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2002 Fall Field Journal
2002	Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall Migration
2001	Fall  | Spring | Fall Migration
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Date: Nov. 30, 2002 - Day 49 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Citrus Co., FL - Chassahowitzka NWR Distance Traveled: 29.5 miles Accumulated Distance: 1202.8 miles Activity: Touchdown! The Whooping cranes have arrived... Notes: After forty-nine days, of which only twenty-one were flyable, the Class of '02 juvenile Whooping cranes have been delivered to the release pen at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's central west coast.  At 7:33 this morning, team leader, Joe Duff led the young birds out of their Levy County stopover as fellow pilots Bill Lishman, Richard van Heuvelen and Brooke Pennypacker moved into position, ready to offer assistance if any of the birds decided to break away from the lead ultralight. One bird was late exiting the pen and Brooke Pennypacker moved in to lend his wing to this tardy flyer. The team had just over 29 miles to travel before arriving at the isolated predator-proof enclosure and this morning's flight went as smoothly as the last five have gone. Shortly after 8am the four tiny ultralights came into view over the Crystal River Mall before a large crowd, gathered to welcome the endangered birds. Silence fell over the crowd as the cranes and planes passed by and until they disappeared from view heading southwest in the direction of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.  At 8:39am all sixteen cranes descended into the newly enlarged release pen on the isolated island about 5 miles off the coast, as Brian Clauss and Kelly Maguire, in costumes called them in using the brood call. More details will follow later today, along with photo's taken during the final flight.  Date: Nov. 29, 2002 - Day 48 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Levy Co., FL Distance Traveled: 52.8 miles Accumulated Distance: 1174.3 miles Activity: One more leg! Notes: We have flown each of the past 7 days since coming and going and coming and going from the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in east Tennessee last week -- We covered Georgia in a record three hops and a good portion of Florida in the same number and tomorrow, if the weather gods allow, we will deliver these glorious juvenile Whooping cranes the final 28 miles to their new winter habitat on the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. But first they will fly over the north field of the Crystal River Mall on U.S. Hwy 19 between 7:00 - 9:30am.  Paula is reporting ideal conditions for the morning flight; our last of twenty-one flights made during the journey. So, if you're interested in witnessing these history-making young cranes as they follow their mechanical surrogates to their destination, be sure to be there! During the event, speakers from the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership will be on hand and once the migration team has a chance to regroup after delivering the cranes they will be returning to the mall to recount migration tales for everyone. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit the newly enlarged release pen where the cranes will spend the winter and while we were there, Richard Urbanek, USFWS detected the radio signal of last year's crane #5, who departed Wisconsin last Saturday. #5's whereabouts were unknown after he left the Hiwassee refuge earlier this week. Richard said he was close by and he was airborne so I quickly yelled for everyone to get out of the pen and into the observation blind. Within minutes, there he was in full adult plumage on final descent into the enclosure! It was a moment we will never forget and are aware of how privileged we are to have witnessed his first ever return to his winter home. We now have four confirmed yearlings back at the refuge and crane #6 is more than halfway, in Meigs County, TN -- he seems to like it there; kinda like some other young whoopers who were recently reluctant to leave. See you all at the mall!   Date: Nov. 28, 2002 - Day 47 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Gilchrist Co., FL Distance Traveled: 60.5 miles Accumulated Distance: 1121.5 miles Activity: 82.5 miles to go... Notes: When we arrived in Florida last year, warm conditions urged us to secure additional stopovers between those already in place so that the cranes would not be stressed by the heat. Even when flying in the early morning, the temperature can rise quickly in the sunshine state and may overheat the young flyers, so to avoid this we had stops every 20-25 miles. This week the sunshine state is not much warmer than Tennessee was last week and this morning, as again all 16 crane colts lifted off, this time behind Brooke's aircraft, it was only 37F at 7:10am. With these ideal migration conditions we were able to combine three stops used last year into a single 60.5 mile leg, bringing our accumulated distance traveled to 1121.5 miles and our goal to within 100 miles. The view from below was spectacular this morning as three times the flight team and cranes flew directly overhead as I drove to the next location. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership is planning a public flyover at the north field of the Crystal River Mall on US Hwy 19 during the final flight of the long journey.  The earliest possible day this would take place is this Saturday, Nov. 30th. Speakers will be on hand to provide details about the reintroduction and plans for the coming years and the pilots and ground crew members will join the event once they've had a chance to reassemble after delivering the cranes out to the release pen at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Please stay tuned for details and I'll give a heads up the night before the flight once we check the weather forecast.  We hope to see you there!   Date: Nov. 27, 2002 - Day 46 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Hamilton Co., FLORIDA! Distance Traveled: 100.0 miles Accumulated Distance: 1061 miles Activity: Georgia was PEACHY! Notes: Yet again Mother Nature repented for the less than ideal conditions she tossed our way in October and early November by providing another banner day.  The entire flock lifted off from Terrell Co., GA at 7:37 am today with the temperature hovering at 40F and a slight haze hanging in the air. Our destination was 61.6 miles to the southeast in Cook County, Georgia but for the third day in a row these magnificent juvenile cranes were able to handle a double leg which covered 100 miles and led them to our first stopover in Florida -- only 167 miles to go before they reach their new winter home at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's central west coast. Once there they have a very good chance of encountering yearlings #7, as well as #s 1 and 2 who arrived yesterday at 1pm. We can almost see the finish line!    