Crane Migration

I have been watching the Operation Migration team attempting to migrate to Florida with eight young cranes.  These cranes were raised and trained about five miles from our house, so I have an interest in their welfare.  http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/  They left October 2 and are only as far as Southern Illinois.  They have gone 345 miles so they have a long way to go before they arrive at St. Marks Florida. The total trip is about 1100 miles.   I was worried that they would be late.  What they would be late for, I don't really know.  My worry ended when I saw a photo today of 4 young wild whooping cranes near the side of the road at the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.  I am also encouraged by the Sandhill cranes who haven't left this area either.  Supposedly the last of them migrate by Thanksgiving Day, so we shall see.

As long as the Sandhill cranes have water and food, they are in no hurry to leave.

They just hang out together deciding how long they should stay.

Some geese standing on some ice that formed overnight.

I'm pretty sure all our ducks and geese know they are protected from hunters in our pond.