Keeping Track of Whooping Cranes: February 2016, Part 1

It’s February of 2016 and there is plenty of news to report about whooping cranes, in general, and the cranes of the Eastern Migratory Population (EMP), in particular. This is Part 1.

Below you will find:

News of the cow pond whooper in Tallahassee, FL; George Archibald’s thoughts on USFWS decision to discontinue the ultralight program; Signs of spring, in spite of snow, at the International Crane Foundation; an update on the charges filed in the shooting death of two whooping cranes in Texas.

Big Bird’s Comings and Goings at The Cow Pond

As if there was ever any doubt, whooping crane 11-09 (#11, hatched in 2009), the now single male of last year’s Cow Pond Pair, has become a true celebrity. Or, as his champion, Karen Willes, describes him – “a true ambassador for crane conservation.”

Since his arrival at the cow pond near Tallahassee on Christmas Day, he has attracted a growing and intensely loyal fan base who gather there daily to observe and photograph him. Fans who can’t get there, eagerly check the Facebook postings of Karen Willes to assure themselves of his well-being.

Whooping crane 11-09 at the cow pond near Tallahassee, where he is affectionately known as Big Bird. (Photo by Karen Willes, used with permission)

Karen posts regular updates about this whooper (who, unlike the majority of cranes in the EMP, has earned a nick name: Big Bird). This is the fifth year that Karen has been watching 11-09, or Big Bird, (and, until this year, his mate 15-09). Karen’s initial interest in photographing the whooper pair quickly grew into a personal and demanding citizen science project; this year she has been faithfully documenting Big Bird’s interactions with other wildlife, his daily habits, and timing his intermittent departures and arrivals.

Migration North

Because his most recent departure was last Friday morning, February 19th, Karen is convinced that “Big Bird,” is now on his northward journey – migrating home to Wisconsin. (Indeed, some sandhill cranes are already being documented back in Wisconsin.)

The educational signs which Karen has had printed and installed near the cow pond at her own expense, have now been removed from the area, and stored for next year. The signs tell visitors about endangered whooping cranes, about what a rare opportunity it is to see such an endangered wild creature, and about the need to keep a respectful distance while viewing him through scopes and camera lenses.

“We have had over 50 days with Big Bird!” Karen posted this week. “Hope he returns in December with a new mate!”

Highlights of Big Bird’s Visit

Here is a brief summary of a few of the highlights Karen has posted about those 50 days:

– Though sweet, his arrival on Christmas Day came with just a hint of the bittersweet: he was alone. His former mate was in Alabama, with a different male whooping crane (11-02). His first days at the cow pond were punctuated by morning calls that some interpreted as his yearning and searching for the missing 15-09. Visitors to the cow pond, and commenters on Karen’s Facebook stream, expressed a frequent hope that he soon finds a new mate.

– Lonely, though he may have seemed at times, he was never really alone at the cow pond! There was the occasional stand-off with the resident cows – in which the cows backed off. At various times he shared the pond and surrounding fields with a rich assortment of other bird visitors, including ducks, Canadian geese, sandhill cranes, ibis, and wood storks.

A collage of Big Bird at the cow pond, with visitors, including the 9 sandhill cranes in top photo, ibis, bottom left, and geese, right. (By Karen Willes, used with permission)

– On January 5th nine sandhill cranes joined Big Bird at the cow pond. As they flew overhead, the whooping crane called to the sandhills and the group reversed course, landed, and spent the night with him. Karen described Big Bird as “the pied piper,” leading the group up a hill in the morning and leading their take-off; he flew north with them, but then “circled back and went south, calling as he flew. Guess he was just helping them get on their way,” Karen posted.

– Some nights in February, Big Bird began to spend nights elsewhere, prompting great concern among the new craniacs closely following the news about him. Beginning February 7th he was gone about five nights; for two of those nights, he was discovered at another pond on private land inaccessible to visitors.

George Archibald’s Positive Message

Mixed in with her photos and news of Big Bird, Karen Willes Facebook stream tracks and reports other whooping crane news, as well. On January 22nd, Big Bird, the cow pond, and the human craniacs that gather there received a visit from a different kind of celebrity – a human one! George Archibald, the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, stopped by the cow pond on a chilly afternoon (for Florida) to meet and visit with them.

Dr. George Archibald with Karen Willes, January 2016. (Photo by Claire Timm, used with permission)

Dr. Archibald shared with them the just-released decision by USFWS to discontinue the ultralight program. Karen wrote about his reaction to the end of a program she knows he supports. “As he explained the decision, he immediately looked for a positive outcome – that of ICF working with Operation Migration to put more cranes in the company of other cranes so that more of them will be together.”

More cranes in closer proximity, might be one solution to the problem of helping the EMP become self-sustaining. Karen wrote of her own belief in this possibility: “Now let’s pull together to support the International Crane Foundation and Operation Migration in all their continued reintroduction endeavors to produce more cranes so that the EMP can become self-sustaining . . .”

More News from the International Crane Foundation

Always at work on behalf of cranes all over the world, the International Crane Foundation provides special attention in Wisconsin to the two crane species that can be found here, and throughout North America. Their monitoring of the now-numerous sandhill species led to this news, reported by ICF on Feb. 21:

“Spring is in the air – we sighted our first returning Sandhill Crane this weekend!”