Date: Nov. 26, 2002 - Day 45 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Terrell Co., GA Distance Traveled: 98.8 miles Accumulated Distance: 961.0 miles Activity: Another double-header! Notes: Mother Nature provided ideal conditions again this morning and for the second day in a row, the planes, cranes and automobiles were able to skip a stopover. With no early morning fog to wait out, the crew was able to get the students airborne before the sun created thermal activity, which made for a smooth two hour flight from Pike Co., to Terrell Co., GA. for all 16 young Whoopers! On hand for today's arrival were President and Mrs. Carter. In fact the two of them, along with a member of their Secret Service staff were recruited to help us erect the travel pen. It was wonderful to see them again and to show them how their donation last year served as seed funds to secure a new ultralight, necessary for the next three annual flights. During each of the last two year's this looong State has been challenging but this year we seem to be sailing through it in less time than we spent in Windiana last month.... With a pinch of luck we'll make it to our final Georgia stop tomorrow morning - A couple of pinch's might just get us to our first Florida stopover.... Okay everyone cross your primaries! (Less than 250 miles to reach the finish line) #7 remains in the area of the Chassahowitzka release pen. #1 & #2 were in south Georgia last evening. #6 remains in Meigs Co., TN and was joined yesterday by the only remaining wild whooper that had not departed their summer home in central Wisconsin. Crane #5 arrived mid-afternoon in Meigs Co., TN.  ALL OF THE YEARLINGS ARE RETURNING SOUTH....   Date: Nov. 25, 2002 - Day 44 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Pike Co., GA Distance Traveled: 107.2 miles Accumulated Distance: 862.2 miles Activity: Making up for lost time... Notes: You win some -- you lose some, and after losing so much ground last week to poor weather conditions and then dealing with cranes that did not want to leave our last stopover in Tennessee, we're thrilled to report that today was a winning day! Localized fog delayed lift off until 9:06am when Brooke Pennypacker exited the field containing the crane enclosure. He emerged from a large break in the tree line with all 16 cranes following close behind and headed down the grass strip, past the small group of onlookers and members of the media. Those who were on hand for last year's inaugural flight commented on how spectacular the sight was this morning as the much larger flock departed with the early morning sun lighting their stark whiteness. Approximately 1-mile out from the departure, one unwilling bird did turn back toward the pen site, but luckily it was the last bird in the flight order and did not take any others with it when it peeled off. Bill followed the bird to ensure it landed beside Dan Sprague and birthday boy Mark Nipper who were aware of the situation and anticipating its return.  #9 was the offender today and after the last two days we're pleased it was the only one that decided not to fly. Brooke continued with all 15 cranes -- and even managed to fly a double leg taking the cranes past our intended stop in Coweta Co., and landing them at our Pike Co., host site. Today's was the longest flight thus far for this new class of feathered students: in all they were airborne for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  Only 366 miles to go -- We're in the homestretch now!   Date: Nov. 24, 2002 - Day 43 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Gordon Co., GA Distance Traveled: 67.7 miles Accumulated Distance: 755.0 miles Activity: Always expect the unexpected... Notes: (I swear I don't make this stuff up... Honest!) Chickamauga Lake is a serpentine body of water where the Tennessee River meets up with the Hiwassee River, creating a popular staging area for thousands of non-endangered Sandhill cranes during the autumn season. This meandering lake often creates dense localized fog, which not only adds to the beauty of the gathering cranes, but also delays ultralight-led crane migration departures, as was the case this morning. Yesterday the pilots were airborne at 7:40 am. This morning they were forced to wait for fog to clear. They delayed their departure until receiving the "all clear" from Paula Lounsbury at 8:15 and at 8:25 they arrived to find the pen site socked in again. The area surrounding our location was faultless: blue sky, no winds and cool temperatures - a perfect day for migrating south, but the area surrounding the cranes enclosure had filled in within minutes. They decided to stand down to wait for the fog to lift -- again. 30-minutes later, four ultralight aircraft and the Cessna returned to attempt to lead the dozen juvenile Whooping cranes south to Gordon Co., GA to rejoin their four flockmates, which had made the trip with little difficulty yesterday. On hand to witness the encore departure from the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge were approximately 30 birders and crane supporters, each with binoculars or cameras pressed to their eyes. Today's plan called for Joe to land in the less than smooth field adjacent the enclosure and take-off with the dirty dozen, who had chosen to stay behind yesterday. During the 25-minutes immediately after take-off the lucky crowd of spectators watched in awe; some with tears in their eyes as twelve, white and fawn coloured young whoopers lined up behind the lead trike and flew south toward Georgia. Then they watched in wonder as several offending birds broke away and headed right over our heads, with Brooke in hot pursuit, attempting to intercept them before they returned to the enclosure. Dan Sprague, disguised as Swamp Monster was waiting for them and as they neared the area they had just lifted off from, he emerged from the tall grass, cloaked in the camouflage tarp and waving his arms to ward them off. They were in the air again but Brooke could not slow down fast enough and overshot them so Richard moved in quickly in an effort to pick them up on his wing.  Too late - they had already set their wings and were descending like paratroopers; still in the area of the pen but far enough away so as not to be within the reach of Swamp Monster. I lost count of how many times the remaining cranes and aircraft passed over us but when the pilots decided to yield to the reluctant-to-leave birds, to regroup and refuel, I felt compelled to request an admission fee of the spectators on hand as they had been provided a longer view of these extraordinary young cranes than all of the previous stopover hosts combined. The pilots returned to our host home and reformulated a plan while refueling the aircraft. At 10am I informed the onlookers that soon the airplanes would return and the new plan called for two separate releases, each with a half-dozen birds. By 10:15 all of the tiny yellow trikes were circling overhead, ready to put plan B into action and attempt to convince the rebels to fly toward Georgia. At 10:21am Joe radioed that the first 6 birds were lining up on his wing. Seconds later, he emerged from behind the distant tree line with 8 Whooping cranes flying behind his aircraft. Dan confirmed he still had 6 cranes inside the enclosure. Quick math: 8 + 6 = 14 cranes, plus the 4 already in Gordon County, GA. = two too many Whooping cranes! We received word last evening that yearling cranes #1 & #2 had arrived at 3:30 pm in Meigs Co., TN, after departing from the Jasper Pulaski State Wildlife Area on Friday. They had spotted our ultralights and had joined in with the class of '02 cranes! Joe and Richard confirmed that the young group of six whooper colts had been invaded by two wild, year old whoopers who were passing through as they returned to their winter home in Florida. They continued with the flock, while first two, then a third juvenile turned back to the pen. 5 miles out from the launch site and on course, the two yearlings finally broke away from the flight and it appeared as if they were intent of taking the remaining three juvenile birds with them until Joe maneuvered his trike between them and picked up the three youngest birds.  