For his early-training report card,
chick #6 received As in following, flapping, running, and lifting off.
Comments: fresh out of the egg, chick #6 showed fast progress in eating and
drinking on his own; he displayed self-reliance, but became frightened upon
hearing the trike engine for the first time. Being a big bird, he shows promise
of becoming a leader.
Flight-school
report card: A for completing J-shaped flight path, A+ for high flying, A+ for
distance flying. Comments: concern when he faked a sore leg during flight
training and had his teachers worried for no reason. Then in mid-September, he
developed an affinity for dirt and was often seen carrying clods around in his
beak. Not sure if these are attention-getting behaviors, but that will have to
be watched.
Departure-week
report card: C for effort, C for paying attention. This could be pre-migration
jitters, too early to tell.
October
Migration report card: C- for following the ultralight; C- for altitude, B for
shows improvement. Chick #6 had to be crated for several of the first stops
after turning back. On one instance, he convinced two other birds to turn back
with him. The crew is concerned about #6 becoming a bad influence. However, he
ended the first month’s migration with “flying” colors. On October 29, he flew
and completed the entire trip. There is hope!
Report card complied from notes and
observations by Geoff Tarbox.
Read more about the Class of 2011 by going to the website's "In the Field," then "Site Map," and scroll down until you see the bios for the various classes. You can also purchase whooping crane merchandize on the website: jewelry, T-shirts, greeting cards, etc. And you can sponsor migration miles. There are more than 500 left for this year.
Next Sunday, read about chick #7-11 a/k/a Bev.
