Storks soar over Devon again after '600 years'
'Extraordinary'
Mrs Engi and her children have spent several years rewilding her land, which now includes recreated wetlands, mixed grasslands and restored woodlands.The storks were raised in two large aviaries at the site, which forms part of a growing network of satellite locations developed by the Keep It Wild organisation.The storks released in north Devon are not tracked with GPS, but early signs suggest they are staying close, building their strength and confidence before migrating abroad."It's extraordinary. These birds haven't lived freely here in over 600 years, yet as soon as they were given the choice, they stepped out into the landscape like it had always been theirs," she said.The storks are expected to leave in August and fly through France to Spain. The hope is they will stay in Europe until they pair up and will then return to Devon where they were born, as long as there is a colony to come back to. In order to achieve this Mrs Engi is planning to get two breeding pairs of flightless storks as an anchor to create a colony and attract them back in. She said: "It's a dangerous journey but I hope they have a good time and enjoy their Spanish holiday."
"I'm Swiss - there are storks everywhere - so for me they are a little bit part of the landscape," she said."We all look up and stop whatever we're doing. They're beautiful."She said the release was "phenomenal" and "it was completely unexpected how nerve-wracking" it was.Nick Viney, director at Keep It Wild, said: "My hope is that more and more landowners will see these magnificent birds and be able to reimagine the land in their stewardship, into one where we can all thrive."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Wickes gadget makes moss, dirt & black spots vanish from patio slabs in seconds & it's ‘immensely satisfying' to use
IF the thought of scrubbing down your patio seems too daunting, don't worry. A handy gadget can get rid of stubborn dirt and moss in a matter of seconds. 2 Wickes customers can pick up this cleaning tool that is "capable of removing dirt over large areas, perfect for fast and efficient cleaning of large outside areas". The Karcher T5 T-Racer Patio Cleaner is available for just £79 from Wickes. Product description This surface cleaner is designed to protect you and your surroundings from spray water while effectively cleaning your patio slabs. Complete with a "hovercraft effect", you can easily maneuver this gadget, including over vertical surfaces. An impressed shopper shared his experience with the product in a post on the Facebook group Dull Men's Club. Impressed customers Posting an image of the tool in action, he joked he "might be in danger of being far too excited". The Facebook user went on to compare the product to a 1960s ad where the housewife could "obliterate dirt, grime, and rogue spaghetti stains with a single swipe of a miracle cleaner or gadget". He joked that "reality rarely scrubs up that well" but added that "every now and then, a product actually does live up to the hype". The poster pointed out the impressive results of his "new jet-wash patio cleaner". "One swipe of the 'hovercraft' wand, and decades of moss, muck, and mystery stains vanish like they were never there," he explained. Wake up to a weed-free lawn for months thanks to Aldi's £10 gadget that pulls them out without bending or kneeling down The Facebook user added that using the cleaning tool feels "oddly addictive and immensely satisfying". "If this is what being a '60s housewife felt like, I 'totally get it'," he concluded. His fellow Facebook users shared their thoughts on the tool in the comments section. "Totally agree, I was amazed when I got the Karcher K4 and discovered I had a sandstone patio. One of the most satisfying projects I have done to date," said one shopper. "The whole process and the outcome is so pleasing. I'd do it for free," wrote another person. More on cleaning Lidl shoppers can pick up a cordless vacuum cleaner that's £100 cheaper than Bosch. And Aldi's recently returned to shelves. Plus, an £8 B&Q buy that will protect your home during the upcoming spider season. And the upcoming deals on cleaning gadgets you can expect this Black Friday. Check out our round-up of the eight best cordless vacuum cleaners before you buy.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Abandoned Grade I-listed manor house gutted by large fire
Firefighters are battling a significant blaze at a Grade I-listed manor house in Liverpool, prompting warnings for local residents to keep windows and doors closed. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were alerted to the incident at Woolton Hall shortly after 8pm on Tuesday evening. Residents were warned to keep doors and windows closed as crews tackled the fire at the three-storey stone-built building. By 11.30pm, nine fire engines were on site, deploying hoses to combat flames on the building's exterior, a spokesman for the service stated. A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: 'A multi-agency meeting has taken place with police and a building surveyor, who has assessed the building and advised it would be unsafe to commit firefighters to the interior of the building.' Crews continued to fight the fire overnight, and the main body of the blaze was extinguished just before 2am on Wednesday. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service released an update at 7am on Wednesday morning, which reads: 'Fire crews continued to fight the fire overnight although having made good progress yesterday evening resources were scaled down to four fire engines and an aerial appliance. 'Crews damped down the scene with main branch hoses and hose reel jets. 'The main body of fire was extinguished just before 2am this morning and damping down and checking for hot spots continued throughout the night. Three fire engines and an aerial appliance remain at the scene.' Photos at the scene show show the manor house's roof has collapsed as firefighters continue to dampen down the scene on Wednesday morning. The hall, which is privately owned, was built in 1704. Local campaigners have been calling for Woolton Hall to be saved for a number of years due to the condition of the building. In 2019, fire crews were called to tackle a suspected arson attack in outbuildings and worked to prevent the blaze from spreading to the main building.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Major Nottingham city centre roundabout project set to restart after delay
A major project to transform a Nottingham city centre roundabout into a T-junction is set to restart and be completed after being delayed by a collapsed brick £8.97m project has seen the Maid Marian Way island - which connected the road with Derby Road and Upper Parliament Street - council paused its work towards the end of July while Severn Trent Water carried out emergency work in Upper Parliament the final part of the project is set to be completed when surfacing takes place on nearby Mount Street between 27 and 28 August. The road will be closed overnight from 22:00 to 06:00 on the project started in May last year, with officials saying the roundabout was "outdated" and a barrier to movement around the city the scheme was met with a mixed response, with some left confused and others frustrated by the delays the highway works are complete, the project will move into a new phase, with a new public artwork planned to be installed in the area later this council said it was working with Backlit Gallery, and business improvement district It's in Nottingham, to develop a new piece of artwork themed around Maid Marian.A variety of new mature trees will also be planted on site during the winter months.
