Make
Connections:
• (Page 1) Do you think we humans are affected by migratory restlessness?
Do
you
feel “a change in the air” in fall? Does it affect your behavior?
Critical
Thinking. Discuss:
•If weather were perfect for flying each day, the migration could be made
in about 16 days. However, it will likely take at least two months. What
unexpected
things
could
happen
during
the journey south? (Poor flying weather that causes delays; storms that damage
the
pens
or
harm the birds; mechanical problems with the planes; difficult obstacles for
the birds, such
as
high
mountain
ranges or noisy interstate highways; a lost bird that requires delay for search
and rescue. All these things have happened in the previous ultralight-led migrations.) Students
may wish to search through Highlights reports from past migrations,
found here.
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Archives
and Lessons:
(Page
1) What weather conditions are they waiting for?
Explore more with pilot Joe Duff’s weather
checklist.
(Page 2) How much does this migration cost?
How much is a 50-lb. bag of crane chow? How much are treats
each week for
Robo-crane
to dispense? How much to fill fuel tanks and
buy a day of flying time for four ultralights? Make up math
challenges like these with facts listed here.
(Page 3) What signs tell the
pilot that a crane is getting tired in flight? On
this page find pilot Joe Duff's answer,
and see a video clip of a tired bird dropping
out.
(Page 4)
Play the contact
call for students. Do they think the birds will be ready
when departure day arrives? This is a good time to review the
Meet the Flock
chart for this year's chicks. What's the age range
between the oldest and the youngest members of the flock? How
many males? How many females? Which cranes seem most dominant? NOTE:
At later stages of training, the team tries to spend very little
time in contact with the cranes to ease the transition to wild,
so "behavior notes" are fewer.
(Page 5)
How
does the ultralight
aid the birds in flight? Pilot Deke
Clark explains in a 67-second audio
clip, with
five questions to guide listening before the clip. View a
video clip of a crane flying in the
sweet spot. Also, learn more
about flight
order in
this lesson.
(Page 6) Download and print our
Comparing
Migrations chart. To learn more about team members,
see Meet
the Team. Now you're all set for migration
to begin!
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