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Journey
North News: Winter
& Spring 2008
Posted
Fridays:
Feb. 29, Mar. 14, 28, Apr. 4, 11, 18, 25, May 2,
9
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May
9, 2008
What a big week for news! The last 3 of the celebrated 10
Wisconsin nests were deserted on a hot May 6, though some eggs were saved. Young
#733 reached home. Now #727 is the only one in
the
Class
of
2007 still
migrating,
while all six '07 DAR chicks remain in Michigan.
Three chicks have hatched in Maryland for fall's ultralight-led migration! Our
new slide
show
reveals
how a
Big Egg Hunt helped save the species, and our create-a-caption slide show previews
the
new chicks' summer adventures. It's a wrap! |
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May
2,
2008
Three of the Class of 2007 crossed the finish line this week, raising the total
to 58 of 72 cranes home in Wisconsin. The first of the Western flock finished
the 2,500-mile journey to their Canadian nesting grounds. You might be surprised
to find out how recently those nesting grounds were identified! Our field biologists
have
news: Sara
sums
up
the
whereabouts
of
every
bird in the
Eastern
flock, and Tom Stehn gives the egg forecast for the soon-to-be Class of 2008.
Will there be 24 ultralight cranes, as hoped for? Photo
Eva Szyszkoski
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April
25, 2008
Whooping Cranes are flocking homeward! Nine of the
Class of
2007 completed migration this week, and
biologist Brian Johns reports at least 40 whoopers
on the home
stretch to the nesting grounds in Canada. Taking to the
skies herself, Sara discovered ten pairs
nesting in Wisconsin. What important life lessons
must young
cranes master? Click through our slide show to compare
differences between wild-raised and captive-raised
crane-kids learning to survive. |
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April
18, 2008
The first whoopers of the Western flock have reached Saskatchewan! Biologist
Brian Johns predicts they'll reach the Canadian nesting grounds early
next
week.
Despite
wild
weather, many cranes persisted in their journey north, and a few more of the
Eastern
flock
are back in Wisconsin. How many days was #709 on the wintering
grounds? Tracker Colleen says spring is a crazy time for Whooping Cranes, and
there's plenty of proof in today's report. Six nests, too! |
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April
11, 2008
Over
half the entire new Eastern flock is back! The first HY07 crane flew right over
Necedah NWR. How will the Class of 2007 know when they've
reached home? Three
pairs
are nesting,
raising
happy
hopes
for
chicks
this summer. The Western flock has departed earlier than usual, and Tom Stehn
discusses possible reasons. He counted only 34 on the Texas refuge April 10.
See
the
trackers'
latest photos, and check bio pages for your Eastern crane's progress. Go cranes! |
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April
4,
2008
Whooping Cranes in both flyways are headed north! More than 30 older ultracranes
have completed migration, and the
ultralight-led juveniles are underway. (Young #735 is already home, but
she had help.) Why
do
Whooping
Cranes
lay
two
eggs when usually only one chick survives? What advantages do these
endangered birds gain by migrating in small groups? Explore reasons with biologist
Tom Stehn. See the latest migration photos in Sara'sreport, and
learn
which
female
migrated back to Wisconsin for
the first time in 5 springtimes! |
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March
28, 2008
Here they come! The journey north is underway
for
all
but
six
of
the
ultralight-led
juveniles! At least four of their older flock mates have reached Wisconsin.
In
Texas,
five
of
the
natural
flock
began
migration
March
25. Get latest updates on both flock's "senior citizens." See Sara's
photos of a muddy #709
and find out why
#706
is
fondly
called
Mommy's
Boy
by
tracker
Eva. |
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March
14,
2008
No migration yet for the Western flock's 266 cranes nor the 17 chicks
of
the
new
Eastern
flock who followed the ultralights south. But young DAR 40-07 has begun her first
journey north, and several older "ultra-cranes"
are headed north too.
Sara's news and photos tell of a surprising change in #735's
future.
From Texas, biologist Tom Stehn introduces us to a quiet hero: the Lobstick male,
hatched
in
1972
and
still
bringing
his
chicks
to Texas. |
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February
29, 2008
"The tallest bird in North America has something
special to "whoop" about," says Tom Stehn, and today's
report tells why. It's
been a great
year
for whoopers! Most are hunkered down in their wintering
grounds, but three early birds began their journey
north this week. Tour the wintering grounds of both flocks
with
our slide shows. Get acquainted with some cranes by identifying
them through banding colors, and test your skills at counting
cranes from the air like Tom Stehn does. Welcome
to the cranes' 2008 journey north! |
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Welcome
and Orientation
What endangered species stands nearly five feet tall with
wingspans wider than most cars? Whooping Cranes! Our reports
begin on February 29, when these magnificent birds are
on their wintering grounds. Regular
WHOOPING CRANE SPRING MIGRATION UPDATES will be posted
here
on Fridays. (See schedule above.) Download your official
journals, make your map of Whooping Crane habitats, and
get ready for the journey north adventure! >>
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