The OM team and their entourage have now arrived at their second stop into Illinois, and will next be at the first new stop on the revised migration route. I talked with OMâs Liz Condie about how the team is doing with so many grounded days. Weather has just not been in their favor many mornings, wind and rain the main issues. I spoke with Marty Folk about the Whooping cranes that remain as part of the non-migrating flock on the Kissimmee Prairie. The team has decided that no more birds will be released, and none have since 2004. A total of 289 chicks were released between 1993 and 2004! Drought and predation have been the main reasons their numbers have dwindled to only 31 that now remain. While the OM team was happy to leave Wisconsin, some were not as glad to see them go! They are a part of the daily routine much of the year at Necedah NWR, and refuge manager Larry Wargowsky talks about the birds' training behind the ultralights there, and how visitation at Necedah has grown to where a new visitor center will break ground next year to handle the increased traffic. If you have a question, write to us at whooperhappenings@earthlink.net  . Thanks for listening to WH 36! Chris Gullikson heads for LaSalle County, IL with 5 members of the Class of 2008 on his wing the morning of November 18, 2008. OM Photo by Heather Ray

The Operation Migration team is almost into Illinois at this time, as wind and rain have made for many no-fly days. The highly aggressive bird who 'took out' 3 other flock members this summer... #810, has been released on his own and is doing well with other older Whoopers. He should soon be heading south with his peers or Sandhills, and will likely be in Florida long before the OM team with his flockmates! We talked with OM's Heather Ray for the first time. Heather goes back to the Sandhill migrations before the costume protocol was even used around the birds. She has been gone almost 3 years, but is on the migration with the team now, and working with the birds. Also, lead pilot Joe Duff discusses how the birds might be divided when they get to Florida, as half the flock will winter at St. Mark's NWR just south of Tallahassee this year, and the other half at Chassahowitzka, where they have been the last 7 years. Listen to win a Whooper Happenings t-shirt! No one e-mailed a correct answer to our migration question.. It's an easy one, but we'll take just the first correct answer. Thanks for listening, and join us again in November. Our e-mail is whooperhappenings@earthlink.net  . Early morning flight training at Necedah, NWR, WI. Photo - Mark Chenoweth AND... Here's an addition that you must see! If you love these birds, watch the short video that OM's Heather Ray shot on 11/1. Only someone in costume could ever do that, and few are allowed so close to the birds! It's a really cool video... no talking or dialogue, but I bet you will love it, too! Post a comment and thank her for the video after... an 'excellent' rating at the top would also be great! The birds were at their last stop over in Southern Wisconsin. The Class of '08 Out For Some Exercise... var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-5346209-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview();

As the start of migration approaches, things haven't gone as the team would like! Weather issues have led to many down days, and the flight training, so important to get these birds to fly as a flock, has been intermittent. The flock is now down to just 14 birds, since the aggression of #810 forced them to have this bird sent out as a sort of DAR release. This bird injured 3 other birds, ultimately leading to the death of #807, and 809 being sent back to Patuxent for his genetic value, and #811 now a display bird at the Milwaukee Zoo. Beverly Paulan, Operation Migration's Field Supervisor, talks about 810, and a few others, one of which she calls âher favoriteâ! Beverly loves all the chicksâ and the dismissal of #810 was a bittersweet decision for the WCEP team. But his aggression of the other chicks, and the fear of more harmful interaction during migration, forced their hand. The International Crane Foundationâs Marianne Wellington talks about how her 6 chicks are doing. (This was just before #810 was sent to be released by her team.) Our winner of the drawing for the new book, âCranes, A Natural History of a Bird in Crisisâ by Janice Hughes was Mary Wollitz-Dooley of Plainfield, Indiana. That beautiful book is on the way to her. Last but not leastâ here's a chance to win a Whooper Happenings t-shirt. Just listen for the details. Thanks for listening to WH #34. Write to us or reply with your answer to whooperhappenings@earthlink.net . Top photo - Whooper chicks in flight school training at Necedah, WI. Photo - Mark Chenoweth Bottom photo - Costumed handler with chick #811. Photo - Operation Migration var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-5346209-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview();

WIN a copy of Dr. Hughes new book, 'CRANES'

In this longest-yet episode of Whooper Happenings, Bev and Brooke talk about the 2008 chicks and the new migration route they worked so hard on, Marty Folk discusses the Kissimmee Prairie birds and loss of all the chicks this season. It has been a tough, dry year so far! Joe Duff talks about the new migration route and his expectations for the upcoming migration. The new route, which differs greatly from the past years, hopefully will expedite the migration this year, saving time and money. But the changes were not made just for these reasons! You'll hear why they were so important and needed! The route maps show the old migration (on the right) as compared with the newly planned route they will take this fall. Note that Indiana is bypassed, Alabama is bisected and Georgia only has the route to the very southwest of the state. If you have a question or comment, please e-mail whooperhappenings@earthlink.net . Thanks!

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