Get current information here for the arrival of the Operation Migration
ultralights and whooping cranes!

Sometime during the coming days or weeks there will be an exciting opportunity to view the landing of this year's group of 17 whooping cranes at Hiwassee Island led by the Operation Migration ultralights.

From October through February each year, the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge is the premium wintering observation site in the southeast for the magnificent Sandhill Crane. In addition, the refuge is the 18th of 28 landing sites for Operation Migration, a non-profit organization which leads the whooping cranes by ultralight from Wisconsin to their winter home in Florida. A site map of their journey, as well as an excellent field journal is posted at: http://www.operationmigration.org/2007migrationmap.html
http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html

There is an excellent viewing platform in the Hiwassee Island Refugethat provides an opportunity to see the area where the sandhill cranes migrate into the area. This is also an excellent spot for an aerial view of the ultralights landing and take-off that should take place sometime in the coming days or weeks.

The ultralights landed in southern Kentucky at stop #15 on Sunday, Nov 25th, which is only 3 stops north of Hiwassee Island. Flight schedules are unpredictable since they depend on the weather, wind conditions and the mood of the cranes each morning.They post their travels each day on their website, but if you are trying to drive out to the viewing station in time for their arrival, the posting is too late since it is written after the landing.

We have arranged to be in contact with the ground crew coordinator for Operation Migration and they will call us when they arrive in Cumberland County, which is the stop before Hiwassee Island. They will also call each morning of their planned flight to Hiwassee Island so that we may post that information here. If you are interested in going to the viewing area for the landing and/or take-off, check back here each morning about 7 AM for an update on flight plans.

Go here for directions to the
Hiwassee Island Refuge viewing station.