Wild cranes at Welney
Get closer to cranes foraging at WWT Welney Wetland Centre before they move on for winter.
For the last few autumns the growing crane population has begun a ritual of feeding up on the wetlands at Welney. Numbers start to build by mid-September, reaching up to 40 individuals in recent years. This post-breeding flock is made up of pairs and their now fledged young from the summer, as well as non-breeding individuals.
The sight of cranes flapping and gliding through the sky as they move around the reserve and out to nearby fields to feed is just incredible. Watching them interact with each other, squabbling and displaying, dancing and bugling is something that will stay with you, just as we hope the cranes are here to stay in our wetlands.
The best places to see the cranes are from the visitor centre and hides, when you arrive we will let you know where they are on the day. As we start to welcome back thousands of whooper swans by mid-October, crane numbers begin to drop so this really is an autumn highlight not to miss.
