Personality and Training: Crane chick #2-14 is a full sister to chick #3-14.

Little #2 first heard the trike engine turn on and off on May 21 when she was 7 days old. She handled it well. By May 26, chicks #2 and #3, the siblings from Necedah, were going around and around together in the circle pen as they following the aircraft "trike" with no fear. They got along great with each other, too, unlike some siblings!

Despite the downtime due to recent poor weather, all the girls did great flying with the aircraft, logging over 15 minutes of air time by the week of August 25!

September 16: Crane #2 was one of three cranes to get the new backpack transmitters used this year for the first time. "There are negatives to attaching anything to a free-flying bird, but the risk of injury is low, and there is a lot to be learned," writes Joe Duff.

She tried desperately to follow the plane when she had the backpack, but it impeded flight. On September 26, the backpack transmitters were removed from all three birds wearing them: 2-14, 7-14 and 9-14. The decision was made after the team had clear evidence that the backpack transmitters inhibited the cranes' normal flight ability. The next day all sixcranes flew just great, and for a duration of 20 minutes and 9 seconds. Go cranes!

October 6: The cranes are almost ready for migration, but the weather is holding them up. The team trains them as often as weather permits. Pilot Joe says #2 is the group's best flyer!

Crane #2 is still a small bird, like #4. She still peeps like a baby even though she's the oldest of the group.

October 10, 2014: Migration Day 1! The six girls took off for their first migration stop. Crane #2 flew the distance to Stopover #1: four miles.

October 11, 2014: Day 2 Cranes #2, 7, 9 and 10 took off but dismayed the team when they returned to their old White River Marsh training pensite instead of following the plane to Stopover #2. This has never happened in the team's past 13 seasons of leading cranes on migration! All were put in crates and driven to stop #2 in Marquette County, Wisconsin: 14 miles.

November 13, 2014: LEAP TO TENNESSEE! With no change in Wisconsin's grim weather outlook, the team performed a first: They boxed up and transported this year’s group of cranes 600 miles by vehicle to start over again where the weather should be better. Thiis the longest segment of the migration route that will not be flown by the cranes since the initiation of this reintroduction in 2001. The birds were crated after sunset so the move could take place overnight, taking advantage of low light conditions, the least amount of traffic, and the time of day when the cranes would normally be roosting and less active. Cranes seldom eat or drink during the night so they were well hydrated and nourished before going to roost in their crates. The plan seems to have worked well. Upon release the next day, the happy birds ran right to a costumed Colleen for grape treats. The effects of not flying such a large section of the migration route are unknown, but the team is hopeful. Alas, the weather in Tennessee kept them grounded and there wasn't a successful flight again until Nov. 25.

November 26, 2014: Day 48 Sixty-seven miles to Winston Count, Alabama!

December 2, 2014: Day 54 Forty-six miles to Lowndes County, Alabama—for all seven birds! The five following Joe had to work hard in headwinds and heat while #7 hogged the "sweet spot" and had an easy flight. Cranes #4 and #10 flew with Brooke's plane on their first real flight of the migration.

December 3, 2014: Day 55 Sixty-four miles to Pike County, ALABAMA! Again today, five flew with Joe and two with Brooke.

December 9, 2014: Day 61 All seven cranes flew again this morning, covering 117 miles and crossing Georgia! Here they are in Decatur County, GA.with only two flights to go!

December 10, 2014: Day 62 Another good day! All seven cranes flew 33 miles to Leon County, FLORIDA in 47 minutes. They flew just shy of 2,000 feet altitude at a ground speed of 51 mph, thanks to a nice tailwind. Only 28 miles to go!

December 23, 2014: Freedom! The cranes were released to freedom on the morning of Dec. 23. This is the first year they won't have a final health check.

January 5, 2015: Each bird was quickly caught one more time to get permanent legbands and tracking transmitters. You can see #2's colors on this photo.

March 15 2015: Female crane #2-14 was killed by a predator late on the evening of March 15. Brooke reported that she did not return to the release enclosure as darkness fell. Since it was odd for her not to return with the others after a day of exploring the coastal marsh, Brooke feared the worst. He went out the next day to search for her radio signal and found her remains very near to the location where 5-13 was killed by a predator 4 months earlier. Everyone is so sorry. She was a great bird.