Whooping cranes 11-09 & 15-09* are two of the twenty cranes that made up the Class of 2009 aircraft-led cohort. With twenty cranes that year, the flock was split in half once we reached Florida; with ten going to St. Marks NWR and ten to the Chassahowitzka NWR.
Crane’s 11 & 15 were two that wintered at St. Marks and since then have returned to the area each winter – much to the delight of the locals: these two selected a roosting pond on the southeast edge of Tallahassee and occasionally share it with a herd of cattle, and various other water-roosting birds.
Each evening they arrive to spend the night and every morning they depart for a day of foraging but not before giving chase to either the cows, or the Canada geese.
Each spring they return to central Wisconsin and last year these 3 yr. old cranes constructed a nest – produced one egg which they began incubating on April 27th. Unfortunately, by May 6 the egg disappeared; likely a result of predation and not surprising given the parents were only 3 years old at the time. Let’s hope they have a bit more experience this nesting season.
Local Craniac and photographer Karen Willes recently shared the following images with us:
Duck – duck – GOOSE! Karen captured this image early one morning when the Canada geese decided to leave before the cranes could chase them out.
Possibly a lover’s spat? One of the two in classic jump-rake pose.
Love the “Duck, duck, goose” note under the top photo, and the bottom photo was titled “Kung Fu Whooper” somewhere else on the internet. (I think YouTube?)
Wonderful pictures! ‘Joy to the World’!
PS
Did anyone notice that the MILEMAKER thermometer went beyond 100%?
-BRAVO everyone!-We made it!
So nice to see our whoopers from classes in the past, doing so well and just doing what Whoopers are meant to do!!! Fabulous pictures!!!