Nests (Good and Bad News) and Chicks!
April 29, being a warm sunny day, had some nests get abandoned. With the help of another ICF intern, I collected two eggs from the nest of #524 and 42-07 (DAR). The wind had picked up by the time we made it to the nest, but there were some flies around the nest.

Pair 505 and 415 have abandoned, and the nest of pair 408/#519 has failed. There are others still to be identified. Black flies were bothering at least one nesting pair on refuge.

On May 9, #310 and #W1-06 had a chick, but it may have been predated as it has not been seen again. After flying over the refuge for a nest survey May 12, Wisconsin DNR pilot Bev Paulan saw Crane pair #303 and #317 with a chick. Pair #509 and #313 also had a chick! Bev saw two other nests with pairs still incubating. The news can change daily, but keep watching the nesting chart for news as it comes.

Migration Update
Cranes 23-10 and 26-10 completed migration May 2 and #15-10 and #16-10 were also confirmed on Necedah NWR May 8. Crane #10-10 was detected in flight in southern Wisconsin during an aerial survey on 4 May, so she's somewhere near. That's the latest on the Class of 2010's first journey north!

With migration all but complete, nesting and hatching will make the news!
 
 

ICF tracking field Manager Eva is back on
the Wisconsin nesting grounds.

Cranes #15-10 and #16-10 at Necedah NWR May 8, 2011

Florida Male #1343
Good news! Non-migratory male 1343 is back in Florida! He was confirmed there on May 5 with the mate he had before #519 lured him northward. Male 1343 was last seen in Wisconsin on April 23.