It was these three cranes that flew the 67.7 mile leg to Gordon County, GA. behind Joe's aircraft. Bill Lishman flew in the chase position, while Paula stayed back with Brooke to wait for Richard to return so the two could begin the second release of six cranes. These birds just didn't want to leave the Hiwassee refuge and nobody could think of a valid reason why. Eventually, the offending nine juveniles were boxed and transported by road to rejoin the flock. Today was frustrating for the team and entertaining for the spectators and as Brooke and Richard flew their aircraft side-by-side and sans birds to join us at the first Georgia stopover, tracking pilot Mike Voechting of Windway Corp. and ICF intern Lara Fondow passed overhead, informing the ultralight pilots that they were on the trail of Y2001 cranes 1 & 2 as they migrated through Georgia. They may already be in Florida, getting reacquainted with the recalcitrant female #7 who arrived last Thursday.   Date: Nov. 23, 2002 - Day 42 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Meigs Co., TN/Gordon Co., GA Distance Traveled: 0 miles/67.7 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles/755 miles Activity: Even birds have bad days... Notes: Considering this morning's was the first attempt at an air pick-up for the young cranes, the departure looked perfect. Patuxent's Dan Sprague released the colts from their enclosure on cue - Joe then turned on his crane music and dropped down low over the pen site as it purred their natural brood call, encouraging the birds to follow.  All sixteen feathered charges were airborne and quickly forming up on the wing of the trike as it crossed over a large pond adjacent the small field, which had been home to the cranes since arriving last Monday.  It looked perfect... Except, shortly after take-off it became apparent that all was not perfect. From the radio chatter between the four trike pilots and Paula, flying above in the top-cover craft, we gathered that despite the perfect launch the pilots were having a difficult time keeping the birds in formation. Some broke from Joe and headed over to Richard; Others broke from Brooke and headed back to Joe. At one point they did a count just to ensure there were indeed sixteen youngsters and they hadn't been joined by one of our returning Y2001 cranes - It seemed there was one bird that was continually stirring up trouble and encouraging several others to break away.  Joe reported he had eleven; Brooke had one; Richard had four - good, only sixteen, so what was the problem? They continued to scratch out only five miles, all the while coercing and persuading the reluctant birds to stay with an aircraft, any aircraft. Twelve of the young whoopers had other plans, however, so instead of risking any dropouts over forested areas, Brooke and Joe turned to guide them back to Meigs Co. TN, where Dan had been on standby with the still assembled pen. Paula followed the two frustrated pilots back to this morning's original take-off point then once assured they had made it safely turned south again to catch up to Richard van Heuvelen, as he continued on to Georgia with with Bill Lishman as his chase pilot and the only four birds that were willing to follow today. So, for the second time in this Operation Duration, the crew and cranes are divided, hopefully only until tomorrow when the plan is to attempt to lead the dozen Tennessee cranes, south to join up with their flockmates in Georgia.   Date: Nov. 22, 2002 Reporter: The Team Activity: It Works! Notes: It is surprising how familiar the extraordinary becomes when it is part of your everyday life. Halfway through our second migration it seems perfectly normal to get up at 5 in the morning and use an ultralight aircraft to lead a small flock of young Whooping cranes on their first journey south.  Dressing in a white costume to act as a surrogate parent to rare birds can become commonplace if you do it often enough. A thin veil of fabric removes all awareness of humans from their limited experience and allows us a unique opportunity to interact as just another bird. We are recognized among them simply by our demeanor yet we can use our behaviour, digital calls and a puppet to communicate on their level and reinforce our dominant position within the flock. Whooping cranes are so endangered that most people have never seen one but we work so closely we often become blasé about the exclusivity this study affords us.  The novelty of our work is judged not by our own perceptions but by the reaction of others and it is only then that we step back and realize the extent of the gift we have been given. Each flight is a team effort with so many potential pitfalls that we spend our time aloft concerned only with the birds and their ability to make the next destination. Flying through spectacular mountain ridges, over the colours of fall while leading a long line of naïve birds that are following the only parent they have known is a responsibility to be taken seriously. There is little time for sightseeing and all attention is focused on the task at hand. Occasionally when the birds have found their cadence and the destination is in sight we begin a long slow descent that allows them a welcome relief from the labour of the journey. We have a rare chance to let our full weight rest in the seat and a moment to marvel at our surroundings. With 16 birds off the wingtip we have one more than existed in the early 1940's. Whooping cranes are solitary birds and migrate in small groups of 2 to 4 individuals. Nowhere else in history have 16 juveniles been assembled into one free-flying cohort and nowhere else in time have they been guided by such an unorthodox parent. It is a humbling spectacle and we are grateful for their trust in us as well as yours.  While the migration team languished through another day of headwinds and low ceilings near the Hiwassee Refuge in Tennessee, our spirits have been buoyed by some history making news:  Whooping crane #7, the lone bird from last year's first reintroduction flight of ultralight-led Whooping cranes, has arrived at the release pen at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.  This is the solitary bird that broke from the main flock on the return journey this past spring and spent the summer in the company of Sandhill cranes on the Horicon Marsh in southeast Wisconsin. Despite the influence of its more common cousins, instinct prevailed and it has returned to the wintering site selected by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. #7 did not return to her normal summer roost site on Saturday, November 16th and it is assumed she left sometime during the day.  She arrived in Florida and was spotted by refuge staff on Thursday, November 21st as they put the finishing touches on the now enlarged pen, and her presence was confirmed by radio telemetry earlier today. This is the first time in history that an ultralight-led bird has made a full cycle migration without assistance and it proves the validity of our methods.  Meanwhile, of the birds that summered in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge where they were raised, #'s 1 and 2 are currently in Jasper Pulaski State Wildlife Area in northern Indiana; #5 is in Marquette County, Wisconsin and #6 is here in Meigs County in Tennessee. Based on our progress so far I am sure they will all beat us to Florida proving once and for all that Mother Nature knows best.   Date: Nov. 22, 2002 - Day 41 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Meigs Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles Activity: Standing down and I'm glad... Notes: When I fell into bed last night I could hear the wind howling outside so I didn't even bother with the alarm. Of course I was up at 5am regardless and after meeting Paula in the kitchen she confirmed my suspicions about the day - Flight Services had just informed Paula that there were north winds at 27 knots aloft and gusting. Another stand-down day. I dressed instead to go out for a morning of birding.  