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| Date: | Dec.
30, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Headquarters: Port Perry, ON |
| Activity: | Last report of the year... |
|
Notes: The winter monitoring team from ICF,
consisting of Richard Urbanek, Lara Fondow, Mark Nipper, and Sara
Zimorski provided a report ending Dec. 27th, which lists the cranes from 2001/2002
in the following counties:
Pasco County, FL: Cranes 101,
102, 205, 208, 216, 217, 209, 211, and 212.
Hernando County,
FL: Cranes 105, 204, and 218.
Sumter County,
FL: Cranes 203, and 215.
Lake County, FL:
Solitary crane 201.
Suwannee County,
FL: Pair 202 and 213.
Madison County,
FL: The lone female crane 214, which summered in north Illinois and was the
last to depart on a southward migration.
The locations of
male crane 106 and female 107 have unknown as they have not been observed
since one or both apparently left Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, TN, on November
29. Both have nonfunctional transmitters and are therefore not trackable.
2003 Cranes: Information
provided by the monitoring team indicates that water levels at various
locations within the open-topped enclosure varied between 0 - 20 inches,
with the highest level recorded on Christmas Eve. Salinity levels remained acceptable
at 17-18 ppt (parts per thousand) over the week. Anything below 21 ppt is
considered acceptable.
All of the
youngsters have been roosting inside the safety of the predator-proof
enclosure, and on only one occasion two birds (307 & 313) were
led/herded into the release pen as night fell. New bobcat tracks have been
noticed along the boardwalk but despite three baited live-traps nothing has
been captured.
Many thanks to
the monitoring team for the update!
Since this is
the last report of this year, I'd like to remind everyone that tomorrow is
the last day that a tax-deductible donation can be made for 2003 tax
purposes. If you would like to help us fly a new generation of Whoopers
south next fall, please consider calling in your pledge using your credit
card, or mail in your check with 2003 indicated on the date line. A receipt
for income tax purposes will be issued for each donation received. Click to contact
us, and to everyone out there who has followed along on this year's
endeavor, here's a little something to show you how the cranes are celebrating
the end of 2003.
|

| Date: | Dec.
20, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Headquarters: Port Perry, ON |
| Activity: | Checking In... |
|
Notes: After arriving at the warm winter home of the 16 newest Whooping
cranes in the eastern migratory population, we had only two days to wrap
things up before beginning our own return migration north. Tasks were
assigned to various team members, making the workload lighter for those that
had to leave early, while still giving others an excuse to stay in the sunshine
state a bit longer. Two and a half months is a long time to be away from
home so I had little time to relax prior to beginning the 26-hour drive back
to Ontario. Thankfully, the Plantation Inn & Golf Resort in Crystal
River made sure what little time we did have to spend in the area was
comfortable to say the least. The great management and staff of this
wonderful establishment donated several rooms for the duration of our time!
After spending 54-days in cramped RV's and trailers, we actually had
queen size beds and room service! Thank you Plantation Inn!
With 1191-miles behind them, our cranes were settling into their new
surroundings. On Dec. 8th they finally arrived at the Chassahowitzka NWR in Citrus
County. Patuxent's Jane Chandler and ICF's Sara Zimorski waited for them to
appear overhead with their aircraft escorts for their last accompanied
flight. Both were in costume. Nearby, a handheld loudspeaker blared the
familiar brood call, which they hoped would encourage the young cranes to
touch down on the small island for the first time, while the three tiny
yellow aircraft they had come to trust as their leaders, abandoned
them.
Once on the ground the familiar costumed figures led them through a wide
gate, which enters the large, 4-acre open-topped release pen, and continued
with them into a smaller top-netted area where fresh water and food awaited
their arrival. This temporary section of the pen is designed to contain the young
birds for a few days while they become accustomed to the sights and sounds of
their new surroundings. A costumed caretaker visits twice each day to ensure
the food and water supply is adequate, and that there is no displaced
aggression, which could result from stress that the young birds may be
experiencing.
The following day, I accompanied Sara on the winding airboat
ride out to the remote island for the evening roost
check. I was eager to see the birds one final time before they would
lose all signs of their young age, prior to returning north this coming
spring as yearlings. I positioned myself inside the monitoring blind, and as
I moved the camouflage netting aside slightly, the first thing I noticed
was how muddy they were!
The substrate of their small island is black muck; notorious for sucking
the boots off the feet of innocent victims. Over the past four years,
many a rubber boot has been lost - never to be seen, nor heard from again in
the sticky, and unforgiving goop.
These once-upon-a-time, stark white cranes, with their feet perfectly
engineered for wading in mud, were having a blast playing with the black
sludge! Over and over their long beaks would probe the depths of the muck,
and time and again each was rewarded with a tasty snail. I watched Sara make
her way out to the gate of the enclosure - careful to stay on the narrow
wooden makeshift boardwalk, so as not to become another goop-victim.
Once inside, some approached to greet her, while others, nonchalantly
ignored the costume and continued probing for treats. Sara walked the
perimeter of the temporary confinement, checking to ensure it was secure and
that the curious cranes hadn't been pecking and picking at the netting.
Occasionally, a pair would have a minor disagreement, likely over ownership
of a small snail or shell that would land on the ground during their excited
search. It was interesting to watch how they settled their differences using
various postures, or jumping and displaying their notable wing spans. While
I could detect no apparent differences, their long-established social
structure and dominance order settled any squabble with little objections.
After checking the amount of food in the suspended feeders, Sara exited
the enclosure. Her final task was to activate the electric fencer unit,
which delivers a good jolt to any predator who comes in contact with one of
the three wire strands, positioned to protect the priceless birds
inside.
The next day the cranes were scheduled to undergo a final health check;
receive their permanent radio telemetry units, and in the case of females
301, 309 & 312, also a Platform Terminal Transmitter, or
"PTT." Unfortunately, thunderstorms and strong winds arrived on
Dec. 10th making the airboat ride out to the island unsafe, so the
procedures were moved to the following day.
On Thursday, Dec. 11th WCEP
veterinarian Marilyn Spalding, along with a small team of assistants drew
blood samples and performed physical examinations on 10 of the 16 cranes.
Once finished with each bird, Dan Sprague or Jane Chandler would take the
hooded crane over to FWS
biologist Richard Urbanek, who carefully affixed the appropriate leg bands
and telemetry units, necessary to monitor the whereabouts of each young
crane over the next couple of years, or until the units battery wears out.
The next day, the remaining 6 cranes went through the same procedure. The
cranes were returned to the small top-netted section, where over the next
couple of days, handlers worked to win back their trust by offering treats.
With this worrisome task
of the health check completed, the top-netted section of the pen was removed
on Dec. 14th, allowing the cranes to fly in and out of their winter release
pen at will.
The winter monitoring team from the International
Crane Foundation: headed up by Dr. Richard Urbanek and consisting of
Sara, Mark Nipper, Lara Fondow, and Marianne Wellington will continue to
check on the cranes daily over the winter months. As we receive reports, we
will continue to post them in this Field Journal, however, detailed reports
and images will be made available on the ICF
website.
There is one more THANK YOU that must be made public, as in my haste to
get information out to everyone on the last day of the migration, I
completely overlooked this. The final day of the 54-day southward migration
was a sponsored day, funded by two very generous people, who have over the
years, become very dear friends to us, and to the Whooping crane. In
addition to what they have already donated to our cause this year, Sandy
& Jerry Ulrikson stepped forward with an additional $1,000.00 check to
cover the costs of Dec. 8th. These two have done so much for the cranes over
the few short years of this reintroduction that somehow "thank
you" seems terribly inadequate. We can only hope that in the years to
come, they will be continue to be rewarded for their generosity by the sight
of wild Whooping cranes using the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge as a migration
rest stop, in their home state of Tennessee - The Volunteer State.
|

| Date: | Day 54 - Dec. 8, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Citrus Co., FL |
| Distance Traveled: | 77.8 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 1191.0 miles |
| Activity: | The Checkered Flag! |
|
Notes: At 9:45 a.m. three tiny ultralight aircraft passed over the
town of Crystal River, Florida. Accompanying the small trikes: giving them
the appearance of being larger, were 16 still juvenile Whooping cranes. With
their 7-foot wingspans tipped with black; very few flapped occasionally,
most simply set their impressive wings and glided by. I couldn't help but be
reminded of the slowly waving checkered flag, which greets race cars as they
cross the finish line. Joe Duff performed an air pick-up this morning at
7:54. Shortly after, all but one of the cranes broke away and headed toward
Brooke Pennypacker's aircraft, which left Richard van Heuvelen to fly in the
chase position watching for any that might drop down or break off from the
formation. With zero wind the readied themselves for the two hours that
the 77.8 miles would require. More than a thousand people were gathered at
the Crystal River Mall to watch the spectacle - the final flight, which led
the young group of cranes to their winter release pen at the Chassahowitzka
National Wildlife Refuge in Citrus County, FL. At 9:59 a.m. - 2
hours and 5 minutes after departing from our Gilchrist County location, Jane
Chandler from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, along with ICF's
Sara Zimorski played their crane music over a handheld loudspeaker, while
the pilots swooped in low with the cranes. At the last second the aircraft
pushed out on the control bar; climbing fast, leaving the birds no choice
but to touchdown for the first time inside their winter home. Photos
later...
|

| Date: | Day 54 - Dec. 8, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
|
Notes: 5:30 a.m. - Looking good! Winds are expected to be out of the
northeast and light. See you at the Crystal River Mall at 8:30
|

| Date: | Day 53 - Dec. 7, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Gilchrist Co., FL |
| Distance Traveled: | 60.6 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 1113.2 miles |
| Activity: | The Finish Line... |
|
Notes: ...Is in sight! And with a bit of luck we'll be crossing it
tomorrow. We arrived in Gilchrist County, Florida this morning;
touching down at 9:56 am, after a flight time of 2 hours and three minutes.
All sixteen cranes made this leg of the migration with eleven following
Brooke and the remaining five lined up off Joe's right wingtip, despite the
fact that it was Richard van Heuvelen that took-off with them. Along with us
on this mornings leg of the trip were Deke and Rebecca, and we were
fortunate in that we witnessed the departure from Hamilton County, as well
as the arrival of the flight team in Gilchrist County. Something that before
this morning, Deke only ever saw from the seat of his ultralight prior to
suffering a stroke in January 2001. We are currently 77.8 miles out from
the release pen located at Chassahowitzka NWR in Citrus County, FL where
these young cranes will spend the next dozen or so weeks, just like the two
cohorts before them did. At this point, tomorrow looks promising -
with the winds are in our favour, which they are supposed to be, Brooke
Pennypacker, Joe Duff and Richard van Heuvelen will lift off from our
current location shortly after sunrise, and guide their 16 young feathered
charges for the final time with their ultralight aircraft. Approximately
60 miles into the final leg of the journey, at around 8:30 am, the pilots
will lead the cranes over the Crystal River Mall, located on US Highway 19
in Crystal River, FL for a rare public appearance as our way of thanking the
public for the steadfast and ongoing financial and emotional support they
have provided this reintroduction. Public and media are invited to attend
the grassy area at the north end of the shopping mall to watch the Class of
'03 pass overhead with their mechanical leaders for the last time. Members
of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership agencies will be on hand to answer
questions, and once the birds have been delivered to their pen, the
migration team will assemble and return to the mall to talk with the public
and the media. If anything changes, I'll update this page as soon as
possible. For anyone planning to attend please check this site early
tomorrow morning for the final decision, and if you cannot, for some reason,
you may call 800-675-2618 OR 904-232-2580 xt. 124 for a recorded message. The
entire migration team hopes to see you there!
|

| Date: | Day 52 - Dec. 6, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Hamilton Co., FL |
| Distance Traveled: | 98.5 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 1052.6 miles |
| Activity: | Helloooooo FLORIDA!!! |
|
Notes: They're hear! Our sixteen 8-month old Whooping cranes, which
comprise the "Class of '03" have finally crossed into the Sunshine
State where they will spend the winter in as isolated release enclosure
at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. At 7:44 a.m. Brooke
Pennypacker performed an air-pickup and coaxed the entire flock into the
air. He led them north into the wind - in the same fashion a wild bird would
take off to get extra lift. Once they cleared the tree line at the north end
of the field he turned them gradually; first to the west and then south -
toward Florida. A few miles out from the pen location several of the birds
at the back of the long line, peeled away. Brooke attempted to slow to allow
them to catch up and fall back into place, and the entire line broke up.
Once all were sorted out and collected, Brooke ended up with four; Joe with
ten, and Richard van Heuvelen had the remaining two. With the northwest
winds this morning the fliers achieved, on average, 57 mph and covered the
98.5-mile leg in 1:51. Upon nearing our Hamilton County location the winds
had picked up, and had become unstable, otherwise we may have continued on
to Gilchrist county... Oh well there's always tomorrow. We have at least
one, but more than likely, two more stops prior to the final flight when the
pilots will guide the youngsters out to their isolated pen, situated more
than 5-miles off the coast. On the final leg we will be flying the cranes over the Crystal
River Mall north parking lot located on US highway 19. When? Stay tuned.
We'll update this site the night before we expect to make the flight...
|

| Date: | Day 51 - Dec. 5, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Terrell Co., GA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 954.1 miles |
| Activity: | Foggy -
Standing Down |
|
Notes: Yesterday's rain created foggy conditions this morning that were
supposed to clear out by 11 a.m., however, once the fog did lift at noon,
the 300ft. cloud ceiling that remained prevented us from leaving.
More later, I'm currently dealing with some rather strange email problems
- if anyone reading this sent me a message today, I've lost it so would you
mind sending it again? Sorry ;-(
|

