The Cranes are still here, and are big news

So, the Cranes have taken flight a few times in the last few days, but, when I was down at the hides earlier, they were still around.  They seem to alternate between the nearby ploughed fields and spending time in amongst the reeds of the ‘Swamp’ part of the reserve.

They have attracted quite a bit of attention, perhaps too much.  It would be great if they stayed here to breed.  I’m not sure how likely that would be under normal circumstances, but I’m sure the attention they are receiving will move them on eventually, as they seem easily spooked.  There has already been at least one incident (that myself and others watched from the hides) of them leaving the reserve because of two people, clearly looking for them, wading through the reeds nearby

But I can’t blame people for wanting to get a look at them, they are incredible looking birds, possible Britain’s biggest, although I wait to be corrected on that.  I have, over the last few days, been lucky enough to spend plenty of time watching them.  And this morning I managed to work out how to marry my camera to the RSPB scope, to get some half decent shots of them.

Work over the last couple of days has been great.  Myself and Tom spent time wading about, up to our thighs in mud, with dry suits on, clearing out the drainage burn from the loch.  The rest of the time was shared between surveying waders and manning the hide.  Today was a day off, but I popped down the hides anyway to pop into see  Darell, a local volunteer, and catch up with the latest Crane news.

The Cranes on the BBC, note Darell’s photo.