Last Sunday I reported on the migratory departure of whooping crane Class of 2011. As of yesterday, five of the nine youngsters were in Wisconsin and nearing the White River Marsh where they will spend the summer fattening up for the return trip next fall. Numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 were within flapping distance and moving northwest.
Last year the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership and Operation Migration selected a new location for the training of whooping crane chicks in preparation for their first migration. The previous ten years trainings had taken place at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin. The seasonal black fly infestation prevented the returning cranes from nesting successfully and the new site was chosen. Soon a new flock of chicks, which will become the Class of 2012, will arrive and the cycle will start again. On this day, Earth Day, what a great reminder of new beginnings and another chance to make a positive difference. Check out OM’s “In the Field” notes for today and learn how you can support good causes like OM simply by searching the internet using GoodSearch.
http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html
If you live in the eastern U.S. and spot a whooping crane, log-in your report using this link:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sightings/sightingform.cfm
Here is the latest overall map showing the PTT locations for Whooping cranes 4, 7 & 9-11 since departing the Wheeler NWR on April 12th.
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| The above note an map were taken from OM’s website. |
The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida) will be out on September 16.