Learning To Fly
White Stork chicks stretching their wings in readiness for leaving the nest...much toppling about going on! This one in particular seemed ahead of his or her siblings.
Info again:
Here in Sussex at The Knepp Estate are the first known breeding pair of White Storks in the UK since 1416. There seem to be three chicks in the nest and it was wonderful to see them stretching their wings and waiting impatiently for the female to arrive back with their food. So, very exciting days for all of those involved in this reintroduction! The White Stork Project are leading the way and here is what they say about their project:
"These large birds, symbolic of rebirth, are native to the British Isles and evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed. Whilst it is unclear why this spectacular and sociable bird failed to survive in Britain, it is likely that a combination of habitat loss, over-hunting and targeted persecution all contributed to their decline. A contributory factor may be that it was persecuted in the English Civil War for being associated with rebellion. The white stork is a migratory bird species, and there have been many sightings in the UK over recent years, but conservationists identified that the species would need a helping hand to re-establish a breeding population in Britain.
The White Stork Project is led by a pioneering partnership of private landowners and nature conservation organisations, who are working together to restore a population of at least 50 breeding pairs in southern England by 2030 through a phased release programme over the next five years."
Learning To Fly
White Stork chicks stretching their wings in readiness for leaving the nest...much toppling about going on! This one in particular seemed ahead of his or her siblings.
Info again:
Here in Sussex at The Knepp Estate are the first known breeding pair of White Storks in the UK since 1416. There seem to be three chicks in the nest and it was wonderful to see them stretching their wings and waiting impatiently for the female to arrive back with their food. So, very exciting days for all of those involved in this reintroduction! The White Stork Project are leading the way and here is what they say about their project:
"These large birds, symbolic of rebirth, are native to the British Isles and evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed. Whilst it is unclear why this spectacular and sociable bird failed to survive in Britain, it is likely that a combination of habitat loss, over-hunting and targeted persecution all contributed to their decline. A contributory factor may be that it was persecuted in the English Civil War for being associated with rebellion. The white stork is a migratory bird species, and there have been many sightings in the UK over recent years, but conservationists identified that the species would need a helping hand to re-establish a breeding population in Britain.
The White Stork Project is led by a pioneering partnership of private landowners and nature conservation organisations, who are working together to restore a population of at least 50 breeding pairs in southern England by 2030 through a phased release programme over the next five years."