Heuvelen that we completely exhaled. Richard reported that they touched down at the Wisconsin Dells airport at 10:19 and were quickly checked by Dr. Barry Hartup from ICF to ensure that each chick was still upright inside its crate.

As soon as this was completed they were loaded into a waiting air-conditioned van and transported north the the Necedah NWR - their new summer home and the first location they will see from the air in a few short weeks once they begin to fly.

Our sincere appreciation and thanks goes out, yet again, to Windway Capital Corp and to today's pilots: Mike Frakes and Matt Waage!

Date: June 30, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:SOUTHERN COMPANY'S REMARKABLE GIFTLocation: Main Office
OM’s trucks, vans, and assorted trailers and motorhomes are somewhat obvious on the road as we ride the highways and byways from Wisconsin to Florida on the annual migration. This is especially true when we travel in a caravan from one stopover to the next.

All our vehicles are workhorses, but by wearing our corporate logo they do double duty as they draw attention and raise awareness for the Whooping crane project. Folks spotting our logos, passing us on the road or pulling up beside us at stop lights, will honk or blink their lights and wave or give us the thumbs up. More often than not when we make a pit stop or pull in somewhere for fuel or for groceries, at least one or two people will come up to us to say hello and to chat.

Operation Migration is a small organization with a big job that is perennially a challenge to fund. Because we are inevitably maxed out expense-wise just meeting our project obligations, and despite the attention and potential for support that advertising, marketing, or promotion could attract, they are not things that ever make their way into the budget.

That is why we were thrilled when our corporate sponsor, Southern Company, stepped in to raise our ‘on the road’ profile and to afford us an opportunity to recognize their generous support of Whooping cranes at the same time.

When you see what Southern Company  has done to our aircraft/equipment trailer, we think you will agree that it will be very difficult to miss us whether we are on the road or standing still. Talk about Whooping cranes making a statement!

Southern Company is well known for its commitment to the environment and conservation. 2010 is the third year that Operation Migration and Whooping cranes will benefit from a grant generated by Southern Company through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

During our three year association with the good folks at Southern Company I have met many of them personally and have learned how heavily involved they, and their company are, in fostering partnerships to conserve ecosystems and habitat and protect wildlife.

Speaking about the stewardship of species and habitats, Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation said, "Strong programmatic, philosophical, and financial support can achieve meaningful and significant benefits. We are seeing results through focused conservation investments we've made with Southern Company through programs like Power of Flight and Longleaf Legacy."

You don’t have to take our word for it though. Click the links to read about Southern Company’s
  -  philosophy on environmental stewardship

  -  participation in wildlife and natural resources conservation programs

  -  efforts to restore ecosystems

  -  rivers, wetlands and coastal restoration programs

  -  programs for land management

  -  employees' community service and philanthropy

Sincere thanks to Southern Company for adding promotion and outreach to their many efforts on behalf of the environment and wildlife - most especially, Whooping cranes.

Date:June 29, 2010Reporter: Brooke Pennypacker
Subject:THE BOXLocation: Laurel, MD
“There just ain’t nothin in this big bad world like a good ol’ box.” Emperor Confusionus proclaimed back in Roman times. “And if you don’t believe me, just ask any turtle.” And he did. “How’s life, little fellow?” “Cool, man. Real cool.” the turtle replied.

I know this to be true because when I was a kid, the most exciting event in our lives was when one of my friend’s mothers took delivery of a washer or dryer or stove and WE got the box. We literally swarmed around it like ants to a dead bug and soon we carried it off to some secret place for the transformation to begin.

My friend David - his mother wouldn’t let us call him Dave - wore thick glasses and owned a sharp pencil so he was our design team while the rest of us cut and carved and created until our space ship was born, one rivaling anything we’d seen on TV. It became our stairway to the heavens, transporting us through the galaxies of our imaginations, taking us to places no boy had gone before .

As our hands worked the crayoned controls and our eyes gazed out the cut out port holes in awe, we visited places where all was exciting and wondrous as we imagined the unimaginable. Then, thrilled and spent, we gently returned back to Earth and to the safe and warm familiarity of home. It was enough to make Peter Hawkings give up astronomy and do karaoke full time…or even trade voices with Carl Sagan.

And so it seems somehow fitting that tomorrow our eight little intrepid voyagers of Cohort 1 should experience the Friendly Skies for the first time on their first big flight from Patuxent to Wisconsin in a box…or rather, in eight of them in the back of a Citation business jet, compliments of Terry Kohler and Windway Aviation.

Nature has dictated that each chick hatches with enough Frequent Flier miles to make the trip so tomorrow morning, the trip will begin, followed on July 9th by the remaining six chicks of Cohort 2. With a whole lot of luck, all 14 chicks will survive the summer at Necedah and begin their next big flight the middle of October when our annual migration to Florida begins.

Meanwhile, “Keep looking up!” and call me collect when the new stove arrives. I want the box. “Walt Disney, eat your heart out!”

Date:June 28, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:PATUXENT NEWSLocation: Main Office
Brooke sent us these photos over the weekend. So you can get an idea of the size, one of Patuxent's Interns poses inside one of the travel crates that will be used on June 30 to air transport the chicks to Necedah. In the second photo, several of the Cohort 1 chicks enjoy the water in the ponded pen.

Date:June 27, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:BABY - TOT - TWEENLocation: Main Office
The first cohort of the Class of 2010 has been getting a preview of their soon-to-be life on the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The last stop on their learning curve while still at Maryland's U.S.G.S Patuxent Wildlife Research Center is spending time as a group in the ponded pens.

While visited and tended to during the day by the costumes, they have been experiencing undisturbed nights in the great outdoors, giving them the opportunity and freedom to forage at will, and to discover and practice the all important skill of water roosting.

In the pen with them is the usual adult Whooping crane dummy, (seen in Brooke Pennypacker's photo to the right) providing them with familiar company and acting as an imprint model.

Scrolling back through previous Field Journal entries with photos you can see how much and how fast the chicks have grown. Sprouting at an average of one inch a day, even the chick crew marvels at the speed at which the little brown fluff-balls morph from baby to toddler, and now to tween.

Bits of white plumage now break up the rich cinnamon brown coloration of the eldest birds. Three more sleeps and they will be taking their first flight - although it will be one that requires no effort on their part. Early this coming Wednesday morning they will be jetting their way to the Necedah NWR in first class fashion compliments of Whooping cranes' long-time good friends of Sheboygan, Wisconsin based Windway Capital.

