Somerset Waterworld

With all the latest rain and flooding causing so much disruption to the lives of so many people, one would expect there to be some change to the lives of our animals too. But not the Cranes! Their feeding and daily habits don't appear to have altered in the least, whilst the landscape around them has been completely transformed.

The River Parrett flowing over into the Sowy then out to Aller Moor, the haunt of the cranes throughout the Autumn in 2010 and 2011.

The birds are still spending most of their time feeding on the remnants of this years Maize harvest on Stan Moor, one of the few parts of the Somerset Levels and Moors which isn't completely inundated.   When the cold weather arrives however, it is expected that the Cranes will begin to spend more time searching for food  on Aller Moor as in 2011 and further afield once the flood water begins to recede. 

On the main Taunton road, where the River Tone is spilling out onto North Moor

The view from Burrow Mump looking out over the flooded moors.

About the author

Amy King and Harry Nevard are the 2011 crane parents and their roles are to rear and nurture the young cranes to adulthood. Amy has previously worked on the cranes in 2010 and Harry has worked with Sarus and Brolgas in Australia and cranes and crakes at Pensthorpe. Prior to Harry's involvement Roland Digby worked on the cranes for the first year of the project.