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.

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...

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

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!

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... 

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 ;-(

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!

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 ;-(

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.

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 ;-)

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.

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?

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...

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!

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...

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!

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!

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. 

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.

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.

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!

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.

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. 

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.

Notes: We're currently experiencing our second rain delay of the migration and will be standing down for the day.

(Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!)

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!

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, 

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 11^th 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’ 78^th 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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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???

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?).*

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.

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. 

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