| |
|
|
|
Send The Team a Message In The Guest book
Nov.
9, 2001: Adair Co., KY to Cumberland Co. TN Right from the start one bird fell behind and as we climbed hard, the distance between us increased. Deke moved in to pick him us as the rest of us cleared the ridge and headed on course. His lone bird turned back and Deke gave chase. Bill directed him and he maneuvered in and out of the valleys first picking the bird up on his wing and them losing him again as he tried to cross yet another hill. I listened to their radio conversation as five birds and I began a slow climb on course. The air was rough and bumpy and I had sympathy for Deke and Bill as they worked the bird down low. Paula circled overhead and as we flew I began to lose radio contact with them. Through the static I could hear the insistent "make a 360 to the left now" and knew they were have little luck. By this time I was too far south for Deke to catch me and I began to feel alone. Paula circling overhead boosted my confidence but the air was rough and warm and we had 70 miles to go. Without Deke flying chase a bird that dropped out would be on its own. I could not even wait to get a GPS fix on its landing site. The terrain below began to change and the fields between the ridges disappeared, replaced by more trees. We covered miles of thick forest with no place to land let alone hide birds. The tailwind that was predicted, failed to materialize and we plodded along at under 40 miles per hour. Occasionally, I could hear a snippet of radio chatter between Deke and Bill and knew they were still at it. Paula radioed to tell me she had smooth air and a slight tailwind at her altitude but working the birds up at 75 feet per minute took forever. We began to smell burning wood and flew into a layer of smoke from a nearby forest fire. After what seemed like hours, our destination appeared on the horizon and Paula circled the field before landing. I stayed high to avoid the turbulence that we had finally cleared and started a long descent over the field. We circled twice before landing at the east end of the property; isolated from the hangar and all evidence of people. I walked the birds to a pond and they spend an hour foraging in the muck before it was time to hide them from the arriving ground crew. Another hour passed and I realized the crew would be late. We had passed from Kentucky to Tennessee in hilly country; what I could cover in 2 hours would take them 3 or more by road. I walked the birds back to the pond and waited until I saw the approaching truck, then moved them back to the hiding place until the pen was up. It was not until the birds were secured that I learned that Deke and Bill had lost #6 in the hills and ridges and they had returned to our last stop. Sara Zimorski from ICF and Dr. Glenn Olsen of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center took up the search and Bill and Deke were on their way in air that was now even rougher. When they finally landed the look on their faces told the story of the longest morning of their lives and it was mirrored by the look on mine. Nov.
6, 2001: Morgan Co. IN to Jennings Co. IN Nov.
5, 2001: Clinton Co. IN to Morgan Co. IN By now the birds have learned the routine and once we have them up to altitude they normally stay in a consistent order. Leadership in birds is the result of aggression. More dominant individuals will push their way into the front position but they only maintain the lead until someone successfully challenges them. The aircraft is just another bird and occasionally one of the more assertive will defy our leadership role. This usually happens just when we think everything will work out. The low level turbulence is below us, the temperature has dropped enough to keep the birds cool and the ground speed has picked up to the point that our destination seems almost attainable. Without warning, a bird will move from a perfectly comfortable spot only inches from the wing-tip. He may have occupied this position for over an hour, effortlessly riding the wake but he will drop down under the wing in the worst possible location. You can almost see the determination in his eye as he pumps past and moves in front of the aircraft. Each bird follows the one ahead and soon the space around the aircraft is an obstacle course of white feathers on seven foot wings. They fly above and perilously close to the wires that support the wing and can trap a bird in a second; they fly below, so that any descent is blocked and on both sides, until the pilot is boxed in. All you can do is hold your breath and you flex your muscles until none of your weight is left in the seat. You hold the aircraft as steady as you can and wait for an out, hoping that no one is hit or entangled. Sometimes if you are careful you can slow the aircraft and back out. Once clear we climb and power ahead over the flock; then we drop back into the lead again with the birds safely behind. If they have worked hard enough to discourage another attempt they will acquiesce and are content to rest on the wing again but cockiness lives in excess energy. The birds soared on Deke's wing for the rest of the flight and only challenged him a few times. We landed after two hours and 8 minutes, on a cornfield that had been harvested but was still rough. We held the birds for a long time before the ground crew erected the pen and then flew the aircraft to a nearby airstrip. On take-off, Deke's engine would not develop full power so we left it in the field. Later examination found contaminates in the fuel tank so we took the opportunity to change filters, lines and plugs. (if it's not one thing, its another) Nov.
