[TN-Bird] Whoopers are at Hiwassee Refuge
- From: tenacbirder@xxxxxxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (BIRD TN-)
- Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2006 22:06:22 +0000
Hiwassee Refuge
Meigs Co., TN
I guess you could say that I had a gut feeling that today would be the day when
Operation Migration would again continue their path to Florida. I suspect that
when someone posts to their field journal we will find that it was another day
when they flew with their gut in their stomach as well!
I have been at each of the events since the first one when OM brought Sandhill
Cranes on the first test. Today was totally opposite of other arrivals in the
past where one or possibly two trikes bring in the whole flock and the entire
episode lasts less than 15 seconds. For those of us gathered at the gazebo,
our first sight of a trike was almost directly overhead with two birds. Quite
a while later another trike was spotted with 4 more birds. I'm not positive
but I think a third trike came next with four more birds. At this point there
were trikes and Whooping Cranes spread out all over the sky. The final trike
came into view with 6 more birds. If you take the time, at this point, to add
all the birds, they don't equal 18. I have no idea where the other birds were
or if for sure the real total at that point was 16. From the 6 that came in
last, one tired bird dropped out just before the lake. It landed in the corn
field with other Sandhill Cranes. For the next 15
minut
es or so two aircraft made repeated attempts to coax the whooper back into the
air. Finally after one trike dropped lower than either had dared before and in
the mist of two dozen Sandhills, the Whooper took to the air and was skillfully
picked up by one of the pilots who flew out of sight and dropped that last bird
in the vicinity of the pen area.
What a sight. What a feeling of exhilaration for those of us gathered.
However, I don't think it was the same for the pilots. One of them came in
rather fast at tree top level just over the viewing area and appeared to be
fighting the control bar to maintain stability. The story we should hear lated
is how difficult this flight really was. I feel that all 4 pilots were worn
out after this morning.
Jimmy Wilkerson
Hamilton Co.
Hixson, TN
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