Telegraph: The corncrake, a migratory bird which over-winters in Africa, was once common across the UK, but was hit by changes in agriculture in the 19th and 20th century, the RSPB said. Mechanised mowing allowed hay-making to be completed more rapidly, destroying the tall grass and meadow habitats the bird used for nesting and leading to a collapse in the population. Corncrakes became restricted to Hebridean islands on the west coast of Scotland, with good numbers on Lewis, North and …