At the end of the February 6th reporting period the size of the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP)
was 105 birds (59 males, 46 females). In this update * = female, D = Direct Autumn Release, NFT = Non-functional transmitter. Current locations of the EMP
were as follows:
Florida:
No. 1-01: Citrus County.
Nos. 105 & 501: appeared at the Chassahowitzka NWR pensite on 3 February and
stayed during the remainder of the report period. The pair had last been
confirmed on Hiwassee WR, Meigs County, Tennessee, on 16 January.
Nos. 212 & 419*: Pasco County.
Nos. 307 & 726* / Nos. 408 & 519* / 514 / 713 / 829: Alachua County.
Nos. 403 & 309* were found in Lafayette County, with no. 416 during an
aerial survey flight on 20 January. The pair had last been recorded when
they began migration from Necedah NWR, Juneau County, Wisconsin, on 7
December. 416 had last been observed during migration in Jackson County, IN
on 30 December.
Nos. 402 & D746* / 509 & D942*: Lake County.
Nos. 709 & 171*: Hernando County.
No. 712 was last reported with no. 829 and Sandhills in Alachua County, on
16 December and had left that location by 21 December. There were no
subsequent reports.
No. 727* was reported with Sandhills in Madison County, on 24 and 25 January
and was confirmed during a survey flight on 29 January. She had last been
reported in Brown County, Indiana, on 12 December.
Nos. 804, 814, 818*, 824*, 827, and 830* remained mainly in non-tidal
brackish marsh on Chassahowitzka NWR, Citrus County, 1.5 miles E of the
pensite, during the report period. They periodically returned to the
pensite.
Georgia: Nos. 3-07 / and the pair 707 & D739*: Lowndes County.
Location Undetermined:
Nos. 401 & 508* were last recorded with nos. 514, 712 and 829 in
Winnebago County, Illinois, where they remained until 9 December. No
subsequent reports of the pair.
No. 733 was last reported on Jasper-Pulaski FWA, Indiana, on 6 December. No
subsequent reports.
Nos. 805 and 812 departed from Columbia County, Wisconsin, on 10 December.
No subsequent reports.
No. D836 disappeared from Lawrence County, Tennessee, between 29 November
and 11 December. He had been in the group with nos. D831 & D838*. No
subsequent reports.
Long-term Missing:
Nos. 516 & D744* were not recorded in 2009. However, these birds usually
summered in Michigan and have a lower than average probability of detection.
No. 511 was last detected on Necedah NWR on 11 May 2009.
No. 520* was last reported in Jackson County, Wisconsin on 16 June 2009.
No. D628 was last detected on Necedah NWR on 23 June 2009.
No. 706 was last detected South of Necedah NWR on 6 May 2009.
No. 724 was last detected on Necedah NWR on 26 June 2009.
Ultralight-led Juveniles
at Chassahowitzka NWR Release Site: 901*, 903, 904*, 905*, 907*, 913,
919, 924, 927 & 929: Migration was
completed to Chassahowitzka NWR, Citrus County, on 20 January. Bands and
transmitters with permanent color identification codes were attached on 24
January. They were released from their temporary top-netted acclimation
enclosure on 28 January.
No. 901* had her adult voice upon arrival on
Chassahowitzka. Nos. 904* and 907* had attained their adult voice by the end
of the report period.
Ultralight-led Juveniles
at St. Marks NWR Release Site: 906, 908*, 910, 911, 912, 914*, 915*,
918, 925*, & 926*: Migration was completed
to St. Marks NWR, Wakulla County, Florida, on 13 January. Bands and
transmitters with permanent color identification codes were attached on 15
January. The birds were released from their temporary top-netted
acclimation enclosure on 25 January.
Nos. 906, 914*, & 915* had attained their
adult voices by the end of the report period.
This update was compiled from data supplied by
WCEP Trackers Richard
Urbanek, Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and M. Strausser.
