Iona - Corncrakes

[Jason Middleton]

Does anyone know specific areas/sites for Corncrakes on Iona?

I shall be on the Isle of Mull at the end of May/beginning of June and intend a visit to Iona for Corncrake. However it is a family holiday so time/opportunity to hear (see?) Corncrake may be limited whilst building sandcastles with the children etc.!

However if anyone could point me in the direction of likely areas it would be very much appreciated. ie. should I encounter them going up the main track to the northern beaches or should I go south? Or should I encounter them straight away when I get of the ferry jetty?

I possess an Ordnance Survey Explorer map so if anyone wishes to be ultra specific, feel free.

Many thanks.


Jason

[Highway Man]

Does anyone know specific areas/sites for Corncrakes on Iona?

I shall be on the Isle of Mull at the end of May/beginning of June and intend a visit to Iona for Corncrake. However it is a family holiday so time/opportunity to hear (see?) Corncrake may be limited whilst building sandcastles with the children etc.!

However if anyone could point me in the direction of likely areas it would be very much appreciated. ie. should I encounter them going up the main track to the northern beaches or should I go south? Or should I encounter them straight away when I get of the ferry jetty?

I possess an Ordnance Survey Explorer map so if anyone wishes to be ultra specific, feel free.

Many thanks.


Jason

Hi Jason

As far as I know you should encounter them as soon as you get off the ferry.
Hope the weather's better than when we went last spring bank - it pissed it down with a gale thrown in for good measure.

Regards

Mark

[Lee Rogers]

Jason,

Hi, there is a very specific meadow on Iona that is mown late to allow the young, as yet flightless birds, some cover. The farmer who looks after it is a very amicable fellow and actually allowed me to stand in the middle of the field whilst he mowed it two years ago, I stood in awe as the chicks ran for cover left at the edges of the field and the few remaining adults flew off. It was a great spectacle and even my wife and children enjoyed it, this was also a family holiday in the 1st week of August. So though you might see Corncrake absolutely anywhere on Iona to reach the meadow proceed as follows: from the ferry take the main road straight ahead past the Spar (?) shop on left, the road will eventually bear left at a right-angle, continue on until the road takes a right turn, also a right-angle. Here the road passes through a rock cutting, and to the left of this is a well placed public bench. Sit here and look ahead to the sea, the meadow directly infront of you is the one you're interested in. The farmer will be around as he lives in the farm house at he back of the meadow, and though he may not let you in the meadow as he did to me, you'll certainly hear the Corncrakes if not see a few adults commuting between fields.

Hope this helps and all the best,

Lee

[Iain]

Jason, I was on Iona last Thursday (11/5) we checked the meadow with the Iris growing in it at NM287243 to NM287244 - leave the ferry go right in front of the houses and you'll arrive at the meadow - it's between the Abbey and the foreshore. We heard one calling in that area once. While we were there we could hear another calling behind us. We tracked this down to the allotment at NM285242. We had great views as it crossed the strawberry beds.

Have a look here (http://www.mullbirds.com/) too Alan may be able to give you more up-to-date info.

Iain

[Geoff Pain]

Let us know how you get on Jason,I'm going to Mull for a week 12th June and shall be calling on Iona.

[Jason Middleton]

Thanks everyone for the info.

Geoff - will certainly let you know what I encounter.

Jason

[Gramayr]

I was over there last Wednesday, was a bit wet and blustery later on. Was going to go left off the ferry, went right instead to one of the beaches and had a laze around. Pity I didn't know about the corncrakes, wouldn't have minded seeing one myself..

[Dave Kennedy]

Hi, all,

Although this is too late for Jason's visit, it may help if others wish to visit Iona. I was in Iona on 26th June 2007, and heard several corncrakes calling in an unmown field. If you take the road past the Abbey and carry on until it ends at a farm, you will see in front of you a track leading straight on which eventually will bring you to the shore at the northern tip of the island. A short way along that track there was an unmown field on the left. That is where the corncrakes were calling.
Good luck with seeing one - I have heard them calling from flag iris patches in Lewis also, but I have yet to see one.

[newton birder]

I've done Iona the last two springs and have seen plenty of corncrakes in various spots there... However I've spent lots of hours looking !!

No doubt the favourite spot is the iris bed between the abbey and the shore.... most birders go here and it is good !! On one visit this spring I saw 4 birds here in an hour (but three were just lucky flight views of frisky birds chasing each other about !).

Best bet is to stand on the raised bit next to the drystone wall by the gate in front of the abbey and listen for their calls to locate them, there’s always birds here but of course they are very difficult to see ! You just need to be patient and keep them peeled, I've seen them walking around out in the open here a few times. Earlier (....or maybe later) in the day the better, things are quieter in the middle of the day...

Don't be tempted to go into the iris's you'll disturb the birds and certainly won't see any cause they'll run off rather than fly....

Yep, seeing corncrakes is a game of waiting, being patient, keeping your eyes peeled, scanning the areas near the calls, and if you give it long enough (be prepared to stake the place out for a few hours !), you will have success...

They’re usually stationary when calling but if they stop calling they’re often on the move, so then is the time to look really hard for movement.

Oh…. And the earlier in the season you go the easier it is to see them cause the iris’s haven’t grown up too much.. they can be back on territory by 1st/2nd week in May, odd ones even earlier.

Good luck !!