Homer Moyers, Jr. and his wife had gone to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in the spring for the first time to photograph the whooping cranes at the refuge. However, the morning of their trip was so foggy all of their photos were pretty disappointing. At that time they decided they had to go back in November and indeed they did return. They found out about Kevin Sim’s charter boats, Aransas Bay Birding Charters, and booked a trip on the Jack Flash.
Monday, November 25 2019, was a beautiful morning for observing and photographing all the various birds on the refuge. Homer sent us some photos taken during their outing and we have compiled them into short slideshow for your enjoyment.
Friends of the Wild Whoopers thanks Homer for sending us the fabulous photos and we are sure that you will enjoy them as much as we did.
Whooping cranes from the natural wild population enjoying some tasty treats at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Photos courtesy of Homer Moyers, Jr. View slideshow at full screen for best results.
MUSIC: At The Shore – The Dark Contenent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100770
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****
Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. FOTWW on GuideStar
Bardwell Lake – another stepping stone in the Whopping Crane migration corridor
by Pam Bates, Friends of the Wild Whoopers
Bardwell Lake is an important link in a virtual chain of lakes within the Whooping Crane migration corridor. Bardwell has been visited by wild Whooping Cranes several times in recent years. Friends of the Wild Whoopers (FOTWW) believe that such visits are increasing due to two factors. First, some of the traditional sites where Whooping Cranes have stopped over to rest and feed have been eliminated due to changes in land use. Many thousands of wetland acres and small ponds within the Whooping Crane migration corridor have been converted to other uses. Likewise the increasing population of Whooping Cranes is using additional areas to stopover to rest and feed. They must stop 15 to 20 times to rest and feed during each of their two 2,500 mile migrations each year. They migrate to and from their Texas coast wintering grounds to their Canadian nesting area.
FOTWW is evaluating U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lakes within the Whooping Crane migration corridor to assist in protecting and improving existing habitats and to encourage development of new stopover habitats. Bardwell Lake is about 45 miles south of Dallas, TX and has much potential for habitat improvements.
USACE and FOTWW tour Bardwell Lake
FOTWW Wildlife Biologist Chester McConnell visited Bardwell Lake to assess potential “stopover habitats” for Whooping Cranes. Martin Underwood, USACE – Environmental Stewardship (CESWF) made arrangements for our visit. Martin Underwood, James Murphy (Deputy Operations Project Manager, Trinity Regional Project) and McConnell traveled to Bardwell Lake. After discussing the natural resource objectives for Bardwell Lake with Lake Manager Jeremy Spencer, we made a tour of the lake property to examine the most likely places that would provide Whooping Crane “stopover habitats”. FOTWW appreciates all involved with making preparations for an interesting, productive and enjoyable visit.
Bardwell Lake and Dam built for flood control and water conservation
Congress approved an act on March 31, 1960, authorizing construction of Bardwell Lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction began in September 1963 with impoundment beginning in November 1965. The total construction cost was $12,630,000.
Built to provide flood control and water conservation, Bardwell Lake and Dam controls runoff from 178 square miles of drainage area. At conservation level the lake is 5.4 miles long, 1.2 miles at its widest point, and has a shoreline of 25 miles. The lake has a fee owned perimeter of 39 miles. The total fee simple acreage (government owned property) is 7,488 acres with 675 acres of flowage easement lands (private property the government has an agreement with the landowners to flood.) Of this total acreage in fee simple, 3,570 is water area and 3,918 acres is land area above the conservation pool elevation.
Although not a primary purpose for the construction of Bardwell Lake, recreation has increasingly become a major component in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ multiple use approach to managing our nation’s resources. Recreation and favorable fish and wildlife habitats are other beneficial uses derived from this lake and others like it, built and operated by the Corps of Engineers.
Much of Bardwell Lake’s shore area is developed for recreational use and Whooping Crane “stopover habitat” is not compatible in some of these areas. The lake is shallow but most is not shallow enough for roosting areas. Whooping Cranes normally roost in areas with a depth of 2 inches to 10 inches. Importantly, some very good stopover habitats are located on the north western and north eastern areas of the lake shore. FOTWW recommended that Whooping Crane stopover habitat management efforts should focus on these areas.
Whooping Cranes observed on Bardwell Lake
According to Lake Manager Jeremy Spencer four Whooping Cranes have been observed on Bardwell Lake in recent years. Based on information from a recent U.S. Geological Survey study, 58 radio-tagged Whooping Cranes provided data on 2,158 stopover sites over 10 migrations and 5 years (2010-14). Several of these stopover sites were in the general vicinity of Bardwell Lake. Whoopers normally migrate over or near Bardwell Lake during March – (April (northward migration) and during October in the fall…
COE lakes within the 6 state migration corridor may become even more important to Whooping Cranes in the near future because of their locations and quality of “stopover habitats”. Bardwell Lake and others that are located in the mid-section of the Whooping Crane migration corridor can be especially valuable. As the crane population increases the migration corridor may also expand in width.
