12-23-18 - 12-29-18 (Week 43)

Sunday
We weren't in any hurry to get home this morning.  Anita cooked a great breakfast and we sat around and bird watched.   She has a very pretty American Goldfinch that frequents her bird feeders.

Ferny Kat was impatiently waiting at the door when we got home.  She gave us quite a talking to for leaving her alone last night.

We spent the rest of the day doing a little back yard bird watching, catching up on laundry, washing the jeep, and recuperating from yesterday's festivities.

Monday
We traveled back to Camp Crane for this Christmas Eve.  We went shore bird watching along Highway 90, went out to eat at The Reef, and sat by a nice campfire until after dark.

Tuesday
We had a Merry Christmas morning spent walking Graveline Beach.  We had our first ever, Tuna Fish Sandwich, for Christmas lunch, sitting on a bench at Biloxi Beach.

We hiked the Fountainebleu Trail.  We took the long way home looking for Sandhill Cranes and found 17 Sandhill Cranes.  13 of them were in Bright's Pasture and most of these were probably Greater Sandhill Cranes.

We fried fish for dinner and sat around the propane fire pit until dark watching the Camp Crane Christmas tree lights and an Osprey landing on his perch in the bayou.

Wednesday
The Visitor's Center is closed due to the Government shutdown.  Our 2 Crane Tours, of 16 people cannot be done.  Luckily, we can stay at Camp Crane.

We walked almost 10 miles exploring today.  We went Mucking in our new Muck boots to break them in.  We talked with about 30 visitors on the trail and around headquarters. There must have been about 60 visitors that we saw around the headquarters on this beautiful day.

We saw 4 Sandhill Cranes around the temporary pen late this afternoon, we didn't have binoculars or cameras, so we could not ID them.

Thursday
The shut down continues.  We hung around Camp Crane on this cloudy, misty day.

Friday
We are not scheduled to work until the 1st to do a plant walk, if the government opens back up.  It was a rainy day at Camp Crane.

Saturday
Another rainy, cloudy, government shutdown day at Camp Crane.  We saw the Free Birds along with 2 of their friends in the HQ savanna.  We are so happy they are  alive and well.

The week of pics:

12-16-18 - 12-22-18 - (Week 42)

Sunday
Anita came along for the shore bird watching today.

We got a room, at Island View, with a view of the decorated light house at Jones Park.  Nick and Hope met us and we walked to Jones Park for a better view of the Christmas lights.  The Christmas lights were enhanced by the beautiful sunset.

Anita won a little, we lost a little, and off to the room we went.



Monday
We enjoyed our morning, drinking coffee with Anita with a great view of the sun rising from the East.  Then we had a great Christmas lunch at the bunkhouse with HQ staff, our co-volunteers, and the interns.

Recently released cranes, aka Free Birds, roosted in a fire lane last night.  They are living on the edge.

Instead of taking a nap after lunch, we hiked Graveline Beach.  It was a beautiful cool day for a walk on the beach.  We saw a Loggerhead Shrike first thing.  We watched an Eagle and Osprey in flight together, several different Egrets, a few shorebirds,  and a Western King-bird.

When we returned, Ferny Kat was ready for some bird watching herself, so out we went.

Tuesday
This beautiful, cool, day influenced us to go birding at Dauphin Island.  We were entertained at Audubon Birding Trail by several birds, including several Blue Jays harassing an American Kestrel.  We made our usual picnic stop and watched a few shore birds.

As we made our way across the Escatawpa River, on our way home, we saw an adult Bald Eagle and a Juvenile on the power lines.   On our adventure to get a better view of these birds, we found a Egret roost area under the bridge.

While I was taking a picture of a couple of Egrets in a tree together, a Pelican flew by.  We now have a new birding area.  Thanks, Bald Eagles.

The Free Birds are still touring around.  They flew across I10 and checked out the salt marsh at the Pascagoula River yesterday.

Wednesday
We worked the Visitor's Center today.  The Hall's did a morning Crane Tour, and we did an afternoon Crane Tour.

It was a very productive day of sightings.  We saw 8 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, deer, Egrets, a Kingfisher, and a Bald Eagle.
                         
