Corncrake numbers up.......

Capercaille

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/corncrake-numbers-increase-238822.html
Corncrake numbers (calling males) appear to have risen from 125-129 in 2012 to 182-183. Hopefully they are being pulled back from the brink. The change in Corncrake conservation measures hopefully is working.

The bad weather last year prevented silage being cut early in many places which led to decreased mowing deaths. Although the cold/wet weather would have led to some chick deaths.

The Shannon Callows is represented by one bird (Whyulittle's bird).

whyulittle

When do the males stop calling? I stopped by the place this evening but couldn't hear it, though the meadow has remained uncut.

Woodville56

Capercaille wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/corncrake-numbers-increase-238822.html
Corncrake numbers (calling males) appear to have risen from 125-129 in 2012 to 182-183. Hopefully they are being pulled back from the brink. The change in Corncrake conservation measures hopefully is working.

Great to hear the increasing Corncrake numbers this year !

Capercaille

whyulittle wrote: »

When do the males stop calling? I stopped by the place this evening but couldn't hear it, though the meadow has remained uncut.

Usually late July. Last year with the very wet weather and cold most Corncrake had finish calling by the second week of July.

This year they are calling much later. They were very late coming to Ireland this year, so it is no surprise the breeding season is extending. Corncrake like to call on calm, warm nights with no rain. With conditions being ideal it is no surprise that some are still calling. The Athlone bird might have bred with a female(s) so that is the reason he is still not in song. My Corncrake is still calling strong, which could indicate he might not have been successful. Either way I'm delaying mowing till Sept 8th in the hope he was lucky with the women.

thegreatgonzo

I've never heard one. The closest I've come is my mother doing impressions of one:-) I've been down the Shannon wetlands a few times but heard nothing.

whyulittle

The Big Meadow basking in the golden light of the setting sun last week while listening for the Corncrake.

whyulittle

First captive bred Corncrake chicks in Co. Offaly at the National Parks and Wildlife Service Grey Partridge Project aided by the Irish Grey Partridge Conservation Trust.

Mr. Paddy Kelly Captive Breeding Manager in this video is feeding the seven day old chicks.

The mask and sock are so the chicks will not imprint on humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06PAPNFa0v8

http://youtu.be/06PAPNFa0v8

Capercaille

whyulittle wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06PAPNFa0v8

http://youtu.be/06PAPNFa0v8

Excellent stuff. I wonder are they going to launch a reintroduction project into the Shannon callows. Or with all the cutover bog in the Lough Boora area are they going to launch an introduction programme in the area. I know that in recent years corncrake have been spotted on cutover bog that are progressing to meadows. Have you any more information?

whyulittle

As far as I know they are staying in the area. I heard about it a few months ago, but didn't want to be prying for too much information.

Capercaille

whyulittle wrote: »

As far as I know they are staying in the area. I heard about it a few months ago, but didn't want to be prying for too much information.

Hopefully the end result will be that Corncrake will again be heard commonly in the midlands where they rightly belong.

OpenYourEyes

Assuming the captive breeding is eventually as successful for Corncrakes as it has been for Grey Partridges, its vital the government/Dept. of Ag/IFA ensure its financially viable for farmers in key areas to manage their lands for the Corncrake, otherwise the species will never get off 'life support'.

Capercaille

From the above link:

, the idea is to build up the expertise in the whole process of captive breeding. These chicks will be held over in state of the art wintering quarters complete with heaters at Boora. Eventually we will be in a position to captive breed Irish stock using irish corncrake eggs and release them back to Donegal or wherever the egg source came from. What we are doing at Boora if you like is making sure that we have a safety net so that this iconic species does not go extinct.

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Assuming the captive breeding is eventually as successful for Corncrakes as it has been for Grey Partridges, its vital the government/Dept. of Ag/IFA ensure its financially viable for farmers in key areas to manage their lands for the Corncrake, otherwise the species will never get off 'life support'.

If 250 hectares of land in the Core areas (Donegal, West Connacht) was bought and specifically managed for Corncrakes. The corncrake would be secure in Ireland. Sadly the political will is not there.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

If 250 hectares of land in the Core areas (Donegal, West Connacht) was bought and specifically managed for Corncrakes. The corncrake would be secure in Ireland. Sadly the political will is not there.

Not to mention the potential knock-on benefits for other species of managing land for corncrakes, but yeah unfortunately its very much an uphill struggle to get any proactive conservation initiatives off the ground in Ireland :mad:

Capercaille

Capercaille wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/corncrake-numbers-increase-238822.html
Corncrake numbers (calling males) appear to have risen from 125-129 in 2012 to 182-183. Hopefully they are being pulled back from the brink. The change in Corncrake conservation measures hopefully is working.

