whooping cranes

[o town]

We had the first whooping cranes hatched in over 100 years east of the Mississippi last year and although they didn't make it past 3 months, we are optimistic that this is just the start with our small flock.
Maybe they'll come back to MI with a good decade.

o town

[o town]

No, they're wild. It is an established (artificial) resident population that is going to be supplented by a flock(6, plus one by van that couldn't keep up) of youngsters coming into the Tampa area in the next few days.
They are being brought in by the ultralites piloted by people in WC suits. Kinda cool as we will have perhaps 2 colonies, 1 migratory and 1 non-migratory. The Tampa bunch will, hopefully, become migratory and be fruitful and multiply and become a strong adjunct to the existing migratory flock that winters in TX.
The whole purpose of expanding the range and dispersal of the cranes is to prevent some wierd weather happening like a hurricane, tornado or cold weather from wiping out a group of concentrated birds.
Having grown up through the painfully slow restoration of this great bird, I have to applaud all the hard work and dedication of the people involved.
Of the 2 chicks hatched here, about 20 miles from my place, 1 died quickly and 1 disappeared when it was about half-grown. The outlook is optimistic as this will only continue with other pairs here and the breeding pair is alive and well.
If the sight of whoopers is rare in MI, hopefully, the people here can make it a thing our kids and grandkids etc. can count on as commonplace.

o town