SkyPup
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Whooping Crane Visits Our Farm
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SkyPup
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SkyPup
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Here is a nice one of him moving out to the other side of our prairie.
We notified the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Audubon as this is the FIRST verified sighting of a Whooper in our county. Hopefully he will come back again next year and bring some of his buddies with him!
He is part of the UltraLight flock that came down to the Chasskiowitska National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast about 65 miles SW of us. I believe there are about 40 or 50 of them down there, which is most of the Whooping Cranes on Earth.
I've been shooting snipe all around him with my Springer Spaniels and the cranes don't seem to mind me collecting our dinner in their midst. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
We notified the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Audubon as this is the FIRST verified sighting of a Whooper in our county. Hopefully he will come back again next year and bring some of his buddies with him!
He is part of the UltraLight flock that came down to the Chasskiowitska National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast about 65 miles SW of us. I believe there are about 40 or 50 of them down there, which is most of the Whooping Cranes on Earth.
I've been shooting snipe all around him with my Springer Spaniels and the cranes don't seem to mind me collecting our dinner in their midst. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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ronjhall
Super Star Member
Nice pictures.
I don't know much about Cranes except for the ones that keep eating our Goldfish.
Yesterday I drove home from my sons place near Fenton, Mi. There was a 1/2 dozen cranes out in a cornfeild. Had to take a second look. Should have taken a picture. I thought all Cranes flew your way for the winter?
I don't know much about Cranes except for the ones that keep eating our Goldfish.
Yesterday I drove home from my sons place near Fenton, Mi. There was a 1/2 dozen cranes out in a cornfeild. Had to take a second look. Should have taken a picture. I thought all Cranes flew your way for the winter?
MossRoad
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Very neat. You are lucky to have seen one. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Bird
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I thought all Cranes flew your way for the winter? )</font>
And I thought they all wintered at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
And I thought they all wintered at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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SkyPup
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Here is the report of this year's migration from the Fish and Wildlife Service:
December 12, 2004
Thirteen endangered whooping cranes and their surrogate parents—three ultralight aircraft—reached Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Gulf Coastshortly after 9 a.m. Eastern today after a 64-day, 1,200-mile trek over seven states.
The young cranes made a rare public appearance, flying over a welcoming crowd of supporters at the Crystal River Mall in Crystal River, Florida just prior to landing at a special four-acre site at Chassahowitzka. Despite suffering damage from some of the four hurricanes that hit Florida this year, the site was ready for the birds' arrival.
"Though hurricanes damaged more than 90 percent of the fencing around the pen, staff, refuge volunteers and volunteers from other agencies and refuges all came together to repair the damage,” said Chassahowitzka NWR Manager Jim Kraus. “Everyone did a stellar job and we thank them for their contribution to this reintroduction effort.”
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private organizations, is conducting this ultralight-led reintroduction project in an effort to return this highly imperiled species to its historic range in eastern North America.
The cranes left Necedah, Wis., on Oct. 10, following ultralight aircraft flown by Operation Migration, Inc., pilots. International Crane Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources biologists will monitor their winter behavior and track them on their anticipated spring migration north in 2005.
A day before reaching Chassahowitzka NWR, one of the young birds of the Class of 2004, number 6, died. On Dec. 10, migration team members discovered her lethargic in her traveling pen and attempted to give her fluids at the recommendation of veterinarians.
Though she seemed to respond to the fluids, 6-04 appeared in need of medical attention, and crewmembers carefully hooded her and drove her to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, where doctors examined her. The bird's white blood cell count extremely high and she showed evidence of parasitic and bacterial infections. To prevent any further stress, veterinarians euthanized number 6-04 on Dec. 11.
These birds are the fourth generation of whooping cranes to make this unique assisted migration from Wisconsin to Florida. Cranes from the ultralight-led migration classes of 2001, 2002 and 2003 are making or have completed their own unassisted southward migrations, representing another milestone in this historic reintroduction effort.
Whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 275 birds in the wild. Aside from the 35 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population of whooping cranes nests at the Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast.
December 12, 2004
Thirteen endangered whooping cranes and their surrogate parents—three ultralight aircraft—reached Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Gulf Coastshortly after 9 a.m. Eastern today after a 64-day, 1,200-mile trek over seven states.
The young cranes made a rare public appearance, flying over a welcoming crowd of supporters at the Crystal River Mall in Crystal River, Florida just prior to landing at a special four-acre site at Chassahowitzka. Despite suffering damage from some of the four hurricanes that hit Florida this year, the site was ready for the birds' arrival.
"Though hurricanes damaged more than 90 percent of the fencing around the pen, staff, refuge volunteers and volunteers from other agencies and refuges all came together to repair the damage,” said Chassahowitzka NWR Manager Jim Kraus. “Everyone did a stellar job and we thank them for their contribution to this reintroduction effort.”
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private organizations, is conducting this ultralight-led reintroduction project in an effort to return this highly imperiled species to its historic range in eastern North America.
The cranes left Necedah, Wis., on Oct. 10, following ultralight aircraft flown by Operation Migration, Inc., pilots. International Crane Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources biologists will monitor their winter behavior and track them on their anticipated spring migration north in 2005.
A day before reaching Chassahowitzka NWR, one of the young birds of the Class of 2004, number 6, died. On Dec. 10, migration team members discovered her lethargic in her traveling pen and attempted to give her fluids at the recommendation of veterinarians.
Though she seemed to respond to the fluids, 6-04 appeared in need of medical attention, and crewmembers carefully hooded her and drove her to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, where doctors examined her. The bird's white blood cell count extremely high and she showed evidence of parasitic and bacterial infections. To prevent any further stress, veterinarians euthanized number 6-04 on Dec. 11.
These birds are the fourth generation of whooping cranes to make this unique assisted migration from Wisconsin to Florida. Cranes from the ultralight-led migration classes of 2001, 2002 and 2003 are making or have completed their own unassisted southward migrations, representing another milestone in this historic reintroduction effort.
Whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 275 birds in the wild. Aside from the 35 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population of whooping cranes nests at the Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast.
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SkyPup
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They really are magnificent birds, it has been such a treat to watch them come in after the morning sunrise to land, they really stand out amoung the Sandhills being about a foot taller.