Corncrake Crex crex

Formerly a common breeding summer visitor. Now a very scarce passage migrant with a few Shetland records into early summer. Bred up to 1960s on Foula.

· Late 1800s Evans and Buckley noted that birds bred on the island (Evans and Buckley, in Pennington, et al., 2004).

· 1960s Birds heard calling, and may have bred throughout this decade, but the only other evidence were chicks seen in 1962 (Furness, 1983).

· 1962/63 Furness (1983) recorded a very unusual record of a wintering bird.

· 1996 One on 25^th May.

· 1997 One on 31^st August.

· 2002 One on 23^rd September.

· 2003 One, found freshly dead at the north end of the island on 15^th of October.

· 2004 One on 13^th, and another, or the same, on 29^th September, and 2^nd October.

· 2006 One on 29^th August – 1^st September and another on 13^th October.