|
| Date: |
December
22nd, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Joe Duff |
|
| Location: |
Head Office |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
Bringing Closure |
|
Notes:
The aircraft have been broken down and packed in the trailer for the winter. The responsibility for the birds has been passed to the Winter Monitoring Team. Mark Nipper has taken up residence in
Florida
, and the rest of us are back in our respective homes. But the memories of this migration linger, along with the symptoms of being on the road for 61 days.Ý
The perpetual search for an email connection has become a habit, and the first thing I do in the morning before opening my eyes is listen for the wind. It is hard not to be preoccupied with weather reports, and fundraising at every opportunity is now part of my nature. Our 2006 season starts in just four months so now that we are done for one year, it's time to start planning for the next.
For over 40 years Whooping crane eggs were collected annually from the nesting grounds at
Wood
Buffalo
National Park
in northern
Canada
. That practise was stopped a decade ago in hopes that the lack of disturbance would increase production. Recently there has been renewed interest in egg collections. A good nesting pair of Whooping cranes will generally lay two eggs a season. On average however, they will raise just a single chick, and only successfully lead a chick to the
Texas
wintering grounds every other year.
It could be argued that eggs are wasted every season, and that they could be used to help the reintroduction efforts. This proposal will be a topic of discussion at the Whooping Crane Recovery Team meeting in
Mexico
this year. If taking of eggs is approved, there could be more birds for both the ultralight project and the DAR study. Each year we increase the numbers of birds we train, and to our surprise, we had very little difficulty managing the 20 of this past season. In fact, they were better prepared than any flock we have raised so far. Our ambition now is to try 24.
Availability of eggs is not the only limiting factor that has to be addressed. Facilities at the breeding centers must be improved and expanded to accommodate more chicks before we can realize this goal. This had been discussed in the past and options are available. To help out, Operation Migration will again provide additional staff as well as the aircraft, costumes, vocalizers and puppets.
We may also have to deal with nesting birds this coming year. Two pairs laid eggs last spring but neither survived. This it to be expected of newly formed pairs. Without sex education classes or a mother's advice, the process of incubating eggs must be learned through experience. It is not surprising that it takes a year or two to get it right.
The most hopeful prospects are the pair that claimed a territory next to our site four at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Numbers 101 and 202 should be more practised this season, and we have great hopes. If their territory is next to our training site they may get defensive and attempt to evict us. We will have to discuss our options at that point and see if building another training facility is warranted.
Whoa! Enough!! Here I am anticipating/planning for next year when we are barely finished this one! After all, we still need to generate the reports, close off the year, and thank all of our supporters. But first it is time to take a break and enjoy the holidays.
Best wishes to all - and to all a good night. |
| Date: |
December
20th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Head Office |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
White Bird Update |
|
White
Bird Report
As
of December 17th, 24 of the prior years' 41 Whooping
cranes had completed their migration south, and were reported as
being in
Florida
. Ten birds (including 3 of the 4 DAR birds) are still in
Tennessee
, and there is a single bird in each of the
Carolinas
. The 6 adults reported as being in
Indiana
have now departed, but have not been located since. The location
of two other cranes and the fourth DAR bird is also currently
unknown.
In
Florida
are:
101, 105
202, 204, 205, 211, 216, 217
303, 309! 312, 313, 316
401, 402, 403, 407, 408, 412, 415, 416, 417, 419, 420
On migration and in locations outside
Florida
are:
102, 103, 107
201, 203, 208, 209, 212, 213, 218
302, 306, 307, 310, 311, 317, 318
The
four DAR birds
|
| Date: |
December
18th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Head Office |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
Home again, home again |
|
Home
Again
Proving we humans are nothing if not
creatures of habit, the first thing I did on rising this morning
was log on to do the weather checks. Staring at my screen, I was
vainly trying to remember which stopover locations I should be
checking when the light bulb went on. Duh.
No Whooping crane news to report today, but we wanted to let you
know that in addition to updates on how the 2005 cohort is faring,
we will continue to post updates on both the white birds and the
Wood Buffalo/Aransas flock.
It's
In The Details
Many of you have emailed to say you
have enjoyed the 'behind the scenes' insights, and the details
about the husbandry involved in caring for Whooping cranes.
Broadly defined as the practice of breeding, rearing, and caring
for animals, animal
husbandry is a vital skill for farmers, zoo keepers, and
animal conservationists. As most people involved in the practice
will tell you, (particularly those dealing with wild, as opposed
to domestic creatures), animal husbandry is in many ways as much
an art as it is a science.
Because he spends more time with the Whooping cranes in our
project than anyone else, OM aviculturalist Mark Nipper, has
become quite expert in the art. Most often it is to him that the
team turns for advice when questions arise relating to the
physical well-being of the birds. And it is his intimate
familiarity with the birds and their individual idiosyncrasies
that deserves much of the credit for our ability to accomplish
their training so successfully.
Due to their high visibility and the photogenic nature of their
job, our ultralight pilots are inevitably seen as the 'stars of
the show'. But as everyone knows, the making of any movie
requires a whole cast of characters playing an assortment of
roles. The fact that Mark gets less 'camera time' is no
reflection of the importance and value of the role he plays. So
let's hear a cheer for Mark - Hip Hip Hooray!!
Unsung
Hero
If this were a movie it would be
time to roll the credits. No project of this scope is accomplished
successfully without a hard working 'behind the scenes' crew.