                           

The first couple of Sandhill Cranes we saw on Brown's Trail, started calling and flew right over the van.  A great way to start the tour.

The Bald Eagle we saw at the turn around at Beasley, must have wanted in on the action.  He flew over the van, circled a few times in the crop field, then flew away. A great grand finale of sightings.

Last night, Free Birds, roosted in the savanna by I10.  Today they stayed most of the day at the HQ savanna and ate from the feeder.

Thursday
We worked the Visitor's Center again today with an afternoon Crane Tour.  It was another productive crane sighting day.

We saw 9 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, a Fox Squirrel, several Egrets, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, an American Kestrel, 2 Eagles on 2 different nest, and an Armadillo.

The Fox Squirrel ran down the road toward the van and really put on a show.  It seemed a lighter color than the one that we see at the VC.

The Armadillo also put on a great show.  He ran along the road in the savanna.

I guess the Fox Squirrel and the Armadillo wanted in on the Crane attention.
I'm not sure what critter was the most entertaining today.

Free Birds visited the pond and roosted in a low area near the pen.  They need to smarten up and roost in the pond before they get predator ated.

Friday
We worked the VC today.  Lauren helped Charley prepare for their camper to be towed out of Camp Crane.  They plan on bringing another one in a few weeks.

Free Birds roosted on fire line to the north, (G04).  Still living on the edge.

Saturday
We had 6 people on our Crane Tour this morning, a couple from Indiana and a family from Minnesota, (Mom, Dad, a 6 yr. old and and 11 yr old).

We saw a Pied-billed Grebe, a Great Blue Heron, a Pileated Woodpecker, Bald Eagles in both nests, a Bald Eagle flying, an Armadillo, and a Red-tailed Hawk.  The tour, as the 11 yr. old said was,
 " amazing."

Dougie, #1510, and an unbanded Crane really put on a show.  They were just a few feet off the road walking in Bright's Pasture.   They walked and foraged in the field.   Then, Dougie and #1510 started dancing.  It was a very entertaining venue.

The Armadillo was also a hit.  He ran around in the savanna and posed for us.  The tourist had never seen an armadillo before and were as excited to see it as they were the dancing cranes.  The 11 yr. old has named the armadillo, Monkey Bread.  She heard the stories of Sticky Bunz and wanted to call him Monkey Bread in honor of Bunz.

The Bald Eagle got in on the action as well.  Two of them were in their separate nest, and one flew over with Spanish moss in his claws heading to the nest.  I guess he was adding more insulation to the nest after the cold temperature that we had last night.

We had planned on a couple hour tour being we had plans for the Williams Christmas Party at Erica's.  That 2 hour tour lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes.  We still made it to the party, just a little late.

We had a great time at the party, and continued with the great time at Anita's.  Her and Lucy were quite the hostess.

Free Birds finally roosted in the G07 pond at HQ!!

The week of pictures:

12-9-18 - 12-15-18 (Week 41)

Sunday
Last Sunday we wore shorts, today we wore hoodies.  What an extreme change in climate we have in the South.

We rode around for several hours today watching birds from the warmth of the Jeep. We saw 6 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes in Bright's Pasture.

We toured around Gulf Island National Seashore and Ocean Spring's beach and marsh watching shorebirds.

As we turned into Camp Crane Lane, we saw our 5 resident deer enjoying the acorns under the Live Oak.

                                                                          3 of the 5

Ferny Kat kept insisting we take her outside when we got back.  This is one time, she didn't get her way.

                                                                        Pouting

Monday
It's hard to believe it's been a month since we released the captive raised cranes in the temporary pen. Today they became Free Birds!

Prior to releasing, crane decoys and feeders were placed around the East Pond to help them find their new roosting place.

Scott, Angie, and Shannon opened the gate and attempted to herd the 3 cranes out of the temporary pen.  Only one cooperated.  1803 ran out, flew over the pen, and went to the front side of the net where her 2 cohorts were.  After several failed attempts to get the other 2 cranes out, Danny and I joined, Team Crane Herder.

Trying to coax long legged, sharp beaked, sharp clawed, 4 foot birds with a wing span of 72 inches out of a pen is quite the experience..I now have another claim to fame, a Crane Herder.

