Cranes somerset

The Crane Project staff had a bit of an interesting experience on monday.  There had been plans this week to catch a few of the 2011 and 2010 birds and fit them with properly functioning satellite and radio tags.  It was assumed that a costumed rearer would be able to walk rigt up to the cranes, as was happening in August and September.  The cranes, however, had different ideas.  The first atttempt to get close ended up with them taking flight, with most of the birds circling low, evidently quite curious to see Dad after so long, but shortly flew a few miles away.&n

Over the last month, the Crane project team had been getting reports or varying numbers of unringed 'wild'  adult cranes in with our flock of Somerset birds. During the last two weeks, however, one of these wild cranes has regularly been seen following and feeding alongside our cranes, and now seems to have made the decision to stay for the winter.  This seems to be rather wise as a migration this late in the season could most likely be unsuccessful.

There was great surprise when yesterday (Sunday 16th October) three wild cranes were spotted feeding amongst our birds out on the Moors and Levels!  There was slight speculation as to whether these wid birds, without any leg rings, would stick around, or fly away and take all of the somerset cranes with them.  They left, heading South, in late afternoon, without any other cranes in tow, most probably trying to complete a migration that was by now well off course.  These cranes could well be the three which were spotted flying South-West across the Bristol Channel in

  Decoy cranes in Spring barley and barley stubble

Over the last few days the 2010 and 2011 cranes have been getting to know each other properly in the external portion of their enclosure.  The first few encounters have been quite intense as a new (literal) pecking order is established.  As predicted, the more aggressive younger birds have been trying to assert their dominance on the older, larger and more experienced cranes, but to little avail.  Birds such as Gerald and red-yellow-white have managed to intimidate a few of the less confident older birds, but were soon put in their place by Clarence and his troops!  Surp

The cranes now seem fully at home in their new surrounds, and even seem to be making some new friends. For the last few mornings, the 2010 cohort of birds has been dropping in to inspect the new arrivals.  The younger birds seem most intrigued by their visitors, flying about the enclosure and standing close to the net so as to get a look at the older cranes,  so now they hopefully know what they are supposed to be.  Fingers crossed that their first interaction without the net in between will go as smoothly!

Here are the cranes - relaxing in their pre-release enclosure yesterday. 

 Harvesting wheat  - last day of July.

  Burrow Mump and Southlake Moor

Photo  © English Heritage. NMR.

  The Somerset Eighteen - Sunday Morning, Aller Moor. KH.