Date Hatched

May 16, 2009

Gender

Female

Egg Source

Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC)

Permanent
Leg Bands

(Attached after reaching Florida)

• Read about the naming system, hatch place in Maryland, release site in Wisconsin, over-wintering site in Florida, and leg-band codes.

Personality, Early Training
Notes from the captive breeding "hatchery" at Patuxent WRC in Maryland:

On May 23 trainers Barb and Bev watched 915 on a remote camera as she put herself to bed. "She was still motoring around her pen, taking a couple of drinks from her water jug, frustrating Barb and I that she wouldn’t settle down. And just like the toddler she is, after one last drink, she walked under her brood model (adult crane model) and flopped to a lying position. She fought a valiant battle against the sandman, but soon she could no longer keep her eyes open and her head was on the ground. After a couple of nods, she was off to dreamland."

During training sessions at Patuxent, little 915 and 916 seem to always be in tune and totally at ease with each another.

Notes of Flight School in Wisconsin: She was flown to Wisconsin with Cohort #2 chicks on July 2. Chick 915 and all the others settled into their new pen just fine! The next day they trained with the trike on the grassy runway (with their old pal, Robo-crane). The chicks run, hop and flap but cannot yet fly. However, by the end of July the cohort #2 birds were all flying in ground effect, a few feet off the grassy strip, and close to gaining good altitude. Chick #915 is a good flock member.
Bev reported on August 10 that the mid-aged birds (Cohort 2, at the West site) are the most independent group. This is obvious during training, and at the evening roost check, when the handlers stand in the pen for several moments before they lazily wander over—and 915 is always first to enter the dry pen where the handlers give each chick a good look to be sure everything's okay.	July training in Wisconsin Photo Operation Migration
To Geoff, #915 seems like the "good egg" of the bunch. She's the first out the gate to fly with the ultralight, the first to come get her meds. She really likes the costume.

First Migration South: Chick #915 left Necedah NWR for her first migration on October 16, 2009. She was one of only five in the Class of 2009 to behave and follow the ultralights to the migration's first stopover site! Find day-by-day news about the flock's migration and read more about #915 below.

Oct. 27: She didn't do as well today, and turned back instead of following the ultralight to Stopover #2. She and several others had to reach Stopover #2 in a crate, traveling by road.

Nov. 1: Hooray! 915 (and ALL the others!) flew the distance to Stopover #3. No crates needed!

Nov 20: Crane 915 was one of the 16 who flew off on this exercise day and didn't come back! The 16 flew more than 15 miles before Richard located and caught up to them. He then turned them on courseand led them to safe landing at the next planned stopover. Until today, this has never happened since the pilots began leading whoopers south in 2001.

January 13, 2010, Day 82: Migration complete for the "St. Marks 10:" #906, 908, 910, 911, 912, 914, 915, 918, 925, and 926! Crane 915 flew all but 18 miles of this migration!

Spring 2010, First Journey North: Eight of the St. Marks juveniles left at mid-day March 24 on their first journey north! According to a PTT reading from #908, she (and probably #908, #910, #911, #914, #918, #925 and #926) reached Shelby County, Alabama— about 260 miles from the pen! Their next flight took them an additional 380 miles to Monroe County, IN, where an observer photo confirmed that they were all still together. As of March 29 they had flown another 73 miles to the Fountain County, IN, roughly 70 miles due east of the Piatt Co., IL stopover used during their ultralight-guided journey south last fall. Tracker Eva said a PTT reading for #915 on March 31 put them in Monroe County, Wisconsin. On April 1 Sara picked up their signals in the Necedah area. They successfully completed migration!" HOORAY!!!!!

Fall 2010: Remained on Horicon NWR in Dodge County, Wisconsin at least through October 15 along with the cranes she had been with all summer and a few others. She and #908, 911, 918, 925, and 929 returned to the St. Marks NWR release site from an undetermined location on the morning of December 29 when the five chicks in the Class of 2010 had already been there for several days. They continued to return to the pen site periodically but the "costumes" always drove them away. The group (except for 925 and 929) were found in Leon County, FL during a survey flight on January 13. They were not found in a search of the area by ground on February 9.

Spring 2011: Crane #915 was detected SE of Tallahassee, FL, during a survey flight on March. 11. She was then with #908, #918, #911 and male #829.

Back to "Meet the Flock 2009"