13.06.2014

Ringing the stork

German rental company Adam was recently called on to help ring three young storks before they left their nest on the top of an old defensive tower in the town of Erlensee.

The company provided a 33 metre Ruthmann T330 operated by a municipal employee.
Please register to see all images

The truck mounted lift moves into place

The town built the nest a few years ago in order to encourage storks back to the traditional nesting spot. The first occupants arrived in 2011 but failed to produce any offspring. In 2012 the nest remained vacant, and finally the first young were born at the site last year – two males Ariane and Apollo. This year three have survived, so volunteers from HGON (Hesse Society for Ornithology and Nature Conservation Association), decided they need to be ringed in order for them to be tracked etc….

When the parents left the nest the truck mounted lift was reversed into place and the process of ringing them began. Young storks are apparently easily to ring because they have a natural instinct to play dead when confronted with danger, giving them a better chance to avoid a bird of prey attack as they prefer living targets.
Please register to see all images

Up to the nest for the ringing process

The ringing needs to take place once the young are old enough to be likely to survive, but before they reach seven weeks, when they start to lose the ‘play dead’ instinct and then start to fly. As these are the second clutch of eggs to hatch at this location the offspring will have names beginning with B, by those sponsoring them, with the first two named Brandon and Bibo.