I am a little slow posting this sighting so that I could confirm my information. On April 15 at about noon I had the opportunity to very clearly view 2 Whooping Cranes passing in front of our place on Upper Buckhorn Lake. Both birds are females numbered 309 & 520. The birds were at an altitude of about 40 - 45 meters with full sunlight brilliantly displaying adult plumage of white with the black wing tip feathers. They were picked up by PTT south of Port Perry on the 14'th and stayed overnight in the Lakefield area before proceeding to Lewis County New York. They are part of the eastern colony that is being established in Wisconsin. 309 was off course last year and was recaptured in North Carolina and returned to the Florida wintering grounds. 520 is last years hatch and seemed to have attached herself to 309 and followed along. Both birds were hatched at Patuxent and raised in the Necedah NWR where they learned to fly with an ultra light aircraft and migrate to the Florida wintering grounds.
They plan to capture the birds in New York and move them. Although they are not native to Ontario it was a real thrill to see these birds so close and so perfect. David N. Barnim, 6 shamrock Avenue Emerald Isle Ennismore Ontario