Date:June 26, 2010Reporter: Brooke Pennypacker
Subject:1013'S ROLLER COASTER RIDELocation: Laurel, MD
It was simply not possible to grow up on the Jersey Shore without having your horizon line broken somewhere by the giant tangle of trestle and track called the rollercoaster.

Each and every summer evening of my youth was a soundscape dominated by its undulating roar, like a huge piece of machinery tearing itself apart again and again, backed by a pulsing chorus of shrill screams and muffled hollers. From my bedroom window I could see it, hear it, feel it.

Mr. Munley, who lived across the street ,was its operator. From June to September, seven nights a week, he awakened this restless giant, tamed it, maintained it, and made it do all that roller coasters do. “Never lost a rider yet,” he used to say with understated pride.

My appreciation for this ever-present monster grew even greater when I learned the history of its kind. Legend has it that back in the late 1800’s while building the transcontinental railroad, a crew of over 2000 men of many nationalities and races, some having served under flags of both the Union and Confederacy, returned to work one morning after a night of revelry, commemoration, and intoxicated inspiration, and set about creating a railroad with no beginning and no end, to stand forever as a lasting symbol of how the world really works. It was an instrument of highs and lows, one that would thrill a man out of all feelings of lust and loss and release him whole at its final stop spent, relieved and purposeful.

The foreman arrived later that day from a mandatory political correctness meeting. Upon seeing what the men had constructed and recognizing it to be as much philosophical statement as it was a construct of their collective imagination, he immediately ordered an assemblage.

As the men, wringing with sweat and bursting with pride, crowded close to absorb his displeasure , he spoke the words that would resonate again and again through subsequent decades, describing pretty much half of what some would refer to as the human condition. “Men,” he said, what we have here is a failure to communicate. Or not. But what the hell. Let’s call it a Roller Coaster.” The men gave up a resounding cheer which is said to have lasted well into the night.

But it is the roller coaster of emotion that is life’s true monster ride. One minute it cradles and carries you on its upward trajectory to the very heights of hope and excitement, to an arching place of true joy and satisfaction. Then, with a speed so great you don’t think your body parts will hold together, it drops you with utter contempt into a dark abyss of sadness and despair. This is the roller coaster one climbs aboard when one passes through the gate into Patuxent.

Why all the talk of roller coasters you may wonder. Simply because it’s easier than writing about the loss of our special little friend, #1013, who despite the heroic efforts of our medical staff and crane crew, succumbed yesterday afternoon to a respiratory illness which had attacked suddenly the day before.

As is so often the case, he seemed fine in the morning, his demeanor characteristically jubilant and sure. Then there came a cough, and then another and another. The passing minutes cast an ever dimming shadow over him until the very act of breathing soon became his challenge. Emergency surgery offered us hope, and for a time, he seemed to be improving. But the fates, always lurking in the shadows, eventually intervened and he was gone. We had shared this world together for 34 days. We can only hope he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his.

Date:June 25, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:UNBROKEN STRING OF SUPPORTLocation: Main Office

For years, Operation Migration has been a grateful recipient of funding through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF).

We recently learned, that for the tenth straight year, the DWCF has awarded OM a grant for our work with endangered Whooping cranes for the 2010/2011 season. One of the few, if not the only organization that has supported OM every single year since the Whooping Crane Project’s inception, DWCF’s continuity of support has provided our organization with a degree of vital funding stability.

Established in 1995 as a global awards program for the study and protection of the world’s wildlife and ecosystems, the Disney Worldwide Conservation makes awards to nonprofit conservation organizations. Since its inception, the fund has contributed $15.6 million, distributed to more than 800 projects in 111 countries. Whether they swim, fly, crawl, slither, or hop, endangered animals are the fund’s focus. Through awards from this fund, Disney helps ensure the survival of wildlife and wild places in all their beauty and diversity.

In addition to financial support, Disney also supports the Whooping crane project in other invaluable ways, not the least of which is providing vet support, as well as assistance with winter monitoring at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Date:June 24, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject: WILD-HATCH CHICK MISSING   -   1013 PROVIDES A SCARELocation: Main Office
It is probable that one of the twin chicks belonging to the sibling pair 317  & 303* is dead. The weekly Friday summary reports provided by Necedah refuge biologist, Rich King and which usually come to us via WCEP has not been received, so this news is unofficial. Reports are however, that the chick has not been seen since some time last week.

If the chick's demise is confirmed, it will leave five pairs, each with one chick. The other four parenting pairs are: 403 & 309*; 212 & 419*; 311 & 312*; and 412 & D527*.

Recent weather, in the form of rain and/or thunderstorms, has put a crimp in aerial surveys of the territories of the five pairs with young-of-the-year. OM trike pilot, Richard van Heuvelen, took over 'chick patrol' duties on the weekend relieving Chris Gullikson.

The latest word from Brooke at Patuxent is that Class of 2010's #1013 took a very bad turn yesterday with a respiratory problem. Some fast action by the vet team there seems to have helped as Brooke reported that the chick now appears to be doing better, giving rise to hope for its survival.

What a rollercoaster ride this season is turning out to be. The Kleenex supply is taking a beating and I'm turning holding my breath into a fine art.

Date:June 23, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:GETTING READY FOR 'MOVING DAY'Location: Main Office
The action in Maryland these days consists of getting ready.

With Cohort #1’s journey to the west just one week off, getting them and their costume handlers set for the trip is the order of the day. Their crates, specially built for their flight to Necedah, are all clean and ready to go, and Patuxent’s Robert Doyle and OM intern Geoff Tarbox are busy this week preparing for their road trip from Laurel, MD to Necedah, WI. They will make their way there this weekend in order to put things to rights in the chick’s new environment prior to the arrival of the eight eldest chicks in the Class of 2010. (1001, 1002, 1003. 1004, 1005, 1006, 1008, and 1009)

Speaking with Brooke last evening he reported that the eight chicks are acclimating well to the ponds in the White series pens. “Not only are they getting along great,” he said, “they are enjoying being in the water for the first time. They are wading birds after all, and the frogs, snakes and other critters they are finding to snack on there are their own reward.”

The time in the ponded pen has another benefit. “Being in the pond helps boost their collective sociability,” Brooke said. “Because they are so busy investigating everything, discovering the water and all its delights, they are less interested in being aggressive to each other.”

In anticipation and preparation for their soon-to-be new home, tonight may be the time that Cohort 1 experiences their first night left alone in the ponded pen. They'd better get used to it - because that’s life at Necedah.

