Come schnell and high water

'Er indoors said she enjoyed last year’s trip down to Seville and Donana; must be the Lynx effect.  So a return trip was in order. Aha, a chance to check out Baillon's Crake habitat and gauge possibilities of northward movement this year.

Arriving at El Rocio on the western edge of the Donana National Park, it was clear that this was no drought year: it was wet, very wet.  Water levels were very high.  A heavy storm forced us into the local restaurant to debate the finer qualities of Coquinas verses Almejas, accompanied by some fried anchovies, and a little octopus of course.  With full bellies and the rain easing, we ventured out to look over the lagoon.  At the tail end of the storm, Sand Martins and Swallows were moving in numbers. An estimated 10,000 passed through over the next hour, the naked eye view appearing as a mass of midges swarming over the water and all moving northwards with purpose.  Slowly the sun broke through and temperatures rose.  The soft rolling ‘prruup’ noises from above broke into the consciousness as dozens of Bee-eaters streamed through.  Now concentrating upwards, Black Kites, Booted Eagles and Red-rumped Swallows dotted the sky in a steady movement. The odd Monty’s and Purple Heron added interest.  Warm sun on the bones and birds on the move; what could be better?

Early next morning we were out looking around the marshes; they were wet.  Spotted Crakes, Baillon’s Crake and Water Rails crept around the flooded swamps.  Not much chance of a major northward push of Baillon’s this year.  In last year’s drought conditions, Baillon’s, Stilts and Glossy Ibis all moved northwards searching for better conditions.  It also delayed the onward passage of Spoonbills due to poor feeding.  No such problems this year.  Feeding groups of Spoonbills, several colour-ringed, were swishing energetically, belly-deep in water and frequently flicking up and gulping down small fish.

There were many birders around and most seemed to be Germans. A beckoning "Come, schnell" provided me with close views of Purple Gallinule.  Savi’s reeled from every swampy hollow, Subalpine Warblers disappeared around every patch of scrub and Woodchats dotted the tops of bushes.  Nightingales sang and Redstarts flitted.  As lunch time approached, the baby lamb chops needed some consideration (oh the flavour!) and after several glasses of rioja, we were surprised to see a Lynx run right through the restaurant.

Below - Lynx in pine wood

Rush conundrum

 

Phew!  A twitchable Baillon’s arrives at Rainham Marsh in a perfect viewing position.  Not unexpected, given the influx this summer (but I would guess this may be a Dutch bred bird). However, a relief after the necessary news blackout of territorial birds. At least the North London birding press should be able to report this one correctly without relying on various blogs and adding a dollop of speculation.  Journalists, pah!

I joined the assembled crowds at dawn on Saturday and marvelled at the ability of the little critter to find this particular little patch of suitable rushy habitat.  Having received some photos of Baillon’s Crake habitat in The Netherlands back in June, I noted the swamps of Flowering Rush and Bur-reed and initially thought they had sent me a picture of Rainham as a joke.  A quick e-mail to Rainham ensured they were crake surveying at night but to no avail.  Anyway, this shortish, open-structured wet vegetation appears to be just what they like.  Okay, I saw the ‘89 Sunderland bird but that clearly had a dodgy radar.

Now the conundrum.  The marvellously crakey rush habitat at Rainham does not favour the usual fare of waders and gulls.  In fact, management is being undertaken to significantly reduce the amount of rushy edges to the pools in favour of muddy margins suitable for White-tailed Plovers and the like.  Okay, the rushy habitat could be shunted away into a corner away from prime hide viewing, but then who would see the next crake?  A conundrum to be pondered and not to be rushed.  What would you do?

 

Above - Flowering Rush and botanists closely studying it.  Below - Baillon's Crake habitat in The Netherlands (Ruud van Beusekom) and at Rainham, snap!

 

Crakey! Change the record books.

Calling Baillon's in typically rushy habitat.

Last year, during a trip to The Netherlands, we speculated that Baillon’s Crake was being overlooked in the UK, both as a migrant and breeding bird.  With fortuitous timing, a national Spotted Crake survey has been undertaken this year and surveyors were asked to listen out for Baillon’s Crake.  And one was found!  A rapid e-mail to reserve managers to raise awareness of the possibility of Baillon’s resulted in at least 7 singing males at 3 sites across England and Wales, with a possible 2 more at 2 further sites.  Crakey!

So is Baillon’s Crake a scarce migrant and rare breeder in the UK rather than a vagrant?  Probably, but it is likely that the drought conditions in the Donana region of Spain earlier this year will have prompted more birds to move north looking for favourable conditions.  The drought appears to have affected a range of species.  We have seen influxes of Glossy Ibis and Black-winged Stilts, as well as Baillon's Crakes, and impacts on the movements of other birds, such as Spoonbills.   At least 3 pairs of stilts have attempted to breed in the UK as predicted in an earlier blog.   The Netherlands is also having a good year for Baillon's Crakes with at least 30 singing males.   However, 2005 was also good in The Netherlands yet failed to produce a record in the UK.   Were they overlooked?

Baillon’s Crakes can breed in small areas of suitable habitat; wet, low, tussocky but often open vegetation such as flooded sedges, rushes and grasses.  They also seem to like the edges of pools if this year’s birds are anything to go on.  Calls are poorly understood.  Although the best known is the short Garganey-like rattle of the male, at least 4 different calls have been heard from birds this year.  However, calls can be hard to hear in many conditions and they may not call that often!   Singing birds appear to be best heard between 22.30 and midnight at least, and with birds in The Netherlands known to arrive late, they may be singing well into July.   How many of this year’s birds will return next year?

 

 

Typical Baillon's habitat in The Netherlands (Ruud van Beusekom)

The Baillon’s – my part in its finding

After a trip to The Netherlands last summer, I drafted a blog about finding Baillon’s Crake in the UK this year.  I never posted it as it seemed a bit extreme.  What do you know?

In The Netherlands, we looked at some sites created for Purple Herons.  Extensive, shallow wetlands that provide good feeding conditions and will slowly colonise with reed and other aquatic vegetation.   Such areas, of course, attract many other species.  In the early stages, Black-necked Grebes and Spoonbills are likely to appear, but of particular interest was the occurrence of Spotted and Baillon’s Crakes in grassy and rushy habitats after initial flooding.  Bailllons Crakes occur across the Netherlands in low numbers but are very easy to miss and are thought to be more numerous than the figures suggest.  Looking at one of the sites with Baillon’s Crake reminded me of the singing bird in 1999 at Grove Ferry in the early stages of the reedbed habitat creation there.   With only four UK breeding records, are we over-looking them?   Could we manage sites like Grove Ferry to attract more crakes?  A tenner says we could.

Anyway, we decided to add Baillon’s Crake to the national Spotted Crake survey this year. Everyone laughed of course.  Now a Baillon’s has been found on a Spotted Crake survey by Ian Hawkins at Malltraeth.  How many more are out there?

Baillon's typically turns up later in spring in The Netherlands than Spotted; from mid-May until the end of July.  They can breed very late in the season, and have been seen with small chicks in mid-August. The males rattling song, somewhat like a cross between a frog and a Garganey, is best heard during quiet, windless nights.  They may call during rather cold nights, when the Marsh Frogs keep quiet, which is a distinct advantage.  They occupy sometimes surprisingly small marshes with a water table of 10-20 cm, with a vegetation of narrow-leaved marsh plants (typically sedges and low rushes).  When they have young, they will give harsh Magpie-like calls like cha-cha-cha-cha but also loud Blackcap-like ‘tek’ calls.

The Dutch Baillon's site we looked at: