This Week's Update Includes:

• News: A Most Unusual Season
• Photo Gallery: Cranes on the Wintering Grounds
• The Migration: Coming Soon

Many Cranes Not on Usual Wintering Grounds

• Almost half of the Eastern Migratory Population shortened their southward migration by hundreds of miles. In the last count of Eastern migratory whooping cranes, nearly 40 percent never flew south of Indiana.
• Many of the whooping cranes that migrate between Canada and Texas each year didn't bother to come to Texas this winter. Cranes that would normally  winter on coastal Texas have stopped short in Nebraska and Kansas.

Late Arrival for the Class of 2011

• The youngest cranes in the eastern flock have barely been on their wintering grounds for a week! When the nine youngsters in the Class of 2011 were unwilling to continue following their ultralight airplane leaders after many long delays, the journey south was cut short. Still in Alabama, they were transported by road to an unexpected winter home: Alabama's Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

Crane Count is Down

• Biologists were hoping to welcome a record 300 cranes to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas this winter. So far only 209 have been accounted for.

Weather Woes

• A long drought in Texas has made fresh water and blue crabs harder for the Whooping cranes to find. This means they've had to move around more to search for food and water.

The cranes are keeping everyone guessing. It's going to be an adventure, and we're glad you're here!

View the photo gallery to start asking questions. Then check out the slideshows to visit cranes from both flocks on their wintering grounds.

• Photo Gallery: Cranes on the Wintering Grounds

• Slideshow: Western/Texas Wintering Grounds
• Slideshow: Eastern/Florida Wintering Grounds

Record facts and observations on this journal page.