Arrival in Wisconsin Photo Bev Paulan, Operation Migration

Notes of Flight School in Wisconsin:
She was flown to Wisconsin with Cohort #3 chicks on July 10. Their first training session as a group was July 15 and 926 did just great. All of the chicks followed the trike and paid no attention to one another. She trained well as the days passed. She came out of the pen, followed the ultralight eagerly, and gobbled up treats when they reached the end of the runway. These youngest birds weren't flying yet but the end of July, but making progress. By mid August, all of cohort 3, with the exception of 931, were starting to fly in ground effect. By the end of August she was airborne with the others, slowly building up her flying time and strength.

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 several wayward birds had other plans! Female 926 was one of them. She was on the runway in front of her old pen when Erin arrived to put her back in the pen. She spent the night there. along with the other 10 birds who had also come back or didn't want to leave. The other 9 flockmates were at the travel pen at the farther site on the refuge. What a day!

First Migration South: Chick #926 left Necedah NWR for her first migration on October 16, 2009. He 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 #926 below.
Oct. 27: She did it again: followed the ultralight to Stopover #2 with no problems! She was one of only 7 to do so. Yay, #926! This photo was captured from the CraneCam soon after arrival of the seven "leaders." Nov. 1: Hooray! 926 (and ALL the others!) flew the distance to Stopover #3. No crates needed!

 

Last updated: 11/02/09