Christina Danilko, OM
's office manager is one of these
individuals. Chris never spends a
day in the field, yet she is the mainstay, indeed the glue that
holds the OM
team together. In many ways, particularly during migration, she
has it harder than the field crew as there are times she has to
single-handedly hold down the fort at the office.
In addition to her oversized normal
workload, during migration Chris is deluged with hundreds of
emails and telephone calls each day. Being at a distance, she
worries and frets about the crew and the birds, only taking a
breath of relief when the early morning update call comes in.
If OM
has an unsung hero it is without doubt, Chris. We are sure she
knows how much she is appreciated, but feel it appropriate that we
both express our gratitude and recognize her work and her
dedication publicly. So to you Chris, here's hugs, thanks, and a
rousing Hip Hip Hooray!! from the entire
OM
team.
Note
There will be more photos posted as
time becomes available to process them, and if we can, we will
give you a heads-up as to when more video will be available at
weather.com. |
| Date: |
December
17th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Dunnellon/Ocala, Florida |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
Reports and Updates |
|
Note: Because
unexpected last minute chores delayed my departure from Florida
yesterday, I am presented with an opportunity to post one more
journal entry before flight time.
White Bird Update
Tracking
team member and ICF aviculturalist, Sara Zimorski, along with OM's
Richard vanHeuvelen, traveled from
Florida
to
North Carolina
Thursday, in search of 309. She was found and crated, and then
flown south to be released in excellent crane habitat in northern
Florida. It won't be long before 309 will be mature enough to
mate, so here's hoping she's satisfied her 'wanderlust', and
remains with other Whooping cranes at least long enough to pair
bond.
Wood Buffalo/Aransas Report
A
December 14th aerial census of the Aransas National Wildlife
Refuge and surrounding areas estimated there were 214 Whooping
cranes present; 186 adults and 28 young. One additional bird,
believed to be the 2004 juvenile that wintered with sandhills
after separating from its parents last fall, was detected in
extreme South Texas.
The number of Whooping cranes completing their migration to date
stands at 217, equaling last winter's peak population. One adult
male (BwB-YbY-1987), and one juvenile have died however, leaving
215 birds in this flock.
Despite a strong low pressure system with wind chills in the 20's
reaching the
Texas
coast December 8th - which could have enabled any lingering birds
to complete their trip, USFWS Whooping Crane Coordinator, Tom
Stehn, confirmed there had been no recent reports of any more
Whooping cranes on migration.
In
earlier communiques, Tom anticipated the arrival of approximately
235 Whooping cranes at Aransas. This expectation appears to have
been lowered, as the number he cites in his latest report is 230.
"We presume all the cranes have completed their
migration," Tom said, "however, we did not have good
enough visibility on either of our two flights this month to be
sure we have an accurate count."
"The
loss of cranes at Aransas is sad," commented Stehn, "and
the apparent failure of quite a few birds to arrive is very
disappointing."
Equipment Repairs
Thanks to Liles Collision Service in Ocala
, it appears our damaged trailer will have a new lease on life.
These kind folk anticipate completing the job within a week, and
their estimate of what the repair will cost is considerably less
than we feared. Now, if we can just find some good hearted souls
to help us with repairs to our truck.....
Weather.com
Several
things on both our, and Weather.com's end, have compounded to
delay posting more video to their website. On speaking with them
yesterday to sort things out, they confirmed that more film would
be available for viewing in the near future. Late is better than
never, right?
Special Offer
Being
the wildlife stewards of tomorrow, we view young students as one
of our most important audiences. Many teachers incorporate the
Whooping crane project into their curriculum, and many classes
throughout the country diligently follow the migration. With this
in mind, we thought perhaps their creative, young minds might
think of ways to put the 2005 calendars still sitting on our
shelves to good use. The result is a special offer to educators
and students on our merchandise page.
New Pricing
A
visit to our merchandise page will also reveal new pricing on
several items. Have a look-see and take advantage of the bargains.
Appreciation
If
you are ever in the Ocala
, Florida
area and looking for a place to stay, we can recommend the Courtyard
by Marriott. The staff there were terrific. They accommodated
our many changes, and we especially owe Front Office Manager,
Carol Griffin, a debt of gratitude.
Guestbook
Our
sincere thanks for all the heart-warming guestbook entries;
both those made along the way and at the conclusion of the
migration. On tough days, it was great to have you there for
support and encouragement. And on good days, it was wonderful to
have you there to celebrate with.
OM
must have the absolute greatest supporters going! |
| Date: |
December
15th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Dunnellon/Ocala, Florida |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
News and notes |
|
Latest on the White Birds
216 and 303 were detected yesterday afternoon as they flew south along the Gulf Coast prior to landing the Chassahowitzka NWR pensite.
Crew departures imminent
What’s left to accomplish: Two team members, Angie and Charlie, will hang on here in Florida pending completion of the health checks. Richard and Mark are in charge of towing our aircraft trailer and one travel pen trailer to Chassahowitzka for storage and then they too are done. As usual, Mark will winter here in Florida to assist with the monitoring and husbandry of the new arrivals and the adult birds.
Chris and Brooke have both finished their obligations, and Joe and Walt will be heading for home too before the day is out. Our two top cover pilots, Dave Mattingly and Jack Wrighter are well on their way home, and Jeff Huxmann, our videographer, will leave for his trek back to Wisconsin as soon as he processes the last of the film.