Date: June 22, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:NEW OM GEARLocation: Main Office
Thanks to the generosity of North Sails, we have added a cool designer logo’d t-shirt to our line of OM Gear. Available in white or yellow, the tagless tee comes in unisex sizes small through 2XL.

This current support of Operation Migration by North Sails is far from the company's first. Craniacs and Field Journal readers will recall that not long ago North Sails stepped in to save the day when we were struggling to produce five sets of wing covers to protect our trike wings from inclement weather and frost while on migration.

North Sails’ beginnings date back to the late 1950’s. Recognized as the world’s premier sailmaker, the company has 63 major lofts and 56 service, sales, and satellite lofts in 29 countries.

For the days that a t-shirt alone isn’t enough, cover up with one of OM’s lightweight windbreakers. A new item this year, the jackets have a zipper front closure, elastic cuffs, and come in both men’s and ladies’ styles.

Last but not least, don’t miss the newest addition to OM’s line of jewelry. You have to see the 8 miniature gold cranes stacked inside their glass pendant to believe it. A lovely piece, and it makes a great gift.

Date:June 21, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:THE 'AWWW' FACTORLocation: Main Office
What is it about babies, human, animal or avian, that arouses an instinctive response in us? What is it that makes us want to coddle and protect them to enable if not ensure their survival?

Konrad Lorenz, a Nobel Prize winning zoologist, proposed it is the way they look – miniature, almost caricature-like replicas of the adult form – that elicits the protective parental response. While in fact the biological basis for this is not proven, I suspect it is the rare individual who has not experienced such a response.

This season, with the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) producing seven wild-hatched chicks, elation and optimism both within and without the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) soared. The hatches, coming as they did subsequent to end of the primary black fly bloom, seem to suggest that with some human help, the repetitive nest abandonments at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge might be mitigated if not resolved in the future. What is in the cards for the EMP’s 2011 nesting season will be determined once all the research studies performed this spring have been collated and analyzed.

Meanwhile, what we are left with is the sheer excitement of having had hatch success and chicks ‘on the ground’. Put that excitement together with our instinctive response to seeing a bunch of fluffy, little bundles of joy, and what comes out of the mix is a recipe for emotional highs and corresponding lows. Why? Because nature’s law of averages says that it is more likely than not that no more than half will survive. Our Whooping cranes are first-time parents, and first-timers are notorious for not getting it right first time around so it is possible if not probable that the chick survival rate could be even lower.

So while we rejoice the hatch successes, we have to temper the celebration with a dose of pragmatism. Of the seven wild-hatched chicks, one has been confirmed lost so far (one of 309* and 403’s twin chicks). A rumored loss of a second chick of another pair is not yet confirmed.

As we’ve pointed out before, a lot can happen between hatch-fledge-migration. At the same time, being realistic about our expectations – or should I say wishes and dreams – is easier said than done. But keeping nature’s way in mind helps to maintain perspective and to ‘keep it real’.

Date:June 20, 2010Reporter: Trish Gallagher
Subject: Out for a swimLocation: Laurel, MD

From the time a chick is about a week old until it’s about three weeks old, it gets a daily exercise period in the swimming pool. You might think this is no big deal because cranes are birds that hang around water all the time, right? But they hate it!

I used to wonder why until I realized that they’re actually wading birds. Have you ever seen a heron swimming around the wetlands? Probably not. The reason we swim young chicks is because it helps them develop strong legs and can prevent some of the problems that can occur when they’re raised in captivity. So really, we’re doing it for their own good and they like it about as much as your kids do when you tell them it’s for their own good.

Chicks are carried to the pool by a costumed technician, gently placed in the pool, and then swum around for 20 minutes. Almost all of the chicks hate it, if you can gauge their emotions from their peeping. This year I was promoted to a chick swimmer. I have now been trained to swim the younger chicks in the small pool, which is about 10 feet long, 4 feet wide and 2½ feet deep. It’s placed up on blocks so it’s about hip height.

Now I must confess that after a while, sodden, crying chicks all look alike, so this story is really a composite. It’s dedicated to all of the chicks who are afflicted with curved legs – they have to swim TWICE a day instead of once. As you might have experienced in your own life, when you have to do something that you dislike twice a day, your feelings about it don’t just double – they multiply.

When I first started swimming Peeper (not his real name!), he didn’t seem to mind swimming. He would trill occasionally, mostly when he swam close to the costume, and peep sometimes, but mostly he would swim along without too much difficulty. A few times during each swim, I toss some meal worms into the water when the chick has his back turned. That tasty treat provides a reward that keeps the chick swimming. During early swims, when Peeper would turn and see the worms floating on the surface, he would zoom over and gobble them up, trilling happily. But each time he went for another swim, his enthusiasm dimmed a little more.

Yesterday was the culmination of a week of daily swims. When I went into Peeper’s pen, he assumed his alarm posture – standing up straight and tall (all 6 inches of him!) and peeping loudly as I approached. After I scooped him up, he gave a quiet little peep and then settled down while we walked to the pool. But as soon as he saw the pool, he started crying again.

As I gently lowered him into the water, he started hollering and continued in that vein the entire 20 minutes. A few times during the swim, I tossed some meal worms into the water when he wasn’t looking. When he would turn and see the meal worms, his loud hollering would settle down to minor peeps while he snatched the worms out of the water, and then he would resuming his loud complaining. There was not a single trill.

Finally, when we were done with his exercise, I scooped him out of the water. He trilled his delight, as if to say, “Thanks for ending my misery!” Then he realized he was being held and started peeping again. I walked back to his pen gently set him down on the grass outside.

He was still dry on his topside, but sopping wet underneath. He shook himself a little and then ran over to the adult in the next pen and peeped as if to say, “There’s nothing right about it! Why do they keep dragging me over to that pool and making me swim when you don’t have to do it?” He shook himself again and started preening.

When I checked back a few minutes later, he was all dry and fluffy again. He even trilled at me the next time I went into his pen, so I assume there are no hard feelings. Well, at least until the time comes for his afternoon swim.

Date:June 19, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:OM TEAM GROWSLocation: Main Office
The Eastern Migratory Population is not alone in adding to its numbers. Operation Migration itself has recently added to its personnel roster.

Barbara Corcoran, a resident of Uxbridge, a neighboring community to OM’s Port Perry headquarters location, recently joined OM’s admin staff. Barbara's title is Communications and Fundraising Assistant, but as with all OM staffers, she will without doubt find herself wearing any number of hats.

