Ray of hope for great bustard

THE corncrake, as everyone knows, is in trouble. Once common, this noisy little relative of the water-hen kept people awake at night with its rhythmic rasping.

Now, alas, the meadows are silent almost everywhere.

But the corncrake is not the only grassland bird in trouble. The species living in meadows and prairies are declining throughout Europe. Among them is a spectacular creature, vaguely resembling a long-legged goose; the great bustard. Like those of the corncrake, bustard numbers started falling about two centuries ago and have continued doing so ever since. The bird is gone from most of its former haunts in Europe. This summer, however, there is some good news. Thanks to a re-introduction programme, there’s a glimmer of hope that great bustards may, once again, roam the pastures and meadows of England; four females hatched eggs successfully this summer.