As for me, all I have left to do is to package and ship back the satellite phones lent us by Globalstar; meet with a fundraising contact; prepare for WCEP Communications and Outreach wrap-up conference call later today, and then I too will be homeward bound – to face what I hear is a fresh foot of snow, and a temperature of about -7C.
I think it is safe for me to report that by the end of today, ‘the fat lady will be singing’ and but for the last leg to Chassahowitzka, we can declare the 2005 migration over.
Something New
Operation Migration supporter, Fred Dietrich, created a cool chart that will allow you to compare the timeline of each of the 5 years' migrations against the average. To download Fred’s chart in an Excel spreadsheet click here.
Here’s Fred’s explanation of how he designed the chart. “After trying several ideas, I calculated the average by looking at the total distance that was traveled each day, beginning on October 10th and dividing that number by 4. For example, The only year in which October 10th was flown, the flight was 24.8 miles, giving an average of 6.2 miles covered on that day for the 4 years. On October 17th, 22.6 miles were flown in 2003 and 29.3 in 2001, for a total of 51.9 miles, or an average of 13 miles for that day/date. The line represents the cumulative total miles by day, beginning on October 10th.
The individual years show 0 miles for the days from the 10th until they actually make their first flight. After that the line increments are by the number of miles flown.”
MileMaker Wrap Up
We never did manage the time to update the photo representation of the MileMaker sponsorships. The last time you would have seen the photo, the ‘DA’ of ‘Florida’ was still outstanding. We are delighted to be able to tell you, that is no longer the case.
In fact we received a little over what was needed to cover the expenses of the migration. We are sincerely grateful, and we are indebted to so many that, I have no doubt it will take me weeks to write all the notes of thanks we are going to want send out.
About the Bottom Line
Our quest to secure sufficient financial resources to see us through the balance of this fiscal year (to March 31st) as well as the next fiscal and migration year continues. If you can help, or have ideas or suggestions for foundations or corporations you feel might be open to an approach, we would appreciate hearing from you.
One last note
If you haven’t yet checked off all the names on your holiday gift list, an Operation Migration membership or a subscription to our magazine makes a great and lasting gift.
This will be the last journal entry for at least a few days as we all make our way home and have an opportunity to share some long overdue hugs and quality time with our family and friends.
But...don’t stay away too long. We WILL be back!
Click here to see a few more photos.
  
|
| Date: |
December
14th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Dunnellon/Ocala, Florida |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Activity: |
White Bird Update / Wrapping up / Photos from yesterday |
|
White
Bird Update
Relatively
little happened this past week in terms of migration movement. No
additional birds have arrived in
Florida
beyond the 21 we noted last week. 309, who hadn't been seen
since October 27th in Lewis County, New York, was
detected in
North Carolina
a few days ago. The three DAR birds remained at Hiwassee Wildlife
Refuge in
Tennessee
, and the location of the one DAR bird that left the area the
previous week is unknown.
Migration Crew Wraps Up
You know the saying, "It's not over until the fat lady sings?"
Well, she's not singing yet. For us, the migration isn't over
at the conclusion of the arrival event because there is still lots
to do before the team can go home.
Today's chores included relocating two of our living trailers to an RV
campsite, and listing and inventorying the remainder of the
OM
merchandise that accompanied the crew on migration. One big job
for our pilots was breaking down the four ultralights so they
could be loaded and packed into the aircraft trailer. In order to
do this, all our tools, equipment, and mountains of other
paraphernalia, ranging from bins with clothes for assorted weather
to bicycles, first had to be unloaded out, and then reorganized
and repacked in order to make room for our aircraft.
This morning, Joe and Walt set out to see about having our damaged
trailer repaired. This possibility opened up when I was approached
at the arrival event by Laurlin
Bedwell. She came over to tell me that there was a place on the
outskirts of
Ocala
that had once done repairs to their trailer, and that they did a
terrific job for a reasonable price. She kindly emailed me the
contact information for the trailer repair shop (many thanks again
Laurlin), and as a result of their examination we have hope that
the trailer can be fixed and made roadworthy.
The
aircraft trailer and one of the traveling pen trailers has to be
towed to Chassahowitzka for storing pending a later flight for the
last leg. Whether this could be fitted into today's busy
schedule was a question mark.
The
ground crew and bird handlers visited the pensite to check the
Whooping cranes and resolved a small problem on the beak of one
bird. At our team meeting today there was discussion as to how
food stations could be put in place without the cranes being able
to see the work being done, and this may take another day to
resolve and accomplish. Our intern, Angie Maxted, who is
incidentally a fully accredited veterinarian, advised she has yet
to be notified when the arrival health check for the cohort will
be conducted, so that is still outstanding.
We
did have one crew departure today. Kirill
Postelnykh, the graduate student from Oka Biosphere Reserve
in
Russia
who has been mentored by the team for the past few months had to
get to
Tampa
in order to be ready to depart for home tomorrow. With most of my
jobs for the day already done, and just a few last media and
fundraising duties remaining for me to do, the task of driving
Kirill from
Ocala
to
Tampa
fell to me. Now you know why this entry is being posted so late
today.
There were lots of other little things to be done, and when we
come together again in the early evening we'll compare notes to
see what is left to accomplish.
Everyone
is really looking forward to getting everything wrapped up so they
can head home to re-join their families and friends in time for
the holidays. For us, that's when the 2005 migration will
be over.
