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Author Topic: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration  (Read 52410 times)

shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #210 on: December 07, 2015, 09:51:06 AM »

Birds safe on the ground
BOTH OM's trucks got stuck in the mud at the pen they just left,
tractor pulled them out

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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #211 on: December 08, 2015, 07:35:39 AM »




Joe Duff Lead Pilot Report
When I launched with the birds, I could not see them. The only place to land is on a tractor road 300 feet from the pen. It?s over a slight ridge but as soon as the birds are 10 feet up, they could see me and hear the vocalizer. I took off and they fell into place ? but not for long. One bird kept turning them back every time we headed on course.

Just to the south of the pen there is a forest that extends east and west for miles. The fog seemed to catch in the branches like a solid wall so we had to circle to gain a little altitude while Colleen and Heather paraded around the pen as animated swamp monsters.

The thicker the fog got, the less agreeable they seemed to be about crossing it, but there was also a battle playing out between numbers 1 and 2.  One bird would break and lead a few others back.  I would chase them and invariably when I took back the lead, it was number 2 up front.  40 minutes later I was still corralling birds within a mile of the pensite.

Finally after 50 minutes, number 2 veered off alone. Her departure was so sudden that the other birds did not follow and that allowed Brooke (chase pilot) to move in quickly and pick her up.  He went east and I took the others west.

With one bird you can concentrate your efforts and he soon had her on course but it wasn?t easy. She kept bouncing from wing to wing or leading the trike, or worse, dipping below the wing where she had to work hard and use up her reserved energy.

They broke once more and something interesting happened. Often when they leave the aircraft they will fly parallel to the trike a few hundred yards away. They seem to be deciding whether to leave or come back. If you turn towards them, they take that as confirmation to turn for the pen. But if you hold your course, they sometimes come back.

As we flew east, four cranes drifted off to the left leaving #1 alone on my wingtip. I could see her calling and there was a moment of indecision. I held my course while number 1 left my wingtip, took over the lead of the four and brought them back to the trike.

With all five birds on the wing I turned on course. We had been airborne an hour and 6 minutes and we were finally on our way.

Brooke was miles ahead and working hard to keep number 2 flying. We slowly climbed to 800 feet but my birds were now getting tired. They had flown for more that a hour with only short periods of soaring on the wing.  I took them up to 1000 feet. But they would fall behind and fly with their beaks open to get more air.  We landed next to Brooke who already had number 2 in the pen and water and feed ready.

The total flight took 2 hours and 26 minutes but it was hard work all the way ? both for the birds and the pilots. I made sure #1 got extra grapes and I quietly thanked her for the help.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/08/day-69-lead-pilot-report


I edited, click link and read it.  Joe is a great writer and speaker!
Joe took these photos in flight with a selfie stick.  How creative!
Poor Joe!  What an insane flight!  On link is an image from Joe's GPS unit showing his track history. lol  -  Will they shove #2 in a crate?  What a naughty girl!


December 8
It doesnt appear they will be going ANYwhere for several days
weather
They put up a test trike, but no go.
Snips a couple pics
birds were ready!



« Last Edit: December 08, 2015, 12:01:17 PM by shep »
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baziunc

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #212 on: December 08, 2015, 06:57:12 PM »

T40 posted the following in the "Birds in the News" thread in Forum.  I'm sharing it here.  Thanks, T40.

Wildlife agents report increase in Louisiana's whooping crane population.

http://www.ksla.com/story/30690440/wildlife-agents-report-increase-in-louisianas-whooping-crane-population

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present."   ― A.A. Milne

"Hope for the best and accept what comes." ― President Jimmy Carter, on Aug. 20, 2015, during press conference at The Carter Center

shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #213 on: December 10, 2015, 07:03:35 AM »

Found a peanut!  Found a peanut!  :D :-*
December 9, 2015   
    Female sub-adult Whooping crane #10-14*  at St. Marks Florida.  She is with #3-14* and the 2 males: #4-12 and #4-14 (Peanut).

This makes a total of 8 Whooping cranes which have returned to St. Marks in the past few weeks.
The original four are: 5-12, 9-14*, 7-14* and 4-13.
The new arrivals had been blown east into Georgia in November.
All cranes in the Class of 2014 have returned to Florida!   :D ;D :D :)

*denotes female crane
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/09/newsflash

« Last Edit: December 17, 2015, 03:01:36 PM by shep »
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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #214 on: December 14, 2015, 02:59:39 AM »

Photo December 13, 2015
pouring rain - gonna be MUD MUD MUD
cranes LOVE it, trikes dont


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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #215 on: December 15, 2015, 03:35:31 PM »

December 15, 2015       Toozday    Shepnotes
Flew from TN to Double Springs in Winston County, Alabama

The winds let up and we reached Winston County, Alabama! 66 more miles. This morning?s flight lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes and all six cranes stayed with Brooke the entire flight.  Please enjoy these photos by Cindy Hayes and Chase pilot, Joe Duff.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/15/day-77-success






« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 02:19:42 PM by shep »
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baziunc

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #216 on: December 16, 2015, 01:55:41 PM »

Thanks, Shep.  That last link in your post isn't working for me - I get "the webpage cannot be found" message when I click on it.  Did something get "cut off" maybe in the cut-and-paste of that link?  I can go to the OM Field Notes webpage directly and find the info there, but just wondered about the link.  Hmmm... when I go to http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/ I don't currently see the Day 77 (12-15-2015) post there.  I wonder if it was removed for some reason?   On further investigation at that web page, on the right side in the RSS/Twitter feed, I see the reference to the Day 77/Success post though... and some other tweets indicating some people may be having some access issues.  I found this:
https://mobile.twitter.com/OperMigration?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
and scrolled through that to see the Day 77 Success mention for Dec. 15, and also the OM tweet today saying that winds aloft are too strong and that they will be standing down for the day today in Winston County, Alabama.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 02:07:51 PM by baziunc »
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present."   ― A.A. Milne

"Hope for the best and accept what comes." ― President Jimmy Carter, on Aug. 20, 2015, during press conference at The Carter Center

shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #217 on: December 16, 2015, 02:25:25 PM »

Dec 16, 2015  -  shepnotes

baz - It was an OM photo - which Heather'd given me permission last year to post.
She couldnt get into their site to post today til later.
I have no idea if they had to re-arrange stuff.

clicking on fb snip also get the 404 - but u can see the pic there
it DID exist - lol
https://www.facebook.com/OperationMigration

Here are screen shots I got today.  Cranes in Alabama.
2 are being a bit feisty - a 3rd joined after I snipt.