Her primary focus however will be helping to lighten my load with communications relating to volunteers and memberships, and assisting with the creation of media, website and outreach documents, including our magazine, INformation. Her journalism background will be a great fit for this. Barb will also be gradually working her way into supporting and assisting our fundraising efforts too.

Barbara works 10 to 5 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so the new voice you hear when you telephone OM will be hers. Take a moment to welcome her to the OM family when you call. You can read Barb's bio on our Meet the Team webpage.

Date:June 18, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:EASTERN MIGRATORY POPULATION TRACKING UPDATELocation: Main Office
In this update, * = female; D = Direct Autumn Release bird; NFT = Non-functional transmitter

For the period ended June 12, the WCEP Tracking Team reported they estimated the size of the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP) as being 101 Whooping cranes. This consisted of 52 males, 43 females and 6 chicks. In comparison, their mid-May report listed 58 males and 44 females for a total of 102.

The difference between the mid-May and mid-June population numbers can be accounted for as follows:
     - The number of males was reduced by six due to the recent mortality of 709, and long-time missing birds 511, 516,      D628, 706, and 724 being presumed and declared dead. (see list below)
     - The number of females was reduced from 44 to 43 with long-time missing bird D744* being presumed and declared dead. (see list below)
     - The addition of the six wild-hatched chicks.

LAST KNOWN LOCATIONS
North Dakota

913

919

Detected May 16 in flight over core reintroduction area in Wisconsin. Last reported May 22 and 25 in Ransom County. No subsequent reports.

Michigan

D737

Last reported April 12 in Jackson County.

Indiana

727*

Last reported May 5-12 in Kosciusko County.

Long Term Missing (more than 90 days)

D533*

Last reported Feb. 25 - Mar 6 in Jackson County, IN.

805

812

Departed Columbia County, WI Dec 10, 2009.

D836

Disappeared from Lawrence County, TN between November 29 and  December 11, 2009.

Missing – Presumed dead and now removed from population number

D744*

Last recorded in Paulding County, OH Nov 18, 2008.

516

Last recorded in Marion County, FL Dec 22, 2008.

706

Last detected south of NNWR May 6, 2009.

511

Last detected on NNWR May 11, 2009.

D828

Last detected on NNWR June 23, 2009.

724

Last detected on NNWR June 25, 2009.

Wisconsin

Juneau County

101, 412 & D527*, 713, (last observed May 22), 908*, 914*, 915*, 918

NNWR

105 - observed June 6 pre-copulation calling

 

211, 213 & 218*, 216 & 716*

 

317 & 303*, 307 & 726*, 310 & W601*, 311 & 312*, 316NFT (last observed May 6), 313* (remained with 509 and was observed unison calling June 6), 318 (former mate of 313*)

 

403 & 309*, 401, 402 & D746*, 408 & 519*

 

509, 508*, 505NFT & 415*NFT, 506 (last detected May 31 with 926*), 512 & 722*, 514NFT (last observed May 18 with D831)

 

D627 (sometimes associating with 926*)

 

712 (sometimes with D831), 717*NFT (mate of mortality 709)

 

803*, 804 (not detected since June 4), D831,

Fond du Lac County

107

Wood County

212 & 419*, 703, D838*

Monroe County

416, 904* (suspected)

Jackson County

520*NFT (suspected), 707, D739

Adams County

524 & D742*, 733, 901, 905*

Marathon County

D528*

Dodge County

814, 824*, 828, 907*

Waukesha County

927 (last detected at a spring migration stop April 10)

Vernon County

827, 829, 906, 910, 911, 912, 924, 925*, 929, D932*, D937*, D938, D940*, D934*, D935*, D941, D936*, D942*

Taylor County

813* (last reported April 19)

This update was compiled from data supplied by the WCEP Tracking Team of Richard Urbanek, Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and Matt Strausser.

Date:June 17, 2010Reporter: Trish Gallagher
Subject: The First Time the Engine StartsLocation: Laurel, MD
The other day I got to help Brooke train. He usually trains alone because the chicks get confused if there’s too much going on, so one handler and one trike are enough for the chicks to manage. But once in a chick’s life, Brooke starts the engine for the first time. On this day, he likes a second person there to act like a brood model and provide a safe haven for the chick when the engine starts.

Inside the prop building we play a wetland recording and outside there aren’t any loud noises. There can be a dull roar from cars on roads outside the refuge and the noise of occasional plane flying overhead, but in general, it’s quiet and peaceful (this is also a bonus for the handlers who live in cities most of the year!).

Imagine being six inches tall and following a giant over to a big yellow thing. It’s logical that you would follow the giant – it has meal worms and they taste so much better than that kibble back in your run! There you are, enjoying your snack, trilling your happiness and enjoying the sounds of the meadow. And then, all of a sudden, the yellow thing starts roaring!
PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! The chick looks around wildly. What the heck is that????

That’s where I come in. After Brooke leads the chick into the circle pen, I step inside too. I sit on the ground between the chick and the trike and I spread my costume out so the chick has somewhere to run for comfort while he gets used to what must seem like the end of the world. After all, the noise sounds loud to me and most of the time I live in a world of cars and trains and lawn mowers.

I sit there with a puppet holding a meal worm and gently encourage the chick to go back to his snack. Gradually, the chick starts eating again, maybe even trilling a note or two. Once the chick calms down, Brooke starts revving the engine.
PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! There it goes again!!!! What the heck???

We repeat the process. If all goes well, the next step is for me to exit the pen and walk beside the trike while Brooke drives it around the circle pen. The chick follows along and we stop now and then to dispense more meal worms from the puppet.

It might be a nerve wracking day in the life of an ultralight chick, but it’s a special day for me because I can act like a real crane mama and brood my chick.

Date:June 16, 2010 - Entry 2Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:AERIAL SURVEYLocation: Main Office

On his 'chick patrol' flight this morning, ultralight pilot Chris Gullikson managed to take photos of some of the new chicks.

 

Top Left: 403 & 309* attending 18-19 day old chick, Wild1001, on their usual territory.

Top Right: 311 & 312* bracket their new offspring about 200 yards southeast of their nest which is at the edge of very small wetland. Perhaps the adults will move their chick to better habitat.

Bottom Left: Lone adult (either 412 or D527) stands sentinel.

On his flight this morning Chris did not spot both adults of the 412/D527 pair. (What he saw is shown in the photo above.) He noted that the second adult is often seen foraging in a wetland about a mile to the south southeast.

