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December
3, 2005
Migration Day 51
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Some 2001 crane-kids after the first-ever southward migration
reached Florida on this
day in 2001. From their leg bands, which
cranes are they? (See codes with life stories.) How are these
birds doing today?
Photo WCEP
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Down
on the Ground
+ 0 Miles
Richard's morning test flight made the decision clear. Upon climbing to 1,1000
feet above ground in his ultralight, he simply hung in the headwind. If he'd
gone highter, the tiny aircraft would have been going BACKWARDS! Yes, it's
a down day in Pike County, Georgia.
The
team might have been thinking of the great flight just 3
days ago. Things were going so well that they skipped
over the Coweta County stop and went straight for Pike County. Ground speeds
reached 75 mph at times! "We were required to stay below 3,00 feet
due to the Atlanta airport control zone. As the chicks continued
to challenge the trike we slowly climbed to 2,800 feet. We didn't
want to climb any higher or our top cover pilot wouldn't have room
to maneuver. It got harder and harder to stay in front of the now
overly-enthusiastic chicks." Whoo-eeee!
A year
ago today, they
celebrated blowing over THREE stopover sites! This
day in 2001 marked the official arrival day of the very first chicks
in this whooping crane reintroduction. Do you think remembering
good times helps get the team through the
days
on the ground?
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Track the
Migration
Use
our map or make your own with this migration data.
(Click
map to enlarge.) |
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Keep
a Migration Journal
• Today's
Question: What flying conditions
make the young cranes eager in flight? (See Richard's
notes, above, for clues.) On such days, what
is the biggest challenge for the ultralight pilots? Are
the planes more limited, or the birds? Explain.
•
History: The total distance is about
1225 miles. Filll in the blanks: On Dec. 3, the cranes
were
_____miles from their summer/nesting home in Wisconsin
and ____ miles from their winter home in Florida.
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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.
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