Cleg

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Black
• Green
• Black

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:

January 2015: As a chick, Black Green Black – (Cleg) (earlier colour tagged Yellow Green)  was rather an aggressive crane, with a fairly vindictive, spiteful and malicious nature.  He has grown into the most enormous of all this year's cranes - despite being one of the youngest. He is still hefty and a force to be reckoned with, but has also mellowed and lost some of his nasty side. His is the sibling of Green Yellow Black - who has sadly had to be taken into captivity due to cataracts on his eyes.  He has been fitted with a leg-mounted data-logger on his left leg which uses the mobile phone network to transmit data - it's quite obvious at a distance. The tag is coded CLEG03 and so he has become known as Cleg (nothing to do with the Liberal Democrats! ).  He was one of the 'Kingsmoor 9' - a breakway group of young 9 cranes and four older birds that spent most of December 2014 on Kingsmoor, whilst the rest of the birds were on Southlake and Aller Moors. July 2015: Cleg has spent the spring and summer mainly feeding on Nortmoor (Aller) and Northmoor near East Lyng, and roosting most of the time on West Sedgemoor.  The whole non-breeding flock appear to be thriving on the Levels and Moors this year. February 2016: Cleg spent a rather unremarkable  autumn and winter of 2015/16 on the Somerset Levels and Moors spending time in a flock that fed on the whole across Wetmoor, Aller moor, and West Sedgemoor. He is likely to remain as part of the non-breeding flock through the coming Spring and Summer.  Nov 17:  Cleg remained in Somerset in the Walton Moor area until early May.  He was seen with Cherry in the same locations.  On 8^th May they were discovered at RSPB Greylake already incubating.  The nest was abandoned soon after.  Cleg has a working GPS logger, and his records show that he has remained at Greylake through the summer, and sightings of 2 birds there indicate that most likely this has been with his partner Cherry.  He rejoined the flock for the winter.    Sept 18:     Remained in Somerset and observed with Cherry on Walton moor in February and again in late March and with the flock on Aller moor at the end of March.  Seen together on Walton moor in April and May but no sign of nesting.   Both were tracked to Greylake during May and Incubation on their first nest started around 1st June with hatching around 1st July.  Subsequently observed without chicks so assumed lost – cause unknown.   Observed on Aller moor on 9th August with flock.    Sept 2019:  26^th January Cleg was observed on Whitmoor, Somerset, with Cherry and the main flock and again on 16^th February.  Observed on Walton moor and at RSBP Greylake with Cherry during March.  In April they were observed regularly on Walton moor displaying and apparently feeding in the Somerton Door area.  Observed mating on Walton moor 13^th April and roosting at RSPB Greylake  on 22nd (using Ecotone record for Cleg).  Incubation of their first nest started 1st May.  Nest failed 22-23 May.   A visit to the nest found 2 predated eggs – presumably predated by avian predator as the nest was within the fox-proof fence.   Cleg was observed with the flock on Aller moor at the end of August but then with Michaela who he currently appears paired with.      2020:    Cleg and his new partner Michaela, remained on Michaela’s territory on West Sedgemoor and started incubating some time before 17^th May.  One chick survived and fledged some time before 25^th July.  The family have been observed regularly with the flock on West Sedgemoor during the Autumn.  Sept 2021:  Cleg and Michaela with last year’s juvenile were on territory on West Sedgemoor, Somerset from January to March.  Their nest and incubation were confirmed on 17th March.  On April 11th two chicks were confirmed hatched.  Both chicks were successfully ringed but one of them did not survive.  The other fledged on 24th June.  The family have been observed on West Sedgemoor on territory and with the flock in September.      Autumn 2022:    Cleg and Michaela spent the winter on territory on West Sedgemoor, Somerset Levels and Moors.  Incubation started on their first nest on 10th March but failed after 8 days – cause unknown.  Incubation on a second nest started on 11th April and failed after 9 days – also cause unknown.  No other attempts were made.  The pair remained together and mostly on territory. They have been observed with the flock in September and October.

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Photos of Cleg

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