Sandhill Cranes Make Successful Journey Back to WI NECEDAH (WPR) - THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS AT LEAST NINE OF THE ELEVEN SANDHILL CRANES THAT LEFT FLORIDA ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO HAVE RETURNED TO THE NECEDAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE BIRDS WERE LED TO FLORIDA BY ULTRALIGHT AIRPLANES BUT RETURNED ON THEIR OWN. THE SANDHILL EXPERIMENT IS A FORERUNNER TO A UNIQUE MIGRATION EFFORT WITH WHOOPING CRANES THAT MAY TAKE PLACE LATER THIS YEAR. D-N-R SPOKESPERSON BOB MANWELL SAYS THE RETURN OF THE SANDHILLS IS A VICTORY FOR NATURE. HE SAYS DURING THE MIGRATION, THE BIRDS BEHAVED AS WILD BIRDS DO, AVOIDING HUMAN HABITATION AREAS. HE SAYS THIS WAS A PERFECT OUTCOME FOR THIS EXPERIMENT. MANWELL SAYS THE TEST FLOCK OF SANDHILL CRANES IS MINGLING WITH OTHER SANDHILLS AT NECEDAH AND MAY HAVE TRAVELED WITH THEM. THE D-N-R, U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND OTHER PARTNERS IN THE CRANE RECOVERY PROJECT SAY THEY ARE STILL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OTHER TWO SANDHILLS NOT CONFIRMED TO BE AT NECEDAH. IT 'S POSSIBLE ONE OF THE BIRDS' RADIO TRANSMITTERS ISN'T WORKING RIGHT...OR THAT SINCE ONE OF THE BIRDS LEFT FLORIDA LATE, IT HASN'T ARRIVED YET.

© Copyright 2012, WPR