Corncrake - Ardivachar

About

The Corncrake is a poor flyer if flushed. It is dumpy, with dangling legs and a rusty brown and grey colour. Males sing a repetative "crex, crex, crex..." carrying on often for several minutes at a burst. It echos and carries for up to a kilometre on calm summer nights and sounds like someone running a credit card over a comb.

It is often found around iris beds and nettles but also other thick cover. The car park at Ardivachar or the road leading to the car park usually holds one or two calling males. Use your vehicle as a mobile hide. Drive slowly until you hear one calling then pull over safely not blocking other tracking. Search on the egde of iris beds or thick vegetation and be patient; birds often show eventually.