4, 2001: Kankakee Co. IL On the surface there was a light breeze blowing and the hot sun was creating thermals, making conditions perfect for the spiders to migrate. They spin out yards of web and when the wind catches it, they soar off to new territory carried by their gossamer craft. Sometimes the web collects together to form cotton candy that floats by the aircraft even at a thousand feet. If the sun backlights it, you can see the streams of web that collect on the flying wires like delicate tinsel. When we landed I walked across a harvested Soya bean field and there was so much web caught on the stubble that the field had a silvery sheen. Nov.
3, 2001: Kankakee Co. IL to Boone Co. IN I applied power but my run was uphill. The birds took-off with their usual two steps and were soon cutting in front of me. I backed off and came on again after we topped the crest. The result was that the birds and I flew past our audience in a formation tight enough to impress the crowd and scare the hell out of me. It was not long before we resumed our normal order and turned on course. Within a few miles #7 rolled into a descending turn and headed back. His departure was so abrupt and definite that we knew there was no point in chasing him. Deke made one attempt before leaving him for Bill to monitor. It was only a few minutes before it landed and Bill passed the information on to the pick up crew of Kelly MacGuire and Dr. Julie Langenburg, then he hurried to rejoin us. We battled the turbulence and headwind for another hour before we gained enough altitude to find smooth air. Our ground speed dropped to 22 mph but with only five birds left in the formation there was plenty of room to fly on the wake created by the aircraft and all of the birds settled into a pattern of shallow wing beats. By the time we arrived they all had their beaks open and they were eager to get on the ground. There was a small pond at this landing site they all bathed (Real Player required) in the afternoon light. Before long, all of the signs of fatigue disappeared and when the ground crew arrived they were reunited with #7 who made the rest of the trip, boxed in the back of Kelly's van. The entire migration crew worked hard and did not get a break all day but we are now a little closer. We measure our success in miles. Nov.
2, 2001: Stuck in Kankakee Co, IL. Oct.
29, 2001: Lasalle Co. IL to Kankakee Co. IL. Wind is not the only thing that can be troublesome in the air. As the sun heats the earth it does so unevenly; darker areas such as ploughed fields attract more heat and the air above them warms faster. This differential heating, forms columns of raising air called thermals. As the warm air rises, cooler air rushes in to fill the void left behind so just about every thermal is surrounded by descending cooler air. As our 360 lb aircraft fly through this instability, they are first bounced down, then up, then down again. In these conditions the birds have difficulty following closely enough to receive any benefit from the aircraft wing. Instead they must flap fly and after the first twenty-minutes of today's flight they began to show signs of fatigue. We struggled for every foot of altitude in large areas of descending air only to give it away again as the birds dropped down and we had to retrieve them. Finally, we managed to claw our way to 500 feet and the air smoothed out enough for them to surf on the wing and rest a little. Unfortunately, the afternoon was warm and heat erodes their endurance. Before long they were all flying with feet splayed, trying to cool their bodies, and their beaks open gasping for oxygen. Several times they broke from my aircraft and moved to Deke's, desperately looking for some relief from the punishing pace. Halfway through the flight we managed to inch them up to 1000 feet were the air was smooth and cooler but we paid the price in a slight headwind. Deke also lost his radio to dead batteries and could not convey the message that #10 had weakened and was falling behind. He circled back once and encouraged him along but lost him below his wing. Bill radioed me to turn around and the entire flock followed me through a 360 degree turn to let number 10 catch up. It is hard to relate the frustration of a headwind. It varies constantly with the terrain and other factors. This information is presented to us by the GPS under the heading of ETE or Estimated Time Enroute. Shortly after take-off it told us we were 1 hour 40 minutes from our destination; twenty-minutes later, it indicated 1 hour 44 minutes. Several times during the trip we thought we would have to turn back or look for an alternate landing site but the dedication of our birds kept them following. From five miles out we began a slow descent to let them rest and when we landed they made only one circuit before setting down beside us. With the delays we have experienced, we need to take advantage of every opportunity presented. It is interesting to note that all the pilots noticed the calm at the same time and converged on the camp with the same idea. We
pull it all together on short notice and managed to steal a base.
