Petteri-crane prepared for autumn migration on the cultivated fields around the Lapinjärvi-lake, Central Finland, where a number of cranes gather prior to migration. The colt together with its parent was recovered several times in the field.
The crane departed the Lapinjärvi-area at 11 am on 25th September. During the next 7 hours he flew 310 km and when the PTT went off the crane was still at flight heading to the Gulf of Finland.
Then no locations were received for nearly two months. However, according to the scarce sensor data the crane was likely to be in Hungary and alive. This was verified by the Hungarian crane watchers who recovered Petteri alive and recognized him from color bands on 27th October. Also the other satellite cranes have had immense difficulties in getting enough radio signals through to Argos satellites. This has resulted in a low quality and number of location data.
Petteri left Hungary presumably between 13th and 17th November. On 18th November a location of highest quality was received from Tunisia. Petteri appeared to be alive and roosting amidst a lake surrounded by cultivated landscape and sparse settlement. A few color banded Finnish cranes have been recovered in Tunisia so far. The closest site of the former recoveries is situated 50 km to the northeast of Petteri’s current night roost. From Lapinjärvi, Finland Petteri has so far flown 3356 km as indicated by the shortest possible route. I hope that the conditions for transmitting radio signals will remain good and many more locations are to be received during the course of winter.
On November 23rd 2008 Petteri had headed 180 km SE of the previous location towards Libyan border. The crane was by the shore of a wetland 30 km SE of Djerba-island, which is known to be one of the sites where Eurasian cranes winter over. On December 3rd 2008 Petteri had headed N and was foraging in the eucalyptus and olive fields near the continental coast line S of Djerba-island. The nearest big town Zarzis was 13 km SE of the locations. Petteri thrived nearly a month at this area and the crane stayed overnight at a shallow lagoon between the island of Djerba and the mainland E of the road leading to Djerba.
On January 1st 2009 Petteri had left the third stop-over site in Tunisia and was located 41 km S of the previous locations. On January 6th 2009 Petteri became the very fist Finnish crane discovered in Libya as Petteri had headed 87 km SE of the last location. Six days later he had followed the shore line 38 km further SE and was staying overnight in a shallow lake besides Melittah gas plant 150 km away from Djerba, Tunisia.