The
arrival of the cranes in spring is the sign of spring many people are waiting for, but not
always quite certain, as the first crane may appear already at the end of February. It
feels a little nearer spring at the end of March when there might be thousand cranes at
Vadboden, a show worth visiting. The crane is our tallest bird, keen on dancing and loud,
so it is not difficult to understand that is has become the favourite bird of many people.
The big accumulation at Lake Hornborga is of a more recent date, and there are especially
two factors that have contributed. First the growing of potatoes for distillation of
spirits at the big estates of Dagsnäs and Bjurum, which gave the cranes
great opportunities
in spring to find waste potatoes in large areas after the autumn crop. Secondly the
reduction of the water level of the lake in 1902 and again in the 1930´ies created areas
suitable to spend the night in. When distillation of spirits and growing of potatoes
ceased, first at Dagsnäs and then at Bjurum after 1971, the possibilities for the cranes
to find food decreased, and the number of cranes halved at the end of the 70´ies.
To
turn the downward trend potatoes were grown just for the cranes, and the crop was left in
the fields. As experiments different kinds of cereals were spread and heaps of potatoes
were dumped. All of it was done on a few hectares. When there was a distillery here there
were more than 1000 hectares of cultivable soil for potatoes only at
Dagnäs-Bjurum. The
whole thing showed in a clear way how the attractiveness of the area for the cranes was
due to the need off the distilleries for big areas suitable for potatoe-growing. Nowadays
the cranes can be supported in a less drastic way by putting a coin as a parking fee at
"Rastplats Trandansen". The money will be used for spreading grain. Barley is
preferred by the cranes, and it is also easy to spread. Every or every other night, when
the cranes are at their nightly resting place, barley is spread, about 30-40 tons during
the months the cranes stay
Text (+sound): Jan
Johansson
Translation to English: Gunvor and Curt Lindholm.
VADBODEN
Click
here
for information about the
area
at Lake Hornborga where the cranes rest.
Photo: Jan Johansson
FACTS ABOUT
CRANES
Cranes are to be found in winter in Extremadura in the Central Western parts of
Spain.
The crane is monogamous (lives life-long with the same partner) and it is ready
for breeding at the age of 3.
A crane lays 1-2 eggs.
At full height a crane is about 120 cm tall, 4-7 kg heavy and may have a
wing-span of 250 cm.
At the breeding places the food generally consists of frogs, insects, fry and
vegetables.
The acorn of a certain kind of oak is the most important winter food in
Extremadura.
Probable maximum age is 25-30 years. |
