Artifical wetland creation on farm. Iris field now floods in winter, main drain blocked in 5 places. In fen two ponds dug out. Wetland creation on farms is the easiest and cheapest thing you can do to improve biodiversity...
@mayocorncrake77.bsky.social
Conservation: corncrake, twite skylark, house martin, swift.....
Now you see me.... Now you don't! A photo from a @rhodorangers.bsky.social day out from a while back And an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves... Please like and share! (1/6)
Corncrake centre-out mowing. First cut silage, probably the latest in the country. Saw a very late corncrake in the nettles before mowing started. Mowing is definitely the most stressful day in the year
Maim garden pond (4m) looking near what a natural pond would look like! Yellow rattle spreading around the grassy margins, so hopefully next year, the grass will not be as heavy.
Clearing cleavers out of corncrake nettle beds. Autumn sown cleavers produce huge amounts of seed, while spring sown produce less. Removing seed reduces cleavers growth for following year
Neantóg enjoying the front "lawn", 4 garden ponds surrounded by dense scrub of whitethorn, Hazel, spindle, guelder rose, eared willow, rowan and holly....
Trail cam photo of hen corncrake and chicks in my South meadow, possibly then same family as in previous photo. Marked size difference in 5 days. Corncrake chicks can be fully independent after 2 weeks.
@mayocorncrake77.bsky.social · last yr.Trail cam footage on farm. A hen corncrake with very young chicks. First time to have 100% proof of corncrake breeding on farm as corncrake so secretive. 20 years of hard labour to produce this.....
Before and after. Main garden pond dug/filled/planted 3 years ago and pond today The only constant in video is Neantóg
Trail cam footage on farm. A hen corncrake with very young chicks. First time to have 100% proof of corncrake breeding on farm as corncrake so secretive. 20 years of hard labour to produce this.....
South meadow corncrake habitat. 100 years ago, this would have been a typical irish meadow with abundant corncrake and skylark overhead everywhere...
2025/2026 corncrake season starts now, Cow parsley ready for harvest. I will add to existing hogweed corncrake cover plots. Cow parsley is hard to grow on the farm on its own, but it grows under hogweed, which acts as a nursery crop.
40 pairs of house martins and 4 swift boxes occupied ( 2 breeding pairs and 2 new boxes occupied) on house.... on farm 5 calling corncrake and 3 in surrounding area. Video is of chirping house martin chicks outside the bedroom window......
Nesting starling in the eaves. I cut a little hole in the soffit earlier in spring. because I thought there were starlings trapped. Now, they use hole as the entrance to their nest. Chicks are well advanced, and Neantóg wants to get at them!
4 swifts zooming around the house. In 2024 i had 1 breeding pair of swifts and 1 non-breeding pair of swifts. Hopefully can get 2 breeding pairs at least this year, looking hopeful!
Calling from the South meadow nettle bed.... corncrake... I think 2 calling males are present....
Neantóg checking iris corncrake cover plot, needs to be a bit higher for corncrake!
North meadow nettle bed ready for corncrake. Corncrake may be present, but with lashing rain, they will not call.
The barn owl box at the end of the garden has attracted lodgers, unfortunately not barn owl. A pair of jackdaw have moved in.
Vermin on the farm, pheasant a huge threat to corncrake. They are aggressive to corncrake and can spread intestinal parasites....
The most common bird on the farm, invariably one always signing overhead in Spring.