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• <br />• <br />stations (3 readings at each station) from 33 transects were surveyed. This was the first year of <br />implementing this protocol that a Whooping Crane group roosted in an off -river palustrine <br />wetland site. Photographs depicting the habitat used at the Whooping Crane Use Site are shown <br />in Figures 5 -6). <br />DISTANCE TO VISUAL OBSTRUCTION, SUBSTRATE, AND WATER DEPTH- <br />Visual obstructions from Whooping Crane use sites are given in Table 4. Substrate was <br />characterized clay /silt, a category not encountered in prior years. The average water depth <br />throughout the wetland area was 3 -5 inches. <br />Table 4. Location, visual obstruction distance (m), substrate, and roost depth (m) at the <br />Whooping Crane wetland roost site. <br />Use UTM X UTM Y VO North VO East VO South VO West Clay/ Roost <br />Site ID I I I Distance I Distancel Distance Distance Slit % I Depth <br />1 1441816145032641 100 1 200 1 100 1 200 1 100 1 -.12 <br />DIURNAL USE SITES- <br />Diurnal movements and activity data was collected when possible. We documented 6 <br />diurnal use locations in 1 section during 6 days of observation (Figure 1). Whooping Cranes <br />were observed within 0.3 -1.5 miles from their off -river wetland roost location. <br />CRANE -USE DAYS <br />Crane -Use days were calculated by multiplying the number of Whooping Cranes by the <br />number of days present. For this calculation, we assumed that a Whooping Crane observed <br />during the morning aerial survey was present the previous day. Whooping Cranes were believed <br />to be present in the study area 8 (15 %) of the 40 days of the survey based on an interview with a <br />local landowner (Joe Jeffrey, personal communication) We documented the presence of 1 <br />Whooping Crane group that contained 3 birds. A total of 27 crane -use days was recorded (Table <br />6). <br />Table 6. Whooping Crane dates of occurrence and crane -use days. <br />Crane Group <br />Number of <br />Cranes <br />Dates of Occurrence <br /># of days present <br />Crane -Use Days <br />2008SP01 -06 <br />3 <br />Aril 11 -19 <br />9 <br />27 <br />LAND -COVER CLASS- <br />Emergents, Open Water Canal, Ag -Corn, and Ag- Soybeans were the cover -types <br />Whooping Cranes were observed using during the day. Three locations were AG -Corn, 1 was <br />AG- Soybeans, 1 was Open Water Canal, and 1 was Emergents. All of the known nocturnal roost <br />Final Spring 2008 Whooping Crane Monitoring Report 6 <br />6/20/2008 <br />