11 - July and August dancing leads to flight school
Throughout the summer, Millie and Roy dance with each other and with their colt.
In June, Pi faces off, wing-waves, and progresses to crouching face-offs (Early Life of Pi Photo Gallery # 6). In July, Pi's motor coordination improves as he dances. By August, Pi often initiates a dance with the parents.
For young cranes, dance socializes and build muscles and coordination that will be used in flight. Once the colt learns to take off and land, he has to lean the social cues so he takes off and lands at the same time as his parents (Early Life of Pi Photo Gallery #12).
The video to the right begins during a family dance one day after Pi had fledged. The dance segued into an attempted family take-off.
- Roy purrs and leans forward to the left in an Intent-to-fly display. Millie walks forward and aligns herself, ready to take off.
- Next Pi rushes in from the right, running straight between his parents and then spinning around to run back. He misses the take-off cue and is heading toward the right, the wrong way, as his parents start their flight to the left.
- Millie and Roy immediately abort their flight and land just as Pi is tries to catch up and rushes past them in the air. He lands in the grass out frame to the left. As the parents watch, Roy jumps, perhaps expressing his frustration.
- Pi walks slowly to his parents and the family resumes foraging.
