Knepp Storks

I woke up around five this morning, too late for the dawn chorus but still early enough to catch the tail end of it. I hadn't been to Knepp for about a year, so was interested to see how the stork introduction project was going and with the estate hosting Nightingales, Turtle Doves, and Cuckoos there should be some decent bird song on offer as well.

I am not sure how many Stork pairs are nesting at Knepp but I managed to see two nests. The first about 300 metres past the camp shop to the south of the main path. It's in the top of a dead tree clear of the surrounding green branches and is very easy to spot but the views are a bit distant unless you are prepared to leave the path. Storks are usually very tolerant of people and on the continent will often nest on a house roof or close to a busy road but I wasn't taking any chances.

The second nest was also distant but gave good views from some deep cover and the lighting was better for taking pictures. From reports issued by the project team I believe this nest contains the first Stork chicks born in this country for centuries.

Unfortunately I didn't see the chicks. The male came in and at first I thought he was carrying food but it turned out to be top up nesting material.

There were also good views of six storks circling in the updrafts. I am not sure if you can still refer to it as a kettle if they are not preparing for migration. It's great to watch but pictures don't really do it justice. However there were a couple of low passes from single birds in flight and I did eventually get a reasonable picture.

Elsewhere on the estate the bird song lived up to expectations. At least two Turtle Doves heard although I couldn't see either of them. Five or six Cuckoos, or one very mobile Cuckoo, with a couple of fleeting sightings from fly overs. Also a good number of Nightingales that  at times could only have been a few yards away but which gave no views at all. Very disappointing but nice to listen to.

The other disappointment was the number of people that were there, walkers, cyclists, runners, and birders. I was on my own when I arrived but by ten o'clock as I was leaving it felt quite crowded. You start to realise why the estate is trying to enforce people staying on the designated pathways. They are at risk of becoming victims of their own success.


Crowds or not, I think I might have to go back to see the Storks fledging.