We were expecting quite an early start today, we knew people would have travelled up overnight for a chance to see the Sandhill Crane and we knew the morning would be busy. What Emma and myself weren't quite expecting was to turn up at 6.30, before first light and for the Visitor Centre to already be absolutely full. Kathryn had looked out of her window and seen a nearly full car park at around 5.30am, and some people had been waiting since 2am for the centre to open.
Luckily the Crane is a very well-behaved bird and as the visitor centre, Tower Pool Hide and much of the Tower Pool Path steadily filled with people it wandered up and down the low ground, giving everyone who'd made the trip lovely, if dimly lit, views (including most of the people stuck at the back- special thanks to the nice man at the front who gave up his seat so some of them could get to the windows).
At about 7.40am, just later than yesterday it again lifted off and headed out to the fields to feed. Kathryn and a cavalcade of birders followed it around the local fields, while myself and Emma ran Crane Central in the Visitor Centre, trying our best to point all the new visitors in the right direction and keep the news services updated with it's most recent location. The best places for those with the patience to pick a spot and wait were a farm near St Combs and the Gowanhill field it's been visiting since it arrived. The Gowanhill watchers in particular got superb views as it flew directly over their heads. Then at around 12.30pm the Crane made its way back to the reserve, dropping down on the low ground again, just at the perfect time for the visiting WEx Group to all get a good look at it.
It was still on the low ground when I left to write this post and get a quick lunch break.
We'll keep the centre open for anyone wanting to see if it comes in to roost tonight. I'll be doing the late shift (or the 'missing Dr Who shift' as I'm choosing to call it) until around 8pm , Emma and Dominic will then be on the early shift sometime before 6am tomorrow morning.
If you do try and see the crane in the surrounding fields or on the reserve please as always remember to park in a sensible spot, not block access for any of the local people and make sure you stay at a safe distance so as not to flush either the crane or our newly arrived geese. Thanks.
ETA- the sandhill crane left the reserve at around 4.15pm and made a short, low flight to a nearby field. It still hadn't returned to the reserve by dusk but given that it wasn't seen flying either high up or heading off into the distance, and that it didn't return until after dusk on Thursday night, we're still hopeful it'll be around tomorrow morning.