Crane, Grus grus

Local status: Scarce passage migrant.

With an increasing British and European population, it is hardly surprising that records of Common Cranes in the York area are becoming more frequent. The majority of birds are recorded passing through on spring migration from March to May, with occasional records outside of this period. With a small but increasing population in the humberhead peatlands, sightings have increased since 2015. The Lower Derwent valley could be on the verge of colonisation.

Crane Wheldrake Ings 2nd April 2022 © Chris Gomersall
Crane Wheldrake Ings 2nd April 2022 © Chris Gomersall

Records prior to 2021:
2021: Wheldrake Ings, 23d July. two south
2021: Storwood, 10th May. two
2021: East Cottingwith & Allerthorpe Common, 5th May. one
2021: Huby, 19th April. one east
2021: Skipwith Common, 17th April. one over
2021: Aughton Ings, 23rd March. two southwest
2021: Pocklington Canal, Melbourne, Bank Island & Wheldrake village, 21st March. two west
2020: Bank Island, 6th November. one northwest
2020: Bank Island, then Thornton Ellers, 28th September. one
2020: Bank Island, 7th August. one heard
2020: Melbourne, later located near Foggathorpe, 26th July. one
2020: East Cottingwith, 19th July. two south
2020: Skipwith Common, 7th July. one southwest
2020: Selby, 7th July, two southeast
2020: Skipwith Common, 28th April. three
2020: Bank Island dropping down into the Seaton Ross area, 25th April. one
2020: New Earswick, 25th April. two over
2020: Menthorpe, 24th April. pair
2020: Wheldrake Ings, 19th April. three
2020: Low Grounds, 13th March. one
2019: Church Bridge, November four over
2019: Thorganby Ings, 31st October. one
2019: Bank Island, 23rd September. one over
2019: Wheldrake Ings, 8th September. one

Crane Wheldrake Ings 8th September 2019 © Duncan Bye
Crane Wheldrake Ings 8th September 2019 © Duncan Bye

2019: North Duffield Carrs, 15th May & Aughton Ings, 16th May. one
2019: Clifton Ings towards Shipton, 23rd April. two over
2019: Skipwith Common, 12th April. two over
2019: Bank Island, 10th April. two over
2019: Wheldrake Ings, 24th March. one
2019: East Cottingwith, 10th & 11th March. two & over over Fulford Golf Course on 11th
2018: Thornton Ellers, 25th November. one
2018: Easthorpe, 24th September. one
2018: Hagg Bridge, 26th August. two over
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 30th June & 1st to 2nd July. one

Crane Wheldrake Ings 30th June 2018 © Duncan Bye
Crane Wheldrake Ings 30th June 2018 © Duncan Bye

2018: Aughton, 21st & 27th June. one
2018: Askham Bog, 17th June. one over
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 16th June. one south
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 7th June. sub-adult
2018: High Petergate, York, 4th June. one north
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 8th & 29th May, Bubwith Ings, 14th May, Thorganby, 16th May. one
2018: Thornton, 16th April & Thorganby on 17th. pair
2018: Skipwith Common, 14th April. one
2018: Bank Island, 9th April. four circled & left north
2017: Aughton Ings, 7th July. one south
2017: Strensall, 28th June. one
2017: Malton, 12th June. one
2017: Wheldrake Ings, 11th June. one
2017: North Duffield Carrs, 21st May. three
2017: Thorganby Ings, 17th May. two
2017: East Cottingwith, 22nd April. six
2017: Wheldrake Ings,19th & 20th April. four

Crane Wheldrake Ings 19th April 2017 © Duncan Bye
Crane Wheldrake Ings 19th April 2017 © Duncan Bye

2017: East Cottingwith, 10th April. four & one on 13th
2017: Wheldrake Ings, 8th April. three
2016: Wigginton, 17th September. one over
2016: Foggathorpe, 15th September. one
2016: Nether Poppleton & Easthorpe, 26th May. one
2016: Skipwith Common & Wheldrake Ings, 24th May. two

Crane Wheldrake Ings 24th May 2016 © Duncan Bye
Crane Wheldrake Ings 24th May 2016 © Duncan Bye

2016: Selby, 21st May. two passed over & roosted at North Duffield Carrs
2016: Elvington, 21st May. one
2016: Wheldrake Ings, 14th May. one
2016: Bank Island, 23rd April. three
2016: North Duffield Carrs, 22nd April. one over
2016: Clifton Ings, 22nd April. two west
2016: Skipwith Common, 10th April. pair over
2016: Dunnington, 3rd April. pair over
2016: Bank Island, 16th March. pair east
2016: Dunnington Common, 4th March. two circling
2015: Wheldrake Ings, 20th April. Five, with one at North Duffield Carrs 21st April to 2nd May and then at Bank Island from 12th to 13th June.
2015: Strensall Common, 10th April. Three.
2015: North Duffield Carrs, 19th to 20th March.
2014: Lower Derwent Valley, 12th April to 5th June. Two.
2014: North Duffield Carrs, 25th March. Two.
2014: Elvington, 18th March. Three.
2014: Poppleton, 9th April, presumably same as Rufforth, 12th April. One.
2013: Hassacarr NR, 27th March. Two.
2013: North Duffield Carrs – Aughton, 22nd April. Two.
2013: Skipwith Common, 1st May.
2013: Canal Head, Pocklington, 13th August.
2012: Acomb, 10th June. One.
2012: Lower Derwent Valley, spring. Up to 16 present, with four seen at Skipwith Common 21st March to 28th April.
2011: Lower Derwent Valley, 15th March to 30th May. Four. Three others present 20th to 25th March.
2010: Lower Derwent Valley, 4th to 21st April. Four.
2008: Wheldrake Ings, 17th to 25th April. One.
2007: Wheldrake Ings, 30th April to 1st May. Two.
2005: Wressle – Breighton, 15th April. One.
2001: Sherriff Hutton, 3rd April, then Lower Derwent Valley until 28th April.
2000-1: Lower Derwent Valley, 16th June 2000 until 21st January 2001.
1998: Wheldrake Ings, 11th to 12th May. One.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 25th May to 11th July. One.
1986: Aughton, 3rd May until 5th June. Three.
1984: Wheldrake Ings, 18th May. One.
1983: Ellerton, 19th April. One.
1979: Mowthorpe, 5th May. One.
1978: Wheldrake Ings, 24th April to 4th May. One.
1977: Haxby, 9th to 17th October. One.