[mou] Minnesota whoopers??

Robert_Russell@fws.gov Robert_Russell@fws.gov
Wed, 5 Apr 2006 14:02:38 -0500 

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I've received 4 reports of Whooping Cranes in the past day so something=
 may
be up out there.  Two reports are from the Tamarack NWR/Detroit Lakes a=
rea
and the other two came from the east side of Sherburne NWR and the east=

side of Fremont Lake near Zimmerman, the latter bird heading southward
toward a nearby wetland.  The bird reported from Tamarack NWR was bande=
d
but does not appear to be from the Wisconsin population so thus might b=
e a
legitimate WILD bird from the Aransas flock (with the caveat IF it is a=

whooper as Great Egrets, pelicans, and sandhills are all migrating now =
and
have been misidentified by many people in the past).  A search earlier
today did not relocate it on the refuge but it might be in the general
vicinity.  The Sherburne County bird might be a Wisconsin bird which wa=
s
last seen in early March wintering in Osceola County, Florida.  Please =
note
any color band combinations on the Sherburne County bird if seen and re=
port
to me and/or call Richard Urbanek, the eastern population whooping cran=
e
biologist at 612-804-0959 (cellphone) between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. (he l=
ikes
to sleep in).  Currently Richard is tracking 12 of last year's birds mo=
ving
northward across southern Wisconsin today.  Richard requests that obser=
vers
keep their distance from the cranes so as to minimize human contact.
Thanks to Carrol Henderson, MN DNR and Wayne Brininger, Tamarack NWR, f=
or
forwarding these reports.  An update on the eastern population will be
forthcoming.  Bob Russell, USFWS=

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<html><body>
<p>I've received 4 reports of Whooping Cranes in the past day so someth=
ing may be up out there.  Two reports are from the Tamarack NWR/Detroit=
 Lakes area and the other two came from the east side of Sherburne NWR =
and the east side of Fremont Lake near Zimmerman, the latter bird headi=
ng southward toward a nearby wetland.  The bird reported from Tamarack =
NWR was banded but does not appear to be from the Wisconsin population =
so thus might be a legitimate WILD bird from the Aransas flock (with th=
e caveat IF it is a whooper as Great Egrets, pelicans, and sandhills ar=
e all migrating now and have been misidentified by many people in the p=
ast).  A search earlier today did not relocate it on the refuge but it =
might be in the general vicinity.  The Sherburne County bird might be a=
 Wisconsin bird which was last seen in early March wintering in Osceola=
 County, Florida.  Please note any color band combinations on the Sherb=
urne County bird if seen and report to me and/or call Richard Urbanek, =
the eastern population whooping crane biologist at 612-804-0959 (cellph=
one) between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. (he likes to sleep in).  Currently Ric=
hard is tracking 12 of last year's birds moving northward across southe=
rn Wisconsin today.  Richard requests that observers keep their distanc=
e from the cranes so as to minimize human contact.  Thanks to Carrol He=
nderson, MN DNR and Wayne Brininger, Tamarack NWR, for forwarding these=
 reports.  An update on the eastern population will be forthcoming.  Bo=
b Russell, USFWS</body></html>=

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