Any diehard birders out there know the drill: long underwear (can't they make them so they don't reach your armpits?); light socks under heavier socks, inside hiking boots; flannel-lined jeans (yeah Carhartt!); at least four upper body layers, consisting of a T-shirt, turtleneck, sweatshirt and polar-fleece vest; then wind pants, a warm jacket and the goofiest set of gloves and hat that you can find. Oops - justabout forgot the binoculars... They must be the harness-strap type that rest the weight of them in the center of your back, so that where they go over your shoulders and under the armpits, the elastic hugs you and shows off to all the other birders that you have planned for the cold - and have the appropriate number of layers under your field glasses.  You are now set for a morning of bird watching - except only other birders will accept you as you are. The birds of course will fall from the sky and out of the trees once they catch a glimpse of you, catching glimpses of them because you look ridiculous! Anyway, that's what I looked like as I set out and while the winds aloft were far too strong for the ultralight-led migration, they were ideal for unassisted bird migration. Everywhere over the Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers, thousands of migrating Sandhill cranes were rising up a dozen at a time, looking for the warm rising columns of air that would carry them south, toward the next rising thermal. I watched for about an hour then headed over to where I suspected I might find crane #6. Sure enough, there was the tracking vehicle that I used to see at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Lara Fondow met me as I walked the half mile into the lookout spot - She recounted firsthand for me the travels of her and Colleen Satyshur, both ICF interns, as they tracked #6 over the last few days. Then as we crested the hill, Lara pointed over to her right, "there he is" she said.... There he was indeed, glowing like a beacon amid the gray Sandhill's and yellow corn stubble. I was glad to be here in Meigs County, TN to see him.   Date: Nov. 21, 2002 - Day 40 Reporter: Joe Duff Location: Meigs Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles Activity: Standing down and a recap of the last flight... Notes: Rain showers, which are keeping us grounded for another day are expected to move out of the area later. A southern gentleman once informed us that you can say anything you like about a person - as long as you preface it with the phrase bless his heart. “Grandpa was a great old man, bless his heart but his breath could kill a horse.”  These three words, spoken with a slight drawl, somehow softens the criticism in a comment that is not meant to hurt but simply point out a truism. Deke Clark, who flew with us on our last four migrations, is currently recovering from a stroke and is dearly missed on many levels but mostly, as a friend.  His absence is also greatly noted as an Operation Migration Director; an integral part of the field team; and a great leader of birds, however, Deke “bless his heart” possessed the mechanical skills of a banana. One of the many people it took to fill the void he has temporarily left behind is Brooke Pennypacker. Brooke comes to us from Environmental Studies at Airlie in Warrenton, Virginia where he led the Trumpeter swan ultralight migration experiments. He is one of the very few people in the world with credentials in this odd business of flying with birds and his talents include a substantial knowledge of aircraft and the intricacies that make them fly.  He has a degree in English literature but based on how long Heather has been to pestering him to produce a written biography for the website, you would never know it. Maybe its because his background is too eclectic to document: During down days we have heard stories of placer mining for gold and forest fire fighting. He is a professional scuba diver, having worked on oil rigs in the north Atlantic and he once drifted down the Mississippi on a raft, while reading Huckleberry Finn.  All of his patience and talents were put to the test on our last leg as we left Fentress County, Tennessee and headed south. On the previous leg we had hoped to get to Cumberland County but had to stop short due to headwinds in Fentress. This left us with a 67 mile leg to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge but first we had to clear the 2800 foot peaks of the Cumberland Plateau. When we took off this formidable obstacle loomed in the distance some 40 miles south but headwinds slowed our progress to 17 mph. Brooke was to lead and was the only one of us to land on the less than smooth field in Fentress. When he took off all but one bird followed him. Richard circled the pen to encourage the loner while I stayed close behind Brooke in the chase position. The headwind at low level was strong but predicted to swing around to lend us some assistance as we climbed higher.  Birds, unlike ultralight pilots, are not stupid enough to paddle upstream and all but two of the fifteen birds following Brooke turned back to avoid the headwind. I turned on my speaker and was able to pick them up. Now passing through 500 feet, our ground speed was up to 28 mph and we were far enough from the pen that the birds were reluctant to break away.  We began a slow, steady climb of 100 feet per minute as the ominous ridge grew larger ahead of us. Richard was finally able to persuade crane #9 into the air but he was 2 miles behind Brooke with his two birds and me with thirteen. Bill stayed behind Richard to act as his chase and from their conversation it was obvious they were having problems right from the start. We had an alternate stop at the northern base of the ridge but landing there meant a hard climb on the next leg so we had hoped to avoid it.  One of the birds following Brooke seemed to tire early and he had to slow and descend several times to let it catch up. By the time we approached the ridge we were at 3500 feet and crabbing sideways in a westerly, quartering headwind. We had just made the decision to over-fly our alternate and continue on to Hiwassee when one of Brooke’s birds began to descend. He had to make a couple of 360 degree turns to get it back on the wing and we began to separate in the vastness of the mountains. From his distant vantage point, Brooke was able to report that the last bird in the formation off my left wing had dropped down 200 feet below me.  I led all the other birds down to get him, but he kept going lower and I knew the effort was futile; better to protect the precious altitude the flock had fought so hard for, than to waste it all chasing a tired bird that has already decided to give up. I asked Brooke to watch for it so he could radio its location to the ground crew but instead he led his two charges down to treetop level to retrieve it.  Bill was about to land at the alternate to refuel but upon hearing the commotion on the radio, elected instead to continue on to help. He kept track of Brooke and the three very tired birds, scratching their way through the mountains. Brooke circled several times and finally managed to work them over to the backside of Walden Ridge, where a little lift carried them up. Richard, with his lone bird managed to climb to 4000 feet but when I landed next to the pond on the refuge he was still 6 miles back and Brooke was another 2 miles farther back than Richard. The Cumberland Plateau and Brady Mountain have always tested us but thanks to Brooke’s determination, all the birds arrived safely. Despite his varied and welcomed contributions to the team, he can’t write a bio to save his life; bless his heart. Ed note: Deke continues to improve, gaining strength each day and is one of the driving forces encouraging us to reach Florida, where he and Rebecca are staying with family during his recovery process. We update them often and do not intend to leave Florida until we see them.   