Sighted just southeast of their nest location were 317 & 303*. Chris could see that they were attending one chick. The second chick was not visible, but Chris said it could have been there because they are very hard to pick out.

Date:June 16, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:EMP REPRODUCTION FINAL RE-CAPLocation: Main Office
The re-nesting (and late nesting) of seven pairs is finished. All incubated for full term and five pairs hatched a total of seven chicks. The nests of the other two pairs contained non-viable eggs.
 

PAIR

RE-NESTED

NOTES

403 & 309*

April 29-30

Two chicks hatched May 30-31. One chick disappeared June 6-7.

212 & 419*

May 9-11

Two infertile eggs were swapped with one captive-produced egg from Patuxent June 6. Chick hatched June 7.

311 & 312*

May 9-12

One chick confirmed hatched June 12. Second egg did not hatch.

412 & D527*

May 10-15

One egg was seen in water June 10 and did not hatch. Chick hatched from second egg June 11.

317 & 303*

May 11-12

Second re-nest had hatched one chick by at least June 10. Two chicks were visually confirmed by June13.

  Not Successful

402 & D746*

April 29-30

One egg incubated past full-term was found to be infertile when collected June 7.

213 & 218*

May 6-8

The single non-viable egg was incubated past full-term and was collected June 14.

Date:June 15, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:THE CLASS OF 2010Location: Main Office
I am undoubtedly not alone anxiously waiting to hear how, in addition to Wild1001, the five new wild-hatched chicks are fairing. While we, (or at least me) are waiting not so patiently for more Necedah chick news, thanks to Brooke, and Geoff’s great personality notes, I can fill you in on the ultralight-led Class of 2010 at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. (Perhaps we can twist Geoff’s arm to give us the lowdown on the rest of the chicks.)

Geoff reports that 1001 through 1009 are now living completely outdoors in the White Series Pens. “1001 to 1005 are housed in a two-pen suite, while 1006 to 1009 have a separate pen to themselves,” he said. “This is one of the final steps in their socialization regimen before they get shipped to Necedah. Chicks 1010 to 1017 are still living in the chick propagation building, each in their own separate pen."

Brooke advised that yesterday, all of the chicks designated for Cohort 1 and scheduled for air transport (compliments of Windway Capital) to Necedah on June 30th, had their pre-shipment health checks. Happily, all passed with flying colors.

Eight chicks will comprise Cohort 1. They are numbers 1001, 1002, 1003. 1004, 1005, 1006, 1008, and 1009. Cohort 2, made up of 1010, 1011, 1013. 1014, 1015, 1016, and 1017, won’t make the trip to Wisconsin until they are a little older and have had more training time. Their anticipated arrival date at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge is July 9.

The photo to the right shows you one of the ways the Chick Crew at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center keeps track and can tell at a glance exactly what is on tap for each of the chicks on any given day.

If you’ve done the math you will have figured out that the ultralight-led Class of 2010 will consist of a maximum of 15 young cranes. Here’s hoping none develop any problems and they all stay healthy.

CHICK #

EGG SOURCE

HATCH DATE

PROGRESS  /  NOTES

1001

Patuxent WRC

May 1

 

1002

Calgary Zoo

May 4

Always curious, and not afraid to try new things. Trusts the costume, but doesn’t put up with hassling from fellow chicks and isn’t afraid to ‘get in their face’. Is being walked with 1001 in the hope of ‘putting him in his place’.

1003

Necedah NWR

May 4

Can be pretty aggressive towards specific birds, for instance, when being socialized with 1004, would take shots at him whenever he got close enough. 1004 did what he could to keep his distance but 1003 seems to have gotten it out of his system now that both are housed together in the same outdoor pen.

1004

Calgary Zoo

May 5

Gets along with its training partner, 1003.

1005

Patuxent WRC

May 8

Tends to be very stubborn and was always a little more challenging to rear when still a wee chick. It can take handlers as much as a half an hour trying to get 1005 on the walk on scale and stay there long enough to get a reading.

1006

Patuxent WRC

May 11

Seems to be a loner, an introvert, and not fond of confrontations. Is content to wander off and do his own thing. This made 1006 a little hard to raise as a baby chick since its attention was focused elsewhere. It’s been kind of amusing to see him just wander around the white series pens happily foraging while 1008 and 1009 tried to hang out with the costume.

1007

Patuxent WRC 

May 13

Died May 21

1008

Patuxent WRC

May 13

Oddly enough, 1008 seems to be the big cheese of the pseudo cohort of 1006 to 1009. Isn't afraid to throw its weight around even with the bigger birds like 1006 if it thinks it can get away with it. How it will do with the even bigger/older birds, including the no nonsense 1002, remains to be seen. (Geoff says his money is on 1002.)

1009

Patuxent WRC

May 16

Very clingy and dependant. In the White Series pens it goes out of its way to hang out with the costumes to the point it would rather sit and bake in the sun with the costume than go into the shade on its own and get a drink. When trying to wean 1009 off the costume, it spent most of the time trying to find it, or hanging out where it thought the costume was hiding. Now that it is living in the White Series pens without much contact from the costumes it has gotten more independent but is still the first to greet them when they show up.

1010

Calgary Zoo

May 16

Very casual, laid back, and not particularly demanding. Typically goes along with the costume.

1011

Patuxent WRC

May 18

1011 is the Thug. This chick has to be walked separately, although it should be getting walked with 1010 and 1013. Extraordinarily aggressive, it has gone out of its way to go after other birds when it sees them. When leading it by 1008's and 1010's pens it tried to take shots at them from behind the bars. “This scared both of them, and me,” said Geoff. “I actually had to physically push him away from 1008 and 1010 with my puppet since there was no other way of getting him to stop.” 1011 is now being walked with 1002 in the hope that it will show it who’s the boss. Reports are it is working and that 1002 is putting 1011 in its place.

1012

Calgary Zoo

May 19

Died June 2

1013

Patuxent WRC

May 20

 

1014

Calgary Zoo 

May 21

Seems to be a fairly quick learner and is a pleasant bird to be around.

1015

Patuxent WRC

May 24

 

1016

Patuxent WRC 

May 26

 

1017

Patuxent WRC 

May 26

 

Date:June 14, 2010 - Entry 2Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:WHAT A WEEKEND!Location: Main Office

When we headed for home on Friday the latest word we had was that there was still just one wild hatch chick in the Eastern Migratory Population. The chick, Wild1001, was the surviving twin of the hatch by parents 309* and 403.

Recently returned from Wisconsin, Richard van Heuvelen came in the office this morning and gave us some amazing news -
                                          we now have five more wild hatched chicks!!

