http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/23864
Very hard to get a picture of such an elusive bird.
Very hard to get a picture of such an elusive bird.
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Corncrake (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
cuckooroller
Registered User
Steve said:
It's a good one that's for sure. The best that I have seen.
Darrell Clegg
Well-known member
AAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHH
My absolute bogey bird. I've missed them numerous times in the UK icluding the time on Scilly when I stood for a whole day to see Common Yellowthroat. I walked away at 4.00pm to visit the supermarket. I hadn't gone more than 800m when a message appeared saying a Corncrake was showing. Of course it had gone when I got there. Then there was the time I spent two weeks walking my local patch one October. The first day back at work a Corncrake turns up. Grrr
The finest bit of fieldcraft I ever saw involved Corncrake in Hungary. Birds were calling in a large field so a young Hungarian birder went into the next field and started calling them. He explained that the reason he went into another field was because the birds would have to walk across the track separating the two fields to find out what the noise was, and this is where you would get the best view. Sure enough it worked a treat!!!
Darrell
My absolute bogey bird. I've missed them numerous times in the UK icluding the time on Scilly when I stood for a whole day to see Common Yellowthroat. I walked away at 4.00pm to visit the supermarket. I hadn't gone more than 800m when a message appeared saying a Corncrake was showing. Of course it had gone when I got there. Then there was the time I spent two weeks walking my local patch one October. The first day back at work a Corncrake turns up. Grrr
The finest bit of fieldcraft I ever saw involved Corncrake in Hungary. Birds were calling in a large field so a young Hungarian birder went into the next field and started calling them. He explained that the reason he went into another field was because the birds would have to walk across the track separating the two fields to find out what the noise was, and this is where you would get the best view. Sure enough it worked a treat!!!
Darrell
curracag
Certified Member
Thanks everyone for the very kind comments about my corncrake shot. Believe it or not that was the first time I've ever actually seen one - heard plenty over the last few years but none seen, I couldn't believe my eyes when this bird walked out into the open, I also got some shots of it calling and also preening. Certainly a rare session which left me on a high for the rest of the day!
Corncrakes were plentiful throughout the UK until farming methods changed in the mid 19th century - now it is classed as "globally threatened". Since then and especially since the 1950s with increased mechanisation, earlier harvesting of hay and silage and grazing by sheep, the bird has undergone a rapid decline. The Western Isles along with other hebridean islands such as Coll and Tiree are the last haven in the UK for this scarce bird. The RSPB along with SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) and the SCF (Scottish Crofters Foundation) are doing a lot of work to encourage farmers and crofters to manage their land by delaying cutting of hay and silage until after 1st August and then mowing in a "corncrake friendly" way (apparently up to 55% of chicks are killed by mowing as they are so reluctant to cross open ground).
This seems to be working as last year the number of calling males on Lewis almost doubled.
Yes, I believe there might be some sort of re-introduction scheme for England which is still ongoing.
Hope this info. is of use to you.
Regards
Yvonne
Corncrakes were plentiful throughout the UK until farming methods changed in the mid 19th century - now it is classed as "globally threatened". Since then and especially since the 1950s with increased mechanisation, earlier harvesting of hay and silage and grazing by sheep, the bird has undergone a rapid decline. The Western Isles along with other hebridean islands such as Coll and Tiree are the last haven in the UK for this scarce bird. The RSPB along with SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) and the SCF (Scottish Crofters Foundation) are doing a lot of work to encourage farmers and crofters to manage their land by delaying cutting of hay and silage until after 1st August and then mowing in a "corncrake friendly" way (apparently up to 55% of chicks are killed by mowing as they are so reluctant to cross open ground).
This seems to be working as last year the number of calling males on Lewis almost doubled.
Yes, I believe there might be some sort of re-introduction scheme for England which is still ongoing.
Hope this info. is of use to you.
Regards
Yvonne
mountain man
Guest
I've never seen one but it is on my list. I reckon its an honorary "heard only acceptable" bird.
...along with Quail, Lady Amh....
I've said too much.
...along with Quail, Lady Amh....
I've said too much.
mountain man
Guest
I've seen Quail abroad, but only heard them in Britain - so that's kind of better...?
rogerscoth
Well-known member
Yvonne, You have certainly changed the skin colour to a funny shade of green for a lot of us unfortunate enough not to have seen such an enigmatic bird! We live in hope, and maybe even get a nice picture like yours.:bounce:curracag said:
Roger
Darrell Clegg
Well-known member
CJW said:I guess you won't want to hear that it's on our garden list then, Darrell...
You can go off people you know Chris
Darrell