Yesterday's Photos - Click here or on an image below to see these images enlarged.
  
  
|
| Date: |
December
14th, 2005 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
FLORIDA |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
n/a |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
n/a |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Wrapping up |
|
Notes: To
twist a phrase, it is the morning after the two months before.
Between the flyover and arrival event activity, and the usual work
that has to be accomplished once the birds are on the ground, the
last of the
OM
crew finally wound up their day's chores shortly before 5:30pm.
That left time for a quick shower and change of clothes before
meeting up for a team dinner to celebrate the successful
conclusion of a long migration. As we all relaxed, the relief that
the journey was over was palpable. Despite the energy and euphoria
thoughts of going home generated, everyone was tired, and happy to
call it a night early.
In many ways, small and
large, a myriad of people play a vital role in each year's
migration. We, our WCEP partners, indeed, everyone who cares about
the survival of the Whooping crane, owe many, many people a huge
vote of thanks.
As we gradually wind down this project year, and gear up to
prepare the annual summary report, we will do our best to ensure
our gratitude is appropriately expressed to all those whose work
and contributions to
OM
made everything possible.
To steal a phrase of Bill Lishman's, 'In terms of this
project,
OM
is where the rubber hits the road.' At each year's arrival
event we are the stars of the show so to speak, but it is our
fondest wish that our huge cast of players could all be there with
us to take a well earned and much deserved bow.
There are too many people
who play a role in this project's success to name here
individually, but you all know who you are. Hats off to each and
every one of you - and applause, applause from the entire
OM
team.
PS: The photos we promised will be posted this
afternoon.
|
| Date: |
December
13th, 2005 - Day 61 |
| Reporter: |
Joe Duff |
|
| Location: |
Marion County, FLORIDA!!! |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
67.0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
1183.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Migration completed for 2005...but more may come. |
|
Notes: The success of this project depends on controlling as many aspects as possible. We manage the experiences of each bird from the time they hatch until we release them into the wild. The aerial rodeo that ensues when our birds decide they don’t want to leave a particular location may look chaotic, but is well choreographed with each pilot knowing intuitively what the others expect. Our ground crew rehearses the route and knows their respective roles if a situation arises, and there is a plan for every occurrence that falls into place with little communication.
At the end of each migration, we arrange to fly over a gathering of our supporters, giving them an opportunity to see the chicks arrive at their winter home. We attempted to coordinate this event with the same attention to detail. Our plan was to over fly the audience at the Dunnellon Airport, and then drop the birds at the pen site a few miles to the south. When they were safely in the pen we would all arrive back at the airport at the same time for introductions and some well deserved credit. We had handlers by the pen to call the birds down with a loud speaker. We had set our pen up the day before to be ready. We had team members and volunteers at the airport to keep the viewers informed. There were representatives there from Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Jerry and Sandy Ulrikson who accompanied us on last year's migration were there, along with Kim Sams and others from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. Everything was set as we took off into clear skies at 7:52 AM and left Gilchrist County.
We elected to let Chris Gullikson, our new pilot, lead the birds on their final leg, and he flew low over the pen as Walter, Angie and Kirill let them out. It is almost impossible to guess how long it will take them to clear the gate and by the time they were all out and flying, Chris was too far ahead. Richard moved in and turned them on course. We climbed to a thousand feet and picked up an 8 mile per hour tail wind. Brooke, Chris and I fell in behind and above, three abreast and ready to help if needed. The air was smooth and everything seemed to be falling into place as planned. We sat back and watched the GPS tick off the 67 miles to our destination. Twenty miles out, one bird dropped down and we decided not to give away the altitude we had worked so hard to gain. We let it fall behind and waited until it was far enough out of the flock for one of us to move in to pick it up. If you move in too soon it disturbs the other birds and they may break from the lead aircraft to join the one below. When it was a couple of hundred yards back, Brooke slipped in and collected it on his wing. With only one bird receiving the full benefit of the vortex, Brooke was able to climb much faster than Richard who had to balance the abilities of eighteen.
Ten miles out, number 516 dropped down but he fought hard to keep up with his flockmates. When I was able to move in, he was panting hard and determined to find a place to land. By this time in the morning the sun was in full glory, and the heat it produced grew higher by the minute. At two hundred feet up the air was rough, and it was all I could do to keep that aircraft upright. Number 516 would rest on the wing for a moment but get bumped off in the strong wind, and every time we flew over a pond his attention was diverted. Richard, Brooke and Chris began their descent over the Dunnellon Airport a mile or two ahead while 516 and I struggled to clear the trees. We were over a reforestation area and looking for a place to set down. We cleared one field of scrub and picked the next one that looked smoother. As we cleared the last tree I realized we were on the north end of the airport. I called Dave Mattingly and Jack Wrighter in the top cover aircraft to clear me down but landed short before they could respond. The airport manager was very cooperative and let all the local pilots know we were in the area. I taxied off into the grass as soon as I was down and turned up the volume on the vocalizer to the maximum. This encouraged number 516 to clear the last field and he landed beside me. Top cover cleared Mark Nipper to drive down the runway towards me, but he stopped short so the bird wouldn’t see his van. He carried the crate the last ¼ mile and we moved number 516 into it. Mark drove the van the rest of the way out and we loaded the crate for the short trip to the pen site.
