| Ask A Drunk : One Thread |
Colin and Carla, the African grey necked cranes have made staff at Martin Mere pleased as punch.Last week they laid four eggs which have been placed in an incubator in the waterfowl nursery while they are at their most vulnerable.
Wardens plan to rear two eggs in the nursery and give the cranes one egg each to rear. In the meantime, the cranes are left sitting on wooden eggs.
The cranes, famous for their spiky hairdos, their energetic dance and an ability to leap up to 12ft in the air, have been thrilling the crowds at the mere for the past two years. During this time they have been involved in a captive breeding programme and would normally be expected to lay one or two eggs.
The cranes laid eggs last year. However, all eggs were "clear" when they were candled, which involves placing a bright light to the egg to look for signs of life. If the egg appears clear they are infertile.
-- Lynskey (paul@daymaker.freeserve.co.uk), July 04, 2002
Next week, they're expecting a pair of mating yellow-breasted Bulldozers to move in, and they can start their own building site.
Anyhow, I thought cranes were only famous for poking obtrusively out of the skyline. I've never seen them dancing, leaping, or having hair-dos; but then I don't get out of the city much. :-(
-- Sue Denim (s.denim@aol.net), July 04, 2002.
If you really can become ‘famous’ just for a spiky hairdo, energetic dancing and leaping twelve feet in the air, why isn’t my mate Robin a celebrity then?
-- Rex (rex@waitrose.com), July 04, 2002.
He is.
-- Matt (Matt@coastaltown.freeserve,co.uk), July 04, 2002.
Well I've heard of him
-- Lynskey (paul@daymaker.freeserve.co.uk), July 07, 2002.
Yeah, but you've heard of swifty
-- Matt (Matt@coastaltown.freeserve,co.uk), July 07, 2002.
Not Swifty 'in and out in 30 seconds' Swithens?
-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), July 22, 2002.
No.
-- Lynskey (paul@daymaker.freeserve.co.uk), July 22, 2002.