| Date: | Day 50 - Dec. 4, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Terrell County, GA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 954.1 miles |
| Activity: | Operation DURATION |
|
Notes: This morning, just for a bit of variety, my good friend Ma Nature
tossed some rain showers into the headwind equation to ensure that we don't
progress today...
This has now turned into the longest migration in our 10-year history of
using aircraft to guide birds to a new winter habitat - and with the finish
line in sight, it's become the most frustrating as well.
Yesterday, we took advantage of the down day to fly ahead to Florida to
check out a new landing site in Gilchrist County. It also helped assure Don,
Paula, Joe and I that indeed, despite the southeast winds of the last three
days, the sunshine state is still there. Even in the Lounsbury's Cessna we
still had headwinds to contend with and the flight down, which took 1:45,
lasted only 1 hour on the return trip with the tailwind assisting us.
Because we had to get back before darkness descended we missed Deke Clark
and Rebecca Cohen-Pardo by only 30 minutes when they too arrived at the home
of our Gilchrist County migration hosts, where they will wait for us to
arrive with the cranes. Deke and Rebecca will accompany us on the last
portion of the journey as we arrive in Crystal River with our crane cargo,
so we're even more anxious to get there and spend some time with them.
Once we do arrive, we will again be flying the cranes over the Crystal
River Mall north Parking lot located on US highway 19. When? Stay tuned.
We'll update this site the night before we expect to make the flight...
From Joe: Considering that our ultralights weight only 360 pounds
they are capable of flying in fairly heavy winds, however, they are designed
mostly for calm air. Birds, on the other hand, are such adept flyers, and
they often get airborne just to play in conditions that would frighten even
the boldest pilots. Individually these entities are very efficient
aerialists in their own right but flying together limits the abilities of
both.
In order to lead birds we need cold air to keep them
from overheating but more often than not these cooler temperatures add a
thick layer of frost to our wings that delays our departure by an hour or
more. If the air is warmer it frequently produces early morning fog and the
results are the same. Air circulates clockwise around the centre of a
high-pressure system and counter-clockwise around a low. In order to have
winds that will push us south we must be to the east of a high or to the
west of a low air mass but if the systems are too close together the winds
are too high even if they are moving in the right direction. Winds aloft are
often stronger than those close to the ground and an area of friction
between the two can cause a layer of turbulence too rough for us to
penetrate. As moving air encounters obstacles like mountains and ridges it
pushes up the front side and tumbles down the back producing mechanical
turbulence that must be avoided. Cloud cover and low ceilings can limit our altitude making it
impossible to reach the tailwinds that tantalizingly blow above this
barrier. The ideal conditions for migrating are very specific and uncommon
during the late fall and early winter, seasons known for their inclement
weather.
Sometimes on occasions as rare as Whooping cranes
everything falls into place. On these infrequent days all the conditions we
need finally come together in one glorious moment and all previous records
are broken. When we climbed out
of Gordon County, Georgia the air was calm and the birds received full
benefit of the wake created by the wing as we gained altitude. As we passed
smoothly through 1000 feet the ground below us began to slip by with
increasing speed. The GPS that
normally records the accumulating miles with agonizing sluggishness began to
rapidly tick them off. At 2200 feet the airspeed indicator told us the birds
where flying at their normal 38 miles per hour but the mass of air we were traveling
in was also moving at south at 40 mph. Combined we were covering ground at
over 70 mph and we blew past three schedules stops leaving the ground crew
far behind. With each passing stop we would make the decision to keep going
knowing we had roughly 3 hours of fuel onboard. For most of the way all of
the birds followed one aircraft leaving the other two pilots with little to
do except watch the passing countryside. Often when lying awake in the
middle of the night worrying about our slow progress I have dreamed about an
elusive ground speed of 60 mph. In this fantasy our three-hour endurance
would allow us to cover an unheard of 120 miles but I never dreamed of
covering 200 in one day.
To
prove how elusive these perfect days are the following morning the winds
veered more to the east and held us back as firmly as they had pushed us
along. Today, like most on this migration we sit and wait for the winds and
rain to pass. Heather rented a hotel room and the crew traipsed in and out
all day for showers, and an hour or two of soap operas. We discussed what to
do if we don’t arrive before Christmas. Many of us need to be home for the
holidays, or give up any ambitions of ever returning there again.
We
talked abut where to put the Christmas tree, and in his normal quick wit Dan
Sprague began to sing the tune of Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer -
substituting; “Joe Duff with your ultralight won’t you guide our cranes
tonight.”
I'd
love to, if Heather's "friend" would ever let me!
|

| Date: | Day
49 - Dec. 3, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Terrell County, GA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 954.1 miles |
| Activity: | On the nose
and the beaks... |
|
Notes: That's how the headwinds would be hitting the fliers this morning
IF we were to attempt a departure... So we'll be standing down - again in
Terrell county. Sorry ;-(
|

| Date: | Day
48 - Dec. 2,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Terrell County, GA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 954.1 miles |
| Activity: | Staying
put... |
|
Notes: After yesterday's successful flight, I suppose we have no right to
be disappointed, however, it's difficult to stay upbeat when we fully
expected to reach Florida today based on the favourable winds, which were
forecasted to arrive.
Unfortunately once all three trikes were airborne, and heading on course
they were actually being pushed backwards by a southeast breeze. We'll wait
and try again tomorrow.
|

| Date: | Day 47 - Dec. 1,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Terrell County, GA |
| Distance Traveled: | 200.0 miles
- INCREDIBLE! |
| Accumulated Distance: | 954.1 miles |
| Activity: | Smashing
Records! |
|
Notes: Whew, it's been a very loooong day, and for some of our ground
crew, it's still going on. At 7:51 a.m. all sixteen cranes fell into line
behind Joe, piloting the lead trike this morning. Our planned destination
was for Coweta County, so I alerted our host that the crew and cranes were
airborne and heading their way. A short time later, I overheard the pilots
discussing airspeed - a sure sign that things were going well. I hit redial
and informed our Coweta County host that indeed they would be flying past
and continuing on to the next site to the south in Pike County, GA.
On the phone again, this time to Doug and Bonnie. "We're heading
your way" I blurted quickly before entering the dead cell-zone -
"ETA approximately 1:45."
Frantically, over the next 90 minutes I tried to alert the rest of the
ground crew that the flight plan had changed. I finally managed to get Dan
Sprague on the phone as he and Jane Chandler traveled about a half hour
ahead of everyone, and towing the crane pen so they could set it up wherever
we ended up. I asked if Dan had any radio reception and could tell what was
happening? He was in a slightly better position than I was, and the last he
had heard was that they were proceeding to Buena Vista!
As long as I can remember we've never been able to skip over two stops!
Back to the almost useless cell phone again. I'd drive through small pockets
of having two out of the possible four bars of signal strength, and just
when the phone would ring once and I thought I'd actually be able to connect
to a real live person, the signal would fade to no bars and the only sound I
would hear was a rather annoying screech telling me I had again been
disconnected - frustrating! I had nothing to do but continue driving south
so that's what I did. I recalculated my travel route twice, and pointed in
the direction of Buena Vista, GA. I stopped to refuel - another first. The
ground crew always makes certain they have a full tank of fuel each night;
it's just one less thing to worry about. I've never had to refuel in the
middle of a migration leg but today as I pulled in to a gas station in Buena
Vista, my cell phone came to life. It was Dan wondering where I was?
"I'm almost at the stop near Buena Vista... Where are you?"
Crackle, hiss... SILENCE - He had just gone out of range. Since I finally
had a signal I decided to check my messages. Only fifteen messages had come
in during the time I faded in and out of range, and number ten was a male
voice saying they were calling from Anniston Flight Services for Charlie -
Gulf, Yankee, Zulu, Uniform, which I recognized as Paula's aircraft
identifier, with a message delivered at 10:22 a.m. The message was
"head to Terrell County." Recalculate road route again! Three
stops had been flown over - another first! In a nutshell, today's
flight was amazing, stupendous, astonishing, remarkable, astounding,
incredible, and even shocking. A total of 200 flight miles were covered -
Basically the same distance we've scratched and clawed to cover during the preceding
10-days. The flight team was airborne for 3 hours and 4 minutes - I predict
tomorrow morning we will arrive in Florida. Time for bed now ;-)
|

| Date: | Day 46 - Nov. 30,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Gordon County, GEORGIA! |
| Distance Traveled: | 68.3 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 754.1 miles |
| Activity: | Thanks MA! |
|
Notes: Geesh, if I'd known that's all it would take I would have asked
for a favour a couple of weeks ago...
At 7:46 this morning the fifty-or-so whooper groupies, gathered at the
public viewing gazebo at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge were treated to a
departure not quite as spectacular as last years, however, as one repeat
groupie put it "no matter how many times I see these beautiful white
cranes following those tiny little aircraft I still get tears, and crane bumps." There
were many opportunities for tears this morning - both the happy kind the
viewers were shedding, and my own unhappy ones, which would well up each
time our "beautiful white cranes" attempted to halt our departure
as they kept breaking away and turning back toward their enclosure. After
several overhead north/south passes, Richard van Heuvelen finally gathered
13 reluctant to leave cranes, and proceeded on course behind Joe who was
about two miles ahead with the 3 others, while Brooke, anticipating them to
turn around again, flew close behind Richard. No more than five minutes
passed when I made it out to highway 60 - about to begin my own southward
route when I spied Brooke overhead with 5 cranes he had apparently
intercepted when they broke from Richard's aircraft. Another minute later I
heard Richard say that 4 more had turned back and he was proceeding on
course with his remaining 4 birds. Paula radioed back to Mark Nipper that
there were 4 cranes inbound to the pen, and they would need to be crated and
delivered to our next site in Georgia. The plan this morning involved two
potential destinations because of the wooded terrain the flight team was
traversing. The first location, in Walker County was 50 miles to the south.
I pulled in to this stop, expecting the planes and cranes to land here due
to the frustrated snippets of radio conversations I overheard. Crane #303
kept challenging the aircraft for the lead, which meant each time Richard
increased his speed to overtake his lead position, the other 4 cranes that
were following would drop off the wake of air made by the large wing and
lose their flight order. Any crane flying directly in front of the
nose of the trike is also in danger; should it decide to move up and over
the wing of the aircraft, it runs the risk of getting tangled in the guy
wires of the overhead wing. The other consideration is that the pilots field
of vision is restricted enough due to the helmet and white fabric cover they
must wear over their headgear, and well, cranes um, err, poop (often) while
in flight... Eeeeewwww Meanwhile, Brooke was having an ongoing battle with
crane #301; one of three birds he was still guiding. It seems that every
pond or lake they passed over beckoned to this bird. No sooner had Brooke
chased after 301 - each time losing precious altitude, when another small
lake would appear in a valley below, and this obstinate water-loving crane
would peel off again, I'm sure causing Brooke to utter more than what we
heard over the radio, as he also tried to keep his other 2 birds with him. After
briefly meeting our new migration hosts, and just as briefly, greeting their
bathroom, we ventured out to a safe viewing spot to wait for the flight crew
who were still about 5 miles out. Within minutes Richard came into our view
with 5 birds, and seconds later, Joe appeared with 4. They were quite high,
approximately 2200 ft. and they began discussing the possibility of making
it the remaining 20 miles to our second stopover. One factor
concerning them was the tall ridge directly to our south - given their
current position they had plenty of altitude and felt confident they could
nurse the young cranes over it, but if they were to land in the field we
were watching they were worried about a repeat performance like last
Tuesday's when they had to climb over the Walden Ridge in Cumberland County,
TN. They chose to continue, while I was left to apologize to the hosts they
never met - very nice folks who, hopefully, we'll all get to meet next
fall... Brooke followed behind by about 5 miles - fighting with our oldest
of the flock the entire way, and as soon as he too proceeded past us, I left
to catch up with them in Gordon County, Georgia. Total flight time
this morning was 2 hours and 50 minutes - the longest yet. The four crated
cranes are 302 (fruitcake), 307, 311 & 318. And it was one year ago
today that we arrived at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in
Florida with the class of '02.
|

| Date: | Day 45 - Nov. 29,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Meigs Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 685.8 miles |
| Activity: | Listen Up Ma Nature! |
|
Notes: Enough is enough! It's been 45-days since you gave us a tiny
window of opportunity, allowing us to leave the Necedah Wildlife Refuge on
Oct. 16th - eight days after our intended departure date. We are STILL
grounded at our fifteenth stopover, which means over the past 45-days,
you've only provided suitable migrating conditions for 15 measly days.
C'mon already! Don't be so danged stingy! We've all been good - more than
good, in fact to your natural world. When we add up all our ages it equals
445 years worth of good things we've all done to help YOU... Okay there was
that time when I was about 6 that I squished a caterpillar just to see what
oozed out but since then I've more than made up for that one by raising
hundreds of others! We reduce-reuse AND recycle; we don't use
chemicals on our lawns; Heck, most of us even compost! Additionally, we
provide food for songbirds; larval and nectar plants for butterflies, and we
grow native garden species... Some of us have spent thousands of dollars on
biology degrees, and others on improving habitats for YOUR creatures... And
lets not forget the goal of this project - we're returning an endangered
crane to a portion of it's former range in eastern North America for crying
out loud - Talk about righting past wrongs!
When the high systems do appear, and rotate clockwise, we find ourselves
on the backside of it, which brings a southerly flow of air. Yet when the
counterclockwise lows find us, we're on the front side, again in a southerly
flow.
All we're asking for is a nice little weather front; it doesn't matter
which - we'll take either a high pressure system, OR a low pressure system,
as long as you can arrange for it to stick around for a few days. Is that
too much to ask?
Pretty please?
|

| Date: | Day 44 - Nov. 28,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Meigs Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 685.8 miles |
| Activity: | Operation Stagnation? |
|
Notes: The winds are shifting today; expected to swing clockwise from the
west - to the north. Unfortunately the speed of the wind is currently 10-15
with gusts up to 25 mph, preventing any attempt at a departure this morning.
We'll enjoy the warm hospitality of our host for at least another day...
|

