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| Common Crane Photo: David Tipling |
It
would be stretching it a bit to claim that that the cranes of east Norfolk are
grateful that NWT has launched an appeal to buy the freehold of Hickling nature
reserve, but they should be. Hickling played a role in the return of the crane
to the UK
as a breeding bird, and it continues to be a key site for them.
Two
cranes came to Hickling on 13th
September 1979. It was these that prompted a phone call about the
“Biggest bloody herons” that a local farmer had ever seen. Taking that call was
John Buxton of the neighbouring Horsey Estate, which is where the cranes
stayed, first attempted to nest in 1981 and raised the first crane chick in the
UK
for 400 years. Once a tightly held secret, this is now a well-known part of the
cranes history, told by John and me in the book The Norfolk
Cranes’ Story.
It
would, perhaps, have been a neater story if the cranes had bred at Hickling
rather than Horsey. It was from Hickling that there is a written record of a
payment for a ‘young Pyper crane’ in 1543. That is generally interpreted as the
only – and last – indication of cranes breeding in East Anglia, until their recent
return. That full circle was not completed until 2003 when cranes nested at
Hickling again. They have been there ever since and Hickling remains the place
to go to if you want to see cranes, not least as Horsey is a private estate.
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| Hickling Broad by Richard Osbourne |
There
is a Hickling anecdote that didn’t make it into the book. Secrecy may have been
the best way to safeguard the cranes in the early years, but they could be
tricky birds to hide. This dilemma was illustrated by the visit of a group of
conservation students to Hickling nature reserve in about 1985. Richard Hobbs,
then the Trust’s Conservation Officer, was with them. John Buxton from Horsey
was also there, with Christopher Cadbury from Hickling who was a generous
benefactor of Hickling reserve. One of the students heard the sound of calling
cranes coming from nearby Horsey. He pointed them out with some confidence as
he came from Sweden
and heard cranes there regularly. John and Christopher simply denied it, and
the student looked perplexed. Richard, a leading figure in the local
conservation scene, knew about the cranes’ return to Horsey, and after John and
Christopher departed confirmed to the student that he was right.
I
don’t get to Hickling as often as I should, but the place and its wildlife have
a knack for creating memorable experiences. Inspiring your family to take up
your interest in wildlife isn’t always easy. At last it seems to have worked
with grown-up son Jim, and last winter we made that afternoon visit that you’ve
probably done too, to Stubb Mill. The distant harriers over the marshes were
great, and there was a grey blob that through a telescope was just about recognisable
as a crane. But it was on the walk back to the car park that we had a proper
crane encounter. Three came over in the half light, calling as they flew. I
could almost hear the penny drop – now I get it about Dad and cranes.
I
returned to Hickling in January, this time to meet the team planning a BBC Countryfile programme from east Norfolk. John Blackburn
from NWT Hickling was there, and it was enjoyable to share the recce visit, including
the sights and sounds of cranes on a gloomy day. The sun came out for filming
in the following week, adding to a wonderful opportunity to showcase both the
cranes’ story and Hickling.
Chris Durdin usually blogs about NWT ThorpeMarshes but is also co-author of The
Norfolk Cranes’ Story. More about the book on http://www.norfolkcranes.co.uk/
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