In search of the corncrake

My heart is still in Mull but very much doubt if I'll be going for it, nowadays its a trip too far!!  It was a long trek anyway, my last visit was 2011, my one regret was not going to Iona, my mate wanted to go over but I HATE travelling on water unless it is absolutely necessary even on a clam sea, and this day it wasn't, it was windy and rough, even though is the crossing is short, I refused to go and am sure my pal was bitterly disappointed with me, we had been told where to seek the Corncrake but alas we didn't see or hear any. We were told a place close to Fionnephort where we could hear them but we didn't.

The three times I spent on Mull were brilliant especially being taken to view a White-tailed Eagle nest and later to spend a full day a few hundred yards from another nest along with lots of other birders, one said to me are you Max from Scunthorpe and post on LBC forum, I said yes who are you , he said I live in Lincs and look at the forum, told him I can't go anywhere without being recognised to which we both laughed! 

If anyone gets chance to visit Mull take it.

John    

ALTHOUGH they are easy to hear, corncrakes are notoriously difficult to see. 

So plaudits to Grimsby naturalist Mike Pickwell who managed to capture superb photographs of a bird calling while on a holiday that took him and wife Heather to Iona, Mull and the Treshnish Isles.

Crex crex was probably the star species of the excellent illustrated talk he gave at Grimsby Town Hall last night to the local branch of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.

Mike's local patch is the Scartho area of Grimsby ,The Horsefield (sometimes known as Gooseman's Field) and the well-wooded local cemetery where he has thorough knowledge of the songbirds, butterflies and wildflowers.

But, at least judging by last night's presentation,  you get the feeling his heart is in the Hebrides, and he is looking forward to a visit to Harris later in the year.

As he pointed out,  the Scottish islands play host to "lots of weather" which works to his advantage when it comes to taking stunning landscape photographs, many of which featured in his talk. 

In just over an hour, he also managed to provide many fascinating insights not just about the flora and and fauna of the islands, but also, especially about Iona, with their the geology and history.

* Mike's excellent  blog is at:
mikesnaturalmusings.blogspot.com

** Earlier in the evening, the Grimsby-area LWT branch held its annual meeting and the committee was re-elected en bloc.