 |
 |
November 13, 2002
Day 32
Last Stop in Kentucky! What do you observe about the landscape below? What do you observe about the
bird's wing feathers? (click to enlarge)
See cranes in the 1 & 3 positions? Their beaks are open. They make a loud
peeping noise as they fly with the plane. Photos OM, WCEP
The cranes flew for the third day in a row, something rare on this migration! They left Washington County, KY at
7:21 a.m. and landed in Adair County 1 hour and 56 minutes later, covering 64.6 miles on today's flight. All 16
birds flew, for the fifth time on this journey (Sep 21, Oct 30, Nov 3, Nov 12, Nov 13). They've reached the last
stop in Kentucky, and Tennessee is next!
The birds often enjoy a nice, refreshing splash and some chow after flying--especially after slight headwinds like they experienced this morning. Take a peek while a crane takes a bath!
- Link to video and questions: Splish, Splash! A Crane in the Bath
Meanwhile, many folks in Tennessee are waiting eagerly for the young cranes to enter their state. With luck, that will be tomorrow. Whooping Cranes Over Tennessee is a volunteer group that organized a huge walk-a-thon fundraiser to protect, enjoy and help support the whoopers as they travel through Tennessee. The walkers included many students. They traced the route that the Whooping Cranes will fly during their ultralight-led migration through the state. The walk began at the Kentucky border and ended in Chattanooga. People all along the route carried a big Whooping Crane kite. You can "be there" by viewing the photos on their Web site!
 |
 |
|
Last Fall |
This Fall |
|
Map the Migration |
|
Try This! Journaling Questions
- Do a photo study: In the top photo above (click to enlarge), What do you observe about the landscape below? What do you observe about the bird's wing feathers? Notice how symmetric the crane's legs and head are. You can tell there's just about as much weight behind the sholders as in front of the shoulders. Why is this helpful? You can easily see the secondary (white) feathers and the primary (black) feathers. Birds spread their wings in a way that increases the surface area and thus increases lift. The primaries grow out of the bird's "handbones" and the secondary feathers grow out of the "forearm" bones. To learn more about how birds fly, click here.
- Where was last year's historic first ultralight-led migration on this date?
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