The bad weather last year prevented silage being cut early in many places which led to decreased mowing deaths. Although the cold/wet weather would have led to some chick deaths.

The Shannon Callows is represented by one bird (Whyulittle's bird).

I think you can disregard the 182-183 numbers. I hearing reports that it's inaccurate. The West Connacht number is 50 not 60.

Itsdacraic

Would it be possible I saw a corncrake around Limerick Junction (Tipperary Town) last week?
Was getting an early morning train to Dublin and saw two distinctive shaped birds in a slightly marshy field. Look similar to the photos I've seen online of Corncrakes?

V_Moth

It is very unlikely, but not impossible if you know what I mean. More than likely it may have been young Pheasants, or possibly something like captive reared Grey or Red-legged Partridge. Juveniles of the latter can look quite similar to Corncrakes for example:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8m2uZx7gVcc/Ti8kRtzVaGI/AAAAAAAAQno/t1rS-74cfB0/s1600/juveniles_13.png

Corncrake: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Portals/0/speciesprofiles_large/Corncrake%2016%20%28John%20Carey%29_lge.JPG

Capercaille

Itsdacraic wrote: »

Would it be possible I saw a corncrake around Limerick Junction (Tipperary Town) last week?
Was getting an early morning train to Dublin and saw two distinctive shaped birds in a slightly marshy field. Look similar to the photos I've seen online of Corncrakes?

It is possible. Corncrakes from Mayo/Donegal are migrating at present. The adult and first brood chicks have left their breeding grounds. The chicks from the second brood can still be present on breeding grounds. However as V_Moth said more likely to be pheasant or red legged partridge.

Itsdacraic

V_Moth wrote: »

It is very unlikely, but not impossible if you know what I mean. More than likely it may have been young Pheasants, or possibly something like captive reared Grey or Red-legged Partridge. Juveniles of the latter can look quite similar to Corncrakes for example:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8m2uZx7gVcc/Ti8kRtzVaGI/AAAAAAAAQno/t1rS-74cfB0/s1600/juveniles_13.png

Corncrake: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Portals/0/speciesprofiles_large/Corncrake%2016%20%28John%20Carey%29_lge.JPG

Thanks for that. Could have been either of those. I just thought the shape was distinctive and the corncrake was the only bird I know with that body shape.

Birdnuts

Itsdacraic wrote: »

Thanks for that. Could have been either of those. I just thought the shape was distinctive and the corncrake was the only bird I know with that body shape.

Spotted Crakes have been reported and ringed from the Suir Valley in Tipp in recent years. Google some photos to check if they look like the birds you saw. They are like Corncrakes but prefer wetter habitats

OpenYourEyes

Nothing more frustrating than birding from a train! Trying to piece together everything about the bird as you zoom past it! If you saw the birds before you got on the train then keep an eye out next time - the gamebirds mentioned above could still be there, though if its a crake of some sort its likely to be gone.

I think it would be hard to assign it as a Corncrake or Spotted Crake without you having another look at them tbh - a game bird like a released partridge or pheasant seems most likely.

DellyBelly

Was looking back on the earlier posts on the thread and I'm interested in the capive breeding program in relation to Corncrakes. As we know Corncrakes are migatory birds so my question is if they are breed in a breeding program does their migatory instinct diminish in any way? Do they still have that urge to move South?

Capercaille

DellyBelly wrote: »

Was looking back on the earlier posts on the thread and I'm interested in the capive breeding program in relation to Corncrakes. As we know Corncrakes are migatory birds so my question is if they are breed in a breeding program does their migatory instinct diminish in any way? Do they still have that urge to move South?

They did raise a few corncrake chicks in Lough Boora, but the NPWS do not intend to re-introduce Corncrake into the Shannon Callows. The limited money they have is being spent on Corncrake in West Connaught, Donegal.

There was a reintroduction programme to the Nene washes in England. Corncrake were exterminated in England. Corncrake chick when they hatch imprint on the area via the stars. They look up to the sky and learn the position of the stars in the location they are. They will generally return to within 1.5km of where they were hatched. Eventhough some of the Nene washes corncrake were hatched in Germany, the first stars they saw were in their release pens in England. They returned to the same area (birds were ringed). The birds that were raised in Germany were prevented from seeing the night sky in Germany, to prevent them returning to Germany.

Desmo

Extraordinary Capercaille. I never knew any of that. I always reckoned the instinct for a particular precise spot could not be in the DNA but had to be learned somehow. The desire to migrate and the general directions to go and which times of year could be inherited but the returning to within 1.5km has to be learned. I always assumed that was learned by following other birds but that only partly adds up. Your explanation is good!

Capercaille

Desmo wrote: »

Extraordinary Capercaille. I never knew any of that. I always reckoned the instinct for a particular precise spot could not be in the DNA but had to be learned somehow. The desire to migrate and the general directions to go and which times of year could be inherited but the returning to within 1.5km has to be learned. I always assumed that was learned by following other birds but that only partly adds up. Your explanation is good!