Date:
February 6, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
A DIFFICULT WINTER PREDICTED FOR ARANSAS FLOCK
Location:
Main Office
After losing 23 birds last winter due to a food shortage, officials are concerned that this will be another precarious winter season for the Wood Buffalo/Aransas population. Here are two recent
news reports, which discuss the issues.
The first is a radio
interview from CBC Edmonton and the
second is from
The Aransas Project,
an alliance of organizations, communities, families and citizens whose immediate goal seeks to correct the mismanagement of the Guadalupe River Basin, especially its impact on reducing inflows to the
bays and estuaries—winter habitat for the endangered whooping crane.
Date:
February 5, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
FREE-FLYING CRANES!
Location:
Main Office
Camera issues continue to plague Craig and Tom at St. Marks NWR, however Craig shot the following video with a handheld video camera and was kind enough to share it with us. Clearly the young cranes
are having fun exploring the area around their release pen!
I'd also like to remind you that tomorrow the Refuge Association will be hosting the WILDLIFE HERITAGE & OUTDOORS FESTIVAL at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (1255 Lighthouse Rd. St. Marks FL).
There will be lots of activities and booths to visit including those of some
of the members of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Operation
Migration will be represented there, as well as the International Crane
Foundation, and USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Others planning to
be present that are involved in the Whooping crane reintroduction project
include the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, and of course, the St. Marks
Refuge Association and the St. Marks Photo Club.
Click
to see a pdf document
detailing the events and exhibitors.
Date:
February 4, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
WHO LET THE CRANES OUT!?
Location:
Main Office
Once the young-of-year cranes have been delivered to their new winter home; be it at the
St. Marks NWR or the
Chassahowitzka NWR, they are temporarily held
top-netted enclosure. This is so that they can acclimate slowly to their new
surroundings, and to ensure time to carry out the necessary health checks
and apply their new legbands.
Both sets of cranes have now been released from the top-netted enclosure
and are now free to roam and explore the areas around their release pen. To
read how this procedure was carried out for the Chass-Ten on January 28th,
click to read ICF tracker, Matt
Strausser's update.
Date:
February 3, 2010
Reporter:
Christine Barnes
Subject:
MATURATION
Location:
St. Marks, Florida
The maturing process of Whooping Cranes is amazing to observe. The chicks hatch, and in what seems like a heartbeat, they are expected to fly 1200 miles. They still look like large size, wide-eyed, cinnamon-colored kids.
The birds in the Class of 2009 hatched between late May and mid June. An August visit to the crane pen in Necedah, Wisconsin was enlightening. Among the young birds, the gap between the early birds and the slow pokes was notable. They all shared an extraordinary presence at such an young age: they seemed equally brave, curious and strong. But the size difference was significant.
Although this discrepancy seemed like a handicap of sorts, all the young cranes were in “flight training” with the ultralights on a daily basis. When the handlers entered the gates in advance of the training release, the continuous sweet, soft whistle-like peeps from the eager chicks were audible throughout the cohort. All were eager to fly and pushed through the open gates enthusiastically. After all, in fewer than 100 days, they would be expected to fly 1200 miles to their winter homes.
Initially, the flight training was an extension of the work done at the
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research
Center, where the fluffy young chicks, inside a small pen, followed the puppet extension from the pilot in an ultralight. At Necedah, the birds continued acclimating to the trike by following the ultralight up and down the runway. The more mature ones flew before the younger ones, of course, and the cohort became divided by maturity for a while. As summer waned and fall descended upon the sand prairie, more and more birds strengthened their wings by increasing their flight time daily, until in mid-October, migration began.
After the cranes’ arrival at St. Marks
NWR in January, a visit to the pen revealed some changes. Most notable was the size difference: all the birds were significantly larger, but the discrepancy between the youngest and the oldest was still evident. As the days passed, there were signs that things were changing. Here and there, a cinnamon-colored feather lay on the ground. On one or two of the larger birds, signs of red were emerging in the crown and the malar.
