Jasper

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Black
• Red
• Blue

What is this?

Each crane has a unique combination of 3 coloured rings on their right leg. This marking code helps to identify the crane in the wild.

Character profile:

September 2012: Jasper is the brother of Pickles - the youngest of the 2012 cohort of cranes. He has a dark ginger head and blue eyes. At crane school he integrated very well into the group, and socialised well with the dominant birds.  As a bold bird, he tried to assert his dominance but did not fully succeed. During the early stages of rearing, he was very dependent on the crane parents - but became more independent as he matured.  He is the tallest of the 2012 cohort, yet is hesitant about using this to his advantage in dominating the other cranes.  On a number of occasions his gingery head has been the only one visible peering above the rushes in the Somerset release pen! January 2013:   As autumn turned to winter, the cranes began to flock together to look for food, which they found in plentiful supply in the form of maize left in fields from the harvest.  All 48 have been spending most of their time either feeding in the maize stubbles or on Stanmoor, completely un-phased by the surrounding floodwater. January 2014:  2013 was quite uneventful for Jasper. The spring and summer were spent split between Aller Moor and West Sedgemoor, and as the autumn drew on, feeding was amongst the flock alolng the Stoke St. Gregory Ridge, and on Stanmoor. With the deep and prolonged flooding of December and January, the group remained on Stanmoor which was relatively flood-free, feeding in waterlogged fields on worms. July 2015: Spring of 2014 saw Jasper make no obvious pair bonds with any particular birds and he remained part of the non-breeding flock all summer and autumn.  The winter of 2014/15 was spent on the Somerset Levels and Moors feeding away as part of the main flock.  However, at the end of April he was seen courting Regina (2010 female) and the pair occupied a territory.  However, they were also often joined by Xmas shoes (2011 female) and no breeding attempt took place. February 2016: Jasper spent the remainder of the summer, autumn and winter of 2015/16 on the Somerset Levels and Moors.  He is not yet showing signs of having an obvious partner - but based on his behaviour last year, Christmas Shoes or Regina may be a possibility.  July 16: Set up territory on West Sedgemoor in February . Incubation started on 28 th May but after 22 days the nest failed due to predation by unknown predator. No subsequent nesting attempts made.   July 17 : Jasper was seen regularly  with Regina at the eastern end of  W Sedgemoor early in the season.  They did not reclaim their territory however and made no attempt to nest.  Later in the season there were signs that Jasper was undergoing moult.  The pair were seen again in late July and returned to the flock in the Autumn.   Sept 18:  With his 2yr pairing with Regina seemingly over – Jasper was recorded with new partner Viridor in fields on West Sedgemoor throughout April.  Incubation started 22nd April, with hatching on 25th May producing one or two chicks.  The pair only had 1 chick by July – with the chick ringed and radio tagged on the 19th July – and nicknamed ‘Javi’.   After successfully fledging the family were seen on Aller moor on the 9th August.  Sept 2019: Jasper was observed on Whitmoor, Somerset, with Viridor and their 2018 juvenile (Javi) and the main wintering flock on 26^th January.  The pair were then on their West Sedgemoor territory in February/March and Incubation on first nest started on 22^nd March, but failed on 3^rd April – cause unknown.  Incubation of their second nest started on 28^th April and the pair were still sitting on 17^th May.  Two chicks were hatched on 26^th May and both chicks were ringed and radio tagged on 11th July. One of the chicks went missing on 27^th July and was found dead on the 30th.  The remaining chick, nicknamed VeeJay  fledged in August but was found dead at the end of August – presumed predated.  Jasper and Viridor were both observed with the flock at this time.     2020:   Jasper was observed with Viridor nest building on West Sedgemoor, Somerset in early March and incubating from 23rd March.  Nest failed – cause unknown.  Jasper has been observed with the flock on West Sedgemoor during the Autumn.    Sept 2021:  Jasper and Viridor were on territory on West Sedgemoor, Somerset early in the year and observed incubating on 25^th April.  On 22^nd May they were observed off the nest but without chicks.  No further breeding attempt was observed and they were seen with the flock on W Sedgemoor in September.   Autumn  2022:  Jasper and Viridor were on territory on West Sedgemoor, Somerset Levels and Moors early in the year and observed incubating on 4th May.  This attempt failed after 13 days, cause unknown.  No further attempts were observed.  The pair have remained on West Sedgemoor during the Autumn.

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Photos of Jasper

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