Corncrakes

mikemac

Can be heard in North Tipp.
Now I know the advent of silage over hay has seriously affected their population but I was told recently they are almost wiped out in Ireland

Realy?
I've heard them for years, we have a 3 acre piece of marshland, it's all fenced off and no machinery ever goes in there. A tractor would sink like a stone if you drove in there
So they've obviously settled in there for years now

Never realised they were so rare, anyone else aware of them in their area?

edit, forgot to add during the summer you can stumble across their nests in the long grass of the silage fields surrounding this marshland.
I've never seen a corncrake but their call is distinctive and it's them alright

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Are they there already?

What months do they call? How many would you hear calling in an average year? Sorry for all the questions but I'm interested in your post.:)

Sundew

Mikeman: you should report this to BirdwatchIreland.
Apparently there are only 150 males left in Ireland whereas in the 1970's there were 45,000!!! It's very sad to think it has declined. I for one have never heard it but my parents are always talking about it.
I know they have a Corncrake warden for the Connaught Region who has a hotline for sightings etc.
Corncrake Warden: Tim Gordan ph: 095 - 44941

They have been on the endangered list for years and I think I may have just got a glimpse of my first one ever last weekend

If you have them on your land then your are an incredible lucky man
http://www.birdwatchmayo.org/birds/facts/corncrake.html

http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=12022

http://www.sligobirding.com/May2008.html

mikemac

Ah, I replied to your other post Sundew and then I remembered this one.

I can think of two seperate places in the area where they are
They know Tipp North is the place to be, respect! :cool:

I'll check those links, thanks

sorella

Used to hear them in one wild spot in Donegal ; out beyond Killybegs nearly to Carrick/Glencolumcille.

Jim Martin

This from the Clarebirdwatching website:

Tuesday 27th May 2009

Jim Martin

Oops, sorry, that link didn't work, try this:

http://www.clarebirdwatching.com/scarce-rare-sightings.html

See entry for 27/05/09.

Jim Martin

The Miltown Malbay record - Spoke to a local farmer yesterday who heard a corncrake a couple of weeks ago but nothing since, sileage is starting to be cut now too so it (they) probably had enough & moved onto Mayo or somewhere!

Jim Martin

Was on the Shannon Callows (Banagher) with Eric Dempsey & the IWT on their SAC Watch Training Day Sat & he reckoned there's only 2 there this year!

BryanL

there was an interesting post on the shooting section saying that gun dogs could be used to sweep fields which may hold Corncrakes before any machines go in to cut.
Bryan

Hondo75

Any sightings or sounds this year , still in decline. The sound of summer from years ago..

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fewer-corncrakes-despite-conservation-campaign-1.541699

Birdnuts

Hondo75 wrote: »

Any sightings or sounds this year , still in decline. The sound of summer from years ago..

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fewer-corncrakes-despite-conservation-campaign-1.541699[/QUOTE]

The seemingly never ending run of cold wet late springs and summers can't be helping this ground nesting bird and I'm sure there being hit just as hard as the likes of the Grey Partridge in North Dublin which saw near total breeding failure last year with most nests washed out:(

Hondo75

Got reports from http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web.
Think i might take a trip to inisboffin:)