Corncrake extinct from Shannon Callows

Capercaillie

Once vibrant population of Corncrakes is silent across the Callows. Saw my first corncrake there 12 years ago. A combination of summer flooding and indifference the cause. Corncrake caught between the seasonal flooded meadows on one side and intensive agriculture on the other side. In the end no room was left. Don't know if the lessons will be learnt. The once healthy population in SW Mayo is going the same way. The Government are totally indifferent to the crexs plight. The NPWS are underfunded/understaffed, but there are good lads there doing their best. BWI all over the place. Corn bunting were lost in the 1990's without anybody noticing. Twite on the way out as well.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Can't add anything. That says it all.

Capercaillie

Demi Green Stimulation wrote: »

Can't add anything. That says it all.

IFA are against the corncrake. They are against any of the designations trying to protect Corncrake. Lack of effort from eNGO is the most dissappointing.

recedite

Corncrake don't fit into the Irish landscape any more.
Unless farmers go back to cutting hay with a scythe, its a waste of money keeping them on life support. Plenty of them left in Eurasia where they originated.
It would be nice to have corncrakes and wolves and bears but we don't have sufficient habitat for them in modern Ireland.
Its sad, but its time to say goodbye to them.

Capercaillie

recedite wrote: »

Corncrake don't fit into the Irish landscape any more.
Unless farmers go back to cutting hay with a scythe, its a waste of money keeping them on life support. Plenty of them left in Eurasia where they originated.
It would be nice to have corncrakes and wolves and bears but we don't have sufficient habitat for them in modern Ireland.
Its sad, but its time to say goodbye to them.

Me cutting nettles with a scythe:D

Zoo4m8

That's a hook not a scythe ...me, being pedantic..

Capercaillie

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

That's a hook not a scythe ...me, being pedantic..

A slash hook:(
I hate being found out:mad:

OpenYourEyes

recedite wrote: »

Corncrake don't fit into the Irish landscape any more.
Unless farmers go back to cutting hay with a scythe, its a waste of money keeping them on life support. Plenty of them left in Eurasia where they originated.
It would be nice to have corncrakes and wolves and bears but we don't have sufficient habitat for them in modern Ireland.
Its sad, but its time to say goodbye to them.

I know this is a species on 'life support', but isn't it somewhat dangerous to take this attitude? Slippery slope?

Edit: Another example of species on life support in Ireland is the Grey Partridge, but from tiny numbers in what was essentially wasteland, we now have an increasing population. The management for Grey Partridge are having positive knock-on effects for Lapwing, Snipe, Redshank and Skylark, and Irish Hares too.

Day Lewin

#sadness

Birdnuts

recedite wrote: »

Corncrake don't fit into the Irish landscape any more.
Unless farmers go back to cutting hay with a scythe, its a waste of money keeping them on life support..

i wouldn't subscribe to that view at all. The EU has given alot of money to Ireland to support sustaineable/wildlife friendly farming in marginal areas like the Callows etc. If it had been properly planned for and spent then Corncrakes and other wildlife would be in alot better shape then they are now. The current sorry situation is entirely down to the actions of the likes of the Dept of Agriculture. Similar money spent in the UK has been far more succesfull with Corncrake numbers bouncing back stongly in places like the West of Scotland

recedite

Capercaillie wrote: »

A slash hook:(
I hate being found out:mad:

A sawn-off slash hook.
You could hide that in the inside pocket of your suit if you were going to a wedding :pac:

Capercaillie

With the extinction of the corncrake from the Callows, habitat management like delaying mowing of meadows till September will stop. This will have a knock on effect on Whinchat. They will likely be lost as a result from the Callows. With the major burning of the stronghold in Wicklow during the Spring, the future of thye Irish Whinchat in doubt.:(

V_Moth

New Birds of Conservation Concern released:

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=VcYOTGOjNbA%3d&tabid=178

From this you can make a very rough and ready "Critically Endangered List" of Irish breeding birds:

-Corncrake
-Common Scoter
-Whinchat
-Twite
-Rock Dove
-Wood Warbler*
-Pied Flycatcher*
-Common Redstart*
-Ring Ouzel
-Quail
-Leach's Petrel*
-Roseate Tern*
-Breeding waders (Dunlin, Curlew)

*Breed at only a very small number of sites.

Capercaillie

V_Moth wrote: »

New Birds of Conservation Concern released:

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=VcYOTGOjNbA%3d&tabid=178

From this you can make a very rough and ready "Critically Endangered List" of Irish breeding birds:

-Corncrake
-Common Scoter
-Whinchat
-Twite
-Rock Dove
-Wood Warbler*
-Pied Flycatcher*
-Common Redstart*
-Ring Ouzel
-Quail
-Leach's Petrel*
-Roseate Tern*
-Breeding waders (Dunlin, Curlew)

*Breed at only a very small number of sites.

My predictions.
-Corncrake: hopefully can hang on

-Common Scoter: climate change/mink. extinction

-Whinchat: flooding/early mowing shannon callows, burning of scrub in wicklow. extinction

-Twite: overgrazing, poor winter feeding. Extinct in Kerry, Clare in recent years. Extinction

-Rock Dove: interbreeding with feral pigeons. Extinction

-Wood Warbler: UK population crashing. Poor habitat Ireland. Extinction

-Pied Flycatcher* ??

