Unexpected sighting

Amazing the things you see when you're out on your bike... on my morning ride over the Gwent Levels today I spotted some large birds in a field. I didn't believe my eyes, so I stopped to get a better look and low and behold my initial impression appears to have been right... I'm pretty sure I was looking at some visiting Sandhill Cranes.

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes are usually resident in North America and while they have been known to visit the UK occasionally they are very rare here. There were three in the group I saw this morning (the image above is not mine, but for illustration only) and I have just spent the last hour trying to confirm my identification. I'll take my camera and return to the location shorty to see if the birds are still there. Crossing my fingers they will be.