Today's Report Includes:

• Chick Chat: Flying High!

• Journal: What Age at Departure?

• Meet the Flock: Crane Quiz #3

• Booklet: "Off to Flight School: Finding Their Wings"

• Change4Cranes: Fun Fundraiser

• Whooping Crane Festival: September 19

• Countdown to Migration: Posted Fridays

"We have trained every day this week," reports Bev, "with just a few delays in the morning due to fog. The only sessions missed in the past three weeks were due to the health checks. All the birds are flying now, and the youngest ones quickly catching up. They flew 10 minutes yesterday. Cohort 2 is flying for 35 minutes and cohort 1 has been up for as long as 40 minutes." And today the divider fence in their pen came down! (It will go up again at night for a few more days.)

(a) What is the latest hatch date (the birthday of the youngest chick) in the Class of 2009? (Click here to start. Remember how the birds are numbered.)

(b) for BONUS: If they take off on October 10 as now planned, what will be the average age of the birds on the day they start migration? How does this year's average age compare to previous years?

Antics of the chicks give us reasons to laugh as well as to worry! Our bio pages tell you about the personalities of each chick:

• Meet the Hatch Year 2009 Chicks >>

While you're on the bio pages, look for answers to four fun questions in our third Crane Quiz on the Class of 2009:

CRANE QUIZ #3 >>
(The quiz page includes a link to answers.)

Click to see the chicks LIVE on the NEW Operation Migration CraneCam! >>

Why are the chicks shipped all the way to Wisconsin after hatching in Maryland? What are two reasons why they must arrive in Wisconsin before they learn to fly?

Find answers in the third booklet of our pre-migration series of six titles. Each booklet comes in a matching Web slide show as well as .pdf format ready to ready to print, fold, and enjoy.

The folks at Operation Migration, who conduct the chicks' fall ultralight-led migration that we share on Journey North, have a fun project offer for teachers and kids. They’ll send you a Change4Cranes kit to collect people’s spare change. When sent to Operation Migration, the money raised goes to fund this historic migration. You'll know you helped make it happen. Get your kit before they're gone: >>

Free Operation Migration Change4Cranes Kit >>

Weekly Summaries are posted (by email) to registered participants on FRIDAYS: Sep 4, 11, 18, 25; Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20— or until this year's newest Eastern flock chicks reach their winter homes in Florida!

Pre-migration: Each Friday before migration, a brief e-mail notice gives current newsy tidbits and announces a downloadable booklet for building background knowledge.
During migration: When migration begins in October, the Friday e-mails will summarize the DAILY Highlight Updates that were posted on the Web during the week. You'll want to go to the Web for the latest maps, facts, photos, and fun!