October 28, 2005 Migration Day 15 Photo Operation Migration Airborne to Indiana +43.2 Miles Delayed two hours by fog, the pilots and all 20 crane-kids left Illinois at 9:36 am CT. After circling a few times, chick #516 landed--his wing not yet up to the challenge. He was crated to today's stop, but 54 minutes later, Joe landed at stop #9 with 17 birds and Brooke with two. They're in Benton County, INDIANA--with 288.8 statute miles gone! They had a nice ground speed of 51-54 mph today. Another time they would have kept going, trying to reach the next site 1 hour 10 minutes away. Today they decided against it; their late start meant the sun was already heating the air. The resulting thermal activity would make flying too rought to risk gaining the extra miles. Still, they're delighted with their progress, and they shared some spectacular photos from yesterday's flight! 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: What risks and possible fears can you list for these migrating cranes? Start by thinking about what Richard said about the troubles on Oct. 26: "They were frightened of something. I could hear them peeping over the sound of the brood call and the roar of the engine. They were afraid every time we crossed a highway or busy road. They were not impressed by the commuter jet that passed by only a few hundred feet away. I spent a long time coaxing them to LaSalle County, only to drop them off and go back six miles to find a dropout bird who refused to fly back with the trike." • Migration Math: If the trip is roughly 1225 miles, how many miles are left? • History: Survival is a daily challenge.While you are thinking about perils to these endangered birds, find out about a brave crane from hatch year 2003. Go to the flock chart and click on #304 to see what happened yesterday. 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.