Date: Nov. 20, 2002 - Day 39 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Meigs Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles Activity: Same story - Different day Notes: Localized fog cloaked the area this morning adding to the magical appearance of the Hiwassee river. As we waited for the veil to lift we were entertained by the din of thousands of Sandhill cranes babbling greetings as they reunited on the popular staging area.  Among them somewhere was a single male Whooping crane, known to many as "number 6" -- The first of his kind to initiate an unassisted southward migration flight in eastern North America in over a century and very soon, four others of his kind should follow suit. The fog did eventually lift -- with assistance from a 7-10 mph south wind, which prevented us from advancing today... but not from enjoying the magic of migration.  We will hope for suitable weather tomorrow and in the meantime enjoy the warm hospitality of Tennessee for another day.   Date: Nov. 19, 2002 - Day 38 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Meigs Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles Activity: Stand Down Day Notes: Overnight rain showers left foggy conditions early this morning and once the fog cleared out, a low cloud ceiling remained making a flight today impossible.  This next leg of the migration that will take us into Georgia has always been a tough one that last year had Joe and Deke, each with a group of whooper colts separated by approximately 5 miles. The terrain consists of carved valleys, where fog often settles and the busy Interstate 75 adds to the challenge as the pilots will cross it once and then fly alongside it for a few miles before arriving at our first of six planned Georgia stopovers. For these reasons the flight team will wait for ideal conditions before leading our precious feathered charges from the current Meigs County, TN location. Two days ago I reported that Whooping crane #6, one of the yearling cranes had arrived at the Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Indiana. I received the following report from one very fortunate birder that was among many who viewed this pioneering whooper during his brief stay at JP:  "Such a gorgeous white pearl in the sea of gray (Sandhill's)! Saturday afternoon (11/16) a whooping crane was enjoyed by hundreds of viewers (every inch of the viewing platform covered with spotting scopes) at Jasper-Pulaski fish and wildlife area, Indiana. The whooper took off and flew north just before sunset (4:20ish), so I don't know if it returned to the viewing area to roost for the night. Hopefully that superstar will make a repeat performance tomorrow." Unfortunately, for this and the other viewers #6 did not hang around Indiana for long (unlike us) but continued south....  The radio signal of our returning male yearling was picked up by ICF tracker Lara Fondow and Windway pilot, Mike Voechting, one hour ago in, get this - MEIGS COUNTY, TENNESSEE!  - A mere stone's throw from where we are currently being held up by weather. The race is indeed ON...   Date: Nov. 18, 2002 - Day 37 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Meigs Co., TN Distance Traveled: 65.1 miles Accumulated Distance: 687.3 miles Activity: It's all downhill from here... Notes: Those that were along for the ride last year will recall the large, imposing hurdle known as "Walden Ridge." This 2800 ft. high component of the Cumberland Plateau forced the pilots to put down, 22 miles short of the intended destination at Meigs County, TN last fall, much to the surprise of a very hospitable poultry veterinarian who handed us the keys to his home as he left for a three day meeting. This morning, shortly after sunrise the pilots flew the short distance from the Jamestown, TN airport to the crane enclosure in Fentress County and at 7:33 Brooke Pennypacker took-off with all 16 youngsters forming a line, too long for most camera viewfinders, behind his aircraft.  One observer recently remarked that the departure reminded her of what it would be like if you were trying to herd a field of cats and this morning was exactly like this. One crane dropped low, off of the lead trike and as Joe moved in to pick up this reluctant flyer, Brooke disappeared out of view behind the tree line with his remaining 15 birds. Just as Joe was successful in his quest to give assistance to the reluctant bird and headed in the same direction Brooke had just gone, 10 cranes reappeared from the tree line, heading in the opposite direction, back toward the pen site.  Richard was heading in their direction at a perpendicular approach and executed a 45-degree turn that appeared as if it were choreographed the Snowbirds and managed to pick all of the wayward cranes up in one swift and impressive maneuver. Once all the pilots and birds were headed in the same direction they began a long slow climb that peaked at 4,000 ft. and they had no problems overcoming Walden Ridge and descending into the Meigs County site. With the Cumberland Plateau being the highest peak along this migration path - it really is all downhill from here....   Date: Nov. 17, 2002 - Day 36 Reporter: Joe Duff Location: Fentress Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 622.2 miles Activity: Past the point of being funny... Notes: This is now past the point of being funny. Jokes about where to put the Christmas tree or the need to start paying rent to our generous hosts no longer elicit the belly laughs they once did.Instead they deepen the worry and reinforce the weariness. Last year’s was a exceptionally long journey but here we sit in the pouring rain, 300 miles behind even that prolonged schedule. The ubiquitous rain has kept us grounded for days on end but has yet to soak us through. The team remains committed - it is just that much of the laughter has been replaced by long exasperated sighs. We are surrogate parents to 16 naïve Whooping cranes and each of us takes satisfaction from knowing we are making a difference but there are many others just as frustrated and on that list we must include our children who may in time be the recipients of this effort.  Richard van Heuvelen has four daughters, Megan, Sara, Katie and Jessie who miss their father while his wife Jane assumes the responsibility alone. Brooke Pennypacker has a son Devin who must be proud of his father but lonely in his absence. Heather has Chad, Lindsay and Chase all dealing with the challenges of being teens, supported by her husband Steve. My wife Diana tries to explain my absence to our daughter Alex. At three she does not yet understand the significance of Whooping cranes but knows all too well that I am not there.  Each team member has given up months of precious time with family and friends to be here and collectively we would like to thank all those at home for their support. Yearling cranes: As of 2:30pm yesterday, Whooping crane #6 had arrived at the Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in north Indiana.  Whooping crane #7, the female that spent the summer alone in southeast Wisconsin apparently has also departed on her first un-assisted southward migration. After returning faithfully each night to roost in the same location, she did not return on the evening of Friday, Nov. 15th. The tracking team is currently hot on their trail with aircraft assistance provided by Windway Capitol Corp.   Date: Nov. 16, 2002 - Day 35 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Fentress Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 622.2 miles Activity: No progress today Notes: South winds, light drizzle, low cloud ceiling and predicted snow flurries...   