I usually post the whooping cranes’ baby photos, but this photo of #7, nicknamed Bev, as a juvenile, gives you an idea of the personality of the Class of 2011’s star attraction. After hatching, she was the one who had to be coaxed to eat, but once she got the hang of it, she wouldn’t stop. To keep her from blowing up like a Thanksgiving turkey, her feeding was closely monitored. During flight training, she balked at becoming airborne until her instincts kicked in and then, “birdie bar the door.” Now she’s one of the two best flyers. When bully bird #1 challenged #7, she chased him around the pen a few times. But the endearing thing about this whooper is that she is a happy and content bird. Wouldn’t it be nice if all our kids were like Bev: happy, healthy, and born leaders? Rereading her bio taught me something about attitude and confidence, so I’ve decided to make Bev my role model this week.

This information and the chick’s photo (taken by OM crew member Geoff Tarbox) came from the OM website: http://www.operationmigration.org/
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 (great for Christmas gifts). And you can sponsor migration miles. There are more than 500 left for this year. 
Next Sunday, read about chick #9-11. She into roots and sticks: go figure.