| Date: | Day 43 - Nov. 27,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Meigs Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 685.8 miles |
| Activity: | Giving
Thanks... |
|
Notes: On this rainy U.S. Thanksgiving Day, our Canadian/American migration
team will be standing down. The five Canadians in the group have already
missed one Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in mid-October at home, so
today we will celebrate the U.S. version with our American teammates. Our
team has grown from eleven to fourteen with the welcome arrival of Jane
(Nicolich) Chandler, captive flock manager from WCEP
partner USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center. Jane has come onboard to replace ICF's Sara
Zimorski, who will depart shortly to ensure everything is ready at the
winter release pen for the arrival of our sixteen young cranes. Also from
the International
Crane Foundation is education coordinator, Joan Garland who is visiting
schools along the migration corridor and teaching students and educators
alike about this wildlife reintroduction. The final addition to our
international team is retired United Airlines pilot, Steve Connors from
Minneapolis. Earlier this year, Steve expressed interest in our work and
offered his assistance, which we gratefully accepted. Next spring he will
begin to learn the many differences between piloting a large commercial
aircraft, which holds numerous humans, versus a tiny ultralight plane, which
guides endangered Whooping cranes. We'd like to thank these folks for
giving up Thanksgiving with loved ones back home to come out and join us,
and additionally we give thanks for our own families; many who already
celebrated in October, for allowing us time away from them to carry out our
important work. To each of you back home; you are missed, loved, and very
much appreciated. Finally, we give thanks to our many supporters and
donors. These are the ones who make it possible for us to apply our
ultralight-guided migration method toward safeguarding the rarest crane of
all - the Whooping crane. In years to come, may you and your families be
rewarded greatly, as more and more of these elegant birds grace the skies
over eastern North America. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
|

| Date: | Day 42 - Nov. 26,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Meigs Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 685.8 miles |
| Activity: | Back to
"normal" |
|
Notes: You'd almost think that after a day like yesterday we'd be tempted
to stand down a day, but at 5 a.m. this morning we passed the coffee pot
around and went over the days plan.
At 6:15 the pilots headed over to the small airport nearby, which was
kind enough to offer up hangar space so that frost wouldn't be an issue, and
the handlers set off for the crane pen to get ready to release the birds for
our leg that would take us into Georgia.
Joan Garland, education coordinator with the International
Crane Foundation and I sleepily greeted the two dozen, or so craniacs
situated at the public viewing gazebo that had likewise risen early.
And then at 7:25 a.m. we got to be the bearers of bad news... Over the
handheld radios we heard the airborne pilots declare today a "NO
GO" day, after their GPS units told them it would take more than 4
hours to reach our next destination - 50 miles to the south.
Normal is boring...
|

| Date: | Day 41 - Nov. 25,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Meigs Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 33.1 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 685.8 miles |
| Activity: | Not your typical day... |
|
Notes: In fact it can be called anything BUT "typical"... This
is one of those updates where I really don't know where to begin so I'll
give you some of the ingredients, and the outcome and let you fill in the
middle. It certainly won't be too far off the mark from what really happened
anyway.
All sixteen cranes launched at 7:23 a.m. EST behind Brooke; At 8:10 a.m.
Mark Nipper and Heather Ray are speeding side by side down either side of
the grass runway toward the pen to convince the birds NOT to land; Richard
van Heuvelen makes it over the beast at 8:15 a.m. with two cranes and heads
on course to the Hiwassee wildlife refuge in Meigs County, Tennessee; Joe
and Brooke continue to corral fourteen cranes and attempt to climb; Mark and
Heather retreat upon hearing that four tired cranes have been given
permission to land.
Brooke reports having six birds; Joe has four; Paula and Joe can't find
Brooke; Joe heads on course; Joe's birds head in opposite direction; Brooke
is located with his six cranes; Joe decides to fly chase for Brooke and help
him get his six cranes over Hinch Mountain. Paula advises Joe's cranes did
an about face and were attempting to catch up to him; Joe slows up - birds
catch up.
Richard arrives at Hiwassee with two cranes and drops birds to Dan
Sprague and Jane Chandler (welcome Jane!) who are at the pen site
waiting in costume to call the birds down. Brooke arrives shortly after with
one bird; Joe soon after him with five... Three cranes continue southeast;
Heather calls ICF's
Lara Fondow, Anne Lacey and Windway pilot Mike Voechting, who thankfully
were in Nashville, TN and provides sixteen sets of transmitter frequencies.
Paula & Don Lounsbury continue with three runaways, keeping visual
contact with them, and radio contact with us until they near the nuclear
power station near Watts Bar Dam.
F16 fighter jets arrive on scene - Paula and Don assume they are nearby
because of the power generating station, and switch frequencies to attempt
to explain their presence; Three runaways do an F16-freakout, recover and
keep flying; Brooke provides headcount of cranes in pen at Hiwassee; Sara
gives Heather band numbers of birds back in pen at Cumberland County;
Heather provides missing crane (302, 306, 311 & 316) frequencies to Lara
and Mike; Don and Paula head back to Cumberland County to refuel.
Dan & Jane set out to track by ground; Sara secures cranes in
Cumberland pen and sets out with Mark Nipper and Charlie Shafer to give
additional ground assistance. Mike and Lara report picking up signals on
three of the birds, just south of the power plant. Dan and Jane find an open
field - throw on their costumes; grab the vocalizer and call birds down.
They've flown for more than 5 hours!
One crane, #316 still M.I.A. and believed to be in the vicinity of Hinch
Mountain. Mike, Anne and Lara are heading north to track by air. Results:
Four will be trucked from Cumberland County. Eight arrived at Hiwassee
refuge. Three will be trucked from 33 miles southeast of Hiwassee, and one
crane will be trucked from wherever it is located. UPDATE: #316 located
southwest of Crossville, TN. near large reservoir - Should arrive shortly. Whew!
|

| Date: | Day 40 - Nov. 24,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Cumberland Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 652.7 miles |
| Activity: | Rain... |
|
Notes: A system moving across us from the southwest is dumping rain this
morning, and preventing a departure. Temperatures are expected to drop
tonight across the Midwest and into Tennessee, which will bring winds from
the north. Hopefully, bird #214, the only crane that has not initiated a
southerly migration will be convinced to get moving. We certainly don't need
any convincing; just better weather - Christmas is fast approaching!
|

| Date: | Day 39 - Nov. 23,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Cumberland Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 652.7 miles |
| Activity: | "Birdbrain" |
|
Notes: Today
is day 39 or our migration and we are still just short of the halfway point,
held firmly on the ground in Cumberland County, Tennessee.
The
birds are penned on the north side of the Walden Ridge that towers over us
like an immovable obstacle; a constant reminder that we still have to cross
the Appalachians.
By
comparison, it took us 48 days to reach Florida last year and when we did
the Sandhill migration in 2000, we were finished on day 40.
Already most of our birds from the previous two migrations are in
Florida even though they left weeks after us.
The
days have been beautiful with warm sunny afternoons and clear skies and Tom,
our host, has been generous to a fault, but a never ending wind keeps
blowing out the south arresting our progress as surely as a stop sign.
We
tried a few days ago the lead our flock into the wind but they refused to go
and kept turning back until we finally had to abide by their decision.
The
term “birdbrain” does not apply here; we are the only ones foolish
enough to fight against a headwind. The birds know better than to swim
upstream, and we know that patience will be rewarded eventually. It is
amazing what you can learn from a bird if you just watch and listen.
|

| Date: | Day 38 - Nov. 22,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Cumberland Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 652.7 miles |
| Activity: | Standing Down |
|
Notes: On the surface the windsock indicated no breeze at all but once
the pilots were airborne it became apparent that aloft it was a different
story. At 2500 ft altitude the maximum ground speed achieved was only 15
mph, which would have made our 33 mile leg last more than 2 hours. We'll
stand down again today. The ICF
tracking team, headed up by Richard Urbanek of FWS reports that as of
last evening sixteen of the twenty experienced Whooping cranes are now in
Florida! And it's getting a bit crowded at the winter pen site... Cranes:
102, 205, 208, 209, 211, 212, 216 & 217 arrived late yesterday afternoon
and stayed to roost at the Chassahowitzka pen location where all
except the female #102 spent last winter. During their entire southward
migration this group of eight was never observed migrating with Sandhill
cranes. And they're not the only "big white birds" that
are at the pen... Yesterday at 12:10 while refuge staff were making final
preparations for the arrival of this years chicks, adult cranes 105, 204
& 218 flew in for a low pass and landing a short distance to the south
in an area they frequented last winter. They returned to the pen a short
time later and stayed for the remainder of the day, which brings the total
of Whooping cranes currently located at the release pen to eleven! Yearling
females 203 & 215; two remaining girls that ventured west to summer in
South Dakota, and were later retrieved and returned to the Necedah
NWR reintroduction site, were the first two to return to the Chassahowitzka
NWR. These two spent a couple of days at their former pen but have
subsequently moved out and last evening roosted in a small natural marsh in
Hillsborough County, FL. The male/female pair, 202 & 213, which spent
the summer at or near the reintroduction site in central Wisconsin arrived
last evening in Suwannee County, Florida after departing Randolph County,
Georgia yesterday morning. Whooping cranes 107 & 201, both females,
are still located at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County, TN. - the
same location we are trying to get this year's flock to... and the male #106
finally began his migration, arriving late Thursday at the Jasper Pulaski
State Fish and Wildlife Area in north Indiana. The only bird that has not
yet initiated a southward journey is the female #214. She remains in a large
flock of staging Sandhill cranes in northwest Illinois.
|

| Date: | Day 37 - Nov. 21,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Cumberland Co., TN |
| Distance Traveled: | ? miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 652.7 miles |
| Activity: | The Beast Reigns... |
|
Notes: Weather conditions this morning were as close to ideal as we ever
hope for, and by 8:10 a.m. with the last remnants of some ground fog quickly
dissipating, Sara and Charlie were at the pen site ready to release the
young cranes. Brooke approached from the south; swooping in low over them,
executing an air pickup. Joe and Richard hung back a bit, watching from
above, and ready to move in and pickup any stragglers. From our vantage
point, we watched Brooke's aircraft appear over the crest of the small hill
that obscured the pen from humans. Through the 400mm lens of the camera, I
began counting as one young Whooping crane after another appeared just as
Brooke had short seconds before - The entire group of sixteen birds gotten a
clean take-off. The pilots knew they'd require at least 3,000 feet of
altitude to clear Walden Ridge, which lies between us and the next stopover
at the Hiwassee Fish and Wildlife Area in southeast Tennessee. With a slight
breeze out of the southwest they hoped to use this to their advantage and
head northeast, paralleling the tall ridge, as they climbed with the
birds. Unfortunately, the birds had alternate plans, and no matter
which direction Brooke took them they broke away from his craft. Richard
moved in to lend assistance but as they passed over us for the fifth time,
he ended up convincing only three birds to stick with him. Soon after, Joe
passed overhead with nine more, followed by Brooke with the remaining four.
They had barely disappeared from view when I heard over the radio that all
but one of Brooke's had again turned broken away for the umpteenth time, and
were heading back toward the pen. Sara was instructed by radio to
break out the swamp monster, which would hopefully deter the
determined-to-land birds and give the pilots yet another attempt at
convincing them to advance to our next site. We watched as several
appeared over the tree line, looking as if they were in a competition to be
the first crane back to the home plate. They lowered, and locked their
landing gear - resembling paratroopers, intent on hitting a target. Just as
they were about to disappear below the small crest of the hill they reversed
thrusters and in two or three vigorous wing beats, were airborne again.
Swamp monster had worked... Sara stood, waiting for another small group to
appear as Richard moved in to pick up those that had just been convinced it
wasn't a good idea to land. As the process was repeated several
times, I couldn't help but recall our two attempted departures from the
Hiwassee refuge last fall when their was an aerial ballet of cranes and
planes on two consecutive mornings much to the delight of the crowd gathered
at the public viewing gazebo overlooking Hiwassee Island. Ironic - we're
anxious to get their again to reacquaint with the great people of the area,
while we anticipate the cranes will want to stay longer than our travel
plans allow... Finally, after a frustrating 25-minutes, and numerous
crisscross flights totaling an unknown distance, Joe, Richard and Brooke
decided it was futile to try to get the birds to the required
altitude, and called off the swamp monster when they turned back toward
their pen for what turned out to be a final time. Sara quickly
stowed the foil emergency blanket that is viewed by these gullible cranes as
the "swamp monster" and once again she appeared normal to them in
her baggy white costume. No longer seen as the bad guy, the cranes
touched down around her and Charlie, and were led into their pen.
Unfortunately, our bad guy - the "beast" is still there, sitting
2700 feet tall to the south.
|

| Date: | Day 36 - Nov. 20,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Cumberland Co., TENNESSEE! |
| Distance Traveled: | 74.9 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 652.7 miles |
| Activity: | The Long & Winding Road... |
|
Notes: The pilots traverse this migration path from their positions
above; void of traffic congestion, but not without worry. For them the
entire trip from central Wisconsin to the finish line in Florida, consists
of approximately 1225-miles.
Alternatively, the ground support team is relegated to traveling by road,
or in some cases pathways that once upon a time, often a very long time ago,
resembled roads. For us, there is not only traffic, but twists and turns and
hills and valleys, (and did I mention traffic?) for an estimated 1656-miles:
431-miles more by ground than as the crane flies...
As I was heading south this morning from Adair County, KY and heading
into Tennessee, along highway 127, I came to the conclusion that at least
100 miles of the extra 431 we travel could be avoided if they'd just make
that highway straight! Does anyone know who we'd have to contact?
That being said, it is also without a doubt the prettiest portion of this
long road trip, and the most difficult to navigate with one knee. After
spending several days with some of the nicest folks we've ever had to good
fortune to meet, it was time to get on our way this morning. The river
subsided to the point where the crew could again cross in a vehicle so at
first light they set off in the patchy ground fog to reassemble the
aircraft. By 8:40 a.m. Paula was reporting ideal conditions from above,
while down below, nestled in a valley we were still looking at fog. Within
minutes the bright sun burned through and the pilots were ready to go. Mark
and Charlie released the birds and they quickly got into position behind
Joe's trike as it revved on the small grass strip adjacent their pen. Just
as quickly, once airborne they fell into two equal lines of eight behind the
lead aircraft as it circled the field, gaining enough altitude to guide them
over the first of many tall ridges. This morning's flight was the longest
thus far: 74.9 miles (by air), and a flight duration of 1 hour & 51
minutes. All sixteen cranes made the trip without incident - Tomorrow we
tackle the "beast." Photos
from this morning!
|