The second crane, 1805, was literally pushed out the gate by Scott.

The third crane, 1804, was our biggest challenge.  She was determined not to leave her gated community.  When we finally coaxed her out, Scott chased her off in the savanna to encourage her to fly.

It didn't take them long for the 3 to get back together and meander around the savanna. 

They were redirected a couple of times when they attempted to cross Crane Lane. 

After wandering around and foraging in the savanna, the last tracking of them is in the East Pond, where we hope they roost for the night.

Tuesday
The newly released cranes, aka Juveniles, roosted across the bayou last night, not the best place for 3 newbies to roost.

We spent the most of the day birding from the comforts of the jeep around Pascagoula.

We continued our birding, walking the CL Dees Trail.  It sure would be nice to see the cranes on this walk.

We had a nice campfire tonight.  Unfortunately, we heard a pack of coyotes across the bayou.  I hope our cranes are safe.

Wednesday
The juvenile cranes are still living on the edge, by not roosting in a pond at night.  Hopefully, they will figure out they need the comforts of water to help keep them safe from predators.

We assisted Biology, Mississippi State, and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with bird banding today.  Our first stomping was in the savanna behind the kiosk on Crane Lane.  Ten of us walked in a line and jumped up birds in the savanna.  After we saw a Henslow's Sparrow in the brush, they set up a net and we flushed the bird into the net.  We caught 3 in 40 minutes.  This is a bird, we probably would only get a glimpse of, if we were that lucky, and our savannas are one of the most populated places for them in the winter.  We caught 3 in 40 minutes.  Weighed, measured, banded, admired, and them set them free.  They are pretty little birds.  We also caught a Sedge Wren which we also admired.  Eric took the time to show us details on the birds before they were released.

We spent a couple of hours with Scott Checking on  a family of 4 cranes in Ocean Springs that may have been victims of predation.  We were relieved to find the parents and their twins alive and well.

Tonight, we went out stomping again.  This time in one of the original savannas on Valentine Road.  There were 17 of us.  Our caravan use the parking lights on our vehicles to ride into the savanna to prevent disturbing the cranes on their roost. 

This was quite the experience, we all had headlights, 2 people pulled a rope that had bottles with rocks in them to make noise as it was dragged across the savanna.  The rest of us, ran along with them watching for Yellow Rails to flush.  The sprinters, aka the much younger ones,  had nets and when the rail was flushed, would run to the bird and catch in the net.  We caught 2, banded them, and released them.

As Scott said, the birds are like the movie, The Field of Dreams.  When you release them in the grass, they just disappear.

Us 2 old farts have really enjoyed ourselves today.  We are proud that we did not fall and was able to keep up, somewhat, with the youngsters.  We will definitely sleep good tonight.

Thursday
A sad morning at the refuge this morning.  Our juvenile crane, 1805, was killed by a bobcat last night near the temporary pen.  I learned how to work the telemetry today and took us straight to her body.
The bobcat left the carcass covered in grass in the savanna.  The living on the edge and not roosting in a pond, was detrimental to her.

A rainy day started right after we got back inside.  It was an extremely slow day of visitation at the Visitor's Center.

Friday
Melissa, Danny, Lauren and I went on a plant walk with Mark LaSalle. We spent the morning on the Fountainebleu Trail obtaining, or at least trying to obtain, all kinds of knowledge from Mark.  It was a well spent morning.  We are continuing to overload our minds with knowledge.  There is always something new to learn about nature!!

Saturday
We had 9 Sandhill Cranes in the Crane Lane Savanna today.  Two were our juveniles and seven were from the Ben Williams pen.  It is great that the juvies have made new friends and are bringing them to the VC.  They hung around until 12:50 pm today.  Our visitors sure did enjoy watching them walking, foraging, and dancing from the back side of the VC and the observation blind.  And so did we!

We also watched a Great Egret flying above the pen while the cranes were in the savanna.  This is the first Great Egret we have seen flying over this savanna.

Today is finally the day,  Anita made it to Camp Refuge for a visit!!  It is long overdue.

Week 41 pictures

Crane release pics:

Lasalle Fountainebleau Plant Walk