Margaret

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

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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: Margaret is a very shy individual with pale colouring and is quite petite in stature. Although shy, she has always been very independent and active and loves to forage on her own. She has never been dependent on the crane parents. On numerous occasions during the rearing phase, she has been seen foraging out on her own, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the other cranes and where they are feeding.  On release day she chose to remain within the aviary and could not be coaxed out, but eventually left at the end of the afternoon to explore the pen.  She appears to be quite low down in the crane hierarchy this year and has to defend herself at the feeding station from unwanted aggression by other birds. January 2013: As autumn turned into 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 unperturbed by the surrounding floodwater.  January 2014: 2013 was quite uneventful for Margaret. The spring and summer were spent split between Aller Moor and West Sedgemoor, and as the autumn drew on, feeding was amongst the flock along 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: In the spring of 2014 Margaret appeared to forming a pair bond with Alexander  - but it came to nothing, and she spent the summer and autumn as part of the main non-breeding flock.  The winter of 2014/15 passed with her remaining within the main flock.  In spring 2015 she didn’t appear to be forming a bond with any particular birds, and has gone somewhat off-the radar as the summer has gone on.  However, she is due to moult this year, and may be hiding out in the hay meadows of West Sedgemoor as she re-grows her flight feathers.  We hope for a re-sighting soon. February 2016: Margaret was seen again in August and remained on the Somerset Levels all autumn and through the winter of 2015/16.  She is not known to be paired up with any particular bird.  July 16: Remained in Somerset but there is no evidence of either pairing or nest preparation this season. Nov 17:  Remained in Somerset and observed on Wetmoor with Wiz in early March but no nesting attempt in evidence.  At the end of May she was observed on Arne Moors, Dorset and at the end of June was back on West Sedgemoor.  Back with the flock in the Autumn.      Sept 18:  Margaret was observed with the flock on Aller moor on 8^th August.  Sept 2019: On the 25^th July Margaret was observed with Soar (2014 male) in the Hambridge area on West Sedgemoor, Somerset, acting as a pair but nothing came of it. She was seen occasionally during the summer but there was no indication of a breeding attempt.  Both Margaret and Soar were observed in the flock in late August.     2020:  There is no evidence of Margaret pairing up or making any breeding attempt.  She has been observed with the flock on West Sedgemoor during the Autumn.   Sept 2021:  Margaret was observed prospecting with Timmy on Southlake, SSSI, Somerset Levels and Moors  but no evidence of incubating by 13th April.  Not seen again during the breeding season. Observed on W Sedgemoor in September.    Autumn 2022:  Margaret was observed on Wetmoor, Somerset in March.  Margaret and her unringed mate first nested on Kings Sedgemoor, Somerset Levels and Moors but abandoned the attempt.  The second attempt was at Moorlinch near RSPB Greylake.  One, possibly two chicks were hatched and one successfully fledged. Margaret and her juvenile have been observed on West Sedgemoor during October.

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Photos of Margaret

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