One day last week, two of the cranes sounded different. No longer the soft high peeping sound, now a rich, guttural “chuuurrrr” came from their throats, the sound of mature cranes in conversation. In the pen, one crane danced in circles, wings outstretched, apparently in rapture over some hapless critter he discovered in the pond. Nearby, several others foraged in the salt marsh for whatever
delectables they might discover for snacks. Occasionally, a few lifted off and flew around the marsh just for kicks. More and more, they are demonstrating confidence and asserting their independence. Today, several went out of sight of the pen for the first time.
Crane contact with white-costumed handlers is less frequent. The birds set their own schedule: on crane time, they fly out of the pen in the morning to forage. The handlers slip in, complete their chores, and fade away. Only the safe haven of the oyster bar in the evening remains part of their direct instruction in crane school.
Date:
February 2, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
REMEMBERING THE CLASS OF 2006
Location:
Main Office
It has been exactly 3 years since severe storms ravaged Central Florida, killing 17 of the 18 still-juvenile Whooping cranes, which had been wintering at the Chassahowitzka NWR in Citrus County.
The severe weather warning came well
after midnight, and the swath of destruction that cut through central
Florida also killed 20 people and was described as the second worst storm of
its type to hit the state.
While we don't like to dwell on the negative we would like to acknowledge
the contribution that the Class of 2006 made to their species. Thousands of
media stories generated as a result of this catastrophic loss brought to
light the plight of the Whooping crane, and other endangered species.
Mark Chenoweth, producer of a regular podcast titled
Whoopers Happening published
this episode looking back at event.
Date:
February 1, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
CHECKING ON THE CHICKS
Location:
Main Office
Camera issues continue at the St. Marks release pen and Craig and Tom
have almost completed their disguises in preparation of their departure to
an undisclosed location.
They were able to mount the outdoor receiver 100ft up the radio tower on
Saturday but unfortunately, they're having difficulties convincing the
transmitting unit to talk with the receiving unit and are awaiting some
technical support from the manufacturer.
In the meantime, I was able to log in directly to their camera for a
short time this morning and captured the following screen grabs, which
clearly show the St. Marks Ten inside the release pen and without the top
net. (please click each image for a larger version)
Date:
January 31, 2010
Reporter:
Liz Condie
Subject:
WINTER WEATHER GOT YOU DOWN?
Location:
Main Office
If you are thinking you’d like to escape the grip of Old Man Winter, this generous offer might interest you. The Ruth Irvin family will discount the cost of a vacation stay in its Florida rental property, Pelicans Beach House, for any MileMaker sponsor who has given at least one WHOOP! How big a discount? - an amount equivalent to your total MileMaker sponsorship and Give a WHOOP! contribution(s) up to a maximum of US$800.
The Irvin family recently donated a week’s stay at Pelican’s Beach House to Operation Migration. It was used as a Give a WHOOP! thank you gift and the lucky recipient’s name (Patricia O’Brien-Giglia) was drawn at the Give a WHOOP! event held
November 15th in Illinois when we celebrated chalking up our 10,000th mile leading Whooping cranes south on migration.
Pelicans Beach House is located at Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Click the
link below if you are interested in trading in some wintery weather for some Florida sunshine and helping OM at the same time!
(we are still looking for 27 Milemaker
sponsors and
3755
WHOOPS!)
Here is a link to information and photos of
Pelicans Beach House so you can check it out.
Date:
January 30, 2010
Reporter:
Joe Duff
Subject:
TENSIONS OF A NEW BREEDING SEASON
Location:
Main Office
If you are a layman like me you likely think that just about everything you would want to know has, by now been documented. With advanced technology and 6 billion of us poking around an ever shrinking earth you would think that no stone had been left unturned and that somewhere there is a research paper to give us all the details about everything. But that is not the case.
When you research any obscure topic you find out two things quickly. You soon realize that not everything has been documented and that a research paper is only as good and the fieldwork that preceded it.
