Corncrake Calling: Preserving rural Scottish wildlife

Here at Òr, we love to collaborate with new makers and artists, and occasionally we come across craftspeople who we create special, exclusive designs with. Celia Wood is one such maker who we commissioned to transform our vision for the Corncrake Plate into a unique ceramic, inspired by the desire to spread awareness about the these endangered birds.

Corncrakes might shy away from being seen, but they’re not coy when it comes to using their voice. As the males arrive home to Scotland after migration, we hear their crex crex call resounding through the marshy grasslands on the Isle of Skye, sometimes glimpsing one near our homes. But these calls and sightings are sadly becoming less frequent.

Here on Skye, we met local resident Shelagh Parlane who has dedicated 11 years to the island’s RSPB Scotland charity, and has began the Corncrake Calling project to help protect their habitats and increase their numbers. “Corncrakes were once common across Britain, but by the early 1990s numbers had dropped to only 400 calling males. On Skye, numbers have ranged from a low of 7 to a high of 38, but over the last two years we’ve had just under 30 calling males on the island. We’re lucky to host a small but very important population."

By spreading the word and working alongside crofters to farm in a corncrake-friendly way, Shelagh has a chance to save these small brown birds and preserve Scotland’s rural heritage. “They spend most of their time hidden in rough pastures, hay and silage fields. The RSPB Scotland’s collaboration with crofters and farmers means we can enable them to delay their mowing until the corncrakes have fledged with their first brood of chicks."

To help Shelagh with her cause, we reached out to ceramicist Celia about the idea, and we were so delighted to hear she was just as excited as we were about this new collaboration. “Jen visited me in my Edinburgh studio and we got chatting about some different ideas. The plates seemed a winning fit, as I love illustrating birds and plants, and with the addition of helping to protect the corncrakes by donating to the charity, it really was a no brainer! I first heard of corncrakes in the film The Outrun which helped me understand the importance of their rarity.”

We began by sending reference photos of the corncrake bird to Celia, as well as research about their habitat for inspiration so she could begin drawing initial design ideas for the piece. “I began with a few pencil sketches and a glaze test. I wanted the colours to feel fresh, so green was an obvious choice. The cornflower blue, with small pops of mustard yellow and peach helped to balance the green. The flowers we chose to adorn the edge are inspired by cow parsley and nettles, both of which you'll find in a corncrake’s habitat."

After a few revisions, we finalised the design together before Celia shaped the plates from smooth, stoneware clay and painted the design entirely by hand, making them ready to hang on your wall or use as a decorative trinket dish. We couldn’t be more pleased with the final piece — we hope you love them just as much as we do!

We’re proud to support this local cause by donating 30% of every Corncrake Plate sale directly to the project here on Skye so Shelagh can continue her crucial work. To browse this exclusive collaboration in our online shop, head to the Corncrake Plate. Or, if you would like to donate directly to the charity, then you can do so by heading to RSPB Scotland.