What A Day

The Dog and The Crane

I walked on Thorne Moor, part of the Humberhead Peatlands, on Friday. It was a beautiful day and I walked for 5 hours seeing just one person; an ex-chippy owner from Goole who was now, at 76, photographing insects on the Moor. He told me that the myriad of dragonflies I had been seeing all morning were called Four Spotted Chasers which has to be the best insect name going [apart from Dung Beetle maybe].
Anyway, as Milo and I were deep in the Moor I saw a huge bird take flight right in front of me. Quick calculations made me realise it was not a Heron or Swan or anything like that, and that is was a Crane. I had no idea they were found in this country now, let alone in Yorkshire on my doorstep. It was a truly beautiful and spiritual sight. Once I had calmed down I rang the National Nature Reserve office who confirmed that there were probably four Cranes in the area. Soon after that I saw a number of Hobbies [which I have never seen before, and which used to be confined to the south] including one catching a dragonfly in mid-air, and finally a pair of Marsh Harriers playing in the sky.
It was a great great day.
Cranes are special to me. The first time I saw them was high in the mountains in Eastern Turkey. I had cycled up to a grass plateau and sat down to wait and see what I could see. After half an hour or so a group of 30 or so Cranes gathered below me, a good 100 metres or more away, but exhilarating.
Then two years ago when Danielle and I were in New Mexico in the Bandelier National Monument migrating Cranes en route to Canada passed above us when we were deep in a gorge; it was another beautiful moment.