Laserfiche WebLink
• Search Effort. -- <br />Ground searches were initiated on 2 occasions. A total of 3 hours was expended in this <br />effort and 53 miles were driven. Search duration extended from 1 to 2 hours. Objects were <br />located on one occasion (50 %) and resulted in a leucistic Sandhill Crane. Searches were <br />terminated when the object was found or after a sufficient search effort was made. <br />Program ID and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ID Comparisons. -- <br />Table 9 compares the Program numbering system with the USFWS database (Martha <br />Tacha, personal communication). We had one group of Whooping Cranes present in the study <br />area during the survey. <br />Table 9. Comparison of Program Crane ID and USFWS Crane ID. <br />Program Crane ID <br />(Prefix 2008SP) <br />Program Name <br />USFWS <br />Crane ID <br />Dates of <br />Occurrence <br /># of cranes <br />01 -06 <br />Jeffrey's wetland <br />08A -24 <br />4/11 -19 <br />3 <br />Summary of Confirmed Sightings in the U.S.— <br />The number of confirmed Whooping Crane sightings in Nebraska was 12 including that <br />contained herein (Martha Tacha, personal communication). As of 8 May 2008, there were 38 <br />Is confirmed sightings in the United States as follows: Montana- 2; North Dakota- 6; South <br />Dakota- 7; Nebraska -12; Kansas- 8; Oklahoma- 2; and Texas- 1. A record 266 Whooping <br />Cranes were expected to migrate from their wintering grounds this spring. <br />• <br />Discussion and Recommendations <br />This was the pilot year for the Rebar Marker Placement Protocol. The placement of <br />rebar did add some time and additional expense to the project; however, it was minimal. We <br />estimate that implementation of this protocol added about 10 -15 minutes to the amount of time it <br />took to survey each river channel profile location. All such locations were decoy sites this <br />season. Feedback from follow -up surveys of these sites by the surveying team will aid the <br />Technical Advisory Committee in determining the efficacy of this effort. <br />We offer the following comments /suggestions to the Technical Advisory Committee as a <br />result of this season's effort. <br />Data Sheets <br />➢ Add "Use Site ID" and "Crane Group ID" to the Aerial Observations form. <br />➢ Add "walking" as an activity to the "..... Instantaneous and Continuous Use Site <br />Monitoring" sheet. <br />➢ Change "..... Instantaneous and Continuous Use Site Monitoring" to Time Budget. <br />Final Spring 2008 Whooping Crane Monitoring Report <br />6/20/2008 <br />