A chara, – I was delighted to read your recent report on how corncrakes are making a comeback (“Number of corncrake territories reaches highest level in 25 years”, News, August 20th). Our family is currently on holiday in Kerry and, after 40 years of never seeing so much as a single corncrake, I have seen no fewer than four in the last few days. With this new abundance of these beautiful little birds, I think we’ll need a new collective noun. A leap of leopards, a crash of rhinos, but a what of corncrakes?
I suggest a “bowlful”. – Is mise,
NEIL SHARPSON,
Dublin 9.