While this was happening I listened on the radio to the other pilots as they fought the rough air to get the rest of the flock to land. They made several passes, taking a beating in the high winds. Brooke’s bird joined the rest of the flock and he headed back to the airport to lessen the confusion. As he taxied in, the crowd began to surround him and I heard his plea for the rest of us to join him quickly. Richard and Chris circled while the final bird landed at the pen site and they too headed back. I taxied the length of the runway for the last mile and joined the event 10 minutes late. It was an informal and disjointed presentation but our supporters seemed impressed despite the chaos. It has been a long and hard fought migration but all the birds made it in good health and that, in the end, is what it's all about.
While we are finished with the migration for 2005, we aren't finished with this year's flock. Next month we may attempt to move our 19 birds to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge after our older birds have dispersed from the refuge for the winter. With this possibility looming we still aren't in the black financially. Operation Migration will need your financial support to help us get through our winter months and into the next fiscal year. Memberships and Donations make great holiday gifts, and we'll need many of these to stay afloat. We'll continue to update you on the progress of our birds through the winter and spring, and be preparing for a new 2006 class of Whooping cranes in the coming months. It's a lot of hard work and this wouldn't be possible without you! If you would like to contribute please click here.
Note: Tomorrow we'll have some photos for you of today's flight!
|
| Date: |
December
12th, 2005 - Day 60 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Gilchrist County, FLORIDA!!! |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
99.0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
1,116.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Preparing for tomorrow. |
|
Notes: Joe launched with all 19 birds this morning. A short while later 8 birds broke away from his wing, giving Chris and Richard a little bit of a hard time trying to wrangle the birds on course for Gilchrist County, Florida. After about 15 minutes of back-and-forth, the 8 birds decided they would behave and follow the planes properly. Perhaps they remembered what it was like to be crated??
As of 9:37AM, all 19 birds were safe on the ground in Gilchrist County, and that means the pilots and crew will prepare for tomorrow. The current weather forecast looks promising for what we hope will be our last flight for 2005, and we're planning a big fly-over event at the Dunnellon Municipal Airport! If you would like to view the cranes and planes making their way to their final 2005 destination, please click here for directions to the airport. When you are in the vicinity of the airport look for signs that will direct you to a parking spot. Viewers should be in place by 8:00 AM and dress warmly.
As the ability to fly on any given day is completely weather dependant, there is a possibility the event could be postponed. This cannot be determined until moments before take-off. The Whooping crane hotline at 904-232-2580 extension 124 will be updated the minute a "go"/"no go" decision is made. |
| Date: |
December
11th, 2005 - Day 59 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Cook County, Georgia |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
60 Miles and 0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
1017.4 Miles and 1017.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Ground transportation of cranes. |
|
Notes: By 2:45 PM our 12 birds that didn't want to leave Terrell County for a second day in a row were successfully transported to Cook County. After another morning of crane wrangling, the crew built enough boxes to bring all 12 cranes southward in one trip. Angie brought 6 cranes down in an RV and Mark brought the other 6 down in the crew's mini-van. All 12 cranes that made the road trip appear to be doing fine and are reacquainting themselves with the 7 better behaving birds. |
| Date: |
December
11th, 2005 - Day 59 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia and Cook County, Georgia |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
TBA |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
TBA |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Up, round and round, and down |
|
Notes: It seems that
wishing and hoping and sleeping with one's fingers crossed doesn't
help.
Planes and cranes took to the air this morning,
but after circling the stopover pensite in Terrell County for
almost an hour, the crew finally had to give up. The birds were
reluctant to follow the ultralights, and kept breaking off. Rather
than return to the pen, the birds, loving the water as they do,
would go back to the pensite, but land in the nearby pond.
With little hope that a third try tomorrow would
bring different results, the decision was made to crate all 12
birds and transport them by truck to our next stopover site in
Cook County, GA, where they will join the 7 birds that flew there
successfully yesterday. The crating and transporting will be done
in several trips. It is going to be a trying day for both birds
and crew.
On a more upbeat note, we are currently attracting
good media coverage in Georgia and Florida, and are working to
increase it even more in an effort to broaden awareness for the
project.
One Florida based newspaper, the Star Banner in
Ocala, which is located just a few miles from the Dunnellon
arrival site, has devoted the front page of today's issue to the
migration and our arrival. To see a portion of the newspaper
content on line, visit http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=NEWS |
| Date: |
December
10th, 2005 - Day 58 |
| Reporter: |
Mark Nipper |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia and Cook County, Georgia |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
0 Miles and 60 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
957.4 Miles and 1017.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
We're back...sort of. |
|
Notes: Well, we had another rough morning that luckily ended safely for all the birds. A headwind greeted us this morning as we tried to take off. There was a tailwind at higher elevation, if we could only make it there. It was quite a circus for some time just to get the birds out of the pen area.
Richard ended up with six birds, and Chris, not too far away, with one. Joe and Brooke were behind with 12 birds in an all-out struggle to get them to follow. The birds wanted nothing to do with that headwind. One of Richards’s birds soon began to drop low and behind as they were passing over the south side of Albany, Georgia. Brooke ended up escorting 11 birds back to the starting point while Joe was able to get one to follow him towards the next stop in Cook County, Georgia.
