News of the Nature Coast of Florida

Once again, Citrus County is the final winter destination for a flock of endangered whooping cranes.

It was wet, cold and foggy, but an estimated 200 people showed on Tuesday for a flyover by the "Class of 2009" whooping cranes.

The flyover was a bit late arriving at the Dunnellon Airport, but volunteers provided breakfast items for the folks, some of whom had showed up at 7 a.m.

Fog from Gainesville to Ocala forced the flock and ultralight "leaders" to delay takeoff to 9:02 a.m. from their last stop in Marion County en route to Dunnellon. They arrived in Dunnellon at about 10:30 a.m.

This year's 10-crane flock has been airborne for 88 days now, since leaving their point of origin in Necedah, Wisc. Also known as Operation Migration, the goal is for the cranes to eventually make the annual migration trek to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on their own. Until then, volunteers piloting ultralight planes will gently lead them on the journey.

As for the return trip to Wisconsin, the cranes will have to "wing" it back to that state by themselves.