Whooping Crane Whooping Crane

November 15 and 16, 2003
Days 31 & 32

Yucky Weekend Weather...But This Project Rocks!
craneHY03_180
This is OM's new truck. Photo Wayne Kryduba.

The cranes 'n planes are still at their final Kentucky stopover site: Adair County. Rain and fog have stalled the migration all weekend. Even so, we have some exciting news! By November 13, all 20 of the 2001 and 2002 cranes were gone, catching up quickly with this year's chicks. A group of eight (last year's birds #5, #8, #9, #11, #12, #16 and #17, plus #2 from 2001), left Necedah and reached Indiana in one day. Also in S. Indiana is a separate group of three: #5 from 2001 and #4 and #18 from 2002. But two females were far in the lead ahead of them all. Late Saturday (Nov. 15), the ICF/FWS tracking team confirmed that females #3 and #15 (2002 birds) arrived in Citrus Country, Florida! These two awesome females are the "wandering birds" that spent part of the summer in South Dakota. They started south from Allamakee County, Iowa on November 8, completing their return to Florida in just seven days. Crane #1 (2001) was also reported back in Florida after arriving in Levy County yesterday. In the words of USFWS Public Affairs Officer Chuck Underwood, "This project rocks!"

Last Fall

This Fall

Map the Migration
Make your own map using the latest migration data

Try This! Journaling Questions
  • How would you feel if you were a son or daughter of one of the team members, waiting at home while your parent was helping the migration? Would you have mixed feelings? Explain.
  • Look back at your journal entry for our October 7 question. What did you predict about #2-09's migration south? (She missed 391 miles, or 6 flight segments, of her journey south last year because she traveled in a crate.)
  • Are you keeping up your Migration Comparison Chart? (Today's news offers something for your "Notes" section!)


Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).

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