October 26, 2002 Day 14 From Wisconsin to Illinois! Airborne again! Photo OM for WCEP After five days in Green County, Wisconsin, today's flight was a joyous event for the birds and the crew--even though the flock gave the team another challenging trip. What happened? The take-off was scattered, partly due to the pen's location. The landing site used in Green County is in a valley. Powerlines run along one side and trees along the other. Convincing the birds to climb so soon after their release from the pen was not easy! Joe made it out of the valley with 6 birds. The other 10 birds scattered. Brook radioed to Joe to keep going, and then turned back to try a second take-off with the reluctant 10. Brooke, too, made it out of the valley with a group of 6. The other 4 went back to the pen. Dan Sprague was on the ground at the pen, and Brooke radioed back to Dan to put the 4 in crates and drive them by truck. All cranes are now together at the first stop in Illinois: Ogle County. The 12 flying cranes handled the flight beautifully without getting tired. They flew 1 hour and 4 minutes, covering 47.9 miles. The cranes have covered 139.7 miles. Look at the maps below to see where they were on Day 14 last year. Last Fall This Fall Map the Migration Make your own map using the latest migration data Try This! Journaling Questions What happened to Crane #10, the one who collided with the lead ultralight and was injured on Day 1 of the migration? We have updated the chart about this year's flock with the latest news. (You'll want to add the facts to the NOTES section of your migration comparison chart.) In your journal, write about the decision made by the health care team. Would you have done the same? Why or why not? The team thinks they will change landing sites in Green County to a different location next year. Review events at the Green County stopover this year and last year. Then write two or more reasons why you think it might be a good idea to change the stopover to another landing site. Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Copyright 2002-2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form