Whooping Crane
 

No Go. Too Windy (+0 Miles)
December 3, 2009: Migration Day 49

Birds in the pen today.
Photo: Bev Paulan, Operation Migration

Today's winds blew away any hope for flying. But that will soon change. Weather for the next two days looks hopeful! For now, it's Down Day #3 in Cumberland County, Illinois.

Thinking back, you may remember that trackers and some crates were needed to get three of the birds to this stopover. Imagine you are on the ground crew. What would it be like to get the news that a bird dropped out and you are called into sudden action? You are in unfamiliar territory, far from home. How do you know where to start searching? Will you be in forests? Hills? Flat farm fields? See what it's like in this story: In the Tracking Van With Bev.

CraneCam is live each day from about 6:30 to 10:00 a.m. and again from 3:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. TrikeCam is live during migration flights.

In the Classroom

  • (a) List items you would expect the tracking van to carry. Why is each important? Compare your list with Bev's. (b-for-bonus) You have imagined what the tracker feels, but what about the crane? How might it feel to be found, coaxed into a crate, then ride in a dark, speeding vehicle over bumpy roads, perhaps with traffic noise all around? What would you do to make it less stressful for the crane? For ideas, see Charlie's story from the 2007 migration.

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

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