| Date: | Day 35 - Nov. 19,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Adair Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 577.8 miles |
| Activity: | Weathering
the storms |
|
Notes: Our current location is situated in the rolling Kentucky hills,
nestled snuggly between two east/west treed ridges. It's the type of
homestead you would expect to see in a painting; long rows of white painted
fences separate hackney horses from llamas. While Dylan, a Jack Russell
Terrier I knew as a young pup during his competition days in Canada, races
along the green hills, for apparently no reason at all except to entice
Holly, his adorably cute Ewok-looking companion to chase after him. In the
center of the canvas is a refurbished log cabin more than 160 years old, and
at the base of the hill, which holds the house is a normally small creek. It's
been raining off and on since Saturday with the heaviest downpours occurring
yesterday and this morning. The normally small creek has turned into a
raging torrent of water overnight! The crane pen, and the
ultralights are located across the swollen watercourse, and as Brooke found
out this morning, it won't be easy getting to them until the river subsides
somewhat. For now, we'll be standing down again. Better weather is sure to
arrive sometime... Right? In the meantime be sure to check out some new video
clips and see how the cranes spend their downtime.
|

| Date: | Day 34 - Nov. 18,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Adair Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 577.8 miles |
| Activity: | Tornado Warnings... |
|
Notes: ...have been issued for various counties in Tennessee today, only
54 weeks after an intense round of damaging tornados cut a swath of
destruction through several small communities. When we arrived in TN last
fall, we witnessed the aftermath and I'm sure many are still cleaning up,
and grieving the loss of loved ones. Our thoughts go out to everyone in the
volunteer State today as they weather out this latest round of potentially
damaging winds.
Here in south Kentucky we are under heavy storm warnings issued by the
National Weather Office and will not be advancing south today. Yesterday,
I made the mistake of placing money on the other white crane at Hiwassee
being #106. It turns out that this male crane is still in Wisconsin with a
large flock of staging Sandhill cousins, which means that the crane that I
saw at Hiwassee with the younger female #201 was none other than our hermit
female #107 from the 2001 project.
|

| Date: | Day 33 - Nov. 17,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Adair Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 577.8 miles |
| Activity: | Wet, wet, wet. |
|
Notes: We're standing down for the third day in Adair county, KY due to
rain showers and fog. My apologies for the lack of an update yesterday - The
migration team didn't move because of more rain. I took advantage of the
down day yesterday and armed with a telemetry receiver and antenna, set off
at 7 a.m. for the Hiwassee State Wildlife Area in southeast Tennessee. By
mid-morning I was watching two glowing white Whooping cranes, moving in an
unhurried, nonchalant style among thousands of smaller gray Sandhill
cousins. The beep of the receiver told me that one of them was the female
crane number 201, but I couldn't detect any signal from the other bird only
10 feet away from her. Since all the others are accounted for with the
exception of numbers 6 & 7 from the 2001 flight, it could be either one,
however since the two were a very short distance from each other, I'm
putting money on #106, since the female #107 has a reputation for not
associating with other "white birds." While I was observing
these two, ICF
tracker Lara Fondow was watching two yearling females; number 203 & 215
descend at 10:25 a.m. into their former enclosure at the Chassahowitzka
NWR in Crystal River, FL. These are the two girls that had ventured
west, into South Dakota this past summer after returning briefly to the Necedah
NWR in Wisconsin. Concurrently, the large adult male crane, number 101
returned to his wintering location of last year in Pasco County, Florida.
The southward migration is complete for these three, wild Whooping cranes.
|

| Date: | Day 31 - Nov. 15,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Adair Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 577.8 miles |
| Activity: | Rain delay |
|
Notes: We're currently experiencing our second rain delay of the
migration and will be standing down for the day.
(Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!)
|

| Date: | Day 30 - Nov. 14,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Adair Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 54.7miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 577.8 miles |
| Activity: | Here, There
& Everywhere... |
|
Notes: We made it to our final stop in Kentucky this morning! Lift off
from Washington county, occurred at 8:15 a.m. EST, when Richard moved in for
an air pickup. Just like they rehearsed it, as soon as Sara and Mark
released the young cranes they formed up equally on the wing of Richard's
trike: 8 left - 8 right. All sixteen cranes made the flight without any
problems.
1 hour & 26 minutes later they arrived at our stopover in Adair
county, at 8:41 a.m. central. Yep, we're zigzagging across that invisible
time-line that boggles the minds of many.
And, as if this alone isn't confusing enough... Brooke just left to drive
Joe to the Chattanooga airport, so he can board a plane to fly to Toronto to
spend the weekend with his family. Brooke will be back later today, but Joe
won't return till Sunday evening. Bill Lishman just arrived, along with the
host from one of our Tennessee stopovers, so he can replace Joe. Gord Lee,
whom you may remember from our previous migrations is driving down from
Ontario to spend the weekend, and then drive Bill back home to Port Perry on
Sunday. Paul Maeder, our top-cover pilot this past week, made sure the
cranes n' planes made it safely to this stop before he began winging his way
home to Boston in time for a birthday party. Don and Paula Lounsbury are
winging their way south, returning from Ontario. Before arriving here,
they'll have to stop at the Muscatatuck NWR to retrieve their motorhome and
car. Richard, Dan and Sara left a little while ago to set up the bird
enclosure at our next stop along this 1200-mile route; our first in
Tennessee. While I'm trying to keep track of all the comings and goings of
the humans involved in this years ultralight-led Whooping crane migration; trackers
from the International
Crane Foundation are trying to keep track of twenty adult and sub-adult
Whoopers, as they wing their way south! At last word, as many as seventeen
cranes from our previous two migrations were at various locations in
"Windiana" and are being tracked by ICF's Anne Lacey, and Colleen
Satyshur. Two others from last year's cohort were in Alabama, under Lara
Fondow's watchful eyes, and the twentieth crane, still hadn't initiated a
southerly trip, and was still located in northwest Illinois. If you've
ever spoken with any of us, I hope now that you understand why we seem a bit
confused at times.... It's a miracle that we all arrive at the same place,
on the same day, and roughly the same hour in Crystal River, Florida! Be
sure to check the Photo Journal
for new images from today!
|

| Date: | Day 29 - Nov. 13,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Washington Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 523.1 miles |
| Activity: | STILL Losing our
lead... |
|
Notes: The cold front we were hoping for certainly arrived, however,
along with the much cooler temps, came west winds at 15mph. The local
television meteorologist, whom we've all come to dislike greatly, is
forecasting the winds will swing clockwise; to the northwest -
tonight.
"Tomorrow morning" he informed us with a smile "will bring
southwest winds at 8mph."
Grrrrr,
|

| Date: | Day 28 - Nov. 12,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Washington Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 523.1 miles |
| Activity: | Losing our
lead... |
|
Notes: As of this morning, we still have a very slim 4-day lead over last
year's migration timeline. When
compared to one week ago, when our lead was 10-days, it's easy to understand
why our resolve is fading. As the entire Northeast, and parts of the Midwest
are under an weather service issued strong wind-warning, we are
affected on the southern fringes of the same system that is dumping rain and
producing high winds for our families at home. A cold front is expected to
arrive later this evening, which means winds from the northwest will
accompany it. This is just what we need to get moving again. The cranes
are doing great - not affected in any way by the intermittent schedule of their
maiden migration journey. Crane #303 is right back to the social status she
occupied prior to surgery in early October. If the team worries at all about
any of the birds, I'd have to say it's #302. In Dan's words "he's
turned into a bit of a fruitcake" in that if he happens to get a late
start out of the pen, he appears to get frustrated and will either turn
back, as he did earlier this week at Muscatatuck, or ends up with an
ultralight all to himself, as he did during the flight to our current
location. It's a shame that we're eager to move out of Kentucky because
despite the dreary forecast the people here are the complete opposite -
friendly and hospitable: Case in point when nine of us knocked on the front
door of our hosts last night, bearing two birthday cakes, complete with
candles, and were invited into the home that he and his bride have lived in
for more than half a century, to celebrate Charles' 78th birthday. Yesterday
was November 11th and although the members of this team have
often been referred to as heroes that accolade is more appropriately
reserved for those we remember on that day. Here in Washington County,
Kentucky the main streets of all the small towns are decorated with flowers
and flags and it is obvious that the memories of those who gave their lives
is not lost. We are guests of Charles and Anna. This is the forth year we
have stopped here and over that time we have become friends. On
Charles’ 78th birthday the memories he shared over cake and
candles brought home to us the meaning of this day. He spent 3 years in the
Philippines, New Guinea and Japan and has the faded black and white
photographs to document it. Charles
and Anna bought their home back in 1953 and all of us gathered in the
traditional farm kitchen warmed by the wood stove and listened to fifty
years of experiences. The house; over 180 years old, still stands strong
like the character of its occupants. Like all Kentuckians we have met, they
are hospitable to a fault, which is a trait they will need because it looks
like we will be here for a while.
We really wouldn't want to leave so soon if it weren't for the fact that the
holidays are fast approaching.
|

| Date: | Day 27 - Nov. 11,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Washington Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 523.1 miles |
| Activity: | Wind Shear... |
|
Notes: ...results when the speed and direction of the wind differs at
various altitudes, and it can be quite dangerous for any aircraft. Our tiny
winged trikes each weigh only 365 pounds without the pilot on board, so
these (and other) ultralight aircraft are especially at the mercy of winds.
Flight Services has issued a "low-level wind shear advisory"
over this area for today. At higher altitudes the wind is coming from the
ENE, at speeds of 10 mph, yet lower, and closer to ground level, winds are
out of the SE at 10 - 15 mph, and gusting to 20 mph, creating rather
unstable conditions for birds and pilots alike. We'll be standing down, at
least for today.
Each year, we must raise the funds needed to carry out our work, which
involves conditioning the young chicks from the moment they break out of
their shells at the USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD. Once they reach an average age of
45-days the tawny coloured chicks are transported to the reintroduction
area; taking their first flight inside individual crane crates, and on board
a Windway Capitol Corp.
donated aircraft. From the day they arrive at the Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge, members of our team work with the cranes at one of
three isolated areas, assisted by a staff member from Patuxent, and the
International Crane Foundation,
who also provides veterinary and monitoring support.
This past summer the field-training period lasted 113-days. In the early
weeks, at least one pilot must be on hand, in addition to two full-time
interns, and two aviculturalists. In the later weeks; as migration time
approaches, the team increases in size to include three pilots, an outreach
person and the additional drivers, needed to haul our equipment along the
1760-mile (by road) southward route.
Expecting someone to volunteer 5-6 months of their year is unrealistic,
so while not paid a handsome sum, each crew member is paid. Admittedly, we
operate on a (very short) shoestring budget - our full-time interns get paid
a whopping $15/day, with meals paid for and accommodations, such as they
are, provided. Don & Paula Lounsbury, and their replacement pilot for
this week, Paul Maeder, each volunteer their time, however, we reimburse
them for costly aircraft expenses, and wouldn't dream of doing this
migration without the top-cover support and peace of mind they each provide.
Last year, we determined after tallying all of the expenses incurred for,
during and after the actual migration period that each day of the journey
cost a total of $987.00. Based on an estimated 50-days, the fall migration
accounts for a good chunk of our annual project budget of $366,000.00. Some
may ask if what we're doing is actually worth the dollars spent? Is it
really fair for us to place a dollar value on a species - A species that man
is responsible for very nearly wiping out?
In just two short years, we, along with the other members of the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership,
have succeeded in returning twenty migrating Whooping cranes to the eastern
portion of North America. An area that they used to occupy before early
settlers began draining their wetlands, and converting them to farmlands.
God and weather willing, we'll be adding sixteen new members to the wild
population, as soon as we deliver this flock to the Chassahowitzka
National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
We think they're worth each dollar that has been spent thus far, and
every dollar that will be spent next year, and over following years - to
literally guide the species to recovery, and lead them toward removal from
the endangered species list. Thankfully, Robert & Nancy Dott of Madison,
Wisconsin feel the same way and have donated $1,000.00 to the cause,
sponsoring today - Veterans Day: "a day of remembrance and peace, and
wish to dedicate today's sponsored migration day to their grandchildren, so
that they may see Whooping cranes flying free in their future." To
Bob & Nancy Dott and their family, thank you, on behalf of our young
cranes...
|

| Date: | Day 26 - Nov. 10,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Washington Co., KY |
| Distance Traveled: | 42.3 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 523.1 miles |
| Activity: | A Successful Leg! |
|
Notes: This morning it was Brooke's turn to lead, so once the wings were
fastened onto our Cosmos aircraft, and with Richard and Joe circling
overhead, Brooke moved into position adjacent the pen and gave Mark the
thumbs up, signaling him to release the eager cranes.
With one leap, each of the young cranes was airborne. Brooke sped along
the small grass strip; requiring a few additional yards before pushing out
the control bar that directs the nose of his wing up - allowing it to lift
him too, into the air.
It was a gorgeous take-off with the orange morning sun peeking through
the broken clouds; at times illuminating the stark cranes; giving them a
pinkish hue. They climbed slowly, passing over the outskirts of
Louisville, while folks in the houses below were getting ready to leave for
their 9 to 5 jobs. Some stood in driveways, gazing skyward, I'm sure
startled by what they saw passing over their homes this morning.
The air was smooth at 3,000 ft. so they settled in at this altitude for
the remainder of the 42 mile flight. 1 hour and 33 minutes later; at 9 a.m.
they arrived in Washington County, KY, near Springfield with Brooke guiding
fifteen, and Richard with the remaining bird, number 302.
|

