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Meet
the 2009 Whooping Crane Chicks!
Hatch-year 2009 of the Eastern Flock |
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Crane
# 903
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Date Hatched |
May 4 , 2009 |
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Gender |
Male |
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Date of Photo: |
Egg Source: Patuxent WRC |
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Permanent (Attached after reaching Florida)
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*Juvenile
band: Red |
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Personality,
Early Training
Notes from
the captive breeding "hatchery" at Patuxent WRC
in Maryland:
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903,
age 12 days, gets some swimming exercise under the watchful
eye
of 'lifeguard' Barb Clauss. |
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Look
at those long legs! (Click to enlarge.) Photo Bev Paulan, Operation Migration |
"Little 903 loves water," said Bev. "He is the only chick that makes his “happy chick” sound (the trill), when he is swimming. We are swimming him twice a day, which we do with some chicks, to help strengthen potentially weak legs. Every time we pick up a chick, they scream bloody murder, peeping so loudly, it actually hurts the ears. Chick 903 is no exception until he sees the pool. We pick up and carry each chick to the pool, and 903 is the only one that actually calms down as we approach the water. As soon as we set him down, he starts to trill. Then he starts to bathe. At least he tries. He dips his head continuously, sometimes even getting his back under water. The first time I saw this, I nearly had a heart attack as his head disappeared under water. This is a regular thing with him, and I actually look forward to his daily swim."
On June 4 intern Trish said, "903 is huge now – up past my knee! I could see where his feathers are starting to grow in and he has these cute little Shrek-like tufts where his ears are."
Notes
of Flight School in Wisconsin:
He was
flown to Wisconsin with Cohort One chicks on June 25. When they were
finally led into their new pen, he fell asleep. When he woke up he stretched
his wings and took a bath. It looks like he'll like his new home
just fine!
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Cohort
1 FLYING Aug. 17 Photo Bev Paulan, Operation Migration
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Like all the chicks in cohort one, he was flying by July 20, and he often needed a lot of coaxing to go back into the pen after flying a training session with the ultralight. On July 21 he flew at the height of the ultralight's wing! By early August cohort one was flying circles over the training areas. By early August 903 and the rest of the group were flying circles over the training areas. By mid-August they were flying larger and longer circuits. Crane 903 became a great flier and folllower—but in mid September, #903 often turned back after take-off. What is he thinking? He also is the last to come out of the wet pen when handlers check the birds at roost time. Maybe #903 prefers to be by himself.
On Sep. 26 he refused to stay with the ultralight when his cohort was led over to the site where the other birds have been together since Sep. 5. Finally, on Sep. 30 pilot Chris G. was successful in leading #903 and #911 over to complete the move so all the Class of 2009 is together at one pen site. That day, he flew again during a training session with his cohort mates.
Oct. 11: The team hoped to combine training with a flight to a remote part of the refuge where a travel pen was set up. The birds would be closer to their first migration stopover. But the birds had other plans! Only six followed the ultralights over and the others, including 903, wouldnt follow and ended up in various places. After Joe landed cranes 903 and 919, the two were crated up and driven in the tracking van to the travel pen where the team wanted the flock tonight. But only nine of the Class of 2009 made it today, and the others finally got rounded up and are back at their old pen for another day.
| First Migration South: Chick #903 (and 14 others!) turned back to Necedah NWR when the Class of 2009 left on their first migration on October 16, 2009. They all had to try again the next day to follow the ultralights to the migration's first stopover site, where five flockmates landed on Day 1. Find day-by-day news about the flock's migration and read more about #903 below. | |
Oct. 27: Today chick 903 proved that he could be a good follower as he flew to Stopover #2 with six flockmates and Richard's ultralight. This photo was captured from the CraneCam soon after arrival of the seven "leaders." Nov. 1: Hooray! 903 (and ALL the others!) flew the distance to Stopover #3. No crates needed! |
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Last updated: 11/02/09
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