Meanwhile, Richard’s straggler had disappeared and the tracking vehicle was starting to scan to find out which bird it was. Chris was able to drop his one bird off to Richard and come back to assist in tracking. As Joe approached the area, radio signals suggested he had number 510. Soon after that was confirmed, the release team was able to say that 501, 502, 503, 506, 507, 509, 511, 512, 514, 519, and 523 were back at the starting point. This was good because it began to eliminate birds to search for.
Ten minutes later, signals for 520 began to crop up. The bird must have been hopping from spot to spot, because the signals were in and out and bouncing all over the place. The other pilots had also made it to the next stop and confirmed that it was 520 that we were looking for. The bird was finally located about thirty minutes later. The bird was in a pond on a sod farm. As soon as she saw Chris flying low over the field she popped up and followed Chris back to the starting point. However, it wasn't yet over. Not long after Chris got 520 on the wing, we began wondering if he had enough gas to get there. Luckily, he was able to make it back and the bird was fine. Chris was also able to fly the extra few miles to the airport. Chris, once again, saved the day by putting out the extra effort to get one of our birds home safely.
Tomorrow, or whenever we fly next, we'll bring our 12 birds in Terrell County to meet up with the other seven birds in Cook County, Georgia. Normally, we'd box birds that turned back to the pen and bring them to the next site using ground transportation. Since there are 12 birds that did not make today's leg, too many birds wouldn't know this section of the migration. This gap in the birds' knowledge can cause them to get lost on their unassisted spring migration to Wisconsin. Boxing cranes is a stressful ordeal for both the birds and us crane handlers. We try to keep it to a minimum, and 12 is simply too many! It's much safer to fly the birds south. |
| Date: |
December
10th, 2005 - Day 58 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
TBA |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
TBA |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
TBA |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
We're off... |
|
Notes:Cranes and planes are in the air as I type this. A small group watched the departure this morning from an isolated location along the departure flight line.
Viewing a flyover is always exciting and never gets old. Today we had some added excitement - President Jimmy Carter joined our small circle of viewers. Always a welcome guest, President Carter is knowledgeable about birds as well as environmental issues. Today was not President Carter's first visit with Operation Migration, having joined us for viewing opportunities in past seasons. On one occasion in the past he also pitched in to help the ground crew put up the pen.
Armed with a long-lensed camera, Mr. Carter snapped photos alongside the rest of us. Well...to be honest, some of us were taking pictures of President Carter taking pictures.
We asked President Carter if he did a lot of bird photography. He said he did - of wild turkeys. "I hunt wild turkeys and the limit is three birds", said the President. "Once I have two, I photograph the rest," he quipped.
The take-off this morning was another crane rodeo. After four nights in the pen, which was located in good crane habitat, the birds were reluctant to leave. This morning's air show was more like a foxtrot than a ballet, with the four ultralights attempting to chase and contain the birds as fast as they took it in their heads to break off. I'm sure it wasn't fun for the pilots, but on the ground listening to the aviation radio it was hard not to smile. As fast as one of the pilots would say how many birds he had, one or more would break off and be picked up by another, or break away altogether.
This afternoon's flight summary should be an interesting read for sure.
Click here or on a thumbnail to view larger images of President Jimmy Carter viewing takeoff.
 
|
| Date: |
December
9th, 2005 - Day 57 |
| Reporter: |
Richard vanHeuvelen |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia. |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
0 |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
957.4 |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
The ground crew's experience / Flight photos |
|
Notes: Well, what can we say? The weather still stinks in Terrell County.
One of the things seldom mentioned on our site is the work the ground crew goes through on the days we do fly. They are roused out of bed with a polite knock on the RV door at 6 AM. They stumble about, waking up as the pilots prepare their aircraft for the day’s events. They wait patiently in the dark as we do our thing, waiting for the word to go to the pen when we are ready. They usually try to get to the pen before we fly to undo part of the top net, untie two panels, and when given the signal quickly pull the two panels aside, leaving a twenty-foot wide hole to let the birds out. And off the chicks go, but for the ground crew the day has just begun. They wait with much anticipation listening to the radio, as the pilots do the sky circus getting the birds on track to their next stop. In the resulting confusion the ground crew is usually forgotten, and must ask over the radio if the birds are far enough along to knock down the pen. When given the OK to wrap up, they quickly jump into action, loading the pen onto the trailer. Then they pull the trailer off the site, usually thick with mud and mire, with a 4x4 truck. They tow it back to camp, unhook it, and then rehook the trailer up to the small motor home and send it on its way to the next stop. Then they wrap up camp, and like a well-oiled machine, get on the road and make haste for the next stop as well.
Sometimes on a good day, when we skip stops, the ground crew must change plans while on the road, stopping on the side of a highway to look at maps for a change of course. Then get back on the road as quickly as possible. This is necessary because the pen awaiting the birds at the site that has been skipped is now in the wrong place, and the pen currently on the road will now be used to hold the birds for the following stopover. At this time we now have birds headed for stop “b,” a pen already at stop “a,” and another pen headed for stop “b.” Meanwhile, Mark in the tracking vehicle must inform the first prospective hosts that we will be over-flying their home, as well as calling up the new hosts and letting them know that we will be decending on their property.
Well, anyway, the pen arrives at the right site and needs to be set up. While a pilot or two hides with the birds, another pilot or two come out to help set up the pen. With the pen set up the birds are coaxed into the pen, and the pilots fly away to tie down their aircraft. Meanwhile the crew stays behind to complete the process, making sure the birds are in good shape, setting up the outer hot-wire, and other details involved in the husbandry of the young birds. As they leave the birds to their own devices, the crew heads to the new camp, contemplating tomorrow’s needs.