The Hatch Report Card

212 & 419*: A fertile egg from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center’s captive population was swapped for their two infertile eggs by ICF staff. The day following the swap the chick hatched.

303* & 317: After two failed nesting attempts, they succeeded in hatching two chicks.

412 & D527*: This pair laid two eggs but one was lost due to falling into nearby water. The chick that hatched is the first ever by a Direct Autumn Release bird.

311 & 312*: On his last over-flight, OM pilot Matt Ahrens, reported spotting one chick and one eggs still in this pair’s nest.

With no remaining active nests, it appears the nesting season is officially over. 213 & 218* are still nesting, but being almost a week past the anticipated hatch date that nest is not likely to be productive. One other nest, that of 402 and D746*, was also incubated long past the anticipated hatch date. The egg from that nest was collected and determined by ICF veterinary staff to be infertile.

A lot can happen between hatch / fledge / and migration, and it is likely unrealistic if not over-hopeful to expect 100% survival. But…there’s no denying that the Eastern Migratory Population is working hard to prove they CAN do it.

Date:June 14, 2010 - Entry 1Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:TRIP TO JAPAN - ACT NOWLocation: Main Office
OM's own Walt Sturgeon, along with Zoologist Dave Davenport, is leading an extraordinary tour to Japan. In addition to special opportunities to view cranes and other birdlife, the tour being arranged through EcoQuest Travel includes visits to cultural sites and the country's natural wonders.

Walt tells us they still have spots left, but the time to express your interest is now. Click this link to read an earlier Field Journal entry about the tour, and to access how to receive more details/information.

Date:June 13, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:NPR PRESENTS MIGRATION RESEARCH Location: Main Office
Thanks to Billy Brooks, from USFWS Jacksonville, FL office, for this suggestion.

Below you will find two links to two absolutely fascinating audio stories about bird migration on the award winning NPR show “Talk of the Nation”. The first one was done at Cornell and consisted of a panel of leading ornithologists and the latest research on migration. They’re MP3 files and you can listen to them via your computer’s speakers just by clicking on the links. I’m sure you will enjoy them and find them quite interesting and worth your time.

 Note: The first one is 47:13 long; the second is only 7:26, but we think you will find both are fascinating and well worth listening to.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113663006

 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113870286

Date:June 11, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:HELP IDENTIFYING NORTH AMERICAN BIRDSLocation: Main Office
A new tool to help us all identify North American birds is now available thanks to financial support from Environment Canada and USGS Geological Survey, and, in-kind support from the Mexican Biodiversity institute CONABIO.

According to its website, “Dendroica is an interactive site developed to help students, volunteers and professionals improve their skills at identifying birds by sight or by sound, particularly so that they can participate in nature survey and monitoring programs.”

Originally developed to aid participants of the Breeding Bird Survey and other scientific surveys of Canadian bird species to develop their bird song identification skills, Dendroica has been expanded to allow anybody to use the program to develop their bird identification skills using both sound and pictures.

The website includes birds from throughout Canada, USA, and Mexico, and participants can contribute new photographs and sound recordings so it will continue to improve over time.

Dendroica allows you to browse through lists of species found in a particular region to see their pictures and listen to their songs and calls. You can then quiz yourself, based on songs or photos or both, to see how well you have learned the species. You can develop your own custom list of species for study.”

To use all the program features or to submit your own photos or sound recordings, you must register and sign in – but it is free. If you prefer, you can use the site as a guest.

Date: June 10, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:NEW ITEM IN THE MARKETPLACELocation:Main Office

We've added a new item to the Marketplace that we hope you'll really like! The latest addition is a really neat vial pendant - complete with 8 teeny tiny metallic gold origami cranes inside it. Each little crane has been carefully folded from textured Kingin Washi paper by origami artist Kimberly Vu - a student at York University in Toronto.

I purchased one of these from Kim a couple of months ago and have been wearing it since. I'm constantly getting compliments on it because it's so unique and it's a great way to start a conversation about my favorite subject - cranes!

Everyone here at headquarters liked it so much that we commissioned Kim to create a limited supply of the necklaces so that we could offer it to you. Be sure to check it out - I hope you like it as much as we do!

While you're in the Markplace, be sure to have a look at the other new items that have been added recently. The ballcaps have been re-stocked, and we've added some nice windbreaker jackets, which are ideal for spring and fall birding adventures.

 

Date:June 9, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:PATUXENT IN THE NEWSLocation:Main Office

Washington Post journalist and reporter, Ed O'Keefe recently visited the crane ecology crew at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. I thought you would enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes and meeting just a couple of the many people that work tirelessly all year long, but especially so at this time of the year when all the crane chicks are hatching. Enjoy!

Date: June 8, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:NESTING UPDATELocation:Main Office

With Chris Gullikson back following a successful storm chasing trip, he has now relieved Richard van Heuvelen as the pilot at Necedah NWR for nest/chick monitoring duties. Each day, weather permitting, flights are made in the ultralight to monitor the nesting activities, and to check on any chicks.

Using the ultralights allows for low level passes and since the birds are already familiar with these aircraft, they barely even glance skyward as it passes overhead. It's much less intrusive than approaching the nest location on foot - if it's even accessible by foot.

This season twelve pairs initiated nesting - some as early as the first week of April. All of the early April nests failed but this gave those pairs ample opportunity to re-nest, and those pairs that waited to build their first nest of the season till the end of April and into mid-May seem to be sticking to their incubation duties.

The following table provides information on which pairs nested, and when, as well as the outcome or current status.
D=Direct Autumn Release bird, *=female

