A couple of years ago we saw 20 storks flying over the Lizard in Cornwall looking for a land route to Europe on their way to Africa via Gibraltar — they don’t like flying over sea if they can help it! At that time we were so excited that the photos were accidentally deleted! Ever since we have promised ourselves a trip to Knepp in the South to see the storks that nest there.
This year we set off. We couldn’t find the place — we were lost! Then suddenly, above us–
we realized that we had arrived!
Bill remembers, before their reintroduction in 2020, the last stork to nest in Britain was on St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh 1416. They lost habitat and were hunted to extinction.
They have been re-introduced to Knepp in West Sussex, also to sites in the Cotswolds, Essex, Surrey and Wadhurst Park in East Sussex.
Knepp is a large estate that is being re-wilded. You can read about it in Isabella Tree’s book Rewilding.
We had a glimpse of their long horn cattle but, not exactly free ranging in this part, and no sign of the wild boar or beavers but it is a huge place an we only saw a small part! We are still looking for a turtle dove.
We sat on a rise overlooking the estate where we could see a stork nest.
Early in the afternoon there was an eruption of storks taking to the sky — seemed they were changing the guard on all the nests at the same time! Last year 26 storks fledged from 11 nests — it looks as if there will be more this year!
Spectacular birds.
Very interesting experiment in re-wilding, and it is all relative, compared with where we live the small part that we were able to visit on foot, seemed pretty tame! But it was enough to see that it is a spectacular exercise in diversification of farming — loads of visitors, efficiently managed involving minimal staff. They basically ask for a donation for parking and you can walk on the foot paths through the estate. We didn’t take any of the guided tours on offer which are not cheep, nor stay in any of their eco-accommodation — I’d be interested to hear feedback from people who have.
dianaashworth 
Good shots
Thank you, Derrick!
You really are getting around these days. Here is Stevenage we are doing our best by having 2 all electric cars and rewilding the bottoim of our garden and planting a mini orchard of victoria plum tress., not quite the same scale! Was it you who asked me for pictures from the reunion?
Steve
Are you offering helicopter safaris?
I’ve got about 50 photos, thank you, unless you have one of us looking glamorous!