Crossing the Alps in three stages
Newsletter 22/08/2018
Yesterday we reached the airfield of Thiene on the northern edge of the Padan Plain. The Alps were crossed in only three flight stages with a total distance of 408 km. Now there are around 500 km left to reach the wintering area of the Northern Bald Ibises.
The most significant stage was the second flight from Andelsbuch in the Bregenzerwald over the Arlberg to the Reschenpass. On August 19 at 09:30 am the two ultralights and 29 young Northern Bald Ibises took off in Andelsbuch. In 02:15 hours, the formation covered 120 kilometers, flying over Warth, Lech and the Arlbergpass, and landed on a meadow at the Reschenpass at 1,500 meters above sea level. Near Lech am Arlberg, the prevailing great thermal conditions carried the ultralights and the birds to an altitude of 2,500 meters, so that the pass could be overflown easily. In the further course of the flight, the birds and the ultralights were rising even further up to 2,600 meters. Sometimes, the birds flew even higher than the ultralights, and once even disappeared in the clouds. It was a fascinating and breath-taking flight for both the pilots and the two foster mothers.
Two days later, on August 21, we already left the Reschenpass to fly over a distance of 190 km to Thiene on the southern edge of the Padan Plain. During the planning of this flight stage, we assumed that it would take at least 04:30 hours to reach our destination. In fact, we arrived at Thiene after 03:45 hours. For Anne-Gabriela Schmalstieg, one of the two foster mothers of the birds, the journey was a perfect birthday gift! The birds flew incredibly well again and we were able to lead the up to 2,200 meters above sea level, thus enabling a direct overflight of the South Tyrolean mountains. Even an eagle attack near Meran could not stop this record flight. The Northern Bald Ibises responded very quickly to the risk and sought to get closer to the ultralights.
This year’s human-led migration team consists of 21 people. We’re accompanied also by scientists, who, in the context of a project financed by the Austrian Science Fund, are researching on why and how migratory birds like the Northern Bald Ibis are flying in a V formation. Therefore, the birds carry specially developed GPS data loggers. Furthermore, we are cooperating with the ICARUS Global Observation System GmbH, who are developing an innovative technology to track animals. The Northern Bald Ibises are equipped with prototypes of small transmitters, thus providing the engineers with important information to further optimize the devices.
Already tomorrow, on August 23, our journey will go on. We’re intending to cross the Padan Plain, and if all goes well, even the Apennines. This would be another record flight during this year’s human-led migration. We’re regularly updating you on Facebook about the proceedings. Just before setting off, we’re publishing a Livetrack so that everyone is able to follow our journey.
Picture (Corinna Esterer): Flight towards Thiene during the human-led migration 2018.
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