Flight training with 31 birds
Newsletter, 07.08.2015
The flight trainings at Seekirchen (Salzburg) are largely completed. There are two groups, one with 16 birds and one with 15 birds (one juvenile unfortunately died in July due to a collision with the ultralight). Until the end of July, we trained both groups separately. Those flights proceeded really fine. With great excitement, we anticipated our first attempt to fly with both groups at the same time.
On July 31 the moment has arrived. One group started at the camp at Seekirchen, guided by one microlight and one foster parent. This group flew over the second camp two kilometres away, where the second group started at the same time. After some minutes, the 31 birds started to mix and form one big flock, flying together and following the two microlights that flew at a distance of 50 – 100 m to each other.
Meanwhile, we have already completed four flights in this big formation. The last flight on August 6 brought us from Seekirchen south to the Hintersee, above a ridge at 1,600 m, passing Lake Wolfgang and Lake Fuschl and back again to Seekirchen, along a total flight distance of 70 km! All birds followed easily and reliably, even in the alpine area.
The route of this flight may be seen here: http://www.livetrack24.com/track/531121.
We also released a video of those flights on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nCW82bawv5A
Next week, we presumably will perform two more flights. After that, we are well prepared for the start of the human-led migration, which is scheduled on August 17 if the weather is ok.
Now, if the migration works with this large group of birds, we succeeded in substantially improving the methods of human-led migrations by uniting two groups of Northern Bald Ibises.
Meanwhile, the annual report 2014 has been completed and can be accessed at the following link.
Photo: Training flight with 31 birds. The birds are predominantly staying between the two microlights, with an increasingly discernible flight formation. Photo C Esterer.
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