Date: Nov. 15, 2002 - Day 34 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Fentress Co., TN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 622.2 miles Activity: Rain Delay... Notes: South winds at 6-10 mph will prevent any progress today, however, I suppose we can't complain after having four successful flights since Monday - covering 217.5 miles from Indiana to Tennessee. I've often wondered how the pilots know they have actually crossed the invisible lines from one state to the next and thought it would be nice if there were some type of marker or sign post like those that welcome road travelers. Our migration path covers mostly remote and often forested areas, which make it near impossible for any type of welcome much less a sign but yesterday morning, just minutes after crossing the line that separates Kentucky from Tennessee there was a welcoming party.  2300 ft. below the planes and cranes, just outside Byrdstown, TN stood Mr. & Mrs. Hassler - the 80-something year old couple, who were to be the first participants in the recent Whooping Cranes Over TN walk-a-thon.  Unfortunately, one week before the walk began, Mr. Hassler suffered a massive heart attack and was not able to participate with his wife and had to settle for cheering her on from his hospital bed. We were thrilled to learn that he is recovering and was there yesterday - to cheer on the young whoopers as they entered his home state, very near to the route walked one month ago by Mrs. Hassler and her grown children - Now that's a welcome!   Date: Nov. 14, 2002 - Day 33 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Fentress Co., TENNESSEE! Distance Traveled: 45.1 miles Accumulated Distance: 622.2 miles Activity: Officially past the halfway point! Notes: Last year's migration path route was 1228.83 miles from the launch at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to the final winter release pen situated on the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.   With today's successful flight; our fourth in as many days, the total distance these six and seven month old Whooping cranes have migrated currently stands at 622 miles - They've made it halfway to their new winter home! We are currently at the 13th stopover and the fourth of seven States along the new eastern whooping crane flyway, after departing Adair County, KY at 7:22am this morning under a blue sky, crisscrossed with jet contrails, and resembling a blank game of tic-tac-toe. Richard led the birds out of the valley surrounded by a palette of orange, yellow and rich brown leaves and set course for Tennessee, followed by Brooke Pennypacker, who again had picked up 4 youngsters that didn't seem to get a good start out of the pen. Joe and Bill each flew in the chase position but like yesterday, once they cleared the first ridge to the south, Brooke's cranes decided to make a break and veered over to Joe's wingtip, which left Brooke and Bill in the chase position for the remainder of the 45 mile flight. The highest ridge between our last stop in KY and the Fentress county site was 1750 feet. The highest altitude attained this morning was 2300 feet. Our luck continues....   Date: Nov. 13, 2002 - Day 32 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Adair Co., KY Distance Traveled: 54.6 miles Accumulated Distance: 577.1 miles Activity: Making Strides! Notes: This is the third day in a row the weather has cooperated, allowing us to advance further south. It certainly makes it easier for us to call home to loved ones that are hoping we'll make it back in time for Christmas, which is - gulp - only 6 weeks away... On days that we don't progress, we tend to avoid the phone calls that bring disappointment for those back home. The aircraft were readied in darkness this morning and it was barely sunrise when Richard van Heuvelen moved into take-off position.  Patuxent's Dan Sprague and OM intern Mark Nipper released the birds on Richard's cue and they were airborne behind the small yellow trike within a short distance as the field was situated on a long slope, with take-off heading downhill. As they veered right, and on course, Joe radioed that several birds had stayed behind so Brooke moved in to attempt a second take-off with this reluctant group of 6 cranes, while Bill flew chase for Richard and the other 11 birds. Brooke was airborne within seconds with the laggers following his aircraft - just as 7 of Richard's group turned back for the pen. Joe instructed Richard to continue on course with his 4 remaining birds and he moved in to intercept the returning group of 7 trouble makers.  After several minutes and an equal number of circuits, they eventually had all of the cranes corralled and in their possession and they flew on, to catch up to Richard, who was by now about two miles into the 54 mile flight. As they crossed the ridge to our south, we overheard Brooke radio that his birds were moving over to fly with Joe's group and that he would fly chase for him. I arrived at the next location in Adair County, just as top-cover pilot Paul Maeder advised the ground crew that Richard had landed with his original 4 cranes at 9:17am and Joe had touched down with 11 birds within seconds of Richard and Brooke had just landed his aircraft, followed by the last crane, who had obviously decided to rejoin Brooke at some point during the 1 hour and 56 minute flight.  This is our last scheduled stopover in Kentucky... Didn't we just get here yesterday? What a huge difference compared to Wisconsin, which seemed to hold us in it's grip for ever, and Indiana that appeared intent on blowing us back north. The autumn leaves of Kentucky are beautiful; the terrain is molded into rising mounds and carved valleys. We are progressing south with these brilliant Whoopers and it feels fantastic! Apparently also progressing south, is one of the five yearlings cranes, which returned north to central Wisconsin, unaided last spring. We received word last evening that crane #6 had moved south by approximately 140 miles from a staging area in Marquette County, WI to Kenosha County in southeast WI, and is in the company of Sandhill cranes. Richard Urbanek, USFWS and interns Lara Fondow and Colleen Satyshur with the International Crane Foundation will be tracking this crane, as well as the other four yearlings as they progress south.  I can't help giggling when I wonder if they might just beat us to Florida?   Date: Nov. 12, 2002 - Day 31 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Washington Co., KY Distance Traveled: 90 miles Accumulated Distance: 522.5 miles Activity: Lucky Kentucky! Notes: For the first time in this migration, the pilots were able to pass over a scheduled stop and continue guiding all sixteen juvenile whoopers on a double migration leg. Today brought a nice and gentle tailwind out of the north, which provided additional airspeed to the flyers, enabling them to travel exactly 90-miles beyond Jennings Co., Indiana and into the bluegrass hills of Kentucky. Today's was the longest flight these youngsters have ever experienced and they handled the 1 hour and 57 minutes beautifully, with fifteen surfing off Joe's lead aircraft and Richard leading the remaining lone crane for the entire flight.   