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December
10, 2005
Migration Day 58
Sky
Circus and Cranes in Two Counties
+64 Miles for Some Cranes
It
was a day of struggle for the birds and the pilots. After four
nights in a pen in good crane habitat, the birds
didn't want to leave. And they certainly didn't want to fly in
today's headwinds. But the pilots knew calmer air was higher up,
if they could just get the birds UP there. Most of the birds made
up their mind not to go.
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Former US Pres. Jimmy Carter talks cranes with Walt before today's fly-over
take-off from Pike County, Georgia. On
one occasion in the past he also pitched in to help the ground crew
put up the pen. |
Crane
#520 dropped
out and vanished. Trackers located her in a pond on a sod
farm. As soon as Chris
flew low over the field, she popped up and followed him
back to the starting point
in Terrell County, GA.
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Seven crane-kids
made it to Cook County, Georgia. Twelve went back to Terrell
County where they'd spent the past 5
days.
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Richard
ended up with six birds, and Chris, not too far away, with one.
Joe and Brooke were last, in an all-out struggle to get the other
12 birds to follow. The birds wanted nothing to do with that headwind.
Then one of Richard’s birds dropped low, fell behind, and
vanished as they passed Albany, Georgia. Brooke ended up escorting
11 birds
(501, 502, 503, 506,
507, 509, 511, 512, 514, 519, and 523) back to the starting
point. Joe was able to get one (#510) to follow him to the next stop in
Cook
County, Georgia.
After today's unsettling events, the birds are safe but
the migration team is regrouping to figure out what to
do next.
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Track the
Migration
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(Click
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Keep
a Migration Journal
• Today's
Question: You know that a crane
that doesn't fly is usually boxed and driven to
the next site. Joe said, "Since
there are 12 birds that did not make today's leg,
too
many
birds
wouldn't
know this section of the migration. This gap in
the birds' knowledge can cause them to get lost
on their unassisted spring migration to Wisconsin.
Boxing cranes is a stressful ordeal for both the
birds and us crane handlers. It's much
safer to fly the birds south." What do you think
the team should do? What risks do they need to
consider?
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Journey
North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in
cooperation with the Whooping
Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).
Copyright
2005 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
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