Lately I have been reading everything available on Black flies and the most common thread seems to be contradiction. One paper reports that they produce one generation per year while others say they breed three or four times a season. They can migrate from the breeding area to their feeding grounds up to 4 miles or 40 depending on which chronicle you read and the adult life span, when they bite, lasts 2 to 3 weeks or seven months. Some papers suggest that only the females bite but other say both genders can attack and control strategies range from DEET to vanilla extract.
So much depends on this upcoming breeding season. Last year we suffered 100% nest failure and that includes a few pairs that laid a second clutch. Another year like that and we may lose the support of the International Recovery Team whose members set the direction for all recovery efforts.
At the upcoming Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership winter meetings in St. Marks, Florida plans will be discussed for an application of BTi to control the flies during the spring. That may be a full blown application or a pilot study designed to test the effectiveness. In the interim new reintroductions sites will be evaluated.
The pressure is on because the Recovery Team is exploring the possibility of a new resident population in Louisiana and some feel that would be a better use of birds than placing them into a population that has little hope of becoming self-sustaining.
We, of course, feel that after ten years of struggle to get them this far the Black fly problem is only one more challenge that needs to be met. Based on the time, effort and public support that went into this project we need to be certain that it is not working before we pull the plug. A good breeding season, with or without a successful BTi application would definitely help.
The upcoming breeding season in the captive flock is also critical. We are hoping for a full compliment of birds for the ultralight technique plus enough to carry on with the Direct Autumn Release study. There is a proposal to conduct a parent-reared study this season where birds will be raised by their parents at Patuxent before being released at Necedah to follow older birds. The Recovery Team hopes to have birds for the Louisiana reintroduction plus a few genetically surplus birds are needed to test the impact of infectious Bursal disease. On top of all that, up to 6 birds will be held back to maintain the viability of the captive flock.
There will be more to report after the winter meetings but either way it will be an anxious spring and we tend to count our eggs before they are hatched.
Date:
January 29, 2010
Reporter:
Heather Ray
Subject:
PATIENCE
Location:
Main Office
I've been told patience is a virtue... and I know firsthand that when
dealing with cameras in remote situations that buckets of patience are
required. We've been inundated with inquiries about the camera at the St.
Marks release pen since the conclusion of the 09/10 southward migration.
Initially we had hoped to relocate our camera trailer to monitor the
cranes over the winter but after reviewing the location available and the
fluctuating tides and salt water/air conditions, the decision was made to
not subject the monster to such adverse weather conditions for such an
extended period. Instead the St. Marks Refuge Association agreed to allow us
to capture the live feed from their camera.
The two gentlemen in charge of the camera at St. Marks are Tom and Craig
(last names withheld to protect their identity). These two have been pulling
their hair out for the past couple of months attempting to get the setup
running and are also fielding daily questions about the status of the
camera.
Tomorrow a licensed climber will scale a very tall radio tower to mount a
small yagi antenna and receiver, which we hope will allow them to receive
the video signal from the camera and yagi mounted on the blind near the
pensite. So, we hope, very soon, to be able to bring you a video feed from
the St. Marks release pen... If not, Tom and Craig will likely never been
seen nor heard from again as they're planning on fleeing the country.
Date:
January 28,
2010 - Entry 2
Reporter:
Liz Condie
Subject:
A
DISAPPEARING ACT
Location:
Main Office
Dear Craniacs and Field Journal readers, I am about to do a disappearing
act. This will be my last regular posting for a while as I try to dig myself
out from under the mountain of work - threatening to become a landslide -
that has accumulated over the three plus months of the migration.
I’m
still well over 200 emails responses behind, and have the production
deadline for the spring issue of our magazine, INformation, looming.
Our Board of Directors are patiently waiting for me to catch up on several
sets of meeting minutes, and, with the fiscal year end approaching,
financials and budgets are screaming for attention so loudly that my ears
hurt. And these represent just the tip of Everest.
So, as of tomorrow, Heather Ray will take over the postings to the Field
Journal. I have no doubt you can count on being both well informed and
entertained.
