Whooping cranes in the EMP
November 27, 2015 Wild Cranes Migration report = * denotes female 14 whoopers in Greene County, Indiana. They are: 17-07*/10-09, 12-02/4-11* and 19-10, 13-03*/9-05, 36-09*/18-03, 24-13, 18-09/23-10* and 34-09*/4-08.
The family unit consisting of 9-03 and 3-04* with the wild produced chick W18-15 is in Wayne County, Illinois. Interesting to note that during our flight from Cumberland County to our migration stop in Wayne County, we flew approximately 7 miles from the small wetland where this family is. Even more interesting is that W18-15 and ultralight crane 8-15* are full siblings. Number 8-15 came from the forced re-nesting study at Necedah and resulted from the first clutch of eggs this past spring being collected for use in the reintroduction. (Thanks PCW!).
Wisconsin DNR pilot Bev Paulan flew her final aerial survey of the season Nov. 24th and reported seeing only 3 Whooping cranes. They were: 16-12, 17-11*/19-11 ? all in Juneau County, Wisconsin.
Over in the Wisconsin Rectangle, DNR pilot Michael Callahan flew a survey yesterday and spotted 27-14* as well as six (6) of this year?s Direct Autumn Release cohort at/near Horicon marsh in Dodge County. Five members of the cohort are together and include: 61*,62,63,65*,67-15*. The sixth youngster is 68-15* was spotted in a flock of ~100 Sandhill cranes.
Mike also reported seeing DAR colt 66-15* in Calumet County, Wisconsin. The eighth DAR crane (64-15*) from the 2015 cohort departed on migration a few days ago and the whereabouts are unknown. Her signal was last heard as she traveled over Madison, WI, however trackers were unable to locate her due to traffic and snow.
Four of the six 2014 ultralight Whooping cranes have PTT devices, which we get information on a couple times each week. We know for sure that 3-14* and 10-14* are currently in Jenkins County, Georgia. We cannot definitively say that 4-14 (Peanut) and 4-12 are traveling with them, however, considering the number of weeks this group of four spent together near White River Marsh in the late summer/early fall, it?s likely.
The last PTT hit we received on number 8-14 placed her in Hamilton County, Tennessee earlier this week.
4 Whooping cranes were foraging near the winter release pen at St Marks in Wakulla County, Florida!
The group consists of: 7-14*, 9-14* and two males: 5-12 and 4-13.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/11/26/where-the-wild-cranes-are
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Topic: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration (Read 62348 times)