The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A nature reserve has closed temporarily in the hope that the newly arrived pair of cranes will repeat the breeding success last year – the first time the birds bred in Lincolnshire for 400 years.
Willow Tree Fen near Tongue End will not be open to the public to increase the chances of the pair of cranes breeding again.
The birds, which are rarely seen in the UK form lifelong pair bonds and are very site loyal.
The pair were expected to return from their wintering grounds in February but arrived on Friday January 22.
Only 23 chicks were born in the UK last year and it’s thought that the less visitors Willow Tree Fen received because of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions may have helped the pair.
Therefore on their return Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust closed the site with immediate effect.
Eileen Pearson, Crane Watch volunteer from Spalding said: “It’s wonderful that cranes have chosen to make Willow Tree Fen their home. We are very pleased and we should be proud that this was the first place in Lincolnshire that cranes nested after such a long absence from the county.”