In eight (eek) short days from now I will be back on the road to Florida.
Joe and I will be driving down to St. Marks for the Whooping Crane Eastern
Partnership (WCEP) winter meetings. WCEP, the coalition of government
agencies and non-profits that together are effecting the reintroduction of
the Eastern Migratory Population, meets twice a year; once in the fall at
the Necedah NWR in Wisconsin, and, once post-migration. Until this year, the
winter meetings were usually held near the Chassahowitzka NWR. This will be
our first time meeting at St. Marks.
Among other items, on the agenda for the winter meetings are: reports
from the Communications and Outreach, Health, Migration, and Winter
Management Teams; reports on 2009 nesting research, and spring monitoring
and nest management plans; updates from captive propagation centers; and,
discussion regarding Bti implementation and a parent rearing/release
proposal. The Project Review Panel will also be presenting their findings
and recommendations to WCEP.
With the 2009 migration now history, all the crucial behind the scenes
work that directs and sustains this project gears up for the coming year and
the WCEP winter meetings are where it starts. The same goes for Operation
Migration itself, as staffers Joe Duff, Heather Ray, Chris Danilko, and
myself, focus our attention on the myriad of tasks vital to keeping the
entity that is OM operating.
Date:
January 28,
2010 - Entry 1
Reporter:
Liz Condie
Subject:
PROSPECTS
FOR WOOD BUFFALO-ARANSAS CRANES GRIM
Location:
Main Office
“Officials fear another Whooping crane die-off” was the headline of an
Associated Press article published on the internet yesterday.
The words,
captioning an accompanying photo of a beautiful adult Whooping crane, read,
“The world's last remaining natural flock of endangered whooping cranes,
which suffered a record number of deaths last year, will probably see
another die-off because of scarce food supplies at its Texas nesting grounds
this winter, wildlife managers said.”
If you’re within driving distance, you’ll want to set aside Saturday,
February 6th for the WILDLIFE HERITAGE & OUTDOORS FESTIVAL at the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge (1255 Lighthouse Rd. St. Marks FL).
The
Festival’s mission is… to excite visitors to reconnect with nature and
wildlife through a community celebration of nature’s diversity and our local
heritage with scheduled exhibits and programs.
Count on a fun, entertaining, and educational day. There will be lots of
activities and booths to visit including those of some of the members of the
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Operation Migration will be represented
there, as well as the International Crane Foundation, and USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center. Others planning to be present that are involved in
the Whooping crane reintroduction project include the Disney Worldwide
Conservation Fund, and of course, the terrific St. Marks Refuge Association
and the St. Marks Photo Club.
If you’re interested in archery you’ll want to visit the Target Smashers
exhibit. See a hunting dog demonstration. Love fishing? Talk to the folks in
the Florida Big Bend Fly Fishers booth. Bring the kids and grandkids and let
them spend some time in the St. Marks NWR Kids Discovery Area.
There’s lots and lots more…virtually something for everyone…so mark
February 6th on your calendar now. And be sure to plan on stopping by OM’s
booth to say ‘hello’.
It her article she says, "More questions
than answers persist in early efforts to bring climate change into all
decisions at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency that
manages the nation's wildlife refuges and many of its protected species."
Leber quotes FWS Director Sam Hamilton as saying many factors will force
tough decisions at his agency. "We don't have the policies in place at this
point to really dive into these issues," he said. "When do you decide, for
example, that you can no longer protect something in the wild?"
To read the full article, click on the link above.
Date:
January 26,
2010 - Entry 3
Reporter:
Christine Barnes
Subject:
THE
'GENTLE RELEASE' PHASE UNDERWAY
Location:
St. Marks, FL
(Note: Trained at Necedah NWR last summer, volunteer Christine Barnes is
a member of the team headed by OM's Brooke Pennypacker that is caring for
and monitoring the 10 juvenile Whooping cranes wintering at the St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge.)
