Greetings all!
The following report is forwarded with permission from Tom Stehn, USFWS
biologist and US Whooping Crane Coordinator.
Where applicable, CWS stands for Canadian Wildlife Service; USFWS is US Fish and
Wildlife Service. Crane monitoring involves cooperative efforts and support by
both countries, plus many volunteers and non-profit organizations along the way.
Anyone wanting to contact Tom about the report or the whooping crane projects
can reach him via email at: tom_stehn@fws.gov. Other information, including
archived copies of these reports, can be found at the Texas Whooping Crane web
site at http://www.ccbirding.com/
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November 10, 2004
An aerial census on 10 November, 2004 of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
and surrounding areas estimated the number of whooping cranes present at 124
adults + 18 young = 142.
Recap of cranes observed: (142)
adults + young
Refuge 43 + 9
Lamar 2 + 1
San Jose 26 + 4
Matagorda 43 + 4
Welder Flats 10 + 0
Total 124 + 18 = 142
Remarks: Flight conditions were excellent with a lot of sunshine and southeast
winds. Tide levels were at mid-range (2.3 mlt measured on November 8), with
about 20% of the mudflats on San Jose Island exposed.
The number of cranes present at Aransas is 142. An estimated 99 adults + 17
young have arrived since the last flight on November 3rd. Most of these birds
are believed to have arrived November 3-5, riding in on north winds associated
with a cold front that had crossed the Texas coast on November 2nd. A few cranes
may have arrived November 6 or 7 when winds were generally light and from the
east with sunny skies. Conditions were unfavorable for migration on November
8-10. Peak arrivals normally occur from November 4-10, and this year the cranes
were right on schedule. Twenty-seven sandhill cranes were sighted on todayâ¬"s
flight on San Jose Island, indicating sandhills have also arrived, along with
numerous ducks. No sandhills were sighted the previous week.
Family groups present at Aransas are from nests 1, 4, 7, 9, 16, 17, 19, 27, 41,
47, K-10, and 7 unknowns. The Lobstick pair (nest 1) that brought twins last
year has a single chick. The Ayres Island pair (K-10) for which a nest was not
found in 2004, has apparently arrived with a chick. This is an unbanded pair so
I"ll have to see them multiple times on their winter territory before I can make
a conclusion about their identity. The family group from nest 17 had not been
found on August surveys but does have a chick. The pair with a territory in
front of the Aransas Refuge observation tower has not yet arrived.
There is some evidence of chick mortality that has occurred since the August
nesting ground surveys. Family 41 that had twins in August has arrived at
Aransas with only 1 chick. The pair from nest 10 that had a chick in August has
arrived without a chick, as identified by the color band on the male. Several
other pairs may have arrived without chicks that were expected, but it is too
early to draw any conclusions since unbanded subadult duos on today"s census
could have been occupying winter territories prior to the arrival of territorial
families.
One chick has separated from its parents and has been confirmed present November
3-4 in northeastern Colorado (Washington County) where it was with sandhill
cranes. This bird is expected to continue in migration and could winter in West
Texas.
With the presence of 142 whooping cranes at Aransas, the migration is about
2/3â¬"s completed. Large numbers of whooping cranes were reported in the last
week at Quivira NWR in Kansas (n=22) and Salt Plains NWR in Oklahoma (n=32). A
cold front that reached the Texas coast on November 11th is expected to bring
some of these birds to Aransas.
Two whooping cranes were shot in Kansas near the Quivira National Wildlife
Refuge on November 6th. A party of sandhill crane hunters has apparently
admitted to the shooting. Reported by a landowner as injured, both cranes were
picked up and driven to Manhatten, Kansas. Dr. Jim Carpenter and other
veterinary staff at Kansas State University performed surgery on both birds,
having to amputate the leg of one bird that had been hanging by a tendon, and
pin the broken wing of the other bird. Radiographs showed numerous embedded
pellets. The bird with the injured leg has subsequently died, and the remaining
bird is doing poorly as can be expected. My appreciation goes to Dr. Carpenter
and all the veterinary staff for their efforts. If the one bird recovers, it
will be shipped to the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and added to the
captive breeding flock.
A blue crab and wolfberry count was conducted at Aransas on November 8th.
Volunteer Katherine Cullen and Tom Stehn counted 215 crabs of all sizes in 1.5
hours hiking the marsh, and noted 740 wolfberries and 4 flowers in a 100-yard
transect across high marsh habitat. I would currently rate these food resources
for whooping cranes as high as I have ever seen them. The above average rains
throughout the spring and summer are presumably a primary factor resulting in
this abundance of food.
Tom Stehn
Whooping Crane Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Aransas NWR
P.O. Box 100
Austwell, TX 77950
(361) 286-3559 Ext. 221
fax (361) 286-3722
E:mail: tom_stehn@fws.gov
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Patty Waits Beasley
Corpus Christi, TX
email: patty@ccbirding.com
web:
http://www.ccbirding.com/