Topic: Operation Migration

[Nichi]

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4SAc5xSkjlM/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4SAc5xSkjlM"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4SAc5xSkjlM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/4SAc5xSkjlM</a>

They were looking good this morning!

[Nichi]

Sara Duff Sontag

[Michael]

 

[Nichi]

Here's a promo video for OM ... it's very beautiful.

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ouCzFvENDdY/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ouCzFvENDdY"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ouCzFvENDdY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ouCzFvENDdY</a>

[Nichi]

They will probably begin migration tomorrow.

They aren't ready! During their training sessions, it hasn't happened once that all eight of them stay with the trike: invariably, 4 of them end up dropping out. This in 20/30-minute sessions: how are they going to travel?

[Nichi]

Migration launched on the 2nd, but it didn't go well. Only 4 stayed with the first trike to their first destination: then the other 4, after many attempts to cajole them up (by the 2nd trike), had to be crated. Now they are grounded per weather.

The willing 4:

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KKLfGdlraTc/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KKLfGdlraTc"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KKLfGdlraTc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/KKLfGdlraTc</a>


The balking 4:

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a6AqeKJ3rB4/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a6AqeKJ3rB4"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/a6AqeKJ3rB4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/a6AqeKJ3rB4</a>

[Michael]

Unfortunate - obviously not ready, but I expect the window of the season is not endlessly extendible.

[Nichi]

<span data-s9e-mediaembed="youtube" style="display:inline-block;width:100%;max-width:640px"><span style="display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" style="background:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fCqxSAoW9BY/hqdefault.jpg) 50% 50% / cover;border:0;height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;width:100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fCqxSAoW9BY"></iframe></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/fCqxSAoW9BY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/fCqxSAoW9BY</a>

[Nichi]

They've had so many days of grounding during their migration to Florida, that it's been hard to keep up. Very hit and miss. But they're in Georgia now, so it won't be long before they make their goal. 

[Michael]

If they make it, it will be wonderful.

[Nichi]

They made it.

[Nichi]

They made it.

When they were training in Wisconsin, 2 adult cranes from last year's class kept hanging around the pen and the field there.  Amazingly, the same 2 adult cranes were there at the St. Mark's Reserve in Florida a couple of days ago, waiting for them! Here they are, visiting the newly-arrived young cranes.



I just think that's incredible and awesome.

[Michael]

Great!

[Nichi]

A touching closure by one of the team...

Homeward Bound…
Jan.7,2014

We began the southward Whooping crane migration on October 2nd, but most of us have been away from home since the middle of September.

As in year’s past, we came together to carry out an important task. We come from various backgrounds and bring varying skills and talents but there is at least one common thread we share. We care enough about Whooping cranes to commit to spending days, weeks, months living in tight quarters, eating at odd schedules, driving (or flying) for hours in the cold.

Being away from home, family and friends, pets, and our day-to-day lives seems a small sacrifice when the outcome is that we succeeded in adding eight young Whooping cranes to a flock where just 13 years ago, there were none. Our stopover hosts made the trip bearable by opening their homes and their hearts to the crew and their isolated fields to our eight very special young cranes. We cannot thank you enough for your hospitality and your generosity.

96 days before the final arrival, we left our White River Marsh base camp with no idea of how long the trip would take. Just that we had to get it done. We left with eight cranes and we arrived at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, 1101 miles to the south with eight cranes; each, possessing the knowledge of a migration route, which they will retrace, on their own, in about a dozen or so weeks. A route, which hopefully, they will pass on to their progeny.

On days when the weather cooperated we went as far as the cranes would go or conditions would allow. On bad weather days, we kept our sanity knowing that we had our readers and supporters encouraging us to continue. We cannot thank you enough for making our work possible. You are the reason we were successful in our task.

Three and a half months ago, as we prepared to undertake this journey, Simon and Garfunkel played in the background as everyone went about their jobs. It seems only fitting that now, as we pack our belongings and prepare to head home, we’re listening to Homeward Bound.

The cranes will spend the next several weeks acclimating to their new winter home, while Brooke checks them twice daily. One day in late March or early April, they’ll spiral skyward, catch a south wind, and glide over the horizon of the salt marsh, heading north. Perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of them next summer in Green Lake County or surrounding areas. Perhaps not.

May you live long lives – wild and free as you should.

Heather Ray
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2014/01/07/homeward-bound/

[Nichi]

Animal friends, if you'd like to show support for Operation Migration, go to the following link and click on the "Vote for This Story" button. No money necessary, and you needn't identify yourself, even. If they win that contest, it could mean a nice $50,000 for OM.

http://eaglerarelife.com/content/brooke-pennypacker

(You can do it everyday until the contest is over, if you want.)