Britain’s tallest bird, the spectacular, wetland-loving crane bred in higher numbers last summer than at any point since they disappeared from the UK in the 16th century. At least 80 pairs of cranes were recorded in 2023, up from the previous high of 72 two years earlier.
It's great to see it's not all doom and gloom...
More recently it has been boosted by a reintroduction project where hand-reared cranes were released on expanded wetlands in the Somerset Levels. Britain has drained, developed and destroyed more than 75% of its marshland but the recent restoration of some wetlands has helped the species recolonise Wales, Scotland and nature reserves across England, including in Lincolnshire.
For once, government spending on something worthwhile! Such a rare occurrence these days.
Andrew Stanbury, an RSPB conservation scientist, welcomed recent government announcements to spend £16m on rewetting peatlands and its Landscape Recovery Fund second round, which supports net zero goals such as restoring marshland. Wetlands are effective carbon stores, as well as reservoirs of disappearing biodiversity.
Even the ridiculous Net Zero scam can occasionally prove useful.
3 comments:
Wot abart the bad Brexit effect on the poor storks? Migrating is restricted, unless helped by Border Force and RNLI.
"History, we don't need any stinking history!"
"at any point since they disappeared from the UK in the 16th century"
What, you mean a century or more 'before' even the vaguest inkling of the beginning of the industrial revolution that allowed the beginning of the drainage of all that (waste, disease-ridden and causing, life-threatening and impassable) marshland? That marshland?
Now, of course, the 'real' reason is that that marshland post drainage turned out to be some of the best, and most productive, farming land in this tiny country (what hasn't been built on, or is being 'seized' for dachas). And ... 'we' must get rid of what little of that is still left (to satisfy our global masters - no -one is going to eat that chemical-factory produced "meat" or the bugs if there's 'any' alternative after all).
Most of this is being supported by the typical low-information, urbanite, virtue-signalling crowd (who think food comes from the supermarket), but the real impetus comes from (the same people who brought you the "Delta Smelt" in The US) people who are deliberately destroying our ability to feed ourselves.
You, we, all are about to be 'Holodmored" if they can manage it, but ... at least there'll be pretty birds to see (if you get 'allowed' anywhere near the place set-aside for the privileged) when it happens.
"Wot abart the bad Brexit effect on the poor storks? Migrating is restricted, unless helped by Border Force and RNLI."
🤣
"Now, of course, the 'real' reason is that that marshland post drainage turned out to be some of the best, and most productive, farming land in this tiny country..."
Indeed! Along with post-volcanic soil, it's the best.
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