October 24, 2005 Migration Day 11 Photo OM Gusty Winds: No Go +0 Miles It's brisk and a bit frosty, but the gusty winds are the culprits keeping planes and cranes down today. Total distance traveled so far: 129.5 statute miles. By now, the older "ultra-cranes" from 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 should be itching to migrate. Sometimes they meet up with (or pass!) the ultralghts and chicks (also called colts at this age). Remember that cranes in the wild fly alone or in twos or threes, like the natural flock's family group in our October 20 report. Sometimes whoopers join with sandhill cranes, but whoopers do not normally migrate in large groups like sandhill cranes do. The ultralight-led migraions with first-year chicks are unnatural. Still, they will know how to migrate like wild birds next spring. That's the beauty of instinct! Track the Migration Use our map or make your own with this migration data. (Click map to enlarge.) Keep a Migration Journal • Today's Question: Young cranes must be taught where to migrate, but not how to fly. They are genetically programmed to fly; they do it by instinct. What things do YOU do by instinct? What things did you need to be taught? • Record Keeping: Did you make another tally mark in the No-Fly column on your migration comparison chart? • Migration Math: With 129.5 miles gone, what's the average distance covered per day of this migration? How does it compare with the average you figured on Day 4? Why? Migration Journal   Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in cooperation with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Copyright 2005 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form.