Nottingham RSPB
local group

A Crane at Stoke Bardolf

The group returned from the outing to Spurn Point to be greeted by news of a Common Crane at the picturesque home of Nottinghams Sewage Farm, Stoke Bardolph. Only a couple of miles from this reporters home, it proved almost impossible to get there. The morning of Monday the 19th of October was spent on the 'phone trying to beg a lift, when this failed my wife Jan and I decided to go on the bus. After a wait of over half an hour we were turned away because we had taken our dog Jake with us and Pathfinder buses do not carry dogs! A race to the station to catch a train to nearby Burton Joyce ensued, we arrived in time and bought our tickets, but when the train arrived we were told it did not stop at Burton Joyce. So much for time tables! We headed home muttering. On arrival back home a last desperate spell of 'phoning finally found a car owning Birder that was willing to come from near the bird to pick me up, then drive back and see the bird.

Finally I was on my way. Maurice drove down Stoke Lane to take us near where the bird was reported but it had moved and was in a field right next to the road. Being over 4 foot tall the bird was not hard to see, but just to make sure I got it I viewed it through a couple of the 'scopes already on it. Only then did I set up my own. It was in the far end of the field, so we decided to walk along and get nearer to it. But of course as we made our way in that direction the Crane went the other way. In the end we did get quite close to it. It was constantly being mobbed by Corvids, Magpies especially 'having a go'. After a while it had had enough and took wing, flying right over us. An incredible sight, as it flew it drew more mobbers, more Crows and Gulls joining in. It circled for a while then returned to the original field. We went on to see it in flight several more times, how I wish I had a camera. After having our fill of this magical bird we went back to the road, here we met up with several more Birders and exchanged notes. The Crane then took wing and flew off towards Burton Joyce, much to the disgust of several new arrivals. But I don't think they would have any trouble relocating it.

The Nottingham Evening Post of Thursday 22nd October carried an article about this bird, which disappeared shortly after. This also happened with the Squacco Heron at Wollaton, coincidence? Cranes normally migrate non-stop from Norway or Sweden to Southern Spain, but this one had been blown off course. It was hoped that when the weather got a little colder it would carry on its journey. In the evening the bird did a tour of local nature reserves before roosting at the Netherfield site. Around 500 Birders travelled to see the Crane before it left.

This was to be this reporters last outing for over 3 weeks as a bout of pneumonia followed the excitement. But reports of other birds have started to reach me on my sick bed; it seems two Great Grey Shrikes have set up winter territories in the county and an American Golden Plover is reported to be with a flock of Golden Plovers in the far north of the county.