Date: Nov. 11, 2002 - Day 30 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Jennings Co., IN Distance Traveled: 65 miles Accumulated Distance: 432.5 miles Activity: Better than expected... Notes: After spending four days apart and with everyone nervous over what seemed like constant tornado warnings in both Hendricks and Morgan counties yesterday, it was with great relief that we began getting ready to start today's flight. The flock and the team have been separated with 13 cranes in Hendricks county and the other 3 birds, twenty-four miles to the south in Morgan county, since last Thursday's flight. We had hoped to rejoin earlier than today but persistent south winds dashed any chances until this morning. Yesterday's storms persuaded the Hendricks team to remove the wings from the ultralights and stake them down to prevent them from blowing away, so the first item on the agenda this morning was to mount these on the trikes. Joe and Brooke arrived to begin the process and found the large white triangles barely visible beneath the fallen leaves and rain water, which had accumulated through out yesterday and overnight, changing our camp sight from bean field to waterfront property. Preparation time today was just over an hour and at 8:39am Brooke moved into position adjacent the crane enclosure as Joe circled above. Bill Lishman had arrived a few minutes earlier to assist in the chase position and top-cover pilot Paul Maeder, filling in temporarily for Paula and Don Lounsbury flew overhead in his aircraft, ready to clear the cranes and planes through Indianapolis airport zones. Brian Clauss from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center departed our location with crates and headed south to get into position at approximately the halfway point, in case there were any dropout birds today.  Richard van Heuvelen waited at the Morgan county location with ICF's Kelly Maguire, volunteer Gord Lee and cranes #9, 12 & 13, ready to either lift-off and join the larger flock guided by Brooke and Joe, or stand down should the pilots decide that Morgan county was the destination for today. Brooke applied full power and he soon appeared from behind the distant tree line with 13 brilliant white birds following close behind. After circling the bean field twice, allowing the cranes a chance to form up on his wing, he began heading southeast. Two birds broke-off from the main flock and Joe moved in to pick these two up, giving them the benefit of the draft created by the aircraft wing. The two continued with Brooke leading 11 and Joe leading 2 and at the halfway point of the 24-mile flight the two pilots found themselves at 3200 ft. altitude and in smooth air over Brown county, Indiana. If they descended the ride became bumpy. The cranes were in great shape and the air was smooth at their altitude so they decided to head for Jennings county, one stopover site beyond Morgan and our last scheduled stop in this State.  In his faster aircraft, Bill flew ahead of Brooke and Joe and headed east toward Richard's location, ready to fly in the chase position for him, watching over the smaller flock of three. As he descended toward the pen site, he got tossed about and Paul Maeder confirmed that there was a headwind at the lower altitude. Doubtful that they would be able to convince the three juveniles to climb through rough air to 3000 ft. altitude and smoother air, Brooke and Joe advised them to transport the three cranes in crates to the Jennings county site instead of running the risk of losing any during a flight in less than ideal conditions.  Bill and Richard proceeded south in their aircraft to the new stopover site, while Brian and Kelly prepared to relocate the youngsters and the travel pen. In all the flight this morning lasted 1 hour and 52 minutes and covered 65 miles, bringing our total distance migrated to 432.5 miles - officially 1/3 of the way to our final destination in Florida. It was exactly two years ago today that we arrived at the St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve with 11 Sandhill cranes, in a "dress rehearsal" migration south along the same route used today with these precious few whooping cranes.   Date: Nov. 10, 2002 - Day 29 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Hendricks Co. & Morgan Co., IN Distance Traveled: 0 miles & 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 367.5 miles & 391.5 miles Activity: WIndiana Notes: Again we are grounded by south winds and rain.  Many have asked about the five yearling cranes that returned un-aided to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin last April after wintering at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on the central west coast of Florida.  Satellite data received Saturday indicates that the cranes are still located in central Wisconsin under the watchful eyes of the ICF monitoring team of Richard Urbanek and his interns Lara Fondow and Colleen Satyshur. Once the yearlings decide to initiate their first solo southward migration the trackers will be following along by ground and air, recording their movements and habitat selection. Tom Stehn, Whooping crane coordinator and biologist for the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge submitted the following report about the Aransas/Wood Buffalo flock:  The whooping cranes at Aransas are starting to show up. My census flights at Aransas are as follows: October 24th 2 adults + 0 young = 2 / October 31 19 adults + 1 young = 20 / Nov. 6 78 adults + 8 young = 86. I received 3 separate sighting reports of whooping cranes in the northern half of Texas on November 4 and 5th. There was apparently quite a migration in progress. After tremendous storms at Aransas Refuge that brought 7.4 inches of rain on November 3 and another 0.93 inches the following day, the skies cleared on November 5th and stayed that way with north winds bringing ideal migration conditions. I believe a majority of the cranes arrived at Aransas on November 5 and 6. So far, about half the flock has arrived. I'm expecting at least 173 birds in the Aransas flock this year, at least reaching the same total as last year. With 17 chicks fledged in mid-August on the nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park to counter balance over-summer mortality, I'm hoping for a slight increase in the flock. (Thanks Tom!)   Date: Nov. 9, 2002 Day 28 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Hendricks Co. & Morgan Co., IN Distance Traveled: 0 miles & 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 367.5 miles & 391.5 miles Activity: Winds continue... Notes: The Gulf of Mexico continues to send warm winds our way preventing any progress today.   Date: Nov. 8, 2002 Day 27 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Hendricks Co. & Morgan Co., IN Distance Traveled: 0 miles & 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 367.5 miles & 391.5 miles Activity: Warmer Temps Notes: Winds before sunrise were blowing directly out of the south at 15-20 mph and were predicted to increase by mid-morning to 25 mph. While this is bringing warm air into the area, it also means today is a no-fly, stand down, not going anywhere day.   Date: Nov. 7, 2002 Day 26 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Hendricks Co. & Morgan Co., IN Distance Traveled: 32 miles & 56 miles Accumulated Distance: 367.5 miles & 391.5 miles Activity: Confused? Notes: If the information above has you puzzled, you're not alone -- It was just that kind of day. After standing down for the past three days our patience was rewarded when we awoke to calm but frosty conditions early this morning. The first television news crew arrived at 6am, followed closely by several others and by 7:30 am aircraft wings were relieved of their thick coatings of frost and engines were warming up. The rising sun revealed a light haze over Boone County and as the ultralights took to the air I contacted Paula Lounsbury who was warming her own aircraft engine at a small municipal airport south of our location. Paula reported 1/8 of a mile visibility near Indianapolis and recommended we wait an hour to allow the sun time to burn off some of the patchy ground fog. I radioed Paula's advice to the pilots who were reporting about a mile of visibility overhead and they readily agreed to wait it out. Each pilot took turns lining up for their final approach and upon touching down, would advise the others when the harvested soybean-field-turned-landing-strip was clear for the next aircraft to land. Just as Richard was arriving we heard Bill radio to the others that he had just experienced an engine out and would have to put down in the field north of our location, amid a pair of confused horses. One