[TN-Bird] Nov. 23 Whooper update --- LONG but read to the bottom
- From: JimmWilkerson@xxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 13:19:59 EST
Hiwassee Refuge
Meigs Co.,Tn.
Saturday morning fifty plus people were on hand to see the Whoopers leave for
Georgia. Other than being a tiny bit cold for us humans, conditions were
excellent for the cranes to again continue their migration! There were mixed
reviews from the crowd. Many were overjoyed by the prescious seconds we had
to observe the departing birds. Others commented "is that it" or "is it
over". The team had planned a fly by over the gazebo but the best they could
do was to fly out to our right, circle about and then fly to the left away
from us. All 16 cranes were flapping and flying with just one of the ultra
lights while the other three were zooming around like large bumble bees. As
I was watching the expressions on nearby faces I thought "well it's over;
wasn't that stupendous" and finally "I hope to see this miracle again with
the class of 2003 next year."
Folks began to do a little migrating of their own and little by little the
group diminished to 9 remaining people. As the 30 minute mark passed I
thought the cranes had gone for sure and most certainly by now were over the
skies of North Georgia. Scrambled eggs, grits, toast, HOT COFFEE and going
to pee were more prominently on my mind now.
It's time for the Paul Harvey part, you know, "The Rest of The Story."
First, a little hint! In baseball terms I could say some of you left at the
seventh inning stretch and should have remained until the last out was made
in the bottom of the ninth. The Score had changed and is now Tennessee 12
Georgia 4. In football terms even Larry Munson couldn't help with this score
by saying gruffly "hunker down one more time you hairy dogs."
At about 55 minutes after the cranes left someone in our group looked up and
said I hear an ultra light! As we focused in we could see Whooping cranes
off the planes wing, then we saw a second ultra light with cranes also off
it's wing. The pilots were really working the birds trying to encourage them
to turn back and once again advance toward Georgia. They fought a dilligent
contest but I think the cranes were already of a mind to return to the pen
they had most of last week to become accustomed. I felt so sorry for the
team and their efforts but was elated with the sights we were seeing first
hand! Many times the pilots would regroup the birds only to have one or two
break off and fly away again. After 20 or so minutes the cranes won the
battle.
Just a couple minutes before 9 am Dan Sprague, a grounds crew member and
pilot, made his first of two stops at the gazebo to talk with us. The jist
of the conversations was that the twelve cranes were tired and were going to
be staying one more day at Hiwassee. The other group of four birds were
already on the ground near Rome, Ga.
If you didn't get to see the departure today now you've got tomorrow morning
to look forward to! Kick off time is scheduled for 7 to 7:15 am eastern at
the gazebo on the Hiwassee refuge.
Jimmy Wilkerson
Hixson, TN.
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