Resurrecting the call of the elusive Corncrake on Rathlin Island 2
Darryl Armitage spoke with Anne Guichard, a conservation officer with RSPB Northern Ireland, about the efforts which are ongoing to bring the elusive Corncrake bird back to the province.
This endangered species faced extinction in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. However, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Giving Corncrake a Home project from RSPB NI, these birds made a triumphant return to Rathlin Island in 2014. The project, which has been running for over a decade, continues to play a crucial role in saving the red-listed species.
The success of the Corncrake returning each year is a testament to the dedication and passion of the community, farmers, volunteers and RSPB NI in their collective efforts to secure a future for the Corncrake on Rathlin Island.
This endangered species faced extinction in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. However, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Giving Corncrake a Home project from RSPB NI, these birds made a triumphant return to Rathlin Island in 2014. The project, which has been running for over a decade, continues to play a crucial role in saving the red-listed species.
The success of the Corncrake returning each year is a testament to the dedication and passion of the community, farmers, volunteers and RSPB NI in their collective efforts to secure a future for the Corncrake on Rathlin Island.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 How important is the cooperation and the buy-in from local farmers in helping the corn creek
00:17 recover here in Northern Ireland?
00:21 We wouldn't be able to do any of this work without the support of our farmers and landowners
00:26 working with us on Rastlin Island but also on the mainland.
00:30 Firstly, because farmers have been giving up their nettles, so we have been digging
00:35 nettle rhizome on farmers' land that we can bring then on Rastlin Island, so this is very
00:40 important.
00:42 But for the sake of the corn creek and the habitat management, when you think that 75%
00:48 of the land is farmed in Northern Ireland, it means that the solution will come with
00:54 the farmers, we need to work together with the farmers.
00:58 We wouldn't be able to do any of this work without the support of farmers and landowners.
01:03 How can farmers help corn creek across Northern Ireland and how can they get involved with
01:08 the RSPB and the work that you are doing?
01:13 So firstly, farmers can get involved by donating large areas of nettles, so if they have nettles
01:18 on their farm on the mainland that they don't want, I'm happy to organise a nettle dig with
01:22 volunteers and we can just take some of these nettles to create the right habitat for corn
01:28 creek on Rastlin Island.
01:30 Secondly, for habitat management purpose, farmers can do so much, not only for corn
01:36 creek but for the wild range of wildlife and biodiversity on their farm.
01:41 For corn creek, farmers can leave some rough grass margin along fields, that's really helpful.
01:49 They can also, if they can, if they have the capacity, they can delay mowing because it's
01:55 a ground nesting bird and if the early occurred of silage or in the meadows, will mean that
02:03 the chicks won't have time to fledge.
02:05 So if they have the capacity to delay mowing, that would be really, really important.
02:10 Second thing that they can do in terms of grassland management is to mow in a wildlife
02:14 friendly way.
02:16 It means that instead of going from the outside to the inside of a field, farmers can mow
02:21 from the inside going to the outside.
02:24 It means that it leaves time for ground nesting birds like corn creek, but other species as
02:29 well and even hares, to give them time to find refuge on the side of the field.
02:36 If you do that and you have a lead cut, leave some margins of rough grass on the margin,
02:42 it means that they will have a refuge to go.
02:45 This is really, really useful.
02:47 But for a large range of biodiversity, there is so much that farmers can do.
02:52 They can leave the hedges, for example.
02:57 You don't need to cut them every year.
02:59 You will save money by cutting only every two or three years and that will create the
03:04 right condition to have flowers on the hedge.
03:07 It means that then you will have berries for the birds to feed over the winter.
03:11 This is really important.
03:13 If you are an arable farmer, you can leave winter stubble if you grow a crop.
03:18 I always think that our landscape in Northern Ireland is really green.
03:22 There is a lot of silage fields, a lot of pastures.
03:25 It used to be more diverse.
03:27 Farmers used to have their own crop.
03:30 If you want to introduce a bit of, if you have the capacity and the possibility to do
03:33 that, introduce some crop in your farm.
03:37 Just even for your own sustainable food, for bringing food in your home, just a crop of
03:45 potatoes.
03:46 I know that, for example, corn crackers love kale.
03:52 This is a great cover for them.
03:53 Then it can be used for farmers to feed their livestock as well.
03:57 Any type of diversity in the landscape, in the farm, will be useful.
04:01 You can use herbal leaves instead of just ryegrass.
04:05 This has proven to have great nitrogen fixing, carbon retention.
04:12 It means that farmers can deal better with lack of water, or lack of rainwater, or when
04:19 there is too much water, the roots, it's much better.
04:22 All of this can improve wildlife on the farm and helping corn crackers.
04:28 If a farmer is lucky enough to hear what they think is a corn creek here in Northern Ireland,
04:37 it could be up in the north coast, up in the Cotswold area, how do they get in contact
04:44 with you and how do they alert you to the fact that they might have heard a corn creek
04:50 on their land?
04:54 I invite every farmer or local landowner on the north coast, wrestling island, if they
05:00 have a corn creek that they think is on their land and nobody knows about, please do contact
05:06 me.
05:07 You can contact me through RSPB headquarters or we have a dedicated email address, which
05:12 is corncreekni@rspb.org.uk.
05:17 That will bring this report to myself and my team.
05:22 How important is making funding available for farmers here in Northern Ireland for encouraging
05:31 biodiversity and habitat growth that will help the corn creek?
05:38 Funding is essential for farmers because without the funding they might not have the capacity
05:45 to do the work and especially the work needed for habitat creation for corn creek.
05:50 So we are currently working with DRR on the new farming with nature scheme coming up in
05:56 the next two years.
05:57 We are hoping that there will be more funding available for farmers, for corn creek and
06:03 other wildlife.
06:04 There is currently some funding that farmers can apply to and they are welcome to contact
06:11 the RSPB.
06:12 We have farming advisor in every country.
06:14 So if you are interested in working with us and see what kind of funding you can have,
06:20 don't hesitate to contact us.