11 May 2009

East of England listening out for corncrakes

UK survey of red list bird

A rare migratory bird that has experienced a dramatic recovery in its fortunes thanks to dedicated conservation work, is to be the subject of a UK survey to see if it is now spreading from its core areas in the west of Scotland.

Corncrakes have begun to return to the UK – after spending the winter in Africa - and the public will be able to call in on special hotline numbers to submit their records of the species around the region and beyond, to the National Corncrake Survey.
Once common and widely distributed across the whole of the UK, the species underwent extremely steep declines in the 19th and 20th centuries due to changes in traditional farming practices and agricultural intensification.

In 2002 a reintroduction scheme here in Eastern England, sought to return the corncrake to England. Over the last two years the project had its greatest success when it recorded 14 calling male corncrakes on the Nene Washes, east of Peterborough. The partnership project includes Natural England, the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, the RSPB and the Zoological Society of London. Already six males have returned to the area, leading project partners to believe the project may be heading for another record year.

Simon Tonkin, RSPB Farmland Conservation Officer in the East said, “Corncrakes are shy, skulking birds with calls much like a credit card being drawn across a comb. We are asking birdwatchers, walkers and farmers to call the hotline number if they have heard a corncrake or if they have been lucky enough to have spotted one. The birds are particularly vocal throughout June, especially during the night. Because of the difficulty of surveying corncrakes, we really appreciate people taking the time to call in and help with this survey.
“The RSPB is working extensively throughout the Cambridgeshire Fens to help farmland birds. The corncrake is a species that could benefit a great deal from positive land management practices by buffering and extending existing habitat. The RSPB has found working with farmers in other parts of the UK to be extremely positive. It would be fantastic to have our own corncrake success story right here in Eastern England, working together with farmers.”

Corncrakes are long-distance migrants wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and returning to the UK in summer to breed. When nesting, they favour areas of tall grasses and herbs, particularly hay and silage meadows. This makes areas in Eastern England such as the Nene Washes, an ideal place for them to settle.

However, in the late 19th century when mechanised mowing and other machine-driven innovations allowed hay making to be completed much quicker than previously, the corncrake population plummeted and became restricted to the Hebridean islands on the west coast of Scotland. Good concentrations exist on Lewis, North and South Uist, Tiree and Coll.

In 1993, the British population was estimated at just 480 calling males. But, by the last national survey in 2003 this figure had almost doubled to 832 calling males. Since then annual counts have shown that the population increase has continued through the 2000s.
The National Corncrake Survey seeks to establish whether the recovery of corncrake in Britain continues into 2009, and to establish whether the slight decline of 2008 was a temporary 'blip', or if it was part of a more sustained pattern. It also presents a good opportunity to examine whether the species has managed to extend its range beyond the main core areas of the inner and outer Hebridean islands, into other regions of the UK in the last few years.

The Corncrake Survey is a combined initiative between Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the RSPB.
Anyone who hears a corncrake calling is urged to call:
RSPB (England and Wales) - 01767 680551
RSPB (Scotland) - 0131 311 6500
RSPB (Northern Ireland) - 028 9049 1547