Mike and all. One November a few years back I attended the "Festival of the Cranes" at Bosque Del Apache NWR in New Mexico. Many cranes winter there (including members of the lesser race of sandhills that hale from as far away as western Alaska and Siberia!!). Anyway down that way they called them the "sirloin of the skies" and said they were quite delicious. I must confess I've never tasted one. I suppise the positive side of a future hunting season for the eastern crane population would be that their numbers had grown to such a healthy extent that a limited season would be in order. THAT being said, it IS difficult to ponder so beautiful a creature being "taken" on the wing. But I suppose the same could be said for a snow goose.... Just thinking out loud. Pete Sar
On Sat, Dec 5, 2020, 11:28 AM <[email protected]> wrote: > The numbers of Sandhill Cranes are now about double any previous year by > my marginal memory’s recollection. The highest I remember 2 years ago was > around 127 (but eBird search experts can correct me). If y happy just > enjoying the beautiful flock stop reading.! Based on this year’s nesting > stories that I either saw, heard or read about the refuge didn’t contribute > much. First, I read of a pair that had 2 young near the main pool > observation tower. That went down to one young then I heard none. The DEC > staff told me that a pair at Morgan road had one bird disappear long enough > to hopefully incubate but rejoined the other with no young in tow. The > Carncross Road pair appeared together often but no baby. Joann and I found > one on a nest at the Sandhill Crane unit. They hatched one young but that > bird disappeared a short week later. Finally a pair at Knox showed up with > a fledgling and as far a I know that was the only refuge success. I hope > others have better stories as I heard talk of pairs on Howland Island and > at the MAC. The first post nesting gathering at Knox that I saw were > consistent with this as I remember a dozen with 1 juvenile. Then they came > from everywhere apparently. Yay! > This number also starts concerns with me about potential future > hunting. I don’t know where our birds winter but know that the eastern > population can be hunted in Tennessee, Kentucky and starting last year > Alabama. Its pretty unlikely that the hunters here won’t want to shoot the > “ribeyes of the sky” so start campaigning to have them protected! Mike > Tetlow > > > Sent from my iPhone > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