of the many benefits of these 365 pound ultralight airplanes is that the delta-shaped wing will act as a large kite should the pilot lose engine power. The pilot can still maneuver the craft, shifting their weight or moving the wing bar from side to side, depending on which way they need to turn to line up a safe landing. As soon as Bill was safely down he radioed to the ground crew and Gord Lee jumped into one of the 4-wheel drive trucks provided by Dodge to make his way across a couple of bumpy, frost-covered fields in search of Bill and his now silenced trike. Once assured Bill was okay, everyone retreated inside to the kitchen of our host since last Sunday and to welcomed pots of hot coffee. Allan has been playing bachelor since Tuesday morning when his lovely wife Pat traveled west to visit with their grandchildren. It's one thing to play bachelor when its only you playing but throw 12 houseguests into the equation and you'll understand why I had mental images of finding Al curled up in the fetal position on the kitchen floor, mumbling "they're never going to leave...never ever,"  I didn't find him on the floor -- instead he was being the gracious host, pouring coffee and asking everyone if they wanted some cereal. I hugged him and assured him that we were going to leave -- soon, very soon. We dutifully waited out the hour and contacted Paula again. Conditions were better but still not great -- wait longer. How long? I asked, nervous that I'd let Allan down... Another hour was the response. For the next hour I avoided Al. Finally at 9:30 Paula gave the all clear and the flight team, sans Bill sprang into action. Brooke would lead today's flight, followed by Richard van Heuvelen and Joe Duff, while Bill, his visiting son Aaron and Gord worked to retrieve Bill's injured aircraft from the horse field; transport it back to the site; remove the wing and mount it on Deke Clark's aircraft that was waiting in the aircraft trailer, ready for a situation like today's.  At 9:40 am all 16 birds departed, following Brooke's purring trike out of the soybean field and began the steep climb needed to clear the trees bordering the field. Once over the trees they veered southeast on course as we watched in amazement from below while monitoring the radio communication between the three ultralights.  Shortly after, we heard talk that a couple of birds had broken off and were turned back toward the pen site. Richard gave chase and intercepted the two errant cranes, as Brooke continued with his group of 12 and Joe with the two that had joined his aircraft. The three pilots radioed the number of birds each had and eventually gave the all clear to Dan Sprague and Kelly Maguire to begin dismantling the pen. After giving a final, reassuring goodbye to Al I departed by ground and also headed southeast toward our next destination but as I continued to monitor the aircraft frequency I began getting nervous when I overheard the communication going on between Paula, who was now airborne in the top-cover Cessna and Joe and Brooke, who between them had 14 young cranes. The birds were having a hard time forming up on the wing of the aircraft as they were getting jostled a bit by a headwind. Paula advised them that the air was smoother at higher altitudes but Brooke's group of 12 didn't seem to want to climb. Next I heard that Richard was flying with his two cranes, 5-miles back from the other two pilots, and at the smoother altitude. He had everything under control and was on course to the next destination so Paula focused on doing whatever she could to assist Brooke and Joe and their 14 youngsters. As they neared Indianapolis they also neared an ominously wide cloud bank, which likely formed from rising ground fog. Most ultralight pilots enjoy flying among clouds, except when they are leading Whooping cranes, so the two began urging the birds to climb to 1000-ft and go over the cottony mist but these young flyers have never seen clouds like this and were appropriately nervous. They moved from the left side of the wing to the right side, trying to find a comfort zone but when there are 14 birds, each with a 7-8 foot wingspan, vying for the same comfort zone they can tire quickly and soon after making it over the cloud bank, one crane began descending and was determined to land. Coordinates were noted and passed on to Brian Clauss who was also enroute to our next stopover and within minutes Brian had crated the dropout and had him safely stowed in his vehicle.  At about the same time that Brian was gathering this wayward crane, Brooke's group began dropping back, unable to stay with the aircraft. Joe and Brooke began discussing options and the two decided to land in the first isolated field to allow the birds a rest before taking off to fly the remaining distance to the intended stopover. Again Paula provided coordinates, which were not far from my location so I proceeded to them after alerting Dan, Kelly and Mark of the current status.  Richard continued on with his two cranes to Morgan County, 56-miles from our departure point and as he landed and climbed out of the pilot's seat, he looked around for the birds, which he assumed had landed with him. They weren't were they were supposed to be and he finally spotted them as two small white dots against the blue sky. They had located a warm rising column of air and were circling, riding the thermal about a 1/4 mile away. He climbed back into the seat and took-off in their direction, eventually joining them as they circled higher and higher and after two attempts he finally convinced them to stop messing around and land with him and this time when he climbed out, there they were beside him, waiting to be led to their enclosure. Joe and Brooke kept their group of 14 cranes occupied by probing in the soybean field and mud and I made visits to the distant but neighboring homes to explain the somewhat strange activity that had taken place while we waited for the second travel pen to arrive at the unscheduled location 24-miles short of the goal. Finally, by 4pm we had two groups of cranes, each safe inside a predator-proof enclosure and each with a motorhome nearby containing separated members of the migration team. We'll hope for calm conditions early tomorrow and plan to reunite both crane, and human flocks as soon as possible. Date: Nov. 6, 2002 Day 25 Reporter: Heather Ray Location: Boone Co., IN Distance Traveled: 0 miles Accumulated Distance: 335.5 miles Activity: Deja vous Notes: Our morning routine has become reminiscent of the movie Groundhog Day, in which the characters experience the same day, over and over again until they get it right. In bed by 10pm each night, hoping for better weather in the morning; awake at 5:30am we reluctantly open the door and feel the strong breeze that refuses to leave us. If it's not windy, it's raining. If it's not raining or windy there is a low cloud ceiling.  I don't know what we have to do to get it right and finally break out of this Groundhog day routine but if anyone has any ideas we're open to suggestions. The good news is the cranes are doing great and the crew hasn't yet hurt each other despite the cabin fever that has set in. We've watched a lot of movies and made a lot of balloon "creatures" (they don't quite resemble animals). And Mark and Dan are getting very artistic with an Etch-a-sketch - thanks to Darlene and her thoughtful boredom box which she gave us before departing the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge - 25 days ago.
Date:	Nov. 5, 2002 Day 24
Reporter:	Heather Ray
Location:	Boone Co., IN
Distance Traveled:	0 miles
Accumulated Distance:	335.5 miles
Activity:	The waiting continues...
Notes: East winds and rain prevent any progress today.

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50-min. video featuring the 2001 journey south