Dec. 16 Thursday looks 'IFFY' to fly - they hope to.
Friday looks more hopeful.

« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 02:28:09 PM by shep »
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baziunc

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #218 on: December 16, 2015, 03:33:09 PM »

Nice snips, Shep.  I'm sure the pic was there earlier.  LOL.  I see you edited your post to remove that pic now.  I wasn't even talking about th e"missing" pic anyway... I was talking about the link - http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/15/day-77-success - which gives a "webpage cannot be found" message.  I'm sure now that it's not any error on your part.  It looks like some of the OM people even have had some kind of issue with accessing some of their site info today the best I could tell from some of the things I read there in their tweets from OM people... They must've had some kind of technical glitch. 
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 03:36:13 PM by baziunc »
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present."   ― A.A. Milne

"Hope for the best and accept what comes." ― President Jimmy Carter, on Aug. 20, 2015, during press conference at The Carter Center

shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #219 on: December 16, 2015, 03:37:10 PM »

OM isp was banned by the journal server.
It sounds funny   :D  - but things like that have happened to me,
and its NOT funny at all.

4.30 pm  Heather replied
I was blacklisted from our site by a 3rd party security plugin.
We had to roll back and rebuild.
The journal is updated
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 04:26:13 PM by shep »
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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #220 on: December 16, 2015, 04:33:38 PM »

Here are the lost photos
They are very nice!
Dont shoot me but one of the pics they look almost like geese!
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/15/day-77-migration-update


Whooper with Tourettes
Lead Pilot Report
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/16/day-77-lead-pilot-report


If reading Brooke's reports confuses you, dont feel bad!   ;D
Just think Mork - if you watched that TV show - or Robin Williams.
You'll be ok



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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #221 on: December 17, 2015, 02:59:56 PM »



PHOTO from a previous year. Too cute not to use again! dont remember who did it.


December 17, 2015       Thurzday  Shepnotes
The one with the most cinamon color is the male.
We can call him Bubba.  Aint he purdy?

« Last Edit: December 17, 2015, 03:02:12 PM by shep »
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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #222 on: December 18, 2015, 11:59:16 AM »

December  18, 2015       Friday    Shepnotes
Double Springs in Winston County, Alabama
7.06 am  trike leaves airport and heads to the pen to get the birds - and - cam goes OFF
7.09     BIRDS UP - but no go - returned to pen about 7.40

snips from video
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/18/day-80-no-go


Heading Home for the Holidays
Dec. 18, 2015 -  The warm winds have delayed us longer than most years past and the holiday season is knocking (loudly) at our RV doors.  After much discussion, we just now made the decision that our current migration stop is the safest ? both for the cranes and the aircraft. The crane pen is located very close to camp and here we have the luxury of a hangar to keep the aircraft out of the elements until we return on December 28th.

Colleen Chase and Jeff Fox will stay here to tend to the birds over the holidays ? they?ll be well cared for.  The rest of us will pick up rental cars tomorrow and head to our respective homes in Florida, North Carolina, Ontario and Rhode Island to spend time with our families.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/18/heading-home-for-the-holidays

             -------------

OKC owls are active, seen and heard - cam probly right after new year
OKC owlcam - Mrs nests in a balcony planter! 
http://www.raptorresource.org/forum/index.php/topic,2126.0.html

« Last Edit: December 18, 2015, 04:38:47 PM by shep »
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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #223 on: December 19, 2015, 08:34:51 AM »

December  19, 2015       Sataday    Shepnotes
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shep

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Re: Whooping Cranes, Operation Migration
« Reply #224 on: December 24, 2015, 07:15:37 AM »




Merry CHRISTmas
December  24, 2015   
Double Springs in Winston County, Alabama



Aransas Texas Whooping Cranes
December 2015 Update - Heather Ray
Data management postsurvey observations
Overall, habitat appeared to be in excellent condition.
We did not observe any family groups that included twin juveniles.
Whooping cranes were detected on a couple islands.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/24/wood-buffaloaransas-whooping-crane-pop-update


Stormy weather
Dec. 23, 2015  Joe Duff

After sitting for weeks in high winds, we picked a day to break camp and head home for a short Christmas break. That very morning was perfect for flying!  The problem was that the next stopover does not provide ideal conditions for the birds.  We chose the last option which was to leave the birds where they are, with our experienced crew members.

We headed home, arriving just in time to hear that tornadoes were predicted for the Alabama county we just left.
There is not much you can do if 200 mph winds whip through the area except evacuate ahead of time.

The pen has been staked down with extra ropes and multiple pegs so it looks like it?s been captured by a monster spider. Crates have been set up and if there is time, the birds will be boxed and moved to a shelter. If not, they will be released to hunker down as they would in the wild but without the hazard of a pen blowing around them

Brooke came back to sit out the storm and help if needed. If it passes uneventfully, he will head back down to Florida.
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2015/12/23/stormy-weather

There is no live pen cam of cranes

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