Notes: Crane #6 was found safe and sound early this morning standing in the middle of the grass air-strip at the previous
stopover. The tracking crew was already enroute to begin the search so it
didn't take too long for them to arrive and capture this crane. Great job
everyone! Addendum: I later learned that by the
time Dan and Sarah had arrived at the previous location to capture #6, it
had already flown away. They were receiving radio signals from about 5
miles south of the location so they set out in this direction. The signal
strength increased as they crested a tall ridge and with a river below
them they thought the bird might be near the river. Once close to the
river they began broadcasting the vocalizer in the hopes of getting the
crane to respond, which is exactly what happened. However, they were in a
wooded area and when they saw #6 flying overhead they knew there wasn't a
suitable landing spot for him. Dan sprinted to the nearest clearing at the
top of a hill, all the while broadcasting the crane call and as soon as he
reached the small clearing the wayward crane landed beside him, crying a
mournful peep. I think after a night of solitude with nothing familiar he
was quite relieved to both hear the call and see the costumed handler come
to the rescue. Dan was his knight in muddy-white armour.
Notes: The ground search for #6 was called off temporarily early
yesterday evening due to the fact the #4 needed to be released from his
travel crate. Glen Olsen, the veterinarian from Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center and Sarah Zimorski of the International Crane Foundation
had been tracking the wayward bird since early yesterday when he dropped
out of the flight. Since they were also transporting #4 to the next
location they had to consider his well-being and decided he had spent
enough time in his crate. They arrived here at approximately 9pm last
evening after delivering #4 to join his flock mates in the travel pen. Early
this morning Paula Lounsbury and Richard Van Heuvelen departed in the
Cessna 182, which is fitted with a tracking antenna and Glen, Dan, Sarah
and Dan Hicks of the TN State Wildlife Agency all left in two ground
vehicles to resume the search for #6. Glen reports
that they had been picking up good strong from #6 yesterday but never
actually got a visual on the bird. They will begin searching in the area
they had received the signals from last night. The addition of the 182
with the antenna should make the job of locating him much easier. Deke attempts to convince #6 to join up on the
wing of his trike We believe the reason he dropped out of the flight is
the area we departed from yesterday in Adair Co. KY is surrounded many
tall ridges and valleys and during the take-off this bird had a bit of a
slow start, which may have made it difficult for him to gain enough
altitude to make it over the ridge. We will update
as soon as we hear any news. Special thanks to all the
wonderful people that have taken the time to post an entry in the OM
Guest book! Your messages are inspiring and much appreciated by the
team. Also, huge thanks to everyone that has mailed to our office,
newspaper and magazine articles, often accompanied by donations. We'll
have a full press scrapbook and a better head start to next year's
migration budget because of your support for the Whooping crane. Thank
you!
