With the brood call playing on a loudspeaker in the pen a half mile away, the young birds head in the right direction. They check out their new surroundings.

Operation Migration

Crew members Jeff and Colleen, along with pilot Brooke make the walk with them:

Joe Duff, Operation Migration

From the pen, the first glimpse of the the young cranes comes as they clear the treeline in the distance:

Joe Duff, Operation Migration

Getting closer . . .

Heather Ray, Operation Migration

As usual, crane #2-15 leads the way. Close behind is #11-15, the only male crane in this year's cohort, and youngest among the six young cranes:

Heather Ray, Operation Migration

Eventually, Brooke coaxes them toward the gates of the pen:

Heather Ray, Operation Migration

Whooping crane #1-15 was the second crane to enter and immediately began her typical leaping and dancing. She is still leaping as the others are all eventually coaxed in through the large gate:

Operation Migration

Last crane to enter was, of course, #2-15:

Operation Migration

Finally, all are in the top-netted section of the release pen, where they’ll stay until the final health check and banding within the week. A top net keeps the birds enclosed for now, but soon it will come off and they can freely come and go, foraging and learning the ways of wild cranes—before they begin their first spring migration back to Wisconsin.

The newcomers' first visitors appear immediately. They are subadults #5-12, #4-13, #4-14 and #7-14:

Colleen Chase, Operation Migration