Corncrake calling conference

Guest blog from Chris Bailey, Advisory Manager RSPB Scotland

At the end of October, RSPB Scotland organised a one-day conference which celebrated the end of the four-year National Heritage Lottery Funded 'Corncrake Calling' project. The project which started in September 2020, has been essential for helping Corncrakes and other wildlife, while bolstering the unique culture of rural Scottish communities.

Image: Adult male Corncrake calling from meadow, North Uist (c) Graham Goodall (rspb-images.com)

The programme focused on three key elements of Corncrake Calling, with talks from a wide range of organisations and experts. To give a flavour of what we learnt from the day here is summary of each of the components.

1) Working with farmers and crofters to increase the area under positive land management,

The project worked closely with farmers, crofters and land managers, providing advisory support to grow the area of land being made Corncrake friendly. Even though the birds are only here as summer migrants, it’s a year-round commitment. Over the four years we worked with hundreds of farmers and crofters increasing the area under corncrake friendly management by several thousand hectares alongside providing support with farmland bird and ecological surveys. Management focused on two types of action. Firstly, increasing the area of suitable tall vegetation, ensuring that sufficient tall vegetation is present in the spring and autumn and secondly in mid-summer, delaying the date of mowing and using a corncrake friendly mowing method that allow flightless chicks to escape.

We helped farmers and crofters access funding either through the Scottish Governments Agri-environment and Climate Scheme (AECS), or through Corncrake Calling’s short- and long-term management agreements or Corncrake Initiative (CI) payments. The 'CI' offered annual payments for delayed cutting or grazing of grasslands in corncrake hotspots whereas land management agreements offered longer term solutions such as creating larger and better habitats.

Image: Corncrake habitat / early cover to create a clear-cut 'corridor' Colonsay (c) Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

During the conference we had updates from people who work on the Inner and Outer Hebridean Islands, Skye and Orkney. One of the inspiring talks was from Donald Macsween, who is a crofter on the Isle of Lewis. Donald talked about how he was able to use NoFence collar technology on his cattle thanks to funding from the project. Fences to keep cattle in are expensive, meaning some land had previously not been managed. Using these collars meant previously unmanaged land was now being grazed. In Donald’s eyes it’s was a win-win: working with nature can help pay the bills. Through the project he increased his cattle numbers, whilst reducing his feed costs and at the same time creating better habitats for species like Corncrake and other wildlife. Watch a video of Donald's experiences here or take a look at the this blog post for more details.

2. Engaging and educating the public about the species and the vital role that farming plays

Across the Corncrake Calling project staff undertook a range of activities to engage and educate the public. These included talks, walks, signage along the Hebridean Way, the development of education materials and undertaking school visits.

Here are a few examples of the work we delivered through the project:

Operation Broken Feather
We developed a touring exhibition called Operation Broken Feather: co-designed with the help of students from 6 secondary schools. Dundee Science Centre was one of 13 venues across Scotland which hosted the exhibition. To help tackle the disconnect between Dundee city’s residents and nature, the project collaborated with RSPB Scotland’s Dundee-based project Wild Dundee, and funded transport from schools to the venue, where they explored the Corncrake’s decline, conservation efforts and local wildlife stories.

Western Isles Corncrake Festivals
Four Corncrake and machair festivals have been delivered across the Western Isles. The festivals saw children from five schools in Lewis, Benbecula and Barra learn more about the elusive Corncrake. School Festival on the Isle of Lewis.

Argyll Islands and the Hebrides
The fun and informative Corncrake Calling Challenge digital boardgame was masterminded by primary school pupils in the Argyll Islands and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The brilliant team at Focus Games Ltd helped bring the children’s ideas to life.

3) Advocating that future rural development policies provide better support farmers and crofters who farm in a nature and climate friendly way.

Our advocacy over the lifetime of Corncrake Calling has taken many forms including running workshops, site visits for politicians and government officials, parliamentary events and the development of case studies but perhaps the most important legacy of the project comes in the form of a new action plan. Corncrake are highly dependent on support from conservation initiatives, working in tandem with appropriate agricultural systems. Numbers can fluctuate significantly from year to year without this support. Therefore, it was important that the conservation delivery continues after the end of the project, is long-term and consistent to ensure that the size of existing populations does not drop below a threshold that makes recovery difficult or impossible.

Image: Corncrake in cover (c) Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

To steer our work beyond the life of the project we have developed a ten-year action plan to ensure that the Scottish Corncrake population will increase and become more resilient. It was developed as part of Corncrake Calling project by a Working Group with a range of stakeholders with conservation, agricultural and scientific expertise. Key partners and stakeholders involved included RSPB Scotland; SAC Consulting; the National Farmers Union Scotland; the National Trust for Scotland; NatureScot; and Scottish Government.

Within the plan there are five clear goals with associated objectives and actions:

1. The area of attractive and safe habitat available to breeding Corncrakes is increasing throughout their range to achieve and maintain viable populations with no net loss of occupied area based on 10 km squares. 
2. Our knowledge and understanding of Corncrake ecology and habitat management are increasing, facilitating evidence-based conservation in a changing world. 
3. Corncrake populations are increasing in abundance and range, reducing the national extinction risk.
4. Key stakeholders have an appreciation and sense of responsibility for the Corncrake, facilitating action and protection for the species.
5. Good governance for the Corncrake Action Plan is being achieved at all levels, maintaining the momentum for high-quality implementation.

Following the publication of the action plan on NatureScot’s website we intend to arrange the first meeting of a new Steering Group which will liaise to ensure that the right resources are in place to deliver the plan effectively with agreed plans produced for communication and public engagement; policy, advocacy and advisory; fundraising; and local implementation. The Steering Group will meet at least annually to review progress and update the plans with a full review of progress in 2030.

This gives a snap shot of what was discussed at the Corncrake Calling conference. If you want to find out more about the project as a whole as well as some of the other materials we produced please look at the infographic and the Corncrake Calling project page.