Latest News

Latest updates and news from the project

Crane numbers continue to climb

Published on October 7, 2019, by Damon Bridge

The 2019 breeding season has been one of mixed fortunes for the reintroduced cranes, but the overall trend is one of continued improvement in productivity. This was the best year yet in terms of numbers of cranes fledged with the figure of nine new recruits an excellent acheivement. Productivity can be measured in a number of ways - and it is usual to either use the number of fledged chicks divided by either the number of territorial pairs, or the number of pairs that made nesting attempts. Both of these two figures 0.38 and 0.56 chi

SURPRISE!

Published on October 8, 2018, by Damon Bridge

Good news from our Somerset Cranes

Published on September 19, 2018, by Liz Antliff-Clark

The 2018 breeding season is now over and there is very good news from West Sedgemoor. Three pairs produced three youngsters now fledged and in the photograph you can see two of them in flight. Additionally the pairs who have chosen to stay at Slimbridge have also produced 3 youngsters, now fledged. It has been a very good year for breeding attempts though not all have been successful. Hop

Cranes somerset

They've been here before

Published on September 12, 2018, by Damon Bridge

I spent a wonderful afternoon on the low-tide foreshore of the Severn Estuary yesterday with Professor Martin Bell, and the Living Levels team from the Gwent Levels.

Incredible to see lots of crane footprints from around 8,000 years ago...

And human footprints - (approx a size eight I thought!) preserved in the silty clay.

Onwards and Upwards - 2018 best year yet for the project

Published on August 31, 2018, by Damon Bridge

This year, 46 of the cranes released between 2010 and 2014 paired up into 23 pairs, 21 of which went on to make breeding attempts across the South West of the UK. This is the highest annual number of breeding pairs to date - and a result of all the released birds now being at breeding age and able to get on with the important business of reproducing!

cranes

End of the road for Timitoo

Published on August 8, 2018, by Damon Bridge

Some sad news I'm afraid.

The young crane that was caught and colour ringed White Black Green on 26th July, and nicknamed 'Timitoo' has been found dead.

It was quickly back with its parents, Timmy and Michaela, and was captured on a trail camera at dawn on 28th July and then again on 29th. See below...

Timitoo captured on trail-cam 28th July closely followed by...