Sherbert

Profile Picture and Leg Ring Combination Code

• Blue
• Yellow
• 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, Blue Yellow Black's  (Sherbert’s) favourite pass-times were having a bath and eating slugs. However, a slug-induced choking incident in June caused her to lose her appetite for them somewhat.   She’s a bit of a bully to be honest, and can be very aggressive.  She is the sibling of White Blue Black. She has been fitted with a back-pack data logger, as well as the leg-mounted radio tag.  Sherbert  - as she has been named by North Petherton Community School-  is one of the group of 9 juvenile birds that broke away from the main flock to spend December on Kingsmoor near the village of Illchester. July 2015: Sherbert 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: Sherbert 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. She is likely to remain as part of the non-breeding flock through the coming Spring and Summer.  July16: All the birds in this cohort are 2 years old and too young to breed so there were no nesting attempts. They have been in Somerset as far as can be ascertained but difficult to find and identify during the breeding season.  Nov 17: Remained with the flock in Somerset throughout the year.   Sept 18:  Confirmed as Oakie’s mate at WWT Slimbridge at the end of April and incubation started from around 3^rd May.  Hatch took place on 8th June with one chick confirmed on 28th June.  Chick fledged in late August.    Sept 2019:  Observed in March and April with Oakie and their 2018 juvenile at WWT Slimbridge. On 11^th April they were observed nest building with one egg laid the same day. The nest failed 23^rd April -  cause unknown.   Started incubation on 2nd nest on 10^th May but failed almost immediately. Again cause unknown.   Observed at WWT Slimbridge in late August.    2020:   Sherbert remained at WWT Slimbridge, paired with Oakie and hatched 2 chicks on the WWT Slimbridge Reserve. One was lost soon after hatching, and the second was found dead with an impact injury.  The pair have been observed regularly at Slimbridge during the Autumn.   Sept 2021:   Sherbert remained at WWT Slimbridge with Oakie and they were observed nest building early April.  This nest was flooded and a second attempt was disturbed by Sedge and her unringed mate. Their 3^rdattempt was also disrupted by Sedge and mate.  They were observed at Slimbridge during September.   Autumn 2022:  Sherbert and Oakie remained at WWT Slimbridge during the Winter.  Incubation on the first nest was confirmed on 3rd April but it failed and the second nest was started some time before 1st May.   2 chicks were hatched but both were lost soon after.  The pair have been seen at Slimbridge during the Autumn.

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Photos of Sherbert

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