Kachemak Crane Watch 2008

By Edgar Bailey

Photos by Nina Faust

Homer's Lesser Sandhill Cranes made interesting news this summer with more reports than usual to Kachemak Crane Watch. The first reported crane arrivals were on April 3, and the last observation occurred on October 11. The average departure date is September 10. Unlike most falls when hundreds or even thousands in some years pass high over the Homer area, most of the large migratory flocks flew north of Diamond Ridge. Waves of hundreds crossed the Kenai Peninsula over Ninilchik and northward.

The first reported colt (chick) was on June 18 at Mile 11 East End Road. This was 10 days later than last year, which experienced a warmer spring. The first reported fledged colt was on August 3. Two fewer colts were reported in the last two years. With 33 colts reported this year also came reports of at least three killed by eagles, four hit by cars, and at least two dead from hypothermia during a severe late June storm. Surprisingly, no reports of cranes killed by dogs or coyotes were received.

One female crane that had been watched for years in an East End Road neighborhood was saved by alert neighbors who saw ravens creating a disturbance in a dry pond frequented by the neighborhood crane family. The couple ran out and were able to chase an eagle atop the female crane before it was seriously injured. The crane walked off into the brush and was later tracked by radio signal to a new location about 1/2 mile away with its mate and a healthy chick.

Stories of eagle attacks or disturbance to foraging cranes are all too common in the Homer area, the Copper River Delta, and elsewhere. Gary Ivey, the western representative of the International Crane Foundation, pointed to eagles as the main local predator of sandhill cranes. He even experienced an eagle attack on one of the cranes that he captured to equip with a satellite transmitter. A Bald Eagle stooped on a sandhill crane that was in the noose net used to capture them. He and his assistant, Caroline Herzinger, got to the crane just ahead of the eagle and avoided any injury or death of the crane.

"Kachemak Crane Watch" funded this research project in the Homer area. Ten adult cranes were equipped with satellite transmitters to track their movements. Gary Ivey, the project leader, has had nearly 30 years experience working with sandhill cranes at wildlife refuges in Oregon and other locations. As of October 15, after leaving our area in mid September, five of Homer's telemetered cranes were in California, three were in Washington, and two were in Southeast Alaska. One of the cranes now in California was earlier in eastern Oregon and Nevada. It is fascinating to watch their movements and see the habitats they use vicariously with "Google Earth" on the computer. Anyone can follow their movements and ultimately see where they settle for the winter. Next spring we should be able to follow their flight path back to Homer.

The information provided by these ten satellite tagged birds will ultimately help identify important habitats where they forage and roost in winter and summer, stopover during migration, and finally nest in summer. Identifying key habitats will provide needed information that will help researchers coordinate with land managers and crane supporters to protect land important to the survival of this incredible ancient species. Development is shrinking available wetlands habitat in wintering areas just as it is reducing open fields for foraging in Kachemak Bay. Hopefully, this research will help identify new ways to help sandhill cranes live long into the future so they will continue to bring their joyous, ethereal calls and fascinatng behavior to our area.

For more information about the project and to follow the cranes via computer, view crane videos, read the full summary of information gathered this summer by Kachemak Crane Watch, or find links to other crane organizations, go to http://www.cranewatch.org.