.:: Aero-News Network: The Aviation and Aerospace Worlds Daily/Real-Time News and Information Service ::. — I think this is a noble venture but wonder if it is futile. I also wonder what the birds are thinking while they follow some guy in a plane.
Four ultralight aircraft and the juvenile cranes took to the air for the first leg of the 1,250-mile journey to the birds wintering habitat at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge along Floridas Gulf Coast.
“This will be our seventh migration along this route and although we have done it before, each season brings new challenges and the weather is always unpredictable,” said Joe Duff, senior ultralight pilot and CEO of Operation Migration, the WCEP partner that leads the ultralight migration.
“It has consistently taken us 22 to 23 flying days to cover the 1,250 miles from here to Florida. However, each year, it seems to take a longer period to get those 23 good weather mornings and last season we were on the road for 76 days. The team works very hard to prepare these birds for their first migration and they deserve a break. We are asking everyone to hope and pray for good weather this year and speed the birds to their new winter home.”
In addition to the 17 birds being led south by ultralights, biologists from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reared 10 whooping cranes at Necedah NWR. The birds will be released in the company of older cranes in hopes that the young whooping cranes learn the migration route, part of WCEPs “Direct Autumn Release” program, which supplements the successful ultralight migrations.
As you must know from experience, John, every venture–noble or not–is potentially futile. But as Emily Dickinson wrote:
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all…
So, since whoopers have feathers, maybe they are hope? Egads, who writes this stuff?
And unlike our politicians, you only have to show the way to the Whooping Cranes – once.
I’m wondering what the whooping cranes did before ultralights were invented?
If they are willing to make the effort, then it is a good thing. See a flock of really big birds flying south does good to one’s soul. Just listen to a flock of Great Canadas headed south.
I once stood one early morning in Titonka Slough when a huge flock of Great Canadas headed south. It was almost like thunder.
Try watching the DVD of Winged Migration – an incredible film. The film has great shots of migratory birds doing what they do best. About 15 minutes into the movie you realize that you are not hearing the sounds of ultralights or aircraft.
I think it has a scene of whoopers. There isn’t anything better than seeing what nature does best.
Great story and a great use of ultralights.
But you really need to be careful when using Aero-News Network as a source.
http://tinyurl.com/2hv9bb
#4 I once stood one early morning in Titonka Slough when a huge flock of Great Canadas headed south. It was almost like thunder.
Are you sure that you weren’t hearing human trash like Dick Cheney just using the geese for target practice? After all, slime like him exists that regularly kills birds for the pure pleasure of it.
#6, if they were killing Canada Geese, then I derive pleasure from it. They’re like rats that fly.
I’m surprised no one as developed something like a CIWS to rid lakes and ponds of these pests. You could make a fortune!
#1
“So, since whoopers have feathers, maybe they are hope? Egads, who writes this stuff? ”
Anorgasmic women?
#7
if they were killing Canada Geese, then I derive pleasure from it. They’re like rats that fly.,/>
Statements like yours deserve only one reply:
If they were killing people like Ryan Vande Water, then I derive pleasure from it. They’re like rats that walk.
I didn’t know JCD flew microlites.
Yet,
do you know the LONGEST flight, that is the fastest, by bird migration??
Humming birds.
ECA, it’s still summer in TX. The hummingbirds are still here. Weird, they’re usually gone by now, but the Pacific currents have wreaked havoc on the weather all over the US this year. Like every decade since at least the ’20s (I have no data prior to that).
#4, Emeryjay
I once stood one early morning in Titonka Slough when a huge flock of Great Canadas headed south.
As one who has seen what Canada Geese do, I would hope they just keep on flying and don’t come back. You might think they look majestic, their feeding and toilet habits leave a lot to be desired though.
Too many of any type of bird, or too many wolves, is a bad thing, but it’ll be a sad day if there are none of any.
Awake, waterfowl were on the edge of extinction, back around 1900. They, and deer, and many other birds and animals were brought back from the edge by people who enjoyed hunting them, not the preservationists, anti hunting crowd, or anti gun crowd. The sport hunters.
The Graham Rudman (sp) Act, a 10% surcharge on guns and ammo, was passed by hunters for habitat preservation and improvement. That’s a lot of money.
You might have heard of some sort of fuss about Clinton trying to divert the funds to anti hunting groups? Then again, it was not given much play in city papers, so maybe not. It was not given much play anywhere except among hunters.
BTW, subsistance hunters are not conservationists. Subsistance hunters /have/ to bring home dinner, even if it’s the last of a species.
14,
and when SPORT hunters go out with Cameras, insted of GUNS, i will consider it a sport.
when they give the meat away to those that WILL EAT it, insted of just cutting off the pelt, and head, and selling the meat to a EXPENSIVE restaurant…
#14, Phillep,
The Graham Rudman (sp) Act, a 10% surcharge on guns and ammo, was passed by hunters for habitat preservation and improvement. That’s a lot of money.
You might have heard of some sort of fuss about Clinton trying to divert the funds to anti hunting groups? Then again, it was not given much play in city papers, so maybe not. It was not given much play anywhere except among hunters.
Not much was heard about it because it is an urban myth. It didn’t happen. It was another NRA falsehood to counter the anti-gun crowd.
#14 Phillep.
OK, your chance to redeem yourself and prove that, at least this one time, you are not just a mindless tool, and that anything you say has ANY credibility.
After reading #16 (Mr Fusion’s) reply, I went on Google and started to look for the surcharge that you mention, and I could find nothing.
So, could you please point us to the information that you quote, preferable from a non-NRA source. Something like the text of the law, assigning the surcharge and the expenditure requirements for the funds collected, would be very nice.
I bet you can’t do it… so far you have a big round ZERO for everything that you have said on this blog, and you have ZERO credibility. Give us a reason to give you ANY respect.
#17…Awake….I work in Wildlife Preservation and it’s true that the fee’s and certain license fee’s are used for Wildlife and Habitat restoration. What I need to go do now is look up if it’s a state by state thing or a Federal.
I think what Phillep may have been alluding to is the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Act…called the Duck stamp act….passed in 1934. It requires a *stamp* to hunt certain migratory birds and also made agreements with Mexico and Canada to make the laws agreeable for all 3 countries. The fee’s are then only allowed to be used to establish migratory bird refuges along their various routes.
There are also a whole range of hunting and fishing acts by the Feds. where the monies can only be used by the states in combination with state fee’s for the state departments of fishing and wildlife or it’s equivelent. Examples being the Federal Aid in Sport Fishing Act, and others to numerous to mention.
Here is a link to Federal programs some of which concern fee’s being used to pay for various functions of enviromental and wildlife welfare, and some concerning monies granted to states for these programs.
http://tinyurl.com/2wsv7d
Hope this helps Awake.
#19 Joshua –
I want to see evidence of an act that specifically adds a 10% surcharge on guns sales for the explicit use in wildlife preservation.
That is what Phillep so boldly claims, but he can’t show any evidence to back it up, and so far neither can anyone else.
Why? Because he is just another mindless mouthpiece of the right wing, spouting baseless crap hoping that nobody will challenge him to back up his statements… and hiding in the corner when called on his lies.
C’mon Phillep… show is that you have any credibility by backing up your statements!
(And yes.. I would say this to his face if we were in a real world situation..)
If the birds need an ultra-light to lead them on their migration then perhaps Mother Nature is desirous of thinning that particular gene pool. But then, the ultra-light pilots would have to find another way to go adventuring.
#20…Awake….I found several states that add surcharges to tag sales and permits, and even a few that add surcharge to hunting rifle sales to further wildlife programs….but it’s not universal or Federal.