The photographs that follow were taken on Bardwell Lake. They show some very good stopover habitats that need a small amount of inexpensive management.
Figure 1. This photo taken on the northeast side of lake illustrates a sample of a long expanse of open shore with a gentle slope into shallow water. The entire Bardwell Lake is shallow but the northeast side has over a mile of mostly open shore with a gradual slope into shallow water. The shore has some areas where trees are too close on the shore and need to be cut back so Whooping Cranes have an open glide path to a safe landing shore area.Figure 2. This photo depicts another section of shore on the northeast side of Bardwell Lake. Note that the shore is open with a gradual slope into very shallow water. This area of Bardwell Lake could be improved as a Whooping Crane stopover site if the bushes were cut back with a rotary cutter (Bush hog) a distance of 150 X 200 feet. The water is shallow all along this section of the shore. Much of the water is in the 2 inch to 10 inches depth range which the cranes need for roosting sites. Foraging for food is available in nearby agricultural fields.Figure 3. This photo was made on the northwest portion of Bardwell Lake. The water is shallow (one foot and less) in most of the area shown in this photo. Also much of the shore area is open with a few scattered trees. While this area could be a good stopover area currently, it can be improved by removing the few scattered trees on the shore. Much of the lake shore of the northwest arm of the lake is similar to this.
Tom Stehn is now the “Whooping Crane Science Advisor” for Friends of the Wild Whoopers (FOTWW). Tom will provide answers to questions about Whooping Cranes posed by the interested public. Tom will also provide guidance to FOTWW concerning conservation, management and future needs of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of wild Whooping Cranes. The Aransas-Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane flock is the only self-sustaining wild population on earth.
Figure 1. Tom Stehn checking on Whooping Cranes.
A question and answer section “Ask Tom Stehn” has been established on FOTWW’s web page. Questions asked by anyone will be entertained on the web site in an effort to provide scientifically accurate information to the public. To go to the site click here.
Tom Stehn’s professional qualifications and experience with Whooping Cranes are well known in the scientific community. He is a world class Whooping Crane biologist. He retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011.
Tom served as the refuge biologist at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge for 15 years and as the U.S. Coordinator of Whooping Crane Recovery Program for 14 years. During these years he kept tabs on the only wild population of Whooping Cranes on earth, serving as the observer on weekly census flights.
Figure 2. Tom keeping watch over the Whoopers.
He served as a member of the Whooping Crane Recovery Team for 25 years. He directed management and research efforts on the Whoopers, publishing 17 scientific articles. Twice he helped radio-track the cranes between Texas and Canada, helped get erosion control mats installed along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and served for many years as the burn boss at Aransas carrying out prescribed burns to promote upland whooping crane use.
In 2016, Tom was selected by the North American Crane Working Group as the 8th recipient of the Walkinshaw Award given for long-time contributions to crane research and conservation. He has received may other awards during his distinguished career.
Tom Stehn has always stood ready to help others who needed to tap into his knowledge base and sought his advice. Friends of the Wild Whoopers is pleased and honored that he is continuing his willingness to share his knowledge about Whooping Cranes.
This family of whooping cranes was at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge last winter. Notice the cinnamon plumage on the juvenile walking behind its parents.(Photo: David Sikes)
After a record hatch at Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada, an estimated 431 endangered whooping cranes are making their way into the marshes of and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Canada wildlife officials earlier reported 98 nests within Wood Buffalo National Park, which produced 63 fledglings. The old fledgling record set in 2006 was 49. Lush wetlands in Canada helped produce this record hatch, according to Chester A. McConnell, president of Friends of the Wild Whoopers. Salinity and marsh conditions at the Aransas refuge are favorable again this year.
The population’s health and continued growth relies on good habitat at their nesting site, in their wintering grounds, and everywhere in between, according to McConnell, who has been negotiating with military officials to enhance wetlands along the crane’s migratory route. And he’s garnered much cooperation.
Marsh conditions appear to be healthy, despite enduring a thrashing from Hurricane Harvey. The last time heavy rainfall inundated the birds’ wintering habitat the explosions of crabs and shrimp created a boon for whoopers and other wildlife.
To read David Sikes’ of The Corpus Christi Caller-Times article “Record number of whooping cranes expected to spend winter in the Coastal Bend”, click here.
***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****
Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.
