Ruth,

Your description sure sounds like Whooping Cranes. These birds should sure be checked out. If Yakima has an Audubon Chapter, you ought to report the birds there. Sounds real exciting!

Barry Ulman
Bellingham, WA.


On Apr 24, 2011, at 8:32 PM, Ruth Taylor wrote:

> Hi All:
>
> This past Friday morning, I was driving on I-82 south from Yakima on my way
> to a business appointment in Toppenish. At roughly 0930 I spotted three
> large white birds flying over the highway and circling close together as if
> to descend into the wetland area on one side of the highway.
> All were white with very long, narrow wings with prominent black primaries,
> had very long necks and very long trailing legs. I'm familiar with
> Sandhills, with both species of swans, with snow geese - the only thing that
> fits is Whooping Cranes. Is this possible???
> I've never seen them; while I read that a few have been released in Idaho,
> that's about all I know about these birds in the west. For all I know, there
> may be very small numbers of them that do migrate through Eastern
> Washington.
> I'd love to hear from anyone who could give me more information or that saw
> them.
>
> Ruth Taylor
> Seattle
> rutht at seanet.com
>
>
>
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