And for Valentine’s weekend, an ICF report featured a pair from their captive whooping crane population, dancing in the snow!

“Love is in the air; despite our single digit temperatures, breeding season is fast approaching at our headquarters. Old and new couples are beginning to dance and call. . .”

Shooter Will Be Charged Under the Endangered Species Act

Finally, here is some news about the charges filed for the killing of two whooping cranes from the non-migrating Louisiana population. Both cranes were shot and killed near Beaumont, TX on Dec. 10, 2015. Trey Joseph Frederick, 18, of Beaumont was charged with the killings early in January. He was first charged with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the case was refiled, and ICF reports that Frederick is now charged under the Endangered Species Act, thus likely facing stiffer penalties.

A Vision Come True in the Kettle Moraine

Here’s a bit more about the beginnings of the Ice Age Trail, the preservation of the Kettle Moraine, and Ray Zillmer, the man who had the vision to imagine these gifts as public resources. (The Badger & the Whooping Crane featured this story in posts, January 12th and 18th.)  He also had the stamina to pursue that vision until it began to take shape.

A volunteer work group for the Ice Age Trail Alliance, building and maintaining the trail.

I’m grateful to the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, for publishing this longer version of Ray Zillmer’s story in their own Wisconservation Blog!

A New Chapter for Wisconsin Whooping Cranes

A new chapter for whooping cranes opens today, as Operation Migration’s last and final ultralight-led migration wrapped up in Florida yesterday. For OM, and its six young Class of 2015 whoopers, this has been the longest migration ever. As with the fourteen that preceded this one, it has had its own stories and dramas that define it.

The unexpected ending of this particular migration – finally boxing up the birds just 25 miles short of their winter pensite at St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge – might seem an ignoble exit strategy, but not really. It was a necessary strategy demanding extra-stiff-upper-lip-heroics from the crew that loved and lived and flew with the birds. It was just one more small detail in the drama of reintroducing an endangered species, long absent, from a particular landscape. And it was a necessity so that things could move along to the next necessary step.

This is a sight that people in Tallahassee had hoped to see one more time. Photographer and Citizen Scientist, Karen Willes, made this lovely photo of the arrival of the Class of 2014 over the town of St. Marks, in December a year ago. Ultralight pilot Brooke Pennypacker had two of the seven cranes “locked” to each wingtip. (Photo used with permission)

The prepared pensite was waiting for them at St. Marks, and there were people from Tallahassee and all over the region hoping to get a glimpse of the cranes and ultralights flying overhead. But mostly, for the birds, there was the calendar, saying “it’s February!” The birds needed to be at home in the wetland pen  where they are lightly monitored, and they will learn a few things about life on their own in preparation for their NEXT migration: their first independent flight north to Wisconsin. That migration will begin sometime in March, or possibly, April.

You can totally immerse yourself in more of the drama of this story at The Operation Migration Field Journal. Look especially at the posts where OM’s gifted pilots turn into gifted writers, as well. This is where you’ll learn from Brooke’s long musing report of his last flight (Day 102 . . . The Last Waltz) that “denial” is really just “hope spelled backwards.” (Who could not say ‘Amen!’ to that?)

You can learn about the competitive, not-really-a-team-player bird, #2-15, in Driving Miss Crazy. Or Joe’s description of clearing the trees at the end of the runway last Saturday, only to have his ultralight turned sideways by a blast of wind, and a few more thoughts about the conclusion of his avian aviator career – one of the world’s most unique job titles.

This older file photo depicts an ultralight training flight at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo courtesy of WCEP)

And read today’s post from Heather, “Carry On . . .” explaining how she joined up with OM 18 years ago, and began to post online about the work; how soon after people began following, and thus, “Craniacs were born!” And her final tribute to the reason for it all:

” . . .Whooping cranes – Regal. Noble. Majestic. Magnificent. Fly free my feathered friends. Live long. . .” she wrote.

Like all good stories, the new chapter for whooping cranes will begin with dozens of pressing questions. Like these: Without ultralight flights, what IS Operation Migration’s new contribution to the effort? What kind of future is there for the 100 whooping cranes in the eastern flyway stretching from Wisconsin to Florida? Will the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) hold? Will WCEP continue to track and monitor these birds?

And:  What happens now to the costume-rearing technique? What IS really known about these Wisconsin whoopers’ so-called “lack of parenting skills?” Will the hundreds – no, thousands, probably – of craniacs spontaneously created as a byproduct of this project, remain tuned in? Where are the two new wild whooper families now? The ones that were sighted by Wisconsin birders repeatedly last fall at Necedah NWR?

This is the way young whooping cranes have been trained in Wisconsin to fly with ultralights and learn a migration route from 2001 through 2015.    (Paul K. Cascio photographer, USGS Multimedia Gallery)

And, for that matter, just what IS going on with the weather – and is it “weather” or is it “climate?” – the thing that seems to have grounded flight after flight this year; and last year too, come to think of it? And, oh, by the way, what about the Whooping Crane Festival? Will there be one again in Princeton, Wisconsin, come September?

So many questions today! And these are the building blocks of tomorrow’s stories, waiting to be told.