Corncrakes on Waternish

We were delighted to welcome Shelagh Parlane from RSPB to our Annual General Meeting last year. She gave us feedback on last year’s study of the Corncrakes on Waternish, which was fascinating. She has very kindly put this article together for us.

OUR ELUSIVE SUMMER VISITORS

Waternish is special for many reasons but particularly because it hosts one of the UK’s rarest summer visitors – the Corncrake.

Just a little bigger than a black bird, these birds are famous for their secretive nature, spending most of their time hiding in tall vegetation. But don’t be disappointed if you never actually see our elusive seasonal friend, if there’s a male Corncrake around, you will be treated to a recital of their unmistakable, ‘CREX! CREX!’ call ….this ‘song’ is their big giveaway and they may repeat it over 10 000 times a night as they advertise their presence to any passing females.

Male Corncrakes do most of their calling during the hours of darkness and over the summer the RSPBScotland carry out night surveys listening for calling males.

2024 has been Skye’s best year for Corncrakes for quite some time with a count of 27 calling males. Only 14 were counted last year so this was rewarding for us and for the crofters and farmers who willingly do their bit for Corncrakes that our numbers showed such a big increase.

Corncrake surveys take place over all of the Scottish west coast islands but on the Isle of Skye we also use their voices to identify one individual from another.

Using recordings of the call, a unique call pattern can be extracted and compared to others. This allows us to track the whereabouts of individual Corncrakes through the breeding season. Credit to Robert Arnold for this fascinating work and you can find out more at http://www.robertarnold.co.uk/crex/crex2.htm.

Last year we tracked one bird through the whole season. This bird was known as Bob after a very lovely man who used to live nearby.

When Bob arrived on 28th April, we found him in an area full of meadowsweet and brambles and on 2 June he moved into the silage fields about 400m away. He had a period of silence before this move which is a good sign that he’d found a mate.

I was fixing a fence one day and Bob came over to ‘Crex’ at me – not sure if he approved or disapproved of the work!! Interestingly, I never saw him even though he came within 2 metres of me, moving through the nettles and taller grasses – a sign of good habitat 😊.

We only know Bob’s story through his call pattern and this is only possible with your help sending recordings and reporting when a bird is heard.

A huge thank you to everyone who sends reports, recordings, and information, to those who grow nettles and grass for Corncrakes to nest in; to those who patiently and skillfully mow the silage without mowing the Corncrake chicks 😊. Without your support Project Corncrake would not be possible.

Remember to let us know if you are lucky enough to hear a Corncrake!

shelagh.parlane@rspb.org.uk  mobile 07771545409

Facebook or Instagram @ Corncrakes_Skye

(Header photo – Wildlife friendly mowing-photo credit S Parlane)