| Date: | Day 25 - Nov. 9,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Oldham Co., KENTUCKY |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 480.8 miles |
| Activity: | Laundry Day |
|
Notes: Thanks to a quartering wind out of the ENE, we'll be staying put
in Oldham County today. A test flight this morning indicated a ground speed
of only 8 mph, which would have made our 42 mile flight very long -
certainly longer than what the fuel capacity on board the aircraft would
allow, not to mention Brooke's tank capacity... We'll get our laundry done
at least.
|

| Date: | Day 24 - Nov. 8,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Oldham Co., KENTUCKY |
| Distance Traveled: | 47.8 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 480.8 miles |
| Activity: | Released from
"Windiana's" Grip |
|
Notes: After battling a heavy frost, which coated the wings of the
aircraft, Brooke, Richard and Joe were finally able to get airborne this
morning. At 8:18 a.m. Joe launched with the young cranes and soon after,
cleared the tree line that separated them from our vantage point much to the
delight of the 300+ folks that had turned out. Due to the frost
holdup, our normal departure time of 7:30 was delayed by 45 shivering
minutes, and as some braved the frosty air to ask questions about the
reintroduction effort, others sat bundled in their warm vehicles, which
lined either side of the narrow gravel road. With each minute that passed,
more folks arrived, intent on enduring the chilly morning to witness the
strange sight of sixteen gawky, still juvenile Whooping cranes flying behind
their mechanical parent.
|
|
|
|
Soon after coming into our view, one crane found the air a bit too bumpy and
turned back toward the field it had just left from. Brooke was in pursuit
and quickly caught up with the errant bird. He managed to coerce it back on
course - briefly, before it turned back again. After one final failed
attempt, crane #302 was crated for transport to our first of two Kentucky
stopovers.
At about the midway point of this morning's 1 hour & 29 minute
flight, the winds shifted direction and strength - to 15 mph from the
east-northeast... creating a crosswind and squashing our hopes of skipping a
stopover, which would have put us 90 miles further south.
To everyone that was present this morning: Thanks very much for braving
the early morning cold! And in case you're wondering why it took so long to
defrost the wings? Turns out the water hose was frozen solid, and blocked.
Joe and Brooke were working to get it unblocked by beating it, and swinging
it around in the hopes of dislodging the ice blockage. At one point Joe
picked up the hose end and began huffing and puffing; blowing into the hose
- hoping he would be able to unblock it. As he huffed and puffed, he
couldn't figure out why there wasn't at least some air making it through?
Finally he looked up, only to discover that 50 feet away, and at the other
end, Brooke was also huffing and puffing into the hose, trying the same
technique... Now if I only had a photo of that!
|
|
In other news... Five "white
birds" have initiated their unaided southerly migration! Departing
central Wisconsin yesterday morning, and taking advantage of north winds,
cranes 202 & 213, a male/female pair that hung out together since
returning to the Necedah refuge last spring, is migrating together. Likewise
heading south, but independently from other Whooping cranes, are males 101
& 106, and female 201. At last word, at least two of these latter birds
overnighted at Jasper Pulaski State Wildlife Area in north Indiana. A team
from the International
Crane Foundation and U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service will be tracking the "experienced"
cranes during their southward migration and tracking reports will be posted. I
can't help but wonder when and where along the way we'll run into the white
birds again???
|

| Date: | Day 23 - Nov. 7,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Muscatatuck NWR - Jackson Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 41.7 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 433.0 miles |
| Activity: | Patience Pays Off! |
|
Notes: It was well worth the wait. After arriving in Morgan County,
Indiana last Saturday, we spent five days waiting for the weather to shift
in our favour. It was a beautiful location to be grounded: some of the crew
went fishing, while others paddled a canoe in the small lake adjacent the
cozy cabin we had all to ourselves. Our migration hosts hosted a fabulous
dinner, which featured Roger's roasted quail, with enough leftovers for
lunch the next day. Brooke and Jeff frequented the local video rental store;
returning with something for everyone. They made their first visit last
Sunday, picking up four movies and as the lady behind the counter handed
Brooke his receipt, she pointed to a sign on the counter, which stated
"FREE movie rental with every $30 spent!" Brooke laughed and
responded "oh, I don't think we'll be here that long." Each
morning they returned their selections, and checked out several other
titles, and every morning the lady would hand over the receipt and point at
the sign. By Wednesday Brooke no longer chuckled and the conviction had left
his voice when he replied "I don't think we'll be here THAT
long...?" One things for certain: The woman at the video store
will definitely miss us! At 7:48 a.m. Richard moved into position to
execute an air pick-up while Brooke was ready to fly in the chase position
and Joe circled at a slightly higher altitude. The flight path today
involved diverting a bit to the southwest to avoid an active bombing range
south of Morgantown, Indiana. Anticipating the diversion, the pilots
had entered a set of coordinates into the GPS units with the name tag
"BOOM." I had forgotten all about the bombing range and shortly
after lift-off and after they had left our visual range, I asked the pilots
over the radio if they were able yet able to determine an E.T.A. to our
destination? The response was a crackled and garbled "we're currently
17 minutes from BOOM." It took me a moment to realize what they
were referring to, and I was quite relieved when I heard no loud noises over
the radio 17 minutes later. 1 hour and 6 minutes after departing Morgan
county Richard arrived at the remote field over the Muscatatuck National
Wildlife Refuge with 14 cranes trailing from his aircraft wing. Brooke was
not far behind, guiding a single bird on either side of his large
delta-shaped wing. (Images
shortly) The weather for tomorrow morning is supposed to be a repeat
of today's. If it materializes, we will be departing as soon after sunrise
as possible. Given the temps this morning we should have heavy frost to
contend with but will begin dealing with this before sunrise. If you are in
the Seymour, Indiana area you are invited to come out tomorrow morning to
witness our departure.
Who:
Sixteen Whooping crane chicks, guided by Operation Migration
ultralights.
What: Public
flyover and photo opportunity.
Where: Muscatatuck NWR:
From Hwy 50 east of Seymour, use refuge main entrance and
proceed south, approximately 3.25 miles. Sandhill Pond parking lot is located on
the west side of the road and will provide a probable vantage point on
departure morning.
When: *Potentially
tomorrow morning!
* Please remember that weather
will be the deciding factor. Weather delays are possible, which would
push the event to a later date - We'll do everything within our power to
notify you as soon as possible, however, given the unknown nature of the
ever-changing fall weather, we ask that you please be flexible (and
forgiving?).*
|

| Date: | Day 22 - Nov. 6,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | Human vs.
Habit |
|
Notes: Humans are creatures of habit. They will normally find a preferred
working location and a "roosting" site where they spend the night.
Sometimes you can set your watch by their comings and goings between the two. We
are no different but because we are currently migrating southward - guiding
a young flock of Whooping cranes, Mother Nature is dictating our schedule.
It we travel every day; we settle into a daily routine, but we also adjust
if we are only able to travel sporadically. Keeping us down for five
straight days and we may be reluctant to get out of bed in the morning. This
was evident this morning when our scheduled 6:30 meeting occurred at 7:15
a.m. and was attended by a bleary-eyed one half of the team. It was
raining, which is why the other half chose to stay in their beds. Paula
bravely assured us that conditions were supposed to improve by 11 a.m. I
sense her conviction fading with each weather briefing she passes on to us.
Maybe she's afraid we're going to turn on her at any moment. Together
the two of us checked the local radar online... Indeed conditions were
supposed to improve, AND the wind was to be in our favour... Hmmm, sure
seems to be blowing out there pretty good right now. A couple hours later
at 11 a.m. we huddled in front of the computer again. It's ironic really
when you think about it: Everyone is dependant on the weather (especially
us), farmers, roofers, fishermen, pilots. Whether it's your employment, or
your hobby that may be affected by the weather conditions, there are
television and radio stations dedicated to providing current, and future
weather information. Heck, using the internet we can even find out what the
weather is like across the globe at any time; day or night - People plan
their days events around the weather, AND... there's not a darned thing we
can do to control it.... We're officially down for the day.
|

| Date: | Day 21 - Nov. 5,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | Habit makes
perfect. |
|
Notes: Birds are creatures of habit. In the wild they will often find a preferred feeding spot and a roosting site where they spend the night. Sometimes you can set your watch by their comings and goings between the two.
Our birds are no different but because they are kept in a protective pen at night, we dictate their schedule. If we fly every day they soon settle into the daily routine but they also adjust if we are only able to fly sporadically; keep them penned for 5 straight days and they may be reluctant to leave when the winds finally die down. This was very evident last year when it took us 37 days to reach the halfway point in Tennessee yet only 8 days to finish the trip. We were lucky if we flew once a week during the first half of our journey but we flew every day during the second. Accordingly, several birds turned back or dropped out on the northern portion of the migration but all of the birds followed us on each leg of the southern end.
The weather cooperated this past summer and the birds learned early the benefits of following the aircraft closely and so far this increased attention means we have had fewer dropouts this fall. But that was before we were stalled for 5 days in headwinds that seem to go on forever. This morning the temperature dropped and the winds swung around from the northwest but they were blowing too strong for us to even make an attempt.
Everyone gathered bleary-eyed in the cabin by the lake that our hosts have graciously provided and huddled around Don and Paula to listen to the latest weather predictions from the National Weather Service. The report of high winds aloft and scattered showers sent everyone back to bed. Thanks to Bob Burton at Twelve Oaks, our aircraft are secure in a hangar he made available to us and the birds are safe in an isolated field nearby so we can rest easy at least for now. As always tomorrow's looks better and we will repeat the ritual just before sunrise twenty-four hours from now.
In the meantime, Darlene Lambert and Cindy Loken handed us a mystery package when we left Necedah with instructions to open it when the boredom set in. Maybe its time to dig in and see what surprises they packed for us.
|

| Date: | Day 20 - Nov. 4,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | South Winds = No Go |
|
Notes: On the surface, winds were out of the south at 8 mph this morning,
and the aviation forecast stated winds aloft were south and 18 mph so we
won't be going anywhere today. There is, however, a cold front expected to
push through the area later this evening by winds out of the northwest.
Provided there is no rain accompanying the system, we should be able to
depart Morgan county tomorrow.
During the migration, each of the team members has a bed they call their
own, as well as space to store their clothing and other personal items.
Although they don't necessarily know where their beds will be on any given
night, they do know which bed they'll be sleeping in and where to find their
gear. I, on the other hand am living out of my Ford Escape, and never know
where I'll be spending the night, or what my bed will be like...
soft, hard, lumpy, single, double, queen, or if I might get lost in a king
size bed tonight. At most of the stopovers I check into the nearest hotel;
request lots of extra towels; 2 or 3 room keys; and a wake-up call for 5
a.m. Soon after check-in begins a procession of (mostly male) visitors
who walk in looking disheveled and leave about an hour later looking clean
and shiny. Needless to say a few eyebrows are raised. At each hotel,
I unpack and move in; sometimes briefly, and other times for a few days.
Each morning I re-pack my gear; load it back into the Escape and set off for
the camp site in the hopes that I'll get to see a new hotel further south.
I've unpacked and packed my gear twenty times already, so one might
think I'd now have it down to a science, yet inevitably each morning, I'm
running around trying to find something. This morning it was my book. During
each migration I carry a small spiral bound index card booklet. It's pocket
sized; contains 50 ruled card stock pages and each page contains all of the
details gathered during each day of the journey south. Departure time;
arrival time; distance traveled; coordinates; weather conditions; birds that
may drop out; total distance traveled; stopover contact information; daily
phone messages... you get the picture - my book is critical. After
20-minutes of frantic searching I finally located it, and promptly wrote on
the cover "Heather's BOOK - If you found me NOT with Heather,
please locate her."
Introducing.... Jeff Huxmann! We came to know Jeff in 2000 during the
dress-rehearsal Sandhill crane migration when he volunteered his time as a videographer/producer
to the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership. Since then he has been contracted by
Operation Migration to produce our next video feature, due out this coming
January. Jeff advised us this summer that he still needed some additional
footage and asked if he could come along during a portion of the fall
journey to film it. We went one better and told him if he would agree to
drive for us during the migration he could come along for the entire journey
- what a deal huh? Jeff's been a real asset to the team. He has a
hilarious giggle, which starts at 5 a.m. or as soon as his roommate, Brooke
wakes up. He is always ready to lend a hand; he's teaching Brooke how to use
a cell phone, and he makes Heather laugh every time she looks at him (okay,
especially when he ate a chippotle pepper for the first time in Sauk county
and couldn't feel his lips). When not performing migration duties, Jeff
works on the new video production, or puts together small clips like this
one which explains why we didn't go anywhere yesterday. This morning I
asked Jeff to write a paragraph or two, explaining the migration from the
standpoint of a newbie - as usual he didn't disappoint: "Here
we wait in a bright, warm Indian summer, praying for a cold front. Auburn
leaves rock to and fro as they gently land beside our logo-speckled campers.
One would think this ideal weather for flying but above us, invisible 20 -
30 knot south winds whiz by foiling our hopes to move south.
This will be my first year on the
entire southward migration and one heck of a lesson in patience. Each
morning the crew and pilots rise before the sun and for the next hour or so
we look at the dimly lit sky for cloud movement; we look and listen for
rustling leaves. While we gander, heads tipped upward, we casually debate
“will we fly today?” After this intensive neck-bending procedure we form
a crescent of people around the almighty laptop computer. Here we consult
with various web pages that provide us their computer-generated version of
what the weather will be like. Most of the time, however, the web pages
don’t do us much good, they’re not reliable when it comes to the
microclimatology necessary for fly at low altitudes at low speeds…but we
consult these pages anyhow, it just helps to feel like we’re doing
something.
The true test of “will we fly
today?” comes once we get an ultralight up into the air, then and only
then is when the go/no go decision is made. So about 5 - 10 minutes after
the decision is broadcast over the handheld radios, we either scramble or
relax. If we go the birds take flight, spectators ooh and ahhhh and then
Sara, Mark, and Charlie who released the birds from the pen quickly
dismantle the now empty enclosure, while I pack up our 30-some-odd foot
camper trailer and get it road ready. By the time we’re all packed is
usually the time we receive word from Heather (who’s learned to drive with
her knee while speaking on the cell phone, and monitoring the aircraft
radio) that the birds have arrived at their next spot.
Then our entourage of vehicles
departs for the new location of the cranes. What took the pilots and birds
maybe 75 minutes to traverse by air takes us double by road. Often we weave
our mammoth-sized vehicles down twisty gravel roads to the next
out-of-the-way location. Then we unpack and get set-up for the next day. By
now it’s about 1pm and we’ve all put in an 8-hour day. But the work
doesn’t stop there. Richard, Sara, Mark, and Charlie all pile into the new
diesel Ford pick-up, with mobile pen in tow and drive ahead to the next
expected stopover to erect the pen and then come back north. For them,
another 3-4 hours are spent doing this chore. So by 6 p.m. everybody finally
is regrouped in one spot… somewhere in the previous 12 hours we manage to
remember to eat – sometimes.
But then there are days like today
when a warm wind blows and the cranes and crew just sit and wait, praying
for a cold front."
-Jeffrey Huxmann
|

