The night before the cranes leave it's quiet there. Only the wind blowing through dry leaves and the murmur of conversation drifts down the road. If you didn't know there were 19 endangered whooping cranes hidden away under a dark netting on a far hillside nothing would give them away - except the four ultralight aircraft lined up against the fence line. For this Washington County farm has a secret. One night a year it is host to some of the most incredible birds in the world - the endangered whooping crane. There are fewer than 500 in existence now - not many, but up from only 14 just half a century ago. Overcrowding, hunting and environmental factors have killed off the birds, but concentrated efforts by a handful of dedicated individuals are bringing them back. And in the worldwide scheme of things, Washington County is fortunate enough to have them grace the ground and the skies - for 48 hours once a year. For more information on whooping cranes and on Operation Migration - or to donate to this worthy cause, go to http://www.operationmigration.org.(c) Photos by Becky Blanton. All rights reserved.
Bird costume. Humans are not allowed within eyesight of the birds. Since the birds are imprinted with both the sound of ultralight/aircraft engines and the "human" birds while they are hatching and immediately afterwards, crew members must wear the white outfit anytime they are around the birds to keep the birds from imprinting on and losing their fear of humans. The costume comes with a hand puppet that dispenses corn whenever the crew are around the birds. It is not supposed to mimic a bird, but to disguise the human form. (c) 2005 Photo by Becky Blanton. All rights reserved.
Bird costume. Humans are not allowed within eyesight of the birds. Since the birds are imprinted with both the sound of ultralight/aircraft engines and the "human" birds while they are hatching and immediately afterwards, crew members must wear the white outfit anytime they are around the birds to keep the birds from imprinting on and losing their fear of humans. The costume comes with a hand puppet that dispenses corn whenever the crew are around the birds. It is not supposed to mimic a bird, but to disguise the human form. (c) 2005 Photo by Becky Blanton. All rights reserved.
