Devich Farbotnik and I left Thursday night and drove to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, getting there before first light Friday morning. We spent all day Friday looking for the
Hooded Crane that had been seen there since mid-December among about 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, but it never came into view.
Sandhill Cranes at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.
Despite not seeing the Hooded Crane all day Friday, we did see a young
Whooping Crane.
A long-distance photo of a Whooping Crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Note the rusty coloration on the head and neck and some near the rump.
Several Bald Eagles were present most of the day, occasionally stirring up the cranes as they flew overhead. A cooperative
Eastern Phoebe flew around the viewing platform.
Eastern Phoebe at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.
We stayed overnight in nearby Cleveland and returned Saturday morning. At around 8:45, the
Hooded Crane flew in and landed in a field. It was only in view for about five minutes when a Sandhill Crane chased it behind some trees, so I wasn't able to get a documentation photo of it, but Devich was able to get an identifiable photo of it with his phone through his scope.
Devich Farbotnik's photo of the Hooded Crane (center, facing left) at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Note the dark forehead and light bill on the white head and the charcoal-colored body.
We left around noon and got back home around 11:00 Saturday night. The trip encompassed 1537 miles.
