Corncrake?

Last night Linda and I were invited for farewell drinks at Hemblington Hall by good friends Joyce and Andrew, who have reluctantly decided to downsize to a smaller mansion in Suffolk! This lovely couple have been stalwarts of the Friends of the Church and the local community and will be greatly missed...

Since we were a little early, we drove the 'loop' around High Noon Lane, past the alpaca farm and up the hill towards the Hall. As we approached Hemblington Church, a smallish brown bird scuttled across the road and up the weedy verge, disappearing under the hawthorn hedge. As crazy as it sounds (and having run through all possible options) we decided the bird most resembled a Corncrake!

We didn't discuss our sighting with anyone, but during the evening, Joyce and Andrew's neighbour casually mentioned that he had heard the unmistakable 'creck creck' of a Corncrake the previous night....