Pair

Est. Date of Incubation

Active

Nest Status

311 & 312* May 9-12 June 7th PM flight: Adult standing on nest. 2 eggs visible
D746 & 402 April 29-30   1 egg seen on previous flights. June 7th AM flight: nest was being incubated.
past expected hatch date. Determined un-viable. Removed from nest. Adults no longer at nest during PM overflight.
505 & 415 Discovered April 1   Nest failed. 2 eggs collected April 6, taken to ICF. 1 egg hatched.
310 & W601* April 3   Nest failed. 1 egg collected April 9, taken to ICF.
303* & 317 April 2   Nest failed. 2 eggs collected April 12, taken to ICF and transferred to PWRC. Both hatched.
Re-nest May 2-3   Nest failed. 1 egg collected for transfer to PWRC.
2nd re-nest May 11-12 June 7th AM flight: Nest was being incubated. second adult flew in. Nest exchange observed. 2 eggs seen.
313* & 318 April 5   Nest failed. April 11-12
212 & 419* Discovered April 5   Nest failed. April 14. 2 eggs determined infertile
Re-nest May 9-11 possible unknown. 30 miles northeast of refuge prohibits frequent aircraft checks.
309* & 403 April 2-5   Nest failed April 11
Re-nest April 30 Hatched 2 chicks May 31st. June 6th AM flight: Both chicks observed being attended to by both parents. June 7th AM flight: Chicks were not seen on first pass, both adults were very close to nest. Returned 20-30 minutes later and saw one chick with parents in same location, near nest. June 7th PM flight: still only 1 chick visible. (Photo below)
213 & 218* April 2-5   Nest failed April 12. No eggs.
Re-nest May 8 June 7th PM flight: Nest was being incubated. 1 egg seen on previous flights
401 & 508* April 4   Nest failed April 7th. 1 egg collected. Taken to ICF
D527* & 412 May 10-15 June 7th AM and early PM flights. Nest was being incubated.
408 & 519* April 4   Nest failed. 2 eggs collected April 9. Taken to ICF.

 

Above: Adults 309* & 403 tend to their single chick on June 7th. The pair hatched two chicks on Memorial Day.

Date: June 7, 2010Reporter: Trish Gallagher
Subject:THE BEST JOBS IN THE WORLDLocation:Laurel, MD

I have the two best jobs in the world. The first is as a faculty member, where I have the privilege of teaching very bright engineering students, advising graduate students on their research, doing research on sustainability and engineering, and working to incorporate sustainability across our curriculum, all while serving as a role model for women in engineering and science. Two of the many freedoms of being a faculty member are that I can set my own hours and I can work remotely if I don’t have a specific need to be on campus. These freedoms are what allowed me to take my other best job as an OM intern.

Chick season starts about 6 weeks before our spring term ends, so I devised a clever plan to allow me to do both of the best jobs in the world. I started at Patuxent the week after Mother’s Day. In preparation, I crammed all of my on-campus responsibilities into 3 days a week so I could spend long weekends working with my babies. My routine is to get up before dawn on Friday mornings and drive the 2½ hours to Patuxent, where I spend 4 days with my crane “kids.” I do the rest of my academic work in the evenings. Monday night I drive home to get ready for work Tuesday morning. Then I work at my academic job Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, where I interact with my student “kids”, finishing just in time to leave again Friday morning.

“Are you crazy?” I hear this frequently when people learn about my avocation, but especially when they hear about my current schedule. There have been a few days recently where I have pondered this question myself, and the past week brought me many occasions where I doubted my ability to keep up the pace – at least with my sanity intact. It was especially tough Friday morning when the alarm went off at 4:45. I longed to stay in bed and I actually hit the snooze several times before I mustered the will to get out of bed.

I arrived at Patuxent just in time for cleaning pens. I caught a glimpse of one of my babies as they were locked outside for cleaning. I scooped poop, filled feeders, and mopped the floors, still wondering if I could keep up the pace. When we were done, Barb asked me and Geoff to walk 6, 8, and 9 together. I found a puppet and a vocalizer, put on my costume and headed outside. I opened the latch to 8’s door and then went down the aisle to let 9 out. 9’s head came up as the door opened and he chirped at me – the happy little trill – and then came running towards me. As we exited his pen, he did a happy dance, stretched out his wings and took off running. 8 was chirping too and I opened his door after 9 went by and the three of us walked out to meet Geoff where he was waiting with 6. We spent a blissful 20 minutes in the farm pond field, walking back and forth in the shade, watching our kids running around exploring their world. Periodically one would stop to forage while the rest of us kept going. A few moments later, it would look up, see us ahead, stretch out those featherless wings and run like crazy to rejoin us. I listened to the sounds in the meadow, punctuated with the peeps and trills from the chicks, and breathed deeply. I marveled at how big they had gotten during the few days I was gone. How could I possibly miss this?

On Friday I will attend commencement and watch my other “kids” graduate. I will personally hood my two graduating Ph.D. students and marvel at their intellectual growth, and be proud of their persistence and motivation in pursuing such a challenge. How could I possibly miss that?

“Are you crazy?” Absolutely. And brimming with pride over both species of kids. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Date:June 7, 2010Reporter: Liz Condie
Subject:BE ON THE LOOKOUT (BOLO)Location: Main Office
The June issue of THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN noted that they had been specifically asked by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), “….to spread the word about one aspect of the current BP oil issue.”

“Birders have a special opportunity to ‘be on the lookout’ (BOLO) for oil slicks and oiled birds outside the area of direct impact. Pelagic birders and folks watching shorebirds might even take photos and make reports of oiled birds from as wide an area as possible, not just in the Gulf area, but along Atlantic Coast as well.

According to USFWS, "Even anecdotal reports will help to determine the extent of oiling geographically. It would be particularly significant if any oiled birds or remote slicks were observed in the Gulf Stream."

The US Fish and Wildlife Service advised that oiled wildlife should be reported to a BP hot line set up for this purpose. The number to call is 1-866-557-1401.

Date: June 6, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:MORTALITIESLocation:Main Office

Dr. Richard Urbanek advised that yesterday International Crane Foundation Tracking Intern Matt Strausser and Operation Migration pilot Richard van Heuvelen discovered the decomposed carcass of adult male whooping crane no. 709 in a jack pine woodland 1 mile south of the southeastern Necedah NWR boundary.

The area was not crane habitat, and no. 709 may have dropped while airborne. No. 709 was last observed alive on May 22nd and was apparently dead by May 24th, the next date when his mate no. 717 was observed alone. The remains will be forwarded to the National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, for necropsy.

Nos. 709 and 717 had remained together since they were members of the same juvenile cohort. They had a history of sporadic inadequate human avoidance, but none of these problems were documented during the current spring. The two birds were old enough to become a possible breeding pair in 2010; however, they did not establish a territory. The estimated maximum size of the eastern migratory population of whooping cranes is now 101 birds (57 males, 44 females).

We also received word yesterday that chick no. 1012 died as a result of persistent respiratory issues.

Date: June 4, 2010Reporter: Christine Barnes
Subject: When is Enough, Enough?Location: Northfield, Vermont
The Greek and Roman Empires were legendary in their opulence and power. But the Greek tragedies written at the time revealed an awareness about their culture: characters in Greek tragedies usually had a hamartia, or fatal flaw. Hubris, or pride, presumption and arrogance, was one of the chief character traits which brought down peasants and emperors alike.

