Crane Time

The beauty of cranes, their courtship dances, the well-visible crane migrations, and their calls are fascinating.

It is known that when they migrate south in mid-October, it is a reliable natural sign of autumn.

The crane symbolizes vigilance and wisdom. It is considered the bird of happiness.

Through vocal signals, their departure is synchronized and with some quick steps, the cranes push off and fly with long necks.

Their preferred habitats are wetlands in lowlands such as lake shores, moorlands, and wet meadows, and bodies of water with low water levels offer protection from enemies like foxes.

For resting, they use wide and open areas like fields and stubble fields.

From mid-August, larger resting groups coming from Sweden reach the German mainland between the Oder estuary and the Darß. The migration continues in a southwest direction, where the various groups unite west of the Rhine. They continue flying to southern Spain in Extremadura and Andalusia. For over a decade, France has also been intensively used for wintering.

Before the onset of the mass departure, the birds display restless behavior. They call and dance, are excited at night, and orient themselves to winds, food availability, and temperature changes.

The crane migration consists of groups of pairs or small families that gather in thousands at resting places.

Cranes fly in a wedge shape, uneven angles, and slanted lines to reduce air resistance and ensure contact with one another.

The International Crane Foundation works for the conservation of wetlands, the protection, and the reproduction of threatened crane species. It is successfully supported by Lufthansa, NABU, and WWF.

Among the large and significant structures in Stralsund are impressive brick buildings such as the monumental town hall, the St. Mary’s Church, the St. Nicholas Church, and the modern Ozeaneum. The cityscape of the old town rightly belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage. The city was founded in the 12th century, received city rights based on Lübeck models, with the organization of the city being handled by merchants and guild representatives, and developed into an important Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast.

Caspar David Friedrich, the famous painter of German Romanticism, visited Rügen multiple times. His painting “Cliff on Rügen” was created in 1818. The chalk coast, the megalithic graves, and the forests significantly contributed to the Rügen myth.