Gusty Winds Mean No Go (+0 Miles)
October 19, 2007: Migration Day 7

Still in camp, with no travel again today.
Photo Jane Duden


Whoa! I'ts really windy today! Are you feeling impatient by waiting? The young crane-kids are probably feeling restless too. Every autumn, migratory birds go through what ornithologists call "migratory restlessness." Changes in amount of daylight, the sun's changing angle, and the weather cause them to feed and move around more. As the energy builds day after day, they take off and migrate — sometimes great distances. The older cranes that followed the ultralights in earlier years will know exactly how to use their restless energy: they will begin migration. But in the same way that wild Whooping Cranes follow their parents on their first migration, this year's 17 chicks are looking to their "plane-and-costume parents" to lead the way. They probably would like a practice flight, but since they haven't been taught to migrate yet, they are probably not the least bit disappointed about the big delay.

In the Classroom

  • Today's Journal Question:
    (a) How many days was the migration stuck at the first stop in the 2006 migration? You can find the answer by clicking on the 2006 story link on our Fall Migration Archives page. >> Skim the story titles to get information quickly. Then click to check story details.
    (b-for-bonus) Do you think we humans are affected by a sort of migratory restlessness? Do you feel a "change in the air" in fall? If so, how does it affect your behavior?

 


Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in cooperation with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).