| Date: | Day 19 - Nov. 3,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | Exercise is
good... |
|
Notes: Everyone needs exercise, and this
morning that's all we, and the cranes got.
At 8:03 a.m. Richard van Heuvelen maneuvered his aircraft in low over the
remote field to execute an air pick-up as Mark Nipper and Charlie Schaffer
opened the double gates, allowing our sixteen young Whooping cranes freedom.
They pumped hard; flapping their long, graceful wings, and gaining the
altitude necessary to clear the tall oak trees at the northeast end of the
remote field. It was a downwind take-off due to the location of the pen. It
was a quick take-off and a fast climb - made possible by this mornings 4 mph
southwesterly breeze.
Within a minute, Richard had them out of the field and as he veered first
to the east then the southeast, and finally due south, and on course, his
air speed dropped dramatically - as did our hopes for a departure from
Morgan county, IN. Three cranes dropped back; obviously having a difficult
time as they tried to catch up to the lead aircraft. Brooke moved in to
offer his wing. Shortly after, the others appeared to be breaking their
formation behind their mechanical leader. This isn't a race so there
is no need to ask them to fight a headwind stronger than was forecast. If
they were on their own southward journey, unassisted by an aircraft to show
them the way, they would be smart and not travel into a headwind... The
decision was made to simply guide them back to the field they had just
departed from instead of making them work harder than should be necessary,
just to get another 42 miles south. At 8:15 a.m. they were on the ground,
following Charlie and Mark back into their pen. View Real Media Video
Clip.
|

| Date: | Day 18 - Nov. 2,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | Moving On... |
|
Notes: Indian(a) summer continues today with warm south winds blowing at
10 knots aloft. Conditions on the ground this morning seemed perfect with
little movement in the few leaves still left on the nearly naked trees. Once
airborne and on course to our next location, however, the GPS units told a
different tale - one that would have lasted 2 hours or more if we had
decided to be part of the story.
We'll stand down for today and see what the next chapter has to offer
tomorrow.
|

| Date: | Day 17 - Nov. 1,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Morgan Co., IN |
| Distance Traveled: | 55.6 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 391.3 miles |
| Activity: | Moving On... |
|
Notes: With a slight cold front pushing south through the night the winds
were heading in the right direction this morning and once some remnants of
fog cleared we set off for our stop in Morgan County, IN. At 8:36 a.m.
Brooke Pennypacker flew in low, over the crane enclosure and performed the
third air pick-up of the
journey thus far. Within seconds all sixteen cranes were flapping along
behind him, quickly closing the gap between birds and their mechanical
leader. 1 hr. and 34 minutes later the flyers touched down at our next to
last stop in the beautiful State of Indiana.
|

| Date: | Day 16 - Oct. 31,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Boone Co., INDIANA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 335.7 miles |
| Activity: | BOO!...(Hoooooo) |
|
Notes: Strong south winds continue this morning at 10-15 mph and gusting
to 20 mph. While it's lovely weather for enjoying the outdoors, it's awful
weather for guiding young Whooping cranes south.
Happy Halloween everyone!
Once
we do get moving again, you
are invited to come out to the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge near
Seymour, Indiana for an opportunity
to witness an early morning departure, and to view this historic reintroduction effort in action.
Who:
Sixteen Whooping crane chicks, guided by Operation Migration
ultralights.
What: Public
flyover and photo opportunity.
Where: Muscatatuck NWR:
From Hwy 50 east of Seymour, use refuge main entrance and
proceed approximately 4.5 miles. Sandhill Pond parking lot is located on
the west side of the road and will provide a probable vantage point on
departure morning.
When: *We are
currently two stops away from this location. Once we arrive there, we'll
update this Field Journal to let you know what the chances are for a
departure the next morning... Stay tuned!
* Please remember that weather
will be the deciding factor. Weather delays are possible, which would
push the event to a later date - We'll do everything within our power to
notify you as soon as possible, however, given the unknown nature of the
ever-changing fall weather, we ask that you please be flexible (and
forgiving?).*
|

| Date: | Day 15 - Oct. 30,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Boone Co., INDIANA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 335.7 miles |
| Activity: | Standing Down... |
|
Notes: Indian Summer has arrived in Indiana compliments of strong south
winds. We won't be migrating anywhere today.
|

| Date: | Day 14 - Oct. 29,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Boone Co., INDIANA |
| Distance Traveled: | 49.2 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 335.7 miles |
| Activity: | Onward & UPward... |
|
Notes: We're officially more than a third of the way there! This morning
at 7:53 a.m. Eastern Joe performed an air pick-up, launching all sixteen youngsters
as he swooped down low next to their temporary enclosure. As they climbed
into the direction of the wind, and away from their secluded location; five
cranes dropped back and didn't appear as if they'd be able to catch up to
Joe and the eleven other birds that were off his wingtips, so Brooke moved
in to pick them up. He managed to get four locked onto his aircraft, leaving
the fifth slow poke for Richard. 57-minutes later they arrived at our
Boone County, IN location in the same formation. For anyone that likes to
keep score or is mesmerized by numbers, yesterday, I created a table,
which will allow you to compare this year's progress with the past two
years. Today's Photo Journal
|

| Date: | Day 13 - Oct. 28,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Benton Co., INDIANA |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 286.5 miles |
| Activity: | Rain Delay |
|
Notes: We've been pretty fortunate over the past 13-days in terms of
precipitation. Today, however, mother nature has reminded us that she is
indeed directing our schedule, and this morning we awoke to rainy, windy and
cold conditions in Benton county, Indiana. I can't imagine any species will
be migrating south today. I can guarantee we won't be...
To see yesterday's lift-off from Kankakee county, Illinois click here
for a Real Media video clip.
|

| Date: | Day 12 - Oct. 27,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Benton Co., INDIANA |
| Distance Traveled: | 43.2 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 286.5 miles |
| Activity: | Hellooooo "Windiana"! |
|
Notes: At 6:58 a.m. central time Richard van Heuvelen launched all
sixteen young cranes from our last Illinois migration stopover. Conditions
were overcast and cold with an air temperature reading of only 32.3F.
Shortly after departing, two cranes dropped back so Brooke moved in to pick
up these two and lend them assistance with his aircraft wing. Joe flew in
the chase position, keeping an eye out for any dropouts, however, for the
second day in a row, Joe says he was just along for the ride - and that it
seems to be much colder up there when you don't have any birds to keep your
thoughts on. Today though, I gave him the camera
to keep him company. 1 hour & 8 minutes later the flight team,
including the cranes, of course arrived in our first Indiana stopover in
Benton County in the same formation they departed in: fourteen off Richard's
right wingtip, and two off Brooke's right wingtip.
|

| Date: | Day 11 - Oct. 26,
2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Kankakee Co., IL |
| Distance Traveled: | 56.7 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 243.3 miles |
| Activity: | #303 Flies
Again! |
|
Notes: Another window opened for us and this morning all sixteen cranes
launched from our LaSalle County, IL location, where last night we were
treated to a great meal among friends. Winds were out of the northwest at 5
mph early this morning, allowing the cranes n' planes to lift off at 7:18
a.m. Fifteen birds formed two almost balanced lines off Brooke's
wingtips with eight off the left, and seven trailing the right side, and
Richard was in the #2 position with the remaining crane; the post-op female
#303, who flew beautifully above his left wingtip for the entire 56.7 mile
leg of the migration.
At 8:20 a.m. the three aircraft flew over the Northview Square Mall in
Kankakee to the delight of approximately twenty-five craniacs who had driven
out to see the spectacle. Many thanks to everyone that turned out - I hope
it was worth the drive.
Photo Journal UPdates!
|

| Cranes &
Planes to Fly Past Northview
Square Shopping Mall
in Kankakee, IL |
|
Oct. 25th, P.M. | As
of 9 p.m. Central time it would appear that tomorrow WILL be suitable
for the migration team to advance another leg, which will take them past
the northeast parking lot of the Northview Square Mall.
Who:
Sixteen Whooping crane chicks, guided by Operation Migration
ultralights.
What: Public
flyover and photo opportunity.
Where: Northeast parking
lot, Northview Square Mall, Kankakee, IL.
Take exit 315 off Interstate 57, go north on Rte. 50 to the
corner of Rte. 50 and the 4000 Road. Mall is on the right.
|
| * Please understand that the
current weather forecast could change before early morning, which may
prevent a departure from our current location in LaSalle County, IL. |
|

|
| Date: | Day 10 - Oct. 25, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | LaSalle Co., IL |
| Distance Traveled: | 47.6 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 186.6 miles |
| Activity: | A Small Window! |
|
Notes: Well, it turns out the wait wasn't as long as we had anticipated
and this morning a small window of opportunity opened long enough for us to
slip through. After waiting out the fog, and with no frost to battle, the
team executed its first air pick-up of the cranes, after the rain last night
made the field too soggy to land in. Joe approached low and from the east.
Sara and Charlie had already released the cranes and once free of their
enclosure they stood, waiting for an aircraft to appear. Once they spotted
it they took off into the wind, getting a head start on the fast approaching
aircraft. Within seconds Joe caught up and assumed the lead position;
placing his trike in front of the birds. Two cranes were late getting out of
the pen so Richard van Heuvelen moved in low and picked them up giving them
his wing.
Shortly after departure one slow bird dropped off Joe's wing, so Brooke
moved into position to allow it an easier ride as the only crane getting the
benefit of his wing vortices.
58.5 minutes later, assisted by a northwest tailwind they arrived in
LaSalle County, Illinois: First Joe with twelve; second Brooke with his lone
bird and after a couple of minutes Richard came along with his two.
Depending on the weather conditions tomorrow morning, we MAY be able to
move forward to Kankakee County, IL, flying past the Northview Square Mall
on the way to our next scheduled stopover.
|

| Date: | Day 9 - Oct. 24, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Ogle Co., IL |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 138 miles |
| Activity: | Standing Down... |
|
Notes: Depending on which pilot reported wind conditions this morning, it
was either good news or bad news. Brooke reported a speed of 32 mph at 400
ft altitude - not bad. Richard and Joe where both reporting 9-10 knot
headwinds resulting in only 18 mph airspeed. This would make the next leg of
the trip a flight of more than 2 1/2 hours. We're standing down today, and
likely tomorrow too with a weather system moving in this afternoon that
we'll have to wait out.
Turns out Brooke's GPS unit is a bit "off"... He was heading
north. I guess this may explain how he managed to get lost last week also.
|

