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224 whooping cranes located by authorities
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An aerial census was conducted of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and surrounding areas Dec. 6 to locate whooping cranes. A total of 181 adults and 43 chicks, for a grand total of 224, were located.
Conditions were fair with light winds, but skies were overcast making it likely at least five percent of all cranes were overlooked.
Cranes found were as follows, listed by adults and young:
ANWR - 57 and 12.
Lamar - eight and three.
San Jose Island - 35 and 10.
Matagorda Island - 62 and 14.
Welder Ranch - 19 and four.
Even large white birds do not stand out well when light levels are low. The presence of four more cranes at ANWR was documented on the flight. The family group with two chicks seen at Kirwin NWR in Kansas apparently resumed migration Nov. 29 and made it safely to ANWR. This is the record seventh set of twins to make it to the Refuge this winter out of the eight sets sighted by the Canadian biologists in mid-August. However there is no evidence the family group sighted at Salt Plains NWR in Oklahoma Nov. 25 has made it to ANWR.
Evidence from the last two census flights indicates a family group on the Nov. 22 flight had been counted twice. Thus, there are currently 43 chicks at ANWR. Total flock size is estimated at 234. This estimate is derived from the 221 counted at the Refuge on Nov. 22, plus 13 additional birds as follows:
€ (2+2) They were found at Kirwin NWR and arrived at Aransas the first week in December.
€ (4+0) They were located in central Kansas in late November.
€ (2+1) These were sighted at Salt Plains NWR in northern Oklahoma on Nov. 25.
€ (1+0) This one was sighted in flight south of Bastrop on Dec. 1.
€ (1+0) A whooping crane has been in with sandhill cranes for about a month 15 miles northwest of the wintering area just south of Port Lavaca.
The total of 234 cranes is the largest whooping crane flock since counts began in 1938 when only 18 cranes were present at ANWR.
With salinities quite high at the Refuge (measured at 24 ppt on Nov. 28), the movement of cranes to drink at freshwater sources made it more difficult to keep track of the birds. Eight cranes were found on the Dec. 6 flight at freshwater sources and eight cranes were on a burn conducted Dec. 5 on Matagorda Island. Eight cranes were in unburned uplands as follows: three in hog rootings, two at a game feeder, two on a shell road, and one foraging in upland vegetation on a very small island surrounded by salt marsh.
Three cranes were in open bay habitat. The cranes were mostly in high marsh habitat foraging on wolfberries, or were in open water salt marsh ponds looking for blue crabs. A blue crab count conducted Nov. 28 indicated blue crabs were still available in good numbers for the cranes.
One family referred to as the North Spaulding Point family on San Jose was found on the refuge's Bludworth Island. One pair which formerly contained banded bird R-YbY has consistently been staying on their traditional winter territory, but no bands have been observed. Perhaps the bands have fallen off since the summer.
Conditions were fair with light winds, but skies were overcast making it likely at least five percent of all cranes were overlooked.
Cranes found were as follows, listed by adults and young:
ANWR - 57 and 12.
Lamar - eight and three.
San Jose Island - 35 and 10.
Matagorda Island - 62 and 14.
Welder Ranch - 19 and four.
Even large white birds do not stand out well when light levels are low. The presence of four more cranes at ANWR was documented on the flight. The family group with two chicks seen at Kirwin NWR in Kansas apparently resumed migration Nov. 29 and made it safely to ANWR. This is the record seventh set of twins to make it to the Refuge this winter out of the eight sets sighted by the Canadian biologists in mid-August. However there is no evidence the family group sighted at Salt Plains NWR in Oklahoma Nov. 25 has made it to ANWR.
Evidence from the last two census flights indicates a family group on the Nov. 22 flight had been counted twice. Thus, there are currently 43 chicks at ANWR. Total flock size is estimated at 234. This estimate is derived from the 221 counted at the Refuge on Nov. 22, plus 13 additional birds as follows:
€ (2+2) They were found at Kirwin NWR and arrived at Aransas the first week in December.
€ (4+0) They were located in central Kansas in late November.
€ (2+1) These were sighted at Salt Plains NWR in northern Oklahoma on Nov. 25.
€ (1+0) This one was sighted in flight south of Bastrop on Dec. 1.
€ (1+0) A whooping crane has been in with sandhill cranes for about a month 15 miles northwest of the wintering area just south of Port Lavaca.
The total of 234 cranes is the largest whooping crane flock since counts began in 1938 when only 18 cranes were present at ANWR.
With salinities quite high at the Refuge (measured at 24 ppt on Nov. 28), the movement of cranes to drink at freshwater sources made it more difficult to keep track of the birds. Eight cranes were found on the Dec. 6 flight at freshwater sources and eight cranes were on a burn conducted Dec. 5 on Matagorda Island. Eight cranes were in unburned uplands as follows: three in hog rootings, two at a game feeder, two on a shell road, and one foraging in upland vegetation on a very small island surrounded by salt marsh.
Three cranes were in open bay habitat. The cranes were mostly in high marsh habitat foraging on wolfberries, or were in open water salt marsh ponds looking for blue crabs. A blue crab count conducted Nov. 28 indicated blue crabs were still available in good numbers for the cranes.
One family referred to as the North Spaulding Point family on San Jose was found on the refuge's Bludworth Island. One pair which formerly contained banded bird R-YbY has consistently been staying on their traditional winter territory, but no bands have been observed. Perhaps the bands have fallen off since the summer.
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