(crex crex)
The Corncrake was once a common bird in the UK but has greatly declined and is now only found in good numbers in the Western Isles of Scotland. The decline in numbers is due to changes in farming practice, particularly the early cutting of grass for silage rather than the old fashioned traditional hay cuting which occurred later in the year. Corncrakes would have nested in a hay field and would have reared their young before the hay was harvested but this is impossible in early cut silage fields. Corncrakes would also be found in uncultivated areas like field margins, marshy areas and rough pastures all of which are largely absent on modern farms.
For Corncrakes in Scotland, the Western Isles still offer some degree of traditional farming in crofting areas and there will always be uncultivated areas like marshy iris beds and field margins with nettle beds. Corncrakes have also been assisted to survive here by conservation schemes run by the RSPB. The population was estimated at 1060 breeding pairs in Scotland in 2004.
The Corncrake is a secretive bird and is not often seen well, prefering to keep itself concealed in long grass, nettle beds or crop fields. However it has a loud, distinctive, incessant and far carrying call from which its scientific name is derived, the crex-crex call. This call can go on for hours on end, especially at night and can drive local residents to distraction ! These photos were taken at the RSPB Gruinart reserve on Islay where we were fortunate enough to encounter a bird which came out onto an open track and stared at us for a short while before disappearing back into the long grass. As can be seen in the photographs there were a pair of birds present and the male bird can be seen passing a food item to the female.