After their health checks, the young cranes
are usually skittish around any white-costumed ‘intruders’ into their pen
space. Handlers must re-establish trust. To win forgiveness for all the
poking and prodding the young birds endured, we've been giving the cranes
lip-smacking treats of shrimp, minnows and crabs, the cranes’ favorite
foods.
Due to weather, Sunday's hoped for release from the top-netted pen had to
be delayed. Wind, rain, floods, more wind, more rain – all led to unsafe
conditions for a release. Although the cranes continued to thrive in their
new home, it was feared that a premature release in windy conditions could
tempt the birds to wander. No one wanted to risk having to track them down
through miles of coastal mashes.
At the St. Marks NWR Whooping Crane pen, there is a blind used for
observation, monitoring, and performing data collection on the recently
arrived ten juvenile birds. This is where I was sequestered to observe the
release of the cranes from their top-netted enclosure. Raised well above an
imaginary high water line, the blind has two wide openings which afford
visual access to the pen. The openings, covered with heavy camouflage
netting, together with the distance to the open three-acre pen about three
football fields away, made for challenging viewing.
Release day, January 25th, the sky was bright and the winds were down. In
the late afternoon, the light was compromised inside the blind. At the close
of day, the descending sun shed a golden glow across the salt marsh. The
blue of the bay beyond gave the sense of an endless horizon. Two
white-costumed figures could be seen slopping around inside the flooded pen.
At approximately 4:30pm, the wetland was silent and still, the light
soft. One white-clad figure moved toward the top-netted enclosure and slowly
pulled open the gate. Out streamed the eager young cranes, and quickly, they
were in the air, circling, circling, flying out toward the bay and back over
the pen, circling to the west, then the east, back and forth. For several
heart-stopping minutes they seemed intent to challenge the careful planning
of Operation Migration staff as it appeared they might never relinquish
their welcome, hard-won moment of freedom.
Then, three birds dropped their landing gear and returned to the area
just outside the pen. One handler was present with tempting treats and a lot
of patience. Seven cranes continued to circle, play the jailbreak for all it
was worth. A few more circles. Four landed inside, and three more joined
their buddies outside the pen. Gradually, with all the time in the world, it
would seem, one handler coaxed each of the individual birds back into the
pen. Gates closed.
So what? No top-net!
A flock of about 25 immature White Ibis swung by and buzzed the pen. Like
kids at the local county fair heading to the next crazy ride, four cranes
re-launched and cavorted among the Ibis for a couple of laps. The Ibis moved
on, and the cranes dropped back into the pen.
In one of the two ponds inside the pen, there is a raised area just below
the water’s surface. On this 'oyster bar’ fabricated by refuge staff a year
ago, two, then three, then four cranes discovered a suitable bathing
experience. A surrogate crane figure stands stiffly at the end of the bar as
an effective model for the cranes.
Following their baths, a handler moved onto the bar. The remaining cranes
followed and claimed their night’s roosting space. This was their first
lesson in the safe practice of using in the water as a defense. Should a
predator approach, it must do so through the liquid alarm system surrounding
the roosting site.
It was nearly dark. The handler waited for the 'Harley kick', when each
crane jerks its leg as though starting a motorcycle, then tucks the leg up
and goes to sleep. Then, ever so slowly, quietly, the handler slipped away
leaving the young cranes to the light of the half-moon, and their first
night under the stars. With this, their final reintroduction steps into the
wild have begun. Over the next weeks and months costumed intervention and
interaction will decrease, and come late March to April, the cranes will
initiate their return migration, making their way north on their own.
Operation Migration and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge are making
every effort to isolate the cranes from human contact so that the young
birds may meet the mission for full recovery in the wild. All partners in
the reintroduction project appreciate the public’s cooperation in respecting
the cranes’ seclusion.
Date:
January 26,
2010 - Entry 2
Reporter:
Liz Condie
Subject:
POST
MIGRATION HEALTH CHECKS
Location:
Main Office
Following their arrival in Florida, the Class of 2009 is held in a
top-netted enclosure inside the release pen on their respective wintering
grounds until they receive their post migration health checks.
