Corncrake Watercolour

In the 1960s and 1970s the distinctive call of the corncrake was the sound of the summer.   However due to changes in farming practices – higher stocking levels and the changeover from hay to silage, these ground nesting birds were severely impacted, leaving only 120 calling males mostly in the northwest and off shore islands.   Over the past five years due to collaborative conservation measures involving local farmers and communities, the Corncrake LIFE Project, and the NPWS there has been a 35% increase in the corncrake population although the overall numbers remain very small.