But the day is not even half over. A pen must still be set up at tomorrow’s destination. A quick breakfast? Lunch? Who knows, it’s now well past noon. The ground crew packs up the pen that was left behind, pile in the truck and off they head to the next stop. With the long flight in my lawn chair in the sky, I’m well-rested, so I volunteer to go along. Driving through the countryside, marveling at the scenery passing by, I'm all pumped up with lively conversation, making the whole process worthwhile. Usually after a two-hour or more drive we arrive at the new stop. Greeting tomorrow’s hosts with enthusiasm, and promised goodies, after some discussion we set up the pen isolated from human sight and activity. It’s all good as we head back on the two-hour drive back to camp. The ground crew will arrive late, but they try to hurry to be on time for dinner at the host’s house, which is always a good time. One of the perks of the job is meeting all the wonderful people along the route.
The next day we may wake up to rain and there will be no rush. But we always want to be prepared. But hey!! Another wonderful day with our hosts!
Here are some photos Joe took of me with 12 birds on our flight here to Terrell County. Hope you enjoy the view! Click here, or on a thumbnail for more, and larger photos.
  
|
| Date: |
December
8th, 2005 - Day 56 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia. |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
957.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Wind and rain / Dunnellon Airport Arrival Event |
|
Notes: Rain and windy conditions have prevented progress, so I thought I'd take a moment to refresh everyone about our fly-over Arrival Event coming up...sometime...soon, we hope!
This year's Arrival Event will be held at the Dunnellon/Marion County Airport in Florida. The explanation for the change from the previous years' location in Crystal River is a bit long and involved, but in reality quite simple.
The pens at the Chassahowitzka Refuge are not top-netted. This allows our young birds freedom to come and go, but it also leaves them vulnerable to potential aggression from older birds who are territorial and may try to steal their food or chase the juveniles off. As we now have 41 birds in the reintroduced flock, migrating on their own, and all heading for Chassahowitzka, (21 having already arrived in Florida) we needed a new site for our current 2005 cohort until the adult birds have had an opportunity to arrive and disperse.
Since the habitat around the release pen at Chassahowitzka is not ideal for Whooping cranes, if the older birds don't find any young chicks to harass, or a free meal, they are likely to wander off to better locations. By stopping 'early' and using Halpata Tastanaki Preserve as a temporary holding site for a few weeks, we will give the older birds some added time to clear the Chassahowitzka pen site.
So, if there are still older birds at the Chassahowitzka pen site, we'll end our migration temporarily at Halpata. By mid-January the Project Direction Team will have to decide whether to leave the birds there or to move them to Chassahowitzka.
This is why the flyover normally held at the Crystal River Mall, will take place at the Dunnellon Airport this year. Since the area around the Dunnellon Airport is not built up, and is close to the Halpata Preserve, attendees will get one of the best-ever flyover viewing opportunities as the cranes and planes descend into Halpata. The location will also allow the pilots and migration crew to join the event within minutes of landing.
As with every day of the migration, the date of the Arrival Event is also weather dependent. We will give you our best 'guesstimate' when we are one stopover away, so please continue to monitor our field journal entries.
![[ Yahoo! Maps ]](http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif)
Click here for directions to the Dunellon Airport at
15070 Sw 111th St in
Dunnellon, FL
|
| Date: |
December
7th, 2005 - Day 55 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia. |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
957.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Standing down / Aransas flock update. |
|
Notes: Gusty winds have made a flight today too dangerous, so the pilots opted to stay put in Terrell County.
Aransas flock update:
217 Whooping cranes of the Wood Buffalo/Aransas flock, (188 adults and 29 young) have reached Texas and completed their 2005 southward migration. This ties last winter’s record population.
3 more Whooping cranes are reported to be near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, and once they arrive, the flock size will stand at a record 220 birds.
The most surprising find was a “twin” family that was seen with only 1 chick. A lone juvenile was found about 3 miles away which is assumed to be one of the twins. Tom Stehn, Whooping Crane Coordinator at Aransas said he had no explanation for why one of the twin juveniles was now on its own.
Later in the day, two cranes believed to be a territorial pair were standing right where the juvenile had been in the morning, so the juvenile presumably got displaced to an unknown location. “This young bird certainly may be okay,” Stehn said, “but it will have a tougher winter than if it had stayed with its parents.” |
| Date: |
December
6th, 2005 - Day 54 |
| Reporter: |
Joe Duff |
|
| Location: |
Terrell County, Georgia. |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
97 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
957.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Skipping a stop |
|
Notes: It seems this entire migration has been one long weather delay punctuated by single days of great progress. Today we covered 97 miles in only 1 hour and 46 minutes. That equates to a speed over the ground of just under 60 miles per hour despite the fact that the birds were still flying at their normal 38 miles per hour through the air. At times my GPS told me we were traveling over 70 mph. Now why couldn’t we have more days like that!
Each day we designate one of the pilots to take the lead position. In truth it only means they make the first attempt at leading. They land next to the pen and give the handlers the signal to open the gate. Thereafter it’s anyone’s guess who the birds will fly with. Sometimes a few are slow to come out of the pen and they get left behind by the main flock. Or sometimes they will turn back to the pen and one or all of the chase pilots will intercept them. We can have all the birds on one trike or some birds on each.
