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| (Matt Mendenhall / Birder's World Magazine via AP) |
Posted: Saturday, 07 November 2009 1:37PM
High winds strand whooping cranes in Rockford area
Bob Roberts Reporting
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ROCKFORD (WBBM) -- Twenty whooping cranes led by four ultra-light aircraft may be stuck until Tuesday in the Rockford area, on their way to wintering grounds in Florida.
The cranes are being assisted by Ontario-based Operation Migration. Spokesperson Liz Condie said the cranes are spending their second consecutive day in a rural area outside Pecatonica, and will not leave on the next leg of their trip until high winds die down.
To keep them occupied, Operation Migration workers gave them a couple of pumpkins, on which they can feed.
Condie told WBBM that the ideal flight day would see temperatures of about 35-38 degrees, with winds of no more than 5 or 6 miles an hour, from the northeast or northwest. Instead, the winds aloft are between 40 and 45 miles an hour from the south.
Warm temperatures this time of year generally mean southerly headwinds that slow their progress. They arrived Thursday evening in Pecatonica.
When winds are favorable, the cranes can fly between 50 and 60 miles a day, and the fact that the ultra-light aircraft lead them means that their stopping points can be pre-planned.
The next two overnight stops are planned in LaSalle and Livingston Counties. The cranes began their yearly trek south from Wisconsin more than three weeks ago.
Those who want to view the whooping cranes' departure, or want to keep track of their progress, can do so online at http://www.operationmigration.org.
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