Disney Animal Kingdom's veterinarian, Dr. Scott Terrell, emailed to let
us know that the Health Team had finished the post-migration health checks
of both groups of young cranes in the Class of 2009. The examination of the
St. Marks' Ten was conducted on January 15th, and on the Chassahowitzaka Ten
on January 24th.
They had beautiful weather on both exam dates; cool and sunny at St.
Marks, and while warmer at Chass, they had a wonderful breeze to keep the
bugs away.
Dr. Scott said, "The birds got a physical exam and blood and fecal
samples were collected. Each exam took about five to seven minutes to
complete before they were turned over to Dr. Richard Urbanek to get their
shiny new leg bands and transmitters affixed. Everything went very well, and
we are now waiting for the litany of diagnostic test results to come back
for interpretation."
Date:
January 26,
2010 - Entry 1
Reporter:
Liz Condie
Subject:
EASTERN
MIGRATORY POPULATION UPDATE
Location:
Main Office
At the end of the January 23rd reporting period the size of the Eastern
Migratory Population (EMP) remained unchanged at 85 Whooping Cranes; 48
males and 37 females. In this update * = female, D = Direct Autumn Release,
NFT = Non-functional transmitter. Current locations of the EMP were as
follows.
INDIANA - 7
Knox Co.
216 & 716*, 317 & 303*,
512 & 722*, D938
KENTUCKY - 7
Jefferson Co.
506, D932*, 934*, 935*,
936*, 937*, 940* (migrated to Muscatatuck NWR with 307 & 726* and
713 before moving to Hamilton County, TN and then flying back north
to Jefferson County, KY
307 & 726*, 408 & 519*,
514 (last located Dec. 15 in Greene Co. TN)
713, 829
Lafayette Co.
403 & 309* (last located
Dec. 7 in Juneau County, WI)
416 (last located Dec.
30 in Jackson County, IN)
Lake Co.
402 & D746*, 509, D942
Hernando Co.
709 & 717*
LOCATION UNKNOWN - 11
ID #
Last Recorded
Date/Location
712
Dec. 16 in Alachua Co.
FL
316
Jan.
7 in Meigs Co. TN
211
Jan.
8 in Vermillion County, IN
412
Jan.
5 in Cherokee County, AL
401 & 508*
Dec.
9 in Winnebago County, IL
727*
Dec.
12 in Brown County, IN
733
Dec.
6 on Jasper-Pulaski FWA, IN
805, 812
Dec. 10 in Columbia
County, WI
D836
~Nov. 29 – Dec 11 in
Lawrence County, TN
LONG TERM MISSING – 7
(more than 90 days)
ID #
Last Recorded
Date/Location
D744
Nov. 18, 2008 in
Paulding Co. OH
516
Dec 22, 2008 in Marion
County, FL
706
May 6 south of Necedah
NWR
511
May 11 on Necedah NWR
520*
Jun. 16 in Jackson
County, WI
D628
Jun. 23 on Necedah NWR
724
June 26 on Necedah NWR
CLASS OF 2009
At St. Marks NWR are: 906, 908*, 910, 911, 912, 914*, 915*, 918, 925*, and
926*.
At the Chassahowitzka NWR are: 901*, 903, 904*, 905*, 907*, 913, 919, 924,
927, and 929.
The ultralight-led migration of the St. Marks Ten was successfully completed
on January 13th and that of the Chassahowitzka Ten on January 20th. All
received their permanent bands and transmitters during their post-migration
health checks done on January 15th and January 24th respectively. Prior to
their release, both groups are held in a top-netted enclosure for a brief
period of acclimation. (NOTE: The Class of the Year are not added to the
numbers in the EMP until their release.)
This update was compiled from data supplied by WCEP Trackers Richard
Urbanek, Eva Szyszkoski, Sara Zimorski, and M. Strausser.
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