Have we learned nothing? “It’s just human nature.” Our arrogance seems to be okay, forgiven, passed off as acceptable, regardless of the consequences. How dare we allow an oil rig in the fragile Gulf of Mexico to exist with no failsafe to prevent a catastrophic event? When is ‘NO’ to the plan for more coal mines, more oil rigs, not loud enough? The money to build these destructive facilities, where too many people die every year, is desperately needed to fund creative solutions to our energy crisis.

How is it that financial institutions in this country can bring us to our knees, peering over the edge of the precipice, as close to the brink of economic disaster as we dare to imagine, as we were in the 1930s? Must we regulate everything, because ‘human nature’, in its avarice, is predictably not trust-worthy? Whatever happened to being ‘my brother’s keeper’?

How many destroyed lives do we have to witness before we harness the destructive traits of greed, arrogance and self-centered lack of concern for others and the greater good of our planet? People are already without homes, jobs, and now an entire fishing industry is going under - all because we seem unable to make any substantial personal sacrifice, or to demand that action be taken to save us from ourselves. The ensuing destruction of these coastal wetlands will result in a domino-effect, consequences we will feel as a nation for decades to come.

For 80 years, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast in northern Florida has been a source of hope and restoration. People who visit seem to understand its mission in the big environmental picture. They see it as a safe haven for themselves, for wildlife. Now the refuge and its wild population lie in the path of millions of gallons of oil, oozing their deadly suffocating way into the waters and wetlands.

The refuge serves thousands of migrating birds each year, is home to countless wild residents, from alligators to salamanders, from Monarch butterflies to Gopher Tortoises. It serves as a nursery for invertebrates, fish and crustaceans that feed humans and animals alike. The refuge is one of the two migration destinations for the Whooping Crane Recovery Project. My husband and I have worked at St. Marks for three consecutive winters as resident volunteers: we mourn the impending loss of wildlife about to be engulfed by this disaster.

It is deeply painful to watch this polarized country bicker over its responsibilities to this planet and to each other. We are so blinded by consumption, so unaware of the consequences of our irresponsible over-population, so full of denial about the evidence that indicates that we are in trouble – all because it’s too inconvenient to change: it’s someone else’s problem.

The Greek and Roman Empires are gone. One has to wonder how much longer we can sustain our own culture, given our willful disregard of the numerous warning signals. The Copenhagen climate negotiations fell short of a global consensus for action.

No one demanded that BP America place dead-sure shut-off valves on its rig. Nuclear waste is a disaster waiting to happen. We can recycle, buy more efficient cars, put up a couple of solar panels and a wind turbine. We can put our money under our mattress instead of trusting Wall Street. But we need so much more.

Some say we don’t need or want big government. But it’s clear that we do. We need leadership and action, regulations and legislation. And we need them now.

Note: In addition to being a freelance journalist, wildlife advocate, and a committed environmentalist and conservationist, Christine, along with husband Gordon, assist with monitoring of the ultralight-led 'Class of the Year' wintering at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Date: June 3, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:GOING IN CIRCLESLocation:Main Office

OM intern extraordinaire Geoff Tarbox sent me a quick email update last night and reports that he and the rest of the crane ecology crew at Patuxent have had 24 chicks hatch, but with the loss of #1007 to a respiratory condition, they are currently caring for 23 chicks. Now, it's important to remember that not all of these 23 chicks are destined for the ultralight reintroduction - in fact some will be delegated to other reintroduction methods, but they do need to be cared for and tended to.

Initially, each chick is trained individually for approximately 20 minutes in the circle pen. This process involves leading the chick, using the puppet head, from the propagation building, out to the circle pen. Once at the pen, the chick is lead to the inside and then the handler will get into position in the wingless ultralight, which is on the outside of the pen. The puppet head is extended over the low fence which separates chick from trike and prevents the young bird from accidentally getting under the wheels of the aircraft.

The handler will then start the ultralight engine and slowly begin moving it around the perimeter, while encouraging the chick inside the pen to follow the puppet head, which dispenses mealworms from time-to-time. If all goes well, it looks like this:

As time goes by and the chicks are adept at following the trike as individuals, they are then trained in pairs. That's the stage that some of the older chicks are at now. Numbers 1001 and 1002 are currently training together, as are 1003 and 1004, 1005 and 1006, 1008 and 1009, 1010 and 1011, and finally 1012 and 1013.

Geoff reports that the youngest chicks, including 1014, 1015 haven't even begun circle pen training but have passed the "start/stop" trike test, so should begin very soon, possibly even today.

Date: June 2, 2010Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:BLACK FLY COUNTSLocation:Main Office

Jeb Barzen, Director of Field Ecology with the International Crane Foundation has been conducting black fly sampling at several locations in the southern portion of Wisconsin every two weeks for the past few months. He recently submitted results from the most recent sampling and I thought it would be interesting to include them in the table below to compare numbers.

Location April 28 May 15 May 27
Mud Lake 50 - 80 0 <10
ICF 2 1 0
WI River 75-100 30 - 50 150
Necedah 7,000 - 10,000 2,000 - 3,000 15
Schoenberg 15 - 25 10 - 20 <10
Briggsville 10 - 20 20 - 40 20
Horicon 10 - 20 30 - 60 1
Poygan (Wolf River) 10 - 20 5 - 10 0

Date: May 31, 2010 - Entry 2Reporter:Heather Ray
Subject:THIS NEWS JUST IN!!Location:Main Office

 

Adult Whooping cranes 309* and 403 have successfully hatched TWINS!!!

Operation Migration pilots have been flying reconnaissance flights over the refuge whenever weather permits since the beginning of the nesting season. During each flight details are gathered on the location of one or both birds in each nesting pair, and submitted to the nest monitoring team.

Richard van Heuvelen just called with the fantastic news and reported that he was unable to fly over the refuge last night or this morning due to rain but did get airborne at lunchtime today when he spotted both chicks with their parents. During yesterday's noon-hour flight, one bird was still sitting on the nest. This leads us to believe that one chick hatched out late yesterday and its sibling very likely hatched this morning. Richard also stated that both parents appear to be tending to the chicks and that he'll attempt to capture some images soon.

UPDATE: As promised here's a photo showing both chicks and one parent, still at the nest. (click image for larger view)

Those of you who have been supporting our work and following along since 2003 may recall that #309 has had quite travel itinerary. You can read about her travels and subsequent capture and relocation here.

Congratulations to the entire Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership!


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