Whooping Crane

No Go. Unflyable Weather (+0 Miles) November 4, 2009: Migration Day 20 Photo Operation Migration Once again, the weather rules the day. Warming temps and rain blew in with winds from the south before the team even awoke this morning. Too hot, too cold, just right. Like Goldilocks, the ultralight pilots know what's best. Each morning around sunrise they look at the windsock, listen to weather stations, or take a test flight in the ultralight plane. Then they decide if they'll fly. Today: grounded in Green County, WI. Wind, rain, humidity, temperatures — how do you think each weather factor affects flying with the birds? Make your predictions, and then click here for more details from project leader Joe Duff. Good news! Tomorrow's weather looks good to go. That means crossing the border into Illinois, where the team will soon fly the 10,000th mile and 100th bird of the Whooping Crane Reintroduction that began back in 2001! Check out the TrikeCam mounted on Chris's wing. If you don't see live feed, you can review archived footage here. See the CraneCam views of the birds in their pen at Stopover #4: Green County, Wisconsin!   (Map|Data) In the Classroom Today's Journal Question: Yesterday's lead pilot, Richard, wrote: "About 20 miles from our destination all of the birds suddenly charged ahead of the trike, nervously looking to the east. I looked but I could not see anything. But they were clearly bothered by something out there. After almost caving my chest in with the control bar, I finally got ahead of them again. They began to settle down and then they all resumed their long line off my right wing with the exception of 912. He moved over to my left wing and so we carried on." What things might have spooked the young cranes in the air? Available now! Click on the image to see how to get Operation Migration's FREE new activity book! Map Daily News The Chicks The Team Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in cooperation with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2024 Journey North. All rights reserved.