They're growing like there's no tomorrow....
Yellow Black Blue - 62 days old today, 9th July 2012
Blue Black Blue - 70 days old today, 9th July 2012.
Red Green Blue 78 days old today, 9th July 2012.
The oldest of this year's chicks at Slimbridge are now approaching eighty days old and growing phenomenally fast.
They can be excercised as one large social group of 20 birds, but are still put away in their individual coops at night.
The team at WWT Slimbridge with some of this year's brood.
Handling of the cranes is kept to a minimum, but as part of the health screening of the birds - shortly to be released into the wild - they were all caught last week and examined by Katie, the WWT vet. Blood, cloacal and buccal samples were taken for screening and checking to make sure that we don't inadvertently release disease along with the cranes.
Ruth Cromie, WWT bird health expert preparing the blood samples for analysis.
The profiles of this year's batch of cranes will very shortly be up on the website where you can read all about them!