|
Cranes to Make
Cameo Appearance in Skies over Kankakee Shopping Mall!!
As
early as Saturday morning, Oct. 25th this
years flock of six-month-old Whooping cranes will be flying past
Kankakee, IL following their aircraft surrogates and will be visible
from the northeast parking lot of the Northview Square Shopping Mall.
You
are invited to come out to the mall (northeast parking lot) for a chance
to witness this historic reintroduction effort in action.
Who:
Sixteen Whooping crane chicks, guided by Operation Migration
ultralights.
What: Public
flyover and photo opportunity.
Where: Northeast parking
lot, Northview Square Mall, Kankakee, IL.
Take exit 315 off Interstate 57, go north on Rte. 50 to the
corner of Rte. 50 and the 4000 Road. Mall is on the right.
When: *As early as Saturday,
October 25th. Be at the
mall by 8 a.m.*
* Please remember that weather
will be the deciding factor. The mall is situated along the flightpath
to our 2nd migration stop from where we are currently located in
Ogle County, Illinois. Once we reach our next stopover, we'll post
another reminder about this public viewing opportunity. Depending on
weather conditions, the flyby could take place the next morning, which
at this point, is Saturday. Weather delays are possible, which would
push the event to a later date - We'll do everything within our power to
notify you as soon as possible, however, given the unknown nature of the
ever-changing fall weather, we ask that you please be flexible (and
forgiving?).*
Thank-you for your continued
interest, and support of the cranes!
|
|
| Necedah Refuge Farewell |
| Another year of ultralight conditioning whooping cranes has come to a close at the Necedah Refuge. It is always emotional to say farewell
to the field training crew and the new class of whoopers as they head south. It is a very rewarding
project; a refuge manager’s dream to have a project of this magnitude in ones career. It is an impressive project that has drawn national and international attention to the Necedah Refuge and to central Wisconsin.
It has attracted people of all ages, and walks of life, as well as non-traditional birders to follow this magnificent story. The challenges have been great but the rewards far superior.
2003 was a very smooth year of training at the refuge. We have learned from the previous three years what preparations are needed
prior to the arrival of the new cranes, and what is needed in support service throughout the summer.
I can’t say enough to thank my staff; how they dropped everything the first year to prepare the training sites and
how they've accommodated modifications to the sites each subsequent year as we needed them.
This project has allowed me the wonderful opportunity to meet all the diverse people from the different partnering groups in the project, as well as the devoted followers, and all the media associated with the project. The technology of computers has allowed the immediate updates on the project but also the hundreds of emails to return correspondence. To say the least, my life, as well as the
lives of my staff drastically changed the day Necedah was selected as
the summer reintroduction site for the whooping crane project.
As stated earlier, the challenges have been enormous but the rewards far superior. We are writing a new chapter in the history of the Necedah Refuge and all the people involved in the project are authoring it.
With deep emotions, I say farewell and good luck to the crew heading south. We all feel pride in the accomplishments of a great training year at Necedah with a healthy group of
whooping crane chicks on their maiden voyage south. We will all be eagerly tracking your day-to-day journey south, along with thousands of others around the world.
At 3:30 PM. Oct. 16th, as I witnessed your last two trailers heading south down our refuge entrance road
and past the two pink flamingos; lone sentinels bidding farewell at our headquarters, I
too bid farewell for another eight months till your return next year. Good luck and thanks for a great summer.
On behalf of the entire Necedah Refuge Staff,
Larry Wargowsky
- Refuge Manager
(HR: Thank YOU Larry, and everyone else that makes our stay so
enjoyable. Be sure to tuck the flamingos somewhere warm for the winter) |
|
| Date: | Day 8 - Oct. 23, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Ogle Co., Illinois |
| Distance Traveled: | 47.1 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 139 miles |
| Activity: | Strange Things
Happen... |
|
Notes: ...in Green County, Wisconsin! And this morning was true to form.
Conditions were ideal with the exception of a thick frost. Once the frost
was taken care of the pilots started up their craft; suited up in their
white flying garb, and proceeded with the radio check - while Paula and Don
circled patiently overhead in the top-cover airplane.
Joe was getting set to lift-off with Richard in the number two position
when Brooke informed us by radio that his engine had just quit. After
a couple of futile attempts to re-start it, he removed his costume and
headgear so he could get a better look. Within a couple of minutes it became
apparent that three heads were better than one and all the pilots disrobed
to assist. About 10-minutes later the problem was corrected by adjusting the
pin setting on his carburetor and they were ready to roll again.
Costumes on; Radio check; Alert Paula (who wasn't the least concerned
with the fuel on board but rather, by now, her own holding tank capacity);
and inform Mark and Charlie who had been waiting near the crane pen that the
mechanical problems had been fixed and the pilots would be airborne
momentarily. Joe took off, followed by Brooke in his remedied trike.
Richard sat, idling on the grass strip, occasionally revving his engine...
"Richard? Is everything okay" I asked over the handheld radio.
"Yeah, I'm just checking something" he responds. Hmmmm, checking
what I wondered. After a few more seconds I commented to him that it didn't
seem like he was getting full power, but I no sooner got the entire sentence
out when his engine quit, much like Brooke's did a few minutes
earlier. Alert Joe and Brooke, who were by now circling overhead, at
a lower altitude than Paula and Don in their Cessna; Inform Mark and Charlie
to hold off approaching the pen. Joe and Brooke land and again, everyone
removes their headsets and checks Richards trike, which ironically required
the same adjustment that they had just performed on Brooke's engine... Finally,
they're all set and ready to go - For peace of mind, Richard takes off
first, followed by Brooke, and last, the only aircraft that didn't stall
this morning, Joe's. Everyone is in place and ready to do whatever they need
to do. Believe it or not they finally launched the cranes at 8:42 A.M. (a
bit late by our standards) and 15 flapping, young Whooping cranes appeared
from their sequestered location following Richard. It was one of the best
orchestrated take-offs yet, and I know, this IS only the fourth one but this
flock definitely has it together! We were hoping to perhaps skip a stop
this morning based on the north wind that was both predicted, and reported
by Paula but at the lower altitude the cranes and planes flew, coupled with
the later than normal departure, which resulted in warmer air aloft, this
was not to be. After 1 hour and 42 minutes 14 cranes arrived behind the
small trikes at our migration stop in Ogle County, Illinois. One crane
tired, approximately 8 miles from our destination and was retrieved by ICF's
Sara Zimorski, and was crated and transported to our stop. I'm telling you
strange things happen in Green County, WI. - In 2001 and strong night-time
wind storm partially collapsed the cranes enclosure allowing all of them to
escape. The team searched, using telemetry equipment into the very early
hours of the morning, collecting all but one young crane, #103. In the
daylight hours this crane was located dead, beneath a power line, after
colliding with it. In 2002, on the first day out from the Necedah National
Wildlife Refuge the winds picked up and caused crane #210 to come into
contact with one of the overhead wires that supports the wing of the
aircraft. The crane was transported to the International Crane Foundation
for treatment, and twelve days later, while we were again in Green County,
despite intense therapy, #210 was euthanized - exactly one year to the day
that #103 had been found lifeless below the power line. We have wonderful
migration hosts in Green Co., as we do in all of our stopovers; and we
really love the folks we meet there, and the area with its rolling terrain,
but sometimes its a relief to just leave a location... I believe we have a couple
bottles of wine to open tonight (Thanks Carol & Roger) to celebrate our
departure from Wisconsin and our entry into Illinois: If we can round
everyone up in the same location for long enough, we may get to relax and
enjoy them. (New Field
Journal images coming right up)
|

| Date: | Day 7 - Oct. 22, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Green Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 46.1 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 91.9 miles |
| Activity: | Well Worth the Wait... |
|
Notes: The past four days were spent waiting for the winds to shift in
our favour and this morning, despite a frost, which covered the aircraft
wings the conditions were ideal. Conditions on the ground were calm with a
slight haze of light, patchy ground fog adding to the surreal
scene that played out before us. Once airborne and on a southerly course
the pilots found they had a 5 mph tailwind to assist them to our new
stopover near "America's Little Switzerland." Flight time-
1hr & 19 min. Operation Migration would like to dedicate today's
successful leg of the southward migration to the memories of two kindred
souls: Mike Moulds and Rick Pendergist - two ultralight pilots who recently
lost their lives doing what they both loved. Our thoughts and prayers are
with the families and friends of these two intrepid flyers during this
difficult time...
|

| Date: | Day 6 - Oct. 21, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Sauk Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 45.8 miles |
| Activity: | Unstable winds... |
|
Notes: While the winds are out of the desired direction this morning,
they are a bit unstable making a departure impossible. The aircraft could
handle it, and the cranes alone could handle it, but mix the two together
and we're just asking for trouble. Tomorrow looks better with winds forecasted
out of the north at 5 mph. Better safe than sorry.
Happy 18th birthday to my beautiful daughter Lindsay! I miss you
sweetie - we'll party when I get home ;-) XOXO
|

| Date: | Day
5 - Oct. 20, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Sauk Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 45.8 miles |
| Activity: | Headwinds... |
|
Notes: The winds this morning are strong at 15-20 mph and out of the
south preventing any progress being made today.
|

| Date: | Day 4 - Oct. 19, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Sauk Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 45.8 miles |
| Activity: | Foiled again. |
|
Notes: It looked like a perfect day for migrating... the winds were calm,
and reportedly out of the northwest. Everyone thought for certain we would
be leaving, and the team was in place ready to roll. The three pilots were
even airborne - and that's when we heard over the radios that while it
appeared perfect on the ground, it was quite trashy once in the air.
Progress forward two days, stand down for two.
|

|
October 19, 1993 -- October 19,
2003 |
|
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the very first human-directed bird migration, which involved Canada Geese and was carried out by Operation Migration co-founders, Bill Lishman and Joe Duff.
For those of you who have a copy of Bill’s autobiography “Father Goose” check page 128 in the American version or page 94 in the Canadian edition. For those who do not have Bill’s book you can click
here to read an excerpt from the chapter describing the historic events of that overcast day ten years ago that laid the foundation for what we are doing today with Whooping cranes.
“Looking back, it is truly interesting to see how we have progressed. The take-off that day was a giant leap for all involved. It was a gamble on many counts for none of us had any idea of the outcome: Joe and I winging off, crossing the forty-miles of Lake Ontario in little single-seat trikes equipped with somewhat dubious engines. Our heart rates elevated, not knowing the many factors that we now take for granted. It was as frightening as it was exciting. As we plodded the hour and a bit across the cold waters of Lake Ontario with our string of eighteen geese hanging off our wingtip like a wayward cobweb, it seemed impossible that those juvenile geese would memorize the way, and the thought of flying south with a flock of rare Whooping
cranes; a bird, which neither of us had ever seen, was just a hazy, far off dream…”
Bill Lishman – Chairman
Operation Migration |
|

|
| Date: | Day 3 - Oct. 18, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Sauk Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 45.8 miles |
| Activity: | Staying Put |
|
Notes: Winds at 10 mph out of the WSW today are preventing the
ultralights and young cranes from departing our current
location.
Female crane #303 was reunited late yesterday with her flockmates and no
aggression issues observed. This female was a high ranking bird in the
social hierarchy of the group prior to her surgery on Oct. 7th. She will
remain for at least the next 10-days on restricted movement, after which she
will be allowed to join her cohort in the air.
|

| Date: | Day 2 - Oct. 17, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Sauk Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 22.6 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 45.8 miles |
| Activity: | Onward we go! |
|
Notes: The take-off this morning from our brief south Juneau county
stopover was picture perfect! Mark Nipper and Sara Zimorski disappeared over
the hill, which obscured the cranes pen from all human activity, and nearby
each of the three aircraft were warming up ready to head south. Don and
Paula from overhead advised that at their current altitude of 2500 ft. the
flight team would have a tailwind, which would help them along.
First off the ground was Joe and once airborne reported that things
appeared quite smooth. Next off was Brooke - the two circled as Richard
moved in to position at the crest of the same hill Sara and Mark had
recently walked.
Upon getting the thumbs up from costumed duo, Richard revved his engine
getting the birds attention. He applied throttle; pushed the bar out, and in
brief seconds he had 15 flapping cranes surround him, as the downhill
direction provided an abbreviated lift-off.
This was the best departure from a migration stopover that I've ever
witnessed. The fall colours of the surrounding foliage provided a picturesque
backdrop for the seemingly glowing cranes whose necks and heads still match
the colour of many of the brown leaves.
Brooke ended up fighting to get one wayward crane to follow. Crane 311
kept turning back. This is one of the four that returned to their pen site
at Necedah yesterday and arrived at this location in a wooden crate. Luckily
Brooke's persistence paid off and after about 20 minutes of wrangling, he
convinced the truant crane to stick with him.
When I arrived at our second stop in Sauk Co., which is one of our (many)
favourites, the radio chatter between pilots was still going on; signaling
that one, or possibly two craft were still airborne. As I listened in I
became aware that Brooke had arrived with his crane that initially, didn't
want to leave. But now it seemed that the same crane didn't want to land!
For minutes it kept circling, and flying, disappearing over the tree line
until eventually Brooke and Joe both went to chase it down. Joe succeeded in
catching up to the runaway and guided it down until it landed next to the
temporary enclosure nestled in the Baraboo hills.
|

| Date: | Day 1 - Oct. 16, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | South Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 23.2 miles |
| Activity: | Outa There! |
|
Notes: At 7:44 A.M., Brooke Pennypacker flying a Cosmos ultralight
aircraft departed the North training site at the Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge. Trailing after Brooke were 15-six-month old
Whooping cranes. As he made a wide sweep to the west then south and on
course, 8 youngsters headed back to the familiarity of their summer home.
Joe Duff moved in to intercept, while Richard van Heuvelen kept an eye out
for any that might peel away from Joe's trike. As Joe was setting up on his
southward course, five birds decided they'd really rather stay put and once
again turned north; heading "home." Richard was quick to interrupt
them. He placed the wing of the aircraft in front of the cranes, lending
them assistance by way of the air vortices, which are created as the wing
moves through the air. This was the departure scene: Brooke in the lead
with 7; followed by Joe about a half-mile back with 3; followed by Richard with his
5 birds about another half-mile back. They headed south, over East Rynearson
Pond and out of sight. Paula and Don Lounsbury, circling overhead in their
Cessna top-cover aircraft, provided some information, as I alerted Colleen
Satyshur; stationed at State Route 21 & 9th Road, ready to track any
dropouts that they were heading her way. After some quick goodbyes to
manager Larry Wargowsky and the rest of the refuge staff, who have become like an
extended "seasonal" family to our team, I headed to my vehicle,
relieved to be migrating again, since the temperature this morning was a
brisk 25 degrees. I no sooner opened the door of my truck when someone
yelled "there's a trike!" <groan> I heard Richard report on
the radio that he was having an aerial crane rodeo as he tried to wrangle
the five stubborn flyers that had again turned back. These cranes had
really developed an affinity for the area and just did not want to leave. After
several minutes of yoyo-ing north and south, Richard reported that he was
just going to head on course and let the birds return to their pen. They
could make the first leg of the migration in a box - duly embarrassed. As he
set course for the first of many stopovers, he was surprised to look back
and see one of the delinquents had actually decided to accompany him! Eventually,
I heard Paula radio that at the first migration stop, Joe had appeared over
the tree line with his 3 birds - I wondered how Joe had managed to overtake
Brooke? Maybe I just missed that radio transmission... Soon after Paula
reported that Richard had just arrived with his crane... And further that
she was heading east to look for Brooke. Huh? I haven't heard the
entire story yet but somehow Brooke ended up about 5 miles southeast of the
first stopover location with his original 7 birds. Perhaps he was just so
excited to finally be migrating that he forgot to land? In any event he was
directed back on course by Paula and Don and arrived with only 5 cranes,
after 2 dropped out, separate from each other. Coordinates were passed on
for these two and eventually every-birdy was rounded up and reunited at our
first stop. We're confident that now they are away from the
familiarity of the Necedah refuge they will follow like the obedient cranes
the field team has conditioned them to be. Many thanks to FWS
Richard Urbanek, as well as ICF
interns Lara Fondow and Colleen Satyshur for their assistance in tracking
this mornings dropouts. P.M. Notes: The cranes that turned
back, refusing to leave by air and ultimately arrived 23 miles south by way
of wooden crates were: 302, 310, 311 & 313. Brooke departed with
cranes 304, 306, 307 (dropped out), 309 (dropped out), 312, 316 & 317.
Joe departed, and arrived at the next location with obedient birds: 301, 305
& 319. Richard delivered crane 318. Great news about our sixteenth
young crane #303! We just received the following report from Dr. Barry
Hartup from the International Crane Foundation:
"303 will rejoin the
ultralight migration cohort tomorrow afternoon. Her condition has stabilized
quite nicely since early yesterday to where her lameness is much less of a
problem. I will recommend to the migration team that the bird be on
restricted activity for at least another 10 days (ie ~3 weeks of post-op pen
rest total) to facilitate healing of the fracture in her right knee. She
will be crated to each migration stopover point and allowed to socialize
with the cohort daily. At that point, if her gait remains good, she could
resume flying."
|

