Was it mischief, or eagerness? On Tuesday, two of the youngest crane kids sneaked right past the costumes and escaped to join the older birds for their training flight! Crane Quiz #2 asks four new questions, and this week's nonfiction story brings you to flight school with the chicks. What's about to change for the blue-eyed baby in the photo?

Today's Report Includes:

• Latest Chick Chat: Mischief!
• Meet the Flock: Crane Quiz #3
• Journal: What about eye color?
• Slideshow/Booklet: "Off to Flight School: Finding Their Wings"

You remember that the oldest eight chicks (or now colts) moved into the pen of the youngest five a week ago. The pen was divided so they could work out their pecking order without hurting each other.

Are they ready to become one large group? By Tuesday, two of them clearly thought so! The divider was still up, but the team got a surprise when cohort one’s training flight suddenly had two extra birds. Chicks #10-10 and #17-10 somehow escaped past the costumed "guards" and flew for the entire 25 minutes with the older cohort! Pilot Richard and his ultralight plane led the 9 birds. (Cohort one was minus #5-10 because she didn’t exit the wet pen in time to make the flight.)

After Cohort two got their training flight with Brooke and his plane, all 13 birds met to forage and socialize in front of the pen. They mingled without all the jump-raking and charging of a week ago. That's progress! The whole group will take their first flight all together very soon. Each day is one day closer to migration, targeted for October 5. The chicks must practice flying as one group before the journey south.

Watch them fly!

Photo Heather Ray
This slow-motion video clip shows crane chicks in flight. What do you notice?

Newly hatched young in many species have a different eye color than older birds do. After seeing this week's image of the week, think and then respond in your journal to this question:

“What advantages could a baby bird have from its eye color being different than the adults of the species?”

How do the antics of the chicks give us reasons to laugh as well as to worry? Find out when you click on each photo to find the chick's "Baby Book" and life story, or bio page:

• Meet the Hatch Year 2010 Chicks

While you're on the bio pages, search for answers to four new questions in this week's Crane Quiz:

• Crane Quiz #3
  (The quiz page includes a link to answers.)

"I'm very polite. Who am I?"
See our crane bio pages.

Why are the chicks shipped all the way to Wisconsin after hatching in Maryland? What are two reasons why they must arrive in Wisconsin before they learn to fly?

For answers, view this week's selection as a Web slideshow or click on the matching booklet to print, fold, and take home to share.

This week's booklet
Web slide show version

Weekly Summaries are posted (by email) to registered participants on FRIDAYS: Sep 3, 10, 17, 24; Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5, 12, 19— or until this year's newest "ultra-chicks" reach their winter home in Florida!

Pre-migration: Each Friday before migration, a brief e-mail notice gives current newsy tidbits and announces a downloadable booklet for building background knowledge.
During migration: When migration begins October 5 is revised target date), the Friday e-mails will summarize the DAILY Highlight Updates that were posted on the Web during the week. You'll want to go to the Web for the latest maps, facts, photos, and fun!