Notes: Whew! After driving for over an hour this morning, much in the
fashion a yo-yo would if they were able to drive, things were finally
sorted out. Joe, Deke & Bill departed Adair Co. KY at 6:40am. 5
cranes formed up on Joe's aircraft and the sixth crane, #6 had other
plans for Deke & Bill. This bird broke off from the main flock
shortly after take-off and headed East. Deke was immediately in pursuit
and was able to catch up with the bird in short order and he attempted
to lead it back for a pass off to Joe. Bill was watching over Deke in
case he needed assistance. We jumped into our rental and began driving
to the next location. We were about 30 miles south when we received word
that they had turned back to the previous location, so we did an
about-face and backtracked, intent on visiting with our wonderful hosts
of last evening. However something didn't make sense so as soon as we
were back in an area about 15 miles north where there was a good cell
phone signal I called the homeowners to find out what was going on. She
said that the one crane, along with Bill and Deke had returned but that
Joe had continued south with the other 5 birds. So, around we turned,
again facing south and began to drive. Been there, done that! Eventually,
after another 2 hr. drive we arrived at the next location, just behind
the ground crew. Joe had a 3-hour wait, in full costume over his warm
flight suit, for the crew to arrive because of the twisting and turning
roads between the two locations. #6 is still on the lamb but the
tracking crew has a signal on him and are in pursuit. #4 is also enroute
via his crane crate. Total accumulated miles 665.4
- Officially past the halfway point!
Notes: (Sorry for the delay) While "we" were flying this morning from Toronto
enroute to Nashville, TN at 31,000 feet altitude, the migration
team flew from Washington Co. KY to Adair Co. KY at 1,800 feet.
"We" consists of myself and Diana, Joe's wife, who completely
surprised him with her arrival. In any event the crew and cranes arrived
in Adair Co. at 9:19 am. Diana and I arrived at 1pm. More later... Cumulative
miles migrated: 590.1
I should also, at this time, introduce Chris Danilko. Chris joined our
little flock at the beginning of Sept. and she is still coming to work
each day - even during the mayhem of the past three weeks. I feel confident
that she possesses the necessary level of insanity required to look after
things in my absence, so if you call the office
to place an order or to make a donation, please extend a hearty
"welcome" (or your condolences) to Chris! Onward & UPward...
Notes: Joe, Bill and birds were airborne this morning at 8:10am
after again having to remove heavy frost from the wings of the trikes.
Deke was delayed about a further 10 minutes while he dealt with frost.
Once airborne, it was clear sailing and they managed to skip a stop near
Louisville, KY, which is also where Deke managed to catch up with them.
After leading 6 cranes for 2:02 they are currently waiting for the
ground crew to arrive in Washington, Co. Kentucky. A great day! I can't tell you how
good it feels to finally be able to
bring everyone good news for 3 consecutive days! and I'm fairly certain the
migration team is even happier to be finally heading south at a steadier
pace. It seems now that they are south of the Great Lakes
region, the weather is cooperating. Fall weather can be unpredictable at
times, especially in this region. We don't feel this will be as much of
an issue next year for a couple of reasons: This year we took late eggs to
allow more time for the Experimental, Non-essential Federal Rule to pass, which means our chicks didn't hatch until the middle of
May. The Sandhill cranes of last year hatched out in April, giving us a
months head start. When we repeat this project next year, the Federal
ruling will already be in place, allowing us to use earlier eggs and get
off to an earlier start of field-training and ultimately an earlier
start to the southward journey. This is a multi-year project that
will see us leading a new flock of Whooping cranes south each year until
the introduced flock reaches a "self-sustaining" level. The
Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the self-sustaining number at 125
individuals and a minimum of 25 breeding pairs. Eventually, the cranes
being led south this year will reach breeding age (4-5 yrs.) and begin
to teach their offspring the route that we are currently teaching them.
Notes: The team found the wings of the aircraft with a heavy coating
of frost this morning and each time they would defrost them, it would
quickly form again. Instead of fighting the frost, they chose to wait till
the sun came up to assist them in melting it. For this reason they got a
late start, departing Morgan Co. at 8am. Once airborne they proceeded to the
next location, slowed somewhat by a headwind. The 6 birds that flew this leg
are doing great. #4 arrived with his driver. The team is now in Jennings Co.
IN. Total distance traveled: 444.4 miles. Only 782 left to go!
Notes: Once the team defrosted the wings of the aircraft they were
airborne at 7:34am under sunny skies and minimal winds. They flew south
until they were clear of Indianapolis controlled airspace then headed east
and were greeted with a headwind. Deke led the birds this morning, allowing
Joe to capture some video footage as well as a couple rolls of still shots.
