The annual flock of hand-reared young Whooping Cranes is well on its way to Florida, led by dedicated ultra light pilots and watchful ground crews. This year`s flock is twenty strong. The Operation Migration team that rears and trains cranes as a part of establishing an eastern migratory population of Whooping Cranes is using a migration route through Alabama for a second year. Weather conditions are critical in the ultra-light escorted migration of the hand-reared birds. After starting the migration from Wisconsin to Florida on October 16, poor weather delayed the flock in southern Illinois for nearly a month. However, two days of ideal weather gave the flock long travel legs (111 miles and 120 miles) of the trip to put them in Tennessee, about half way to its destination in Florida as of December 7. Crane enthusiasts track the flock`s progress by visiting the Operation Migration website, and see the cranes at periodic "flyovers" along the migration route. The triumphant final flyover occurs just as the flock approaches the Chassahowitska National Wildlife Refuge south of Crystal River, FL. Check Cedar Key News for arrival time and flyover information as the flock arrives in Florida, hopefully in the next few weeks. http://www.operationmigration.org | 
