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| Chat - Friday, March 2, 2012; TGIF | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 2 2012, 06:30 AM (578 Views) | |
| cdn-cdn | Mar 2 2012, 06:30 AM Post #1 |
Eagle Guardian
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 Good morning and Happy Friday!art "Like a Bird in Flight" by Gina Jrel "So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble, to fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end... the journey is the destination." ~ Chad Fiveash |
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| cdn-cdn | Mar 2 2012, 06:40 AM Post #2 |
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Eagle Guardian
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 PH 6:35 am
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| cdn-cdn | Mar 2 2012, 06:55 AM Post #3 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Whooper Update: Date: March 2, 2012 Reporter: Bev Paulan Subject: WHYS AND WHEREFORES? Location: Wheeler NWR, AL Migration. It is a topic that has been studied and written about extensively. Then studied and written about some more. It is why we are here, and why we do what we do. We teach a migration route to young Whooping cranes in the hope that they learn the route and in turn will teach it to their offspring. It works. Chicks that have hatched and fledged in the wild have been taught the route by their parents. Success any way you define it. The question I have is: what makes a bird migrate? I mean, what is the trigger that goes off in their head like a starting gun at the beginning of a race. I know the science behind migration: the seasonal movement of an animal driven by a search for food and breeding grounds. (I just finished reading an excellent book on migration, On the Wing by Scott Wiedensaul. He delves into the whys and wherefores of bird migration in an easy to digest way.) But I want to know why today of all the days in a season, does a flock of Sandhill cranes leap into the air with much calling and climb to join the thermals, heading to unknown northern latitudes. After early morning chick check today, and over a late breakfast, Brooke said he wanted to head back over to the refuge. I asked why, and he stated that due to the clear skies and quickly warming temps, he thought the Sandhills might leave today and he wanted to catch the departure. Slowly, over the course of the last month, they have been leaving on their northward trek. From a peak of 11,000 Sandhills a little over 4 weeks ago, to a total of 250 at last week’s count, they have been heading skyward, joining the thermals that will ease their way home. We arrived at the parking area at 9:30 on the dot, and as we walked out to the blind, we heard the distinctive flight call of the Sandhills. It is different from their normal conversational call and if you have heard it before coming from high above, it is not easily forgotten. Encumbered by my camera, I told Brooke to run ahead to the blind so he could see the birds go. I caught up just in time to see the birds climbing high in search of the lift they need. They continued circling and soon found the thermal. With no more flapping, they turned north and drifted out of site with their calls still trailing behind. Why this day? What combination of weather and instinct and desire for home pulled them skyward? I don’t know if there is a definitive answer to that question. I do know that it is a mystery that greatly appeals to me. The timelessness of it, the rhythm of it, the continuity from one generation to the next, are all part of the appeal. The sight of a flock, all calling, all flapping, then soaring off in a V formation, moves me in a way that is hard to explain. As I watch this flock, just like every flock of cranes I have been fortunate enough to see every year for over 30 years, I wish them god-speed and safe journey, knowing all the hazards that can be encountered along the route. Coming back from my reverie, I look back across the field, now empty of gray bodies and see nine mostly white Whooping cranes, nonchalantly probing the earth, seemingly not caring that they are now alone on the refuge. They wait, as do we, for their personal starting gun to go off, signaling their journey north, and their place in the rhythm of migration.   
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 07:05 AM Post #4 |
Eagle Guardian
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GOOD MORNING  
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| Topa Topa Hikers | Mar 2 2012, 07:06 AM Post #5 |
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Eagle Guardian
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 Jerusalem Israel SNOW DAY FRIDAY Shmuel and Baila  
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 07:11 AM Post #6 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Cheryl -What a beautifully written Whooper report, thanks for keeping us up-to-date. The whoopers photos are lovely. I'm surprised they didn't follow the Sandhills but at least they are all together. Your quote is also beautiful and so true  Topa - So much snow in Jerusalem The children must be having so much fun 
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| Topa Topa Hikers | Mar 2 2012, 07:48 AM Post #7 |
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Eagle Guardian
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God-speed Sandys |
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 08:03 AM Post #8 |
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Eagle Guardian
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ZOOMER MAN AT DECORAH   
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| Artsy Mom | Mar 2 2012, 08:04 AM Post #9 |
Eagle Guardian
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 Cruzers It's -3C/27F and here since 6:00PM last night. This must be the storm from Minnesota, a steady wet, heavy type of snow...lots of  already and there's lots more coming 
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 08:17 AM Post #10 |
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Eagle Guardian
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WCV RS HAWK.......
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 08:19 AM Post #11 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Penny - Love your little shovel guy 
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| Naturegal | Mar 2 2012, 08:23 AM Post #12 |
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Eagle Guardian
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My girlfriend from Toronto just phoned me from her house in Florida to tell me that there is a new addition to her family. A 7lb. 13oz baby boy named Jackson born on LEAP DAY FEB. 29TH. It's supposed to be a good luck thing so I guess his birthday will always be celebrated on the 28th and every leap year will be a special one. This is her 5th grandchild. 
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| Topa Topa Hikers | Mar 2 2012, 08:32 AM Post #13 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Wish I was there.  
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| Topa Topa Hikers | Mar 2 2012, 08:34 AM Post #14 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Naturegal, I love big families. Congratulations to your friend.  Rachel and John are having a baby. I'll have a grandchild close to hug.  The baby is due in May. I haven't posted the news, for some reason I feel a bit over protective. You can imagine how excited we are.    |
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| Artsy Mom | Mar 2 2012, 08:45 AM Post #15 |
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Eagle Guardian
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Cute polar bear twins take their first tiny steps into the outside world   The twin polar bears have some playtime as they venture in front of the camera for the first time  Polar bear Huggies licks her twin cubs while nursing them during their first public appearance at the Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands. |
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