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...

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

Main garden pond July 2024 and now July 2025....

More hen corncrake and chicks from the farm!!

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.

Before and after. Main garden pond dug/filled/planted 3 years ago and pond today The only constant in video is Neantóg

From the garden, greater white toothed shrew

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......

Whitethroat calling from the "front lawn"....

Asked to share this event in GALWAY CITY www.eventbrite.com/e/galway-gre...

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!

Displaying common sandpiper by the iris field.

Main garden pond looking nice in morning sun....

Calling from the South meadow nettle bed.... corncrake... I think 2 calling males are present....

Corncrake are back!!!!!!!

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.

Linnet starting to sing on farm.....

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.

A mixed flock of linnet and twite in the North meadow.....

Irish hare relaxing in the iris field. A couple of the hares can be quite nonchalant with me....

Irish heath in full flower and attracting loads of bumblebees. Pond water is starting to clear up, it was a bit green!

The smallest pond in the garden, the barrel pond. Tadpoles are developing fast with warmer temperatures in barrel. Also less predators than with other ponds.

Great nettle growth, comparable to 2017 growth. As long as no storms happen in next 6 weeks the nettle ELCs should be well ready for returning corncrake. In 2023 the first corncrake to return back to Connaught came to my South meadow nettle first. Hoping for similar result in 2025....

The basis of conservation for Irish Corncrake: nettle and hogweed.....

The newest corncrake cover plot. Hogweed with a little nettle and angelica. Great growth, which will be well ready for returning corncrake in April.

Fen looking nice and watery! Two ponds present with drumming snipe last night.

Twite singing away on farm. Annual crop of fodder radish sown for them as well as supplementary nyger seed.

Corncrake iris bed management from 2019

Getting nettles ready for returning corncrake in April.

Fellow corncrake conservationist Phelim Doran assisting in corncrake nettle bed maintenance on the farm. Huge amount of work done at the weekend....

Crex crex in South meadow nettle bed....

43 nettle sods.....