Chris Gullikson, our new pilot, was elected to fly lead this morning for the first time. It’s kind of daunting for someone who has never experienced it before. You raise your thumb to the handlers and try desperately to stay ahead of the 19 five-foot tall birds that come charging toward you. So Chris has been understandably reluctant to take his turn.
The remains of the early morning frost still coated the wings making slow flight a challenge, and as he took off he had to fly faster than he would have liked. As he turned on course the birds were a hundred yards behind. He flew some tight “S” turns and they slowly caught up. Below 900 feet the air was bumpy and it took 15 minutes to coax them above that level. In that forced climb some of the birds broke and the flock began to separate. If we can break the flock up into two groups, each will receive more benefit from the wing and their endurance will increase, so Richard moved in to pick up the stragglers. I flew chase for Richard while Brooke fell in behind Chris, and we continued a long slow climb up into a smooth clean tailwind.
We skipped one of our sites and headed for Terrell County, Georgia, 97 miles to the south. The rest of the flight was uneventful. A few times Richard had to fight with birds that had enough energy to challenge him for the lead. He had to muscle the wing to get enough speed to keep ahead of them, but for the most part it was one of those rare perfect days. As we approached the stopover we debated going to the next one. We were cruising at almost 70 miles per hour, but as the sun heats the earth it generates thermals that mix the air and bring the wind down to the surface. The longer we waited, the rougher our landing would be, so we accepted the double leg and began our descent. As predicted, the approach was rough and we had to work hard to get the aircraft down safely. All the birds landed and we led them off to wait for Mark Nipper to arrive with the pen. Brooke and I found a stream flowing through the field and the birds spent an hour of bliss probing in the mud. In fact, when the pen was ready, we had a difficult time convincing them to follow us out of the marsh. Each pilot carries a bag of grapes with them. One at a time we clutch the fruit in the break of our puppets. Once a bird spots this treat, they will eagerly follow you anywhere including into the pen. By noon we had the birds in the pen and the aircraft delivered to the local airport to be tucked away in hangars for the night. Days like this are perfect, there just aren’t enough of them! |
| Date: |
December
6th, 2005 - Day 54 |
| |
|
|
| Location: |
Between Pike County and Terrell County, Georgia. |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
TBA |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
TBA |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
Flight! |
|
Notes: After a bit of a frost delay, Chris took flight with all 19 birds, and headed on course for our Marion County stop. Shortly into the flight 12 cranes had broken away from Chris' aircraft, and Richard had picked-up those birds. As of 9:00 AM the ultralights were 70 miles from our Terrell County stop, and that is where our cranes and planes are headed for now! We'll have more on this morning's flight later in the day. |
| Date: |
December
5th, 2005 - Day 53 |
| Reporter: |
Liz Condie |
|
| Location: |
Pike County, GA |
Click
to view video clips of migration at weather.com! |
| Distance Traveled: |
0 Miles |
Click
to compare Past Years |
| Accumulated Distance: |
860.4 Miles |
Click
for a map of our migration. |
| Activity: |
More rain / Even more crane trivia |
|
Notes: Rain has placed the migration firmly on the ground today and that means more crane trivia.
Cranes as symbols
Switzerland: Proving that heraldry has a sense of humor, the coat of arms of Switzerland’s Gruyere region incorporates a crane. (from the French “grue” for crane)
Africa: One of the few national flags with an image of a bird is Uganda’s which depicts a crowned crane.
Vietnam: Here the crane is thought to live 1,000 years and the tortoise 10,000 years. Given together they symbolize a wish that one will be remembered for 1,000 years, and that your cult will last for 10,000 years.
China: In Chinese mythology cranes were sacred, symbols of justice, and because they paired for life, fidelity. The Chinese saw the crane’s red head as standing for vitality, and its white for purity. They imbued cranes with wisdom and thought they carried messages between heavenly worlds on their backs. Because their young must follow and learn from their wiser elders, the Chinese thought cranes taught humans a valuable lesson.
Japan: The red and white of the crane became important colours in Japanese symbolism and art. While it has been simplified over time, Japan Airlines once used a traditionally colored red and white crane symbol in its logo.
Known in Japan as "the bird of happiness," one Japanese myth tells of a legendary warrior whose soul took the form of a crane on his death. Emblematic of longevity, both Chinese and Japanese cultures also associated cranes with good fortune and prosperity, often depicting them in paintings with the sun. Their spring arrival and fall departure heralded the change of seasons and the time to sow or harvest crops.
One legend says that in the 1100’s, a man named Yorimoto attached labels to the legs of cranes and asked those who captured them to record their location on the label and then let the birds go – a very early reference to bird banding to discover the cranes' movements. It was claimed that some of Yorimoto’s banded birds were still alive hundreds of years later which gave rise to the legend that cranes lived for a thousand years.
An early 17th century artist named Sotatsu used the thousand crane theme in a 50 foot long scroll. His work is the oldest known use of the motif and popularized its use in art on screens, walls, and other objects. Because of the cranes' reputation for prosperity and long life, origami cranes became a symbolic gift.
Today’s association of cranes with peace, and prayers for those killed in war, is rooted in an 11th century Japanese legend. A feudal leader named Kakamura is said to have celebrated his success in battle by attaching a prayer strip – one for each fallen warrior - to the leg of hundreds of cranes, and then freed the birds. |
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