Ever wonder how difficult it is to change rolls of film while flying at 1400
ft. altitude, in an open cockpit airplane? Not to mention the obstructed
view courtesy of the helmet and the headpiece of the costume. And just for
fun, lets toss in cold fingertips and a constant vibration. Let's just say
it's not easy ;-)
Notes: After a test flight this morning the team has decided to stand
down and hope for more calm conditions tomorrow. Today's winds, while
light and variable, are out of the SW and after yesterday's 91 mile
flight they would rather not push the young birds with another flight
today. Instead, they will allow the birds to rest a day.
Notes:
Well, it's about time! Finally the weather cooperated allowing the crew to
get airborne at 6:32 am out of Kankakee Co. IL. With a very slight tailwind
and flying in very warm conditions, they arrived in Boone Co. IN at 8:32am
- 2 hours and 9 minutes after departure. A long flight at 74F/24C, Joe says
that the birds began panting with approx. 10 miles remaining until their
destination. One crane, #7 dropped out of the flight shortly
after take-off and Joe feels it was because of poor timing. He said that
seconds before take-off when the birds are released from the pen, they
sometimes get tangled in the excitement. As a result this bird was
behind right from the start and couldn't quite catch up to the others so
it simply dropped out. The tracking crew was aware of this and
immediately set out to locate the bird, which they did successfully -
Yeah tracking crew! The flight team and the other 5
birds are currently waiting for both the ground team and the
crane-trackers to arrive to set-up the travel pen and to deliver #7 and
#4. A great day!
Notes:
Joe reports strong westerly winds are blowing the ground fog out of the
area. It rained all night making the ground quite soggy. Temperature is
approx. 45F. He did say that it looked like it was clearing to the north of
their location so if the wind continues to shift around to the northwest
there is a slight chance that they may make an afternoon flight into
Indiana.
Mike Robertson, a hang gliding instructor
and a good friend of OM's emailed a great suggestion for the crew to pass
the time: "Something you can do with little or no "survival
kit" is learn to juggle. I used to teach all my HG students to do this and there are always some items around with which to practice. Pine cones, socks, bits of hard wood...be careful to keep your mouth closed if you use stones.
Once you master the basics you can do juggling in groups where you pass between the jugglers."
Thanks Mike! I can't help but laugh as I try to picture everyone
learning how to juggle. Joe was on his way to the Laundromat this morning,
at least he'll have clean socks to learn with.
Notes:
The wind that has prevented the team from making any progress not only
continues but this morning, has even gained strength; blowing at 18mph
out of the south. I spoke briefly yesterday with Rebecca, Deke's better
half and she admitted it was getting a bit boring. Normally, Rebecca
would take advantage of any poor-weather days by venturing out with her
camera to capture the surrounding scenery but she recently hurt her foot
so cannot even do that. Last year, I had assembled a "migration
survival" kit, which consisted of various items, including a deck
of playing cards, crayons and colouring books, a classic car magazine
and various other items to help pass any down- time. The kit had hardly
been opened. Yesterday, Rebecca asked me where I'd hidden the survival
kit so she could crack it open - I didn't have time to make one this
year.... it figures. Sorry "Recca" ;-(
Notes: This morning a test flight was not required to tell the story.
As soon as the team awoke and before stepping outside of the trailers, they
could tell it was simply too windy to attempt a flight. The winds are out of
the south today at 10-15 mph and just to provide a bit of variety, it
appears as if there may be rain moving in to the area.
I suppose if boredom begins to set in today with the crew, they could always
use the costumes and go trick or treating? The weather during
this migration has really not been in our favour. In comparison, during
last years Sandhill migration, the 40-day trip was held up for a total
of 7 days: 2 for mechanical reasons and only 5 because of poor weather.
This is day-15 of the Whooping crane migration and already the team has
been delayed by 10-days because of weather.
