Whooping cranes predict early cold winter in Chicago

November 21, 11:35 AMChicago Adventure Travel ExaminerTed Nelson

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    Checking online for fly over information
    original photo by Ted Nelson

Whooping cranes in Lasalle County predict an early cold winter and took it upon themselves to head south.

Every year crank weatherman look for some strange sign for how warm or cold the Chicago winter will be. In the past some strange prognostications have been advocated to predict the harshness of the coming season. These include the thickness of the wholly caterpillars coat or the denseness of the husks protecting ears of corn. We have heard it all before here in Chicago.

Twenty cars and approximately forty bird enthusiasts hovered near the Sheridan, Illinois cemetery awaiting the possible fly over of twenty whooping cranes guided by ultra light aircraft on Friday. The crowd was tense and anxious in anticipation of the planned fly over scheduled for 7am. Operation Migration raises whooping crane chicks and then guides them south with ultra light aircraft.  They post on their website viewpoints for the public to check out the cranes in flight.  The gathering hoped to see twenty cranes in flight behind ultra light aircraft on their way to their winter home in Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

Bird watchers wait in front of the Sheridan, Illinois cemetery for a possible crane fly over
original photo by Ted Nelson

It seemed like a perfect day for flight although it was a little chilly. Rumors were rampant among the hopeful crane watchers. Two viewers brought laptops and monitored the Operation Migration website and surfed for news. Time of the planned fly over came and went, but delays of this kind are normal. Every gravel truck or loud car with muffler problems caused binoculars to scan the horizon in hopes that the planes and cranes were on their way.

Hopes began to fade as news from the website began to detail problems of fog, high humidity, and chilly conditions which can make it difficult for the birds to breath high up and not ideal for flight. The hardy crew of bird watchers still hoped it would happen. News was posted about a possible test flight and then maybe a 10am launch. The fly over did not materialize on this morning. The website attributed fears of having to abort the flight and emergency land on the first day of deer hunting season, which made the decision not to fly an easy one.

This seemed a little odd because as the sun began to rise the day was turning out to be one of the most beautiful of the fall. If this day was not a good day to fly then when would it be? Obviously the staff at Operation Migration knows best and needs to err on the side of caution with these precious endangered species, but it was worrisome because there may not be that many optimal days left in Illinois to fly before really cold weather sets in.

After all the bird watchers went home an amazing thing occurred. The birds were let out of their pen for a little exercise, which is something their handlers do frequently on days when they do not fly. Usually they go on their little crane walk and return to their pens, but not on this day. 16 cranes decided they had had enough of waiting and were looking forward to warmer climes and who could blame them.

The cranes did a jailbreak and started to fly south on their own without aircraft escort. The ultra lights frantically tried to find them and eventually did and led them to their next stop along their migration route in Livingston County over sixty miles south.  The websited stated in the nine years of this program the cranes have never headed south on their own like this

     Bad news from Operation Migration via a blackberry flight cancelled or maybe not
     original photo by Ted Nelson

One can only speculate why the cranes decided it was time to go. Perhaps they know something that the staff at Operation Migration does not know. All animals have a sixth sense ingrained in them that helps them survive. Just like any animal knows without being taught that it needs to avoid predators maybe these cranes knew that they need to avoid Chicago winters and the sooner they headed south the better.

Whatever the reason, I am joining the ranks of amateur crank weathermen and predicting a cold early winter this year. No, I did not inspect the density of the husks of corn, nor have I noticed the wholly caterpillar having a thick coat this year, and I have never studied a jet stream. However, there are 16 whooping cranes that given a chance high-tailed it out of town in a hurry, so break out the winter coats and the long underwear and the cross-country skis.

Operation Migration is a non-profit organization and could use your support. They have several options for donation on their website including one option of being a mile maker where you can pay for a mile, half-mile, or quarter-mile of this amazing migration.

Ted Nelson was recently named one of the top 101 Adventure Travel twitterers on twitter.  http://abroadening.com/161  Click on the icon below to follow me there.