-Common Redstart*??

-Ring Ouzel Wicklow population extinct. Climate change. Disturbance by hill walkers. Extinction

-Quail: irregular breeding Kildare. Further intensification. Extinction

-Leach's Petrel*???

-Roseate Tern* Large oilspill could destroy the Irish population at Rockabill. Hopefully should hold on given progressive increae over last 20 years

-Breeding waders (Dunlin, Curlew) Both species doomed to extinction

recedite

Can't say I know too much about all of those species.
On the rock/stock doves though, interbreeding does not necessarily mean extinction. The wild stock are fitter for purpose in their natural sea cliff habitat, so they have an advantage. There is a tendency among feral animals to revert to the wild state when left to their own devices. Not the other way round.

I thought Dunlin were common enough?
IMO habitat for coastal wading birds is improving, as more towns get proper sewage works, and people generally avoid disturbing them nowadays (ie not letting the dog chase them)
Those that breed inland in bogs such as curlew need special consideration at these breeding sites.

Just to bring a note of optimism and balance into this discussion, what birds are on the increase?
We should remember that in nature nothing stays the same forever.
Little egrets are beautiful birds, and common everywhere nowadays.
Greater Spotted Woodpecker on the increase, although I haven't seen one yet.
Several birds of prey now doing well, partly due to re-introductions, but also due to changes in the law on laying poison outdoors, since 2010.
I was watching a "flock" of 5 buzzards yesterday, wheeling and diving together. Possibly some were this year's fledglings, because they were very noisy, calling to each other all the time. This is the first year I have seen so many of them flying together. A wonderful sight.

Capercaillie

recedite wrote: »

Can't say I know too much about all of those species.
On the rock/stock doves though, interbreeding does not necessarily mean extinction. The wild stock are fitter for purpose in their natural sea cliff habitat, so they have an advantage. There is a tendency among feral animals to revert to the wild state when left to their own devices. Not the other way round.

I thought Dunlin were common enough?
IMO habitat for coastal wading birds is improving, as more towns get proper sewage works, and people generally avoid disturbing them nowadays (ie not letting the dog chase them)
Those that breed inland in bogs such as curlew need special consideration at these breeding sites.

Just to bring a note of optimism and balance into this discussion, what birds are on the increase?
We should remember that in nature nothing stays the same forever.
Little egrets are beautiful birds, and common everywhere nowadays.
Greater Spotted Woodpecker on the increase, although I haven't seen one yet.
Several birds of prey now doing well, partly due to re-introductions, but also due to changes in the law on laying poison outdoors, since 2010.
I was watching a "flock" of 5 buzzards yesterday, wheeling and diving together. Possibly some were this year's fledglings, because they were very noisy, calling to each other all the time. This is the first year I have seen so many of them flying together. A wonderful sight.

Dunlin common as migrant/wintering, but breeding birds are close to extinction. In my area Dunlin are failing every year. On the Iniskeas off NW Mayo they are failing due to predation (nests exposed due to overgrazing). At the BWI Annagh Marsh wader reserve huge problem with crows (they are not controlled). They have a fox proof fence, but foxes got over this year and killed most of the wader chicks. Grass was left grow high under the electric fence and shorted it out. Not great management.

Rock/Stock doves don't hybridize. Rock Dove and feral pigeon do. Hybrid birds are not Rock doves and the species are being killed by dilution. Similar to Scottish wildcats interbreeding with feral cats.

OpenYourEyes

Not to completely rain on the parade, but apart from Buzzards and maybe Red Kites our raptors aren't doing particularly well either! Sparrowhawks and Long Eared Owls might be stable, though they are somewhat difficult to survey. No cause for optimism for any of the others, though I completely agree that the changes to poisoning legislation were very important and positive.

Edit: I should add that Peregrines seem to be doing well too actually.

whyulittle

Just backing up the OP really.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/battle-to-save-corncrake-suffers-setback-as-bird-disappears-from-former-shannon-stronghold-34185131.html

Capercaillie

whyulittle wrote: »

Just backing up the OP really.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/battle-to-save-corncrake-suffers-setback-as-bird-disappears-from-former-shannon-stronghold-34185131.html

A good few inaccuracies in that article.Not gone from Connemara or North Mayo Mainland. One was calling from beside my place (40m) in North Mayo. I don't know about Sligo, only every small numbers anyways. Achill had 1-2 males last year for the first time in years so disappointing there was not at least one.

"We are not giving up on the Callows yet and we will continue to monitor the area - I wouldn't write it off in terms of the corncrake."

They are finished in Callows, would have to take a miracle to get them back. With virtually continuous summer flooding there is little hope.

Capercaillie

Crex numbers might be underestimated. Crexs will only call on still/warm night. With so much bad weather during the summer a lot of crexs could have been missed calling.

Capercaillie

In Nene washes (reintroduction programme) in UK over 1000 corncrake have been released over 12 years. This year only 5 male corncrake returned.In hindsight, the manager of project has said they would probably not repeat the project again. A lot of money/resources spent.