Notes: Joe took-off briefly this morning to determine whether they
would fly with the birds today or not. Once airborne and aligned in the
right direction, his GPS indicated a ground speed of only 18mph. With
the next location more than 40 miles away, it would have taken almost 3
hours to get there. They will wait for better conditions. Total miles traveled: 255
Notes: Remember last week when I mentioned that we must remain
flexible? Well, the weather provided a small opportunity this afternoon
and not wanting to let it slip by, the team made a hasty exit from stop
#4 at 1:08pm and landed at the next location 1 hour and 44 minutes later
at 2:54pm. Bill reports winds were light and
variable and that 6 birds made the trip without incident. #4 arrived via
his chauffeured vehicle. Total miles traveled: 255
Notes: Wind continues to be our enemy. No flight today. Be sure to
check out the new Photo Journal.
Notes:
After a brief test-flight this morning, indicating a ground speed of
only 10mph, the crew will stand down for today. Winds out of the SSW at
5-10mph mean that they and the birds would have to fight to make any
progress. Much safer to wait it out.
Notes: Finally! The weather has cooperated, providing a window of
opportunity and the team was able to progress south. Two trikes,
followed by 6 Whooping cranes departed Green Co. WI, at 7:55am today.
Crane #4 was transported in his crane crate as the pilots would prefer
to wait until they are flying over more open terrain in case he decides
to drop out of the flight. This would make tracking him slightly
easier. The window they have been given allowed
them to even skip a location and fly 94.7 miles! This is almost the same
distance that they had covered in the three previous flights. Joe
reports that it was very cold, with the highest temperature reached
being only 1.4 Celsius, (sorry we're Canuck's) which if I remember
correctly is approximately 34 Fahrenheit or darned cccccold! Top speed
was 62mph but averaged 59mph. All in all, a successful, much needed
flight today! Accumulated migration distance = 193.4 miles. I
found the following field report, dated Oct. 25 in my email box early
this morning: Today marks the first week since our departure from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and we have only covered 100 miles. Since beginning, we have faced many foes
- from early morning frost that coats our wings to early morning fog that dampens our spirit. We have come upon interstate highways that the birds would not cross, and headwinds that they refused to battle. We have seen rain and lightening, hale and snow but last evening, as the twilight dwindled; a wind began to blow from the northwest. It gathered speed as it rolled over the hills and
channeled down the valley where we had set our bird pen and by 10pm, it had torn it apart. As the wind increased and began to rock our trailer, Deke and Dan set out to check on the birds. After an hour, Richard and I started to worry and headed out to check on them. We walked the area one more time, while Dan prepared to spend the night in the trailer next to the
bird pen. By first light, we were back to continue searching and sent Dan to the base camp to get warmed up. Kelly and Julie drove the perimeter roads and two miles to the south; they picked up a signal on the radio receiver. They worked their way north from a side road, while I headed south from the pen. We met at the top of the ridge and after an hour's search; Kelly stumbled upon the body of #3. It was found under a power line that it obviously hit in the dark. Power lines are the major cause of death for wild Whooping cranes and now they have taken one of ours. It gives us an indication of the obstacles that wild birds face - without the advantage of motor homes with central heating.
Notes: The weather just in not cooperating. Strong winds continue out
of the west. On a brighter note, the forecast for tomorrow is looking better.
