YvonneB
OH Bird Recorder
Recently I received an email and photos from Sue Pettitt who had been visiting the Isle of Lewis with friends last month and witnessed some really interesting Corncrake behaviour.
The Corncrake predated a Meadow Pipit nest, the first photo show the Concrake with it's head in the nest and the second photo shows the Corncrake with a Meadow Pipit chick - it is difficult to tell whether it is a chick that had recently hatched or whether the Corncrake had predated the egg.
Taylor & Perlo in their 1998 publication Rails: A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the world mention predation and that "several species spear eggs with the bill and either eat the contents in situ or carry the egg away to deal with".
Thank you Sue for sharing
(c) Sue Pettitt
(c) Sue Pettitt
The Corncrake predated a Meadow Pipit nest, the first photo show the Concrake with it's head in the nest and the second photo shows the Corncrake with a Meadow Pipit chick - it is difficult to tell whether it is a chick that had recently hatched or whether the Corncrake had predated the egg.
Taylor & Perlo in their 1998 publication Rails: A Guide to Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots of the world mention predation and that "several species spear eggs with the bill and either eat the contents in situ or carry the egg away to deal with".
Thank you Sue for sharing
(c) Sue Pettitt
(c) Sue Pettitt