Damon Bridge's blog

Here's a short video of Amy walking 'Swampy' last week.  The chicks need regular excercise and are walked at least twice a day at this stage, but walked individually, as they exhibit a lot of natural aggression to each other and need to be kept apart.  Its amazing that they turn into such a sociable bird!

 Chick 31 (White Blue)

A lovely moment captured by project volunteers Kevin Harris.  Some of the group of eighteen were seen napping in the afternoon sun.

There are four keeping an eye out whilst six take a siesta.  Can you spot all of them?

  Chick 26 (First to hatch on April 21st 2011)

 Chick 26 venturing out into its run.....

  Spring Time Cranes in Somerset. (John Crispin)

  Amy, Beate and Damon collecting the last egg of the season.

Easter means one thing for the crane project - CRANE EGGS!  The team have just arrived in Brandenburg Germany, to set up the incubation room in readiness for the next round of egg collection, with the first batch of eggs bound for the UK on April 21st - just before Easter.

The Somerset eighteen have been enjoying the 'summer' and I watched them thermal up to around 1000 feet above a ploughed field yesterday.  It was incredible to watch and a little wierd too, to see the birds we know so well as tiny dots against the sky.  I just wished I could have been up there with them - the view over the Levels and Moors to Bridgwater Bay would have been amazing! No photo I'm afraid - it would only be of blue sky anyway. 

  Painting 'Gilbert' a lifesize crane sculpture

  Burrow Mump and Southlake Moor

Photo  © English Heritage. NMR.