Notes: During the journey south, a reliable internet connection is
a luxury that is simply not available due to the remote locations. For
this reason, I will post updates from the migration team, whenever they
do manage to find a connection and I'll do my best to keep you updated
on a daily basis. October
23rd: Whooping cranes are spiritual birds and their rarity has made them an icon for endangered species. They represent longevity, peace and
tranquility. These white ghosts of the wetland whose bugling call, the "blast of silver horns" can be heard for miles. So strong is their
mystique that many people feel a kinship and want only to see them up close. The owners of our last stopover top the list of the last category and without mentioning
names, we want to thank them for their conservation ethic, not to mention the party they hosted in honour of the Whooping cranes. Sequestered in a travel pen a half-mile away, our birds missed most of the celebration, but we did our best to hold up their end. The next morning, I suffered the slings and arrows of too much food, too much worry and too little sleep. As the sun rose and my stomach rebelled, I asked Richard Van Heuvelen to fly
my aircraft, in the chase position for Deke. Paula Lounsbury circled overhead in her Cessna 182 for an extra half hour as we waited for the ice to melt on the ultralight wings. Just south of the landing strip is a high ridge that runs east and west. The slight tailwind helped to push them up as they approached the obstacle but Deke, Bill and Richard had to turn right to give the birds more time to climb high enough to clear it. Once south of the ridge, the air became smooth and all of the birds formed on Deke's right wing except
#2, who dropped back, as usual to fly alone off the wing of the chase plane. What started out as a slight tailwind, shifted around to slow their progress until five miles from their destination they were only making 17 mph over the ground. It is not always possible to find a runway or grass strip that is isolated enough to hide the birds and often, we have to rely on
landowners to build us a smooth, makeshift landing field. This site is one such location and the strip is only 500 feet in length, at the bottom of a valley. When they began their descent from 1500 feet,
#2 moved back to the lead aircraft. The wind rolling over the hills made the approach tricky but they all landed safely and once the ground crew arrived the birds were secured for the day. The next morning the cloud cover was too low to fly but later in the day it cleared enough for us to move the aircraft out. This made it easier to deal with the inevitable frost problem without us working in plane view of the birds. In trashy air, we headed west and landed at a private strip where we could secure the planes for the approaching storm that the forecasters have warned us is coming our way. October
21st: Finally - a morning without frost. Our benefactor is a thick layer of cloud that has insulated the area and held in just enough heat to keep the moisture from freezing. Today is Sunday and the first thing we notice is the lack of noise from the interstate, 5 miles to the west. This will be our third attempt to cross this barrier that is so unnatural to birds raised in isolation. The first day, we climbed to 800 feet and did manage to cross the highway but the birds turned back in the severe headwinds at that altitude. On day two, we stayed low but at 300 feet the roar was too much for them and they turned back again. Today we have a slight tailwind
assisting us so we will again go high. Also, our point of crossing is near a town and to minimize the experience we plan to stay north and cross in a less congested area. Better one devil at a time. After we took off we noticed that the wind at our backs was rolling over a large hill and causing an area of sink. This is air mass that has a downward drift and it makes climbing difficult for the birds. By the time we reached the highway we were only at 400 feet. Once more they broke away and headed back and we took turns picking them up and steering them west. Finally, they formed on Deke's wing as he paralleled the highway. He turned sharply to the west and before they knew it they were over. With that hurdle behind them they fell into place and we began a slow climb, reaching 900 feet and smooth air. The tailwind increased and the GPS indicated 58mph. Bird
#2 has a damaged beak whereas the upper and lower mandibles do not meet at the tip. It is a deformity that has little effect on the bird but makes him recognizable, even in the air.
#2 dropped back from the rest of the flock to fly off Deke's right wing for the remainder of the flight. I circled once before landing but the birds
continued, flying off to the west. Deke moved in and they all followed him down. We found the pre-arranged path that led to a corn field where we could hold the birds until the ground crew arrived but after 40 minutes
the birds seemed restless and before we could react, they took off for one more go-round. We
stood helplessly, waving our arms as we watched them set up for a landing next to the familiarity of the aircraft. This took the ground crew by surprise as they finished setting up the pen. Dan jumped in the truck and honked the horn while the others dove for cover. This was enough to discourage the birds and they aborted their landing, choosing instead to land next to us. The total flight time was only 41 minutes,
which in itself, is not cause for celebration but crossing the interstate was. It was an obstacle that held us up for three days and makes you wonder what other inhibitors we have unknowingly placed in the path of wild migratory birds.
Notes: High Winds Result in Loss of a Crane
At approximately 10pm, last evening, Deke Clark & Dan Sprague, concerned
over the extremely high winds at the isolated sight, went to check on the
birds and discovered the partially toppled pen structure. As a result, the
birds had dispersed into the surrounding area. An immediate search of the
surrounding area was initiated with Joe & Richard joining in the
costumed search using the recorded crane calls. Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership members, Kelly Maguire (International
Crane Foundation), Julie Langenberg (Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources) and Richard Urbanek (WCEP),
responded to assist the on-site team in locating the wandering cranes
using radio tracking equipment. Shortly after 2am this morning, all but
one bird had been located and returned to the restored holding pen.