Corncrake have two broods. The hen abandons the first brood at around 12 days in order focus on second brood. These chicks then fend for themselves and migrate without parental guidance.

Edward9

Itsdacraic wrote: »

Would it be possible I saw a corncrake around Limerick Junction (Tipperary Town) last week?
Was getting an early morning train to Dublin and saw two distinctive shaped birds in a slightly marshy field. Look similar to the photos I've seen online of Corncrakes?

You are correct they are around.
I was in a field near Cahir. Co.Tipperary last week and I met 2 corn crakes on a passage.

An Ciarraioch

Any reports of any Kerry sightings in recent years? I was extremely lucky around the year 2000, as our back garden bordered a nearby field in Fenit, and a corncrake stayed for a few nights. The ranger came out, and we told the farmer, but sadly he wasn't bothered about wildlife, so must presume the corncrake's demise followed.

Capercaillie

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

Any reports of any Kerry sightings in recent years? I was extremely lucky around the year 2000, as our back garden bordered a nearby field in Fenit, and a corncrake stayed for a few nights. The ranger came out, and we told the farmer, but sadly he wasn't bothered about wildlife, so must presume the corncrake's demise followed.

6 corncrake was heard calling on the Dingle peninsula around 10 years ago (can't remember the exact year). Farmers were offered the grant to delay mowing. None took it and they mowed away. Corncrakes fell silent then, chopped up in the mowers:(.

An Ciarraioch

Just listening to Frank King's programme on Radio Kerry, and it appears one has been heard in Cordal, outside Castleisland - wonderful news, if confirmed!

whyulittle

8 freshly hatched chicks at Boora captive breeding programme.

http://www.greypartridge.ie/?p=898#.VZqwkzdlctA.facebook

Woodville56

whyulittle wrote: »

8 freshly hatched chicks at Boora captive breeding programme.

http://www.greypartridge.ie/?p=898#.VZqwkzdlctA.facebook

Any crakes heard round the Callows this year ?

whyulittle

I haven't been out to check to be honest, it's been a quiet spring / summer for me.

gzoladz

Edit: sorry, wrong thread.

Capercaillie

As of now Donegal corncrake down 22% and West Connaught down 17%. Mullet peninsula only down 2 calling males (37 to 35).

V_Moth

Capercaillie wrote: »

As of now Donegal corncrake down 22% and West Connaught down 17%. Mullet peninsula only down 2 calling males (37 to 35).

That is horrendous. Another couple of years and the Irish population is finished.

Capercaillie

V_Moth wrote: »

That is horrendous. Another couple of years and the Irish population is finished.

In 2012 (terrible summer) the numbers were only 129-133 calling males. Numbers in 2013 were around 180 and in 2014 were 230. So numbers are back to 2013 levels. The decline is due to probably the terrible Spring weather. A lot of sub-saharan migrants had trouble getting back. Islands worse hit. My patch on the Mullet peninsula has remained stable at 35 calling males, while 37 last year.

The decline more to weather than habitat. On most of the Islands the habitat is much the same as last year, but decline have been big compared to mainland.

I didn't get any calling males so very disappointed, but male calling in farm beside so likely hens nesting on farm. Neighboring farm's habitat for corncrake has declined in last few years so that's a major concern.

V_Moth

Thanks for the more detailed explanation Capercailie. Admittedly, I misread the last line as reading "only two males on the Mullet" rather than 37 down to 35.

Yeah, having the entire population now concentrated at a handful of sites makes that much more vulnerable to poor weather, predators, loss of habitat etc.

Capercaillie

V_Moth wrote: »

Thanks for the more detailed explanation Capercailie. Admittedly, I misread the last line as reading "only two males on the Mullet" rather than 37 down to 35.

Yeah, having the entire population now concentrated at a handful of sites makes that much more vulnerable to poor weather, predators, loss of habitat etc.

Luckily no mink/hedgehogs near me, but the place is rank with foxes. When you remove one fox another takes it's place. A couple of farmers in the NPWS Corncrake farm plan, which helps with habitat. A couple of bad summers could eradicate them no doubt. A succession of bad summers eradicated a once vibrant Shannon Callows population.

Birdnuts

Not surprised numbers are down in the NW. Unlike the rest of the country theres been no let up in the wet and windy conditions along the West coast since that brief fine spell around Easter. My own place there is still too wet to cut hay/silage and it now probably won't get done till August at this rate . Luckily the 2 previous summers were solid so plenty of fodder in storage, but a pain all the same. Not just corncrakes suffering, heard all 3 Golden Eagles nests in Donegal failed too due to relentless rain and cold temps during May/June:(