WILD THANG…

The 2012 nesting season rewarded the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership members with two wild-produced Whooping crane chicks: W1-12, a male, and W8-12, a female. Both of these young-of-year chicks have followed their respective parents to suitable wintering habitat in southwest Indiana.

We recently received a photo taken by Steve Smith showing W1-12 (middle) with her parents 12-02 (Dad) and 19-04 (Mom) on the right.

Whooping crane chick

*Photographer: Steve Smith
Whooping crane #W1-12 in SW Indiana

It’s always fun to see how much and how quickly these cranes develop and mature. The following image of the same crane colt was taken on October 3, 2012 in Wood County, WI by ICF’s Tracking Field Manager, Eva Szyszkoski.

Whooping crane colt

*Photographer: Eva Szyszkoski
Female Whooping crane #W1-12 on October 3, 2012

7 Comments

  1. wooster February 20, 2013 12:20 am

    ……This makes my “heart sing”… groovy!

  2. Annelise Jorgensen February 19, 2013 7:48 pm

    Thanks a million for the Wonderful News & Wonderful Pictures!

    They make my day, not to mention my Year.

  3. Mary W-D February 19, 2013 10:50 am

    Loving this good news. Delighted to get the pics. Happy flappy dancing here!

    • M L Walsh February 19, 2013 1:07 pm

      Hi Mary! :) I met your sister/twin a week or so ago on chattery. From out Northwest, right? Said you turned her into a craniac. Whoop whoop

  4. Margie Tomlinson February 19, 2013 9:33 am

    “Wild Thang, I (KNOW) I love you”!!! This kind of news just totally recharges the spirit, after a year with losses! Thank you so much, Heather, AND Eva, for the news and photos!!!

    • Margie Tomlinson February 19, 2013 9:49 am

      P.S. And especially thanks to Steve Smith for the family photo!

  5. M. L. Walsh February 19, 2013 6:31 am

    Thank you Heather. Smiling “ear to ear”. Nice to see this beautiful family. YAY to these great parents.