The eighth bird, #3 was located by Langenberg and Maguire at approximately
10am this morning. Unfortunately, the crane was found dead beneath a power
line it had likely collided with. The exact cause of death will not be known
until a necropsy is performed. The local weather service last
evening reported winds in the area to be at 30-35mph with gusts to
45-50mph from the west. Joe believes that the location of the birds in a
valley probably created a funneling effect, which resulted in winds that
likely exceeded 50mph. He also stressed that while the loss of a bird,
although unfortunate, is always a possibility but it does not jeopardize
continuing south with the remaining cranes.
Notes:
Notes:
Notes:
Notes:
With Joe feeling under the weather, Richard Van Heuvelen stepped forward to
fill the pilot seat during this morning's flight. Flying with a slight
tailwind on departure from Sauk Co. the team managed to skip an intended
stop, flying a total of 48 miles. Bill Lishman reports that upon nearing the
destination the wind had shifted and during the last few miles they
struggled with a headwind.
Notes: Finally the winds shifted in our favor - allowing the
flight team to cover some ground. Departing at 7:27am the birds followed
the trikes, climbing to 400ft. Deke was able to lead them across the
interstate, which they were wary of yesterday by turning sharply. Before
they realized it, they were across.
Notes: From the ground, the air appeared calm so after we fought to battle
the frost on our wings, we took off to check the conditions aloft, firsthand. When we turned on course the GPS indicated 35 mph but as we climbed we watched it drop off to 25. We landed and taxied back into camp. Sitting in our aircraft in full costume only a few feet apart we discussed the pros and cons over the radio. Deke tried leading them south and they followed in perfect order until he turned west.
We are under the thump of a headwind; too high and our progress in impeded so much that the birds will not continue; too low and they will not cross the noisy highway. The birds have learned to fly in a tighter formation and we have learned that we can't fight a headwind.
Notes: Because of heavy frost the crew was not able to get airborne until 7:41am.
Joe reports that once up, they were again facing a steady headwind coming
from the southwest. At higher altitudes, ground speed was reading 24mph so
they dropped down to about 300 ft and found a slightly faster reading of
27-28mph. They continued SW for approximately 5 miles at this low
level with the birds flying beautifully as one unit until it came time to
cross I-90/94. The birds appeared wary of the highway and the large noisy
trucks that were using it. They refused to cross the busy interstate at this
low level. They'll try again tomorrow and in the meantime pray for the winds
to shift in their favour.
Notes:
If the above information is confusing, here's why: The crew awoke to calm
conditions before sunrise. At 7:23 am they departed with 7 cranes, heading
SW. Not long after departure they encountered a strong headwind. Partly in
an attempt to find smoother air and mostly to avoid flying directly over a
busy highway, Joe & Deke began climbing, eventually reaching 400 ft. and
for a short time the air was slightly smoother. However, it didn't last very
long and once again they and the birds were getting bounced around and
making very little progress.
Notes:
A steady wind out of the south has prevented the crew from making a flight
today. Instead they will spend the day deciding what to do with crane
#4.
Home | Our Work |
Get Involved |
In the Field
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Ed
note: It is suspected the #4 was having a negative influence on #6 as each
time 4 would break off, 6 would follow. For this reason #4 will be crated
and transported to the next stopover. This will allow #6 to experience a
successful flight with the aircraft and allow the pilots to observe it's
behaviour without the negative influence). We crossed the Wisconsin River at
300 feet in smooth air and began to think that this time we would make it. 
When they broke I intercepted and led them north until I tried
again to guide them across the busy interstate. After several attempts, we conceded and headed back to the takeoff point. The ground crew had anticipated our return and had left the pen in place. Deke led the birds back and they followed in a long tight line as the GPS indicated 45 mph ground speed.
