Hole 2
BUFF-BANDED RAIL
The steep drop-offs at the back and right-hand side of the 2nd green are a favoured habitat for the Buff-banded Rail. If you can walk stealthily up the edge of the green, you may be lucky to spot this secretive little bird near the thick scrub in the secluded side of the green.
Rails and crakes are a group of secretive, ground-dwelling birds commonly found in wetlands, marshes, and dense vegetation near lakes like those we have here at South Lakes. Rails such as the Buff-banded Rail and Lewin’s Rail, are known for their prominent plumage patterns and cryptic behaviour, making them challenging for birdwatchers to spot. Crakes are even smaller and more elusive, often venturing out only at dawn or dusk.
Both the above-mentioned rails and the Spotted and Spotless Crakes have been recorded at South Lakes. Rails and crakes feed on small insects and seeds and sudden glimpses of them darting between reeds and bushes are often the only clues to their presence.
