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Five of the '02 youngsters investigate and eventually chase off one of last year's sub-adults. 
A few of the oldest cohort at site 2 show off their already large wingspans. 
Sara leads the gang out for a flight training session. Notice how the black wingtips are completely hidden. 
Joe spends some time foraging with the youngest group at site 4. 
This is the last photo taken of the birds before getting their new leg bands and conventional radio transmitters (below) 
For at least 2-3 weeks after the necessary health check/banding procedure, the pilots and handlers must re-gain the trust of the young birds. Here Dan feeds offers cranes 1, 2, & 7 a tasty smelt. 
Crane #8 waits patiently for a smelt while flockmate #5 investigates the wingtip of the ultralight. 
With fall approaching the nighttime temperatures are getting cooler. When combined with the warm, moist air created by still warm daytime temps heating up the wetlands of the refuge, the crew is more often than not greeted by fog each morning. 
While this creates a bit of a challenge in that it reduces the number of training days, it also creates some amazing photo opportunities when the crew does get airborne.