| Date: | Oct. 15, 2003 |
| Reporter: | P.M. - Joe
Duff / A.M. - Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | A Practice
Flight |
|
P.M. Notes: Your average Cessna aircraft will climb comfortably at around 750 feet per minute. Using all the
power we have we can easily match that ascent rate in our ultralights but
cranes, despite their superior flying abilities, can only sustain a climb of
about 100 feet per minute. In the wild, cranes use thermals or rising
columns of warm air to climb. They kettle in them like a leaf over a bonfire
and rise up with almost no effort but without that advantage they must work
hard for altitude.
A killing frost turned
everything white this morning and the air close to the ground was cold and
formed a stationary layer that extended up a couple of hundred feet. Above
that was another layer of warmer air that moved out of the northwest at 10
to 15 knots per hour. Friction between the two created a stratum of
turbulence strong enough to toss our light aircraft and make it difficult
for the birds to follow us.
It has been
eight days since we last flew with the birds and concern about this long
interruption made us attempt to train with them on a day when we would
normally stay in bed. They have been here too long and have developed a bad
habit of turning back and heading home on their own, so Dan and Sara donned
crinkly plastic tarps that we call swamp monsters. As the cranes are
released and the aircraft starts the take-off run the handlers cover their
costumes in these tarps and charge out after the departing birds to
discourage them from returning.
We have used
this system before and it works well. The birds may circle the area but they
will not land as long and the swamp monsters patrol the runway. This gives
the three pilots some time to organize the chaos that ensues without losing
birds to the attraction of home. The resulting aerial rodeo cannot be
orchestrated but practice has taught us what to do and where to be. After 10
minutes of what must have appeared to be bedlam we managed to get all the
birds formed and following, albeit in three groups, with three leaders.
We started a slow climb but it’s a long way up through the turbulent layers to the calm
tailwinds above and the bump and grind was too much for the tentative
attraction they now have with the aircraft. Discouraged, many turned back
and on the return trip we gathered them together one more time. We knew they
would break from the aircraft if we passed by the pen so rather than
reinforce a bad habit we decided to maintain the lead and took them home.
The troubles we are having now are a direct result of the limited number of
training days that the weather has allowed and their familiarity with this
location. We remain convinced that once on our way, and into the routine of
daily flights they will revert to the dedicated followers we have trained
them to be.
As we left the
pen site and headed back to Necedah airport I climbed up through the
turbulent layers into the smooth, calm air at 1000 feet. I had our first
stop programmed into my GPS and the “Time to Destination” scale read 34
minutes. If only we could have convinced them to stay with us for the ten
minutes it would have taken them to work their way up to that altitude with
us, I’m sure they would have enjoyed the ride.
A.M. Notes: The easiest way to tell if it's windy or not before sunrise is to
listen to the leaves... As we ventured out this morning I wondered if there
were any leaves left on the trees - and what happens when they are all gone?
(which is looking more and more likely with each delay).
Today, however, was one of those questionable days where the wind, while
not exactly out of the right direction, was not the 10-20 mph we saw
yesterday so the pilots decided to get airborne and get a better feel for
the conditions aloft. It was trashy - but not terribly so they did
manage to get in a training flight with the 15 cranes. After not
flying with the aircraft for a week they were a bit rusty, however managed a
16-minute session, which we hope will remind them of what they're supposed
to do once the weather is in our favour... Tomorrow maybe?
It was exactly one year ago that we departed with the 2002 class of
Whooping cranes.
|

| Date: | Oct. 14, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Right
Direction/Wrong Speed. |
|
Notes: The winds have shifted to a favourable direction, however, at
10-20mph they are too strong and unstable to attempt a lift-off. It has now
been a week since the cranes have flown with the aircraft.
Dr. Barry Hartup reports that female crane #303 is recovering from the
surgery performed on Tuesday last week. She is currently in a quarantine pen
at ICF, and is
being managed by costumed caretakers. She is eating well, and has maintained
her weight since the procedure. Yesterday Barry anesthetized her in order to
take radiographs of the fracture in the right knee. The repair is holding
well, and the bone fragment is in place. Unfortunately, she remains lame on
the right leg, with a fair amount of pain still evident even though she is
being treated her for it. Barry has recommended not reuniting her with the
migration cohort yet, as he would like her to heal up more before being
re-socialized her into the group. So far, this is not a problem since the
birds have not been able to leave Necedah, but we may be forced into a
decision before the week is out. I've had a lot of time to go birding in
the area and yesterday was rewarded with the sight of five "white
birds" as they foraged in a nearby wetland. Cranes 102, 205, 208,
216 & 217 shone like glowing white beacons next to the much smaller
Sandhill cranes.
|

| Date: | Oct. 13, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Not much... |
|
Notes: For the 6th day in a row the weather has prevented our departure
from central Wisconsin. Last evening looked promising when for the first
time since our target departure of Oct. 8th the night was calm.
Unfortunately, the calm conditions didn't last long and this morning brought
WSW winds at 8 knots and gusting. (Sharon, you didn't miss anything this
morning)
Happy Thanksgiving Day to our Canadian families and friends, and to our
American families and friends celebrating Columbus Day...
|

| Date: | Oct. 12, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Joe Duff |
| Location: | Necedah NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Practice Makes Perfect |
|
Notes: In general, the more
times you face a particular challenge the more likely you are to succeed.
Experience and repetition breed familiarity and confidence until the
obstacle in question no longer qualifies as a challenge but instead becomes
routine. It’s like learning to ride a bike; the first few yards are scary
but that feeling is soon downgraded to interesting and quickly becomes
practiced.
Public
speaking is like that; the first time I stood before a small crowd the
butterflies in my stomach almost made me sick but I soon learned to make them
work for me. Don’t get rid of the butterflies, they help to make you keen.
Learn instead to make them fly in formation.
This theory
that competence and confidence are functions of repetition holds true for
most things. Indeed our techniques and results have improved over the years
but no matter how many times we face the beginning of our annual migration
we are still daunted by the task ahead of us. The secret to success in any
endeavour is to control as many aspects as possible. The devil lives in the
details and the more we are prepared the fewer possibilities are left to
chance.
To say we have
done this before would be an understatement. If you count the Sandhill crane
migration we led in 2000 this will be the fourth year we have used this
route. We know by heart each landing site and what to expect. We have
learned which mountains are hardest to climb over and the possible alternate
landing sites if the birds get tired. The ground crew has perfected the art
of getting all the birds out of the gate at one time for a coordinated
take-off and can knock down the pen and pack it on the trailer in minutes.
In the air we can recognize the landmarks that guide us, while on the ground
they have memorized the winding side-roads between the stopovers. We have
custom built collapsible crates that can be easily carried into remote areas
if we need to retrieve a bird and we have a network of avian vets willing to
help in an emergency.
But no matter
how much we prepare there is always the unpredictable and there are so many
factors beyond our control. Each bird has its own personality and although
we have practiced eyes they can develop bad habits without us noticing. We
are safety conscious and rigorous about maintenance but any piece of
equipment can break and anything that fly's, despite its design integrity,
carries a degree of risk. Weather is our great unknown. We are limited by
high temperatures that erode the endurance of our flock and low temperatures
that coat our wings with frost. We are held back by headwinds and grounded
by fog or rain or snow. We require a narrow window of favourable conditions
during a season famous for inclement weather.
The total
annual budget for all nine agencies in the Whooping Crane Eastern
Partnership is roughly 1.5 million dollars and we have 16 birds. The math is
simple. Almost a hundred thousand dollars has been invested in each
individual, not to mention the time and effort. Hours and hours in costume
have been spent to prepare these juveniles and maintain their wildness and
they could be tamed to humans in a matter of minutes, if we make a mistake
or run out of luck.
There are so
many factors beyond our control that, despite the fact that we have done it
before, this challenge does not get easier with repetition. We were
scheduled to begin this migration 5 days ago but here we sit in a steady
wind and every time I think of how far we have to go my mouth begins to
taste like metal.
Ed. note: A
cold front moved through the area late last evening bringing some much
needed rain to the area, as well as cooler temps, however, there is a strong
west wind this morning, adding an additional delay day to the departure.
|

| Date: | Oct. 11, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah
NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Attempted
Training Flight |
|
Notes: The cranes haven't flown with the aircraft since last Tuesday so
the pilots had hoped to at least be able to get in a training flight this
morning before the winds picked up too much. Unfortunately, their plans were
dashed. Once airborne and over East Rynearson Pond, on their way to the
north training site, Brooke announced that it was just too trashy to attempt
a flight. It would not be safe for cranes or pilots.
|

| Date: | Oct. 10, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah
NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Ground Hog
Day? |
|
Notes: It's starting to feel much like the movie Ground Hog Day around
here... Each morning we go through the same routine - get up before the sun
rises, make coffee, try to beat everyone else to the shower, drink coffee
(if there's any left), then stand around in a circle; occasionally glancing
skyward.
This morning, however, we can't see the sky because it is obscured by
thick fog. Maybe tomorrow there will be a break in the routine?
I've added some new images to the Photo
Journal page...
|

| Date: | Oct. 9, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Location: | Necedah
NWR, Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Accumulated Distance: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | All dressed up with no place to go... |
|
Notes: Thanks to the persistent southwest wind that has brought an Indian
Summer period, and warmer temps, but also continues to halt our departure.
Though the crowd had dwindled from the 100 or so present yesterday, this
morning's viewers were treated to a weather lesson; aviation style.
Co-founder of Operation Migration, and team leader, Joe Duff, along with
fellow pilots, Brooke Pennypacker and Richard van Heuvelen flew overhead and
demonstrated exactly how the headwind aloft would affect our young feathered
charges.
While heading south, or into the headwind, the pilots were capable of
achieving only 7-8 miles per hour, and this was at full aircraft power. Once
turned however, and moving along the tailwind, at full power they had an
easy time - reaching, and then maintaining 52 mph! It's much like swimming
upstream vs. going with the flow. If we were planning on taking these cranes
to Nunavit, this morning would have been ideal...
|

| Date: | Oct.
8, 2003 |
| Reporter: | Heather Ray |
| Current Location: | Necedah
NWR: Juneau Co., WI |
| Distance Traveled: | 0 miles |
| Activity: | Down...but definitely NOT out... |
|
Notes: The "activity" listed above accurately applies to
two current situations: The first is that we are "down" for the
day due to our longtime adversary, "Mr. Headwind." This morning at
sunrise, conditions on the ground seemed ideal with no breeze, and the sun
rising to reveal a perfect blue sky. Folks were gathered on the public
observation tower, as well as lawn, adjacent the Ellen Allen Classroom at
the refuge, apparently also convinced that today was the day. Television
crews, newspaper reporters, and fellow "craniacs" comprised the
crowd; all eagerly watching the sky over East Rynerson Pond, waiting for
three small, yellow-bellied aircraft to arrive on the scene. Unfortunately,
I arrived to deliver the disappointing news that we would not be departing
today. Despite the ideal conditions at ground level, the winds aloft told a
much different tale, starring Mr. Headwind. Just to be certain, the
pilots got airborne and reported that when headed south they were only
achieving a ground speed of 8mph. With our first scheduled stop located just
over 20 miles away, this would mean a flight time of 2.5 hours! Much too
long to expect these young cranes to handle on their first day out. So,
we've been given an extra day to tidy up around the camp, and make sure that
each of the aircraft have the necessary instruments and that they're all in
working order. Tomorrow morning we'll awake; look expectantly skyward and
see what the new chapter has to offer. The second situation that
"down, but definitely NOT out applies to is our female crane #303,
Since the pre-migration health check this crane has exhibited recurring
lameness. Immediately following the health exam, she began limping and not
wanting to put any weight on her leg. She was given anti-inflammatory
medication, and over the next couple of days appeared fine. The following
week she would limp again for about a day or two, then it would clear up.
Last week she again began favouring her leg and she was transported to the
International Crane Foundation for x-rays. The images showed that #303 had
injested a metal washer at some point over the summer, and that she had a
fracture in her knee. Despite the fracture, the tenacious crane-lady known
as "303" had not only been training well during each session but
had also been leader of the flock during many of the flights. Dr. Barry
Hartup of ICF decided that surgery was necessary to repair the knee and to
remove the metal washer from her gizzard, and yesterday at 11 am, Dr.
Susan Schaefer performed the procedure. This morning Barry reports
that #303 came through the operation with no complications. She is currently
recuperating in a quarantine pen at ICF and the only contact is with
costumed handlers. She can rejoin her flockmates this coming Monday, or
possibly even this weekend depending on her progress. She will be
transported much of the way to Florida inside a travel crate, which may even
benefit her recovery by keeping her stationary. So, while crane 303 is
temporarily "down" she is most definitely NOT out.
|

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