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What
are these students showing you? Click on the photo to meet
these terrific kids and see what they are doing
to help the cranes fly south!
Photo
Karin Liimatta
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Well,
it's Down Day #5 at Stopover #5 in Winnebago County, Illinois. A
high pressure system to the north brought cooler, calmer conditions
on the surface. But after checking computer weather models and
wind activity, the team found that winds aloft are blowing in an
opposite direction
at
20 to 30 mph. Such "crosswinds" would cause breezes enough to slow
migration speed and progress. The 55-air-mile leg would be longer
for the young
birds.
Hang in there with the team, because things WILL get better. (Take
a look at today's questions below to see what else you can discover
about
flight
conditions.)
Meanwhile,
a few of the flock's older Whooping cranes have
begun
their southward
migration from Wisconsin. Two cranes from the Class of 2003 began
their migration last week and are now in Green County, Indiana.
Weather is unusually warm in Wisconsin, so
the others will probably stay for awhile longer.
On
down-days, the camera will be on soon after sunrise for about
3 hours, and and again in the afternoon for 1 hour for roost
check (between 3:30 - 4:30). The
rest of the time, see the archived clips that are captured
each day.
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In
the Classroom
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(a) Who
are the students in the photo above, and what are
they pointing at? Meet a terrific class of craniacs
here to
find out. (b-for-bonus) In
yesterday's updated report,
pilot Joe Duff describes the flight in the warm,
humid, bumpy air. What did he observe that told
him the
birds were having
a harder time? Why is cool air best? What are some
signs that tell pilots the birds are getting tired?
Hear
(and read along) as Joe Duff explains. Then
summarize Joe's answer in your journal.
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