Whooping Cranes!

IMG_6446ce - Whooping Cranes!
Originally uploaded by luv2run

On Sunday, Jan 27, 2008, I had a unique opportunity to view a flyover by the Operation Migration team, who led a group of whooping cranes over the Dunnellon FL airport en route to their winter home at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. They planned to spend the night at Halpata Tastanaki Preserve before flying on to Chassahowitzka.

It looked like the flyover was a go for Friday, Jan 25th, so I drove down from Gainesville that day. Altho the skies were clear, the wind was too strong for the pilots and cranes, so the flyover was canceled. Saturday wasn't good either, so it was postponed until Sunday.

The skies were quite gray on Sunday, but there was an opening in the clouds that enabled the pilots to lead the cranes down below the clouds and over the crowd of Craniacs who had gathered there.

This was a wonderfully organized event, which included a short movie about how the whooping cranes are raised and trained to follow the ultralights. We were also treated to a question and answer session with whooping crane experts. Several birding groups set up tables with merchandise for sale.

You too can be an official certified Craniac! Just go to www.operationmigration.org and sign up!

See my Flickr photo site for more photos of this event:
www.flickr.com/photos/luv2run/sets/72157603808999057/