Where Are the Cranes?
On March 20, ICF tracker Eva reported on the Eastern Migratory Population: 70 Whooping cranes already home in Wisconsin, 4 in Indiana, 9 in Alabama, 4 in Tennessee, 4 in Florida, 14 at unknown locations, and 2 long-term missing. The flock's youngest cranes are nearly one year old. This is their first northward migration. Here is Eva's update on the eastern flock's Class of 2011:

Eight 2011 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) juveniles: Two (#15-11 and #18-11) are in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Two (#17-11 and #20-11) remain at the Hiwassee WR in Tennessee. One (#14-11) is in LaPorte/St. Joseph Counties, Indiana. One (#19-11) was last reported Feb. 9 in Fayette County, Illinois. One (#16-11) was last reported March 8 in Jackson County, Indiana but has left that area. One (#13-11) was last detected on autumn migration in northern Illinois on November 29.

Ten 2011 ultralight-led juveniles: Female #2-11, who broke off from the ultralight led migration on October 21, was last confirmed at Hiwassee WR in Tennessee on February 16. The nine remaining juveniles in the ultralight cohort remain at Wheeler NWR in Alabama.

Map: Courtesy of ICF and the WCEP Monitoring and Management Team