Irish Wildlife

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SPRING ‘17

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND’S

SIT BIE LDL FE W

MAGAZINE

SPOTTED IN IRELAND:

•Tube worms •Fighting goldfinches •Dublin’s otters

MARINE PROTECTION

000 IWT Spring16_Cover.indd 1

FLOODPLAIN FORESTS

SEAWEED HARVESTING

23/02/2017 16:34

Check out our new stock of premium full zip fleeces, high quality T-shirts and range of wildlife books and gifts – perfect for the nature lover in your life.

FLEECES

â‚Ź30

Perfect for all outdoor pursuits.

See our full range online at

www.iwt.ie/shop

If so then please contact us with your sighting.

It will make a vital contribution to our National Reptile Survey.

This year we are once more calling for

Please send your sighting with the

sightings of our native

date, location and a photograph to

viviparous lizard and the

iwtresearch@gmail.com

introduced slow worm.

or see www.iwt.ie/lizard-survey for more details of how to get involved.

IFC_IWT 1 Untitled-2Spring_2017_Ads.indd 1

22/02/2017 26/02/2016 14:15 16:47

WELCOME

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SPRING ‘17

Chairperson’s Comment

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND’S

T BESIFE WILDL

MAGAZINE

SPOTTED IN IRELAND:

•Tube worms •Fighting Goldfinches •Dublin’s Otters

MARINE PROTECTION

000 IWT Spring16_Cover.indd 1

FLOODPLAIN FORESTS

SEAWEED HARVESTING

Cover credits: Wolf (photo by Andrew Kelly) Tube worms (photo by Jen Lynch) Long eared bat (photo by Maurice Flynn) White tailed eagle (photo by M. Brown) Contents page credits: Ring billed gull & Portumna forest (both photos by Anthony Dawson) Squirrel (photo by Andrew Kelly) Adelie penguins (photo by John Weller) Long eared bat (photo by Maurice Flynn) Fighting Goldfinches (photo

by Ben Whitley)

23/02/2017 14:06

Pass it on. If you’re finished with your Irish Wildlife don’t throw it in the bin. Pass it on to someone who you think may enjoy it – or ask your local library or doctor’s office to leave it in the reception.

You’ll help the environment and the IWT while you’re at it.

Editor: Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Published by Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com

Printed on

All articles © 2017. No part of this publication including the images used may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinions and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going to press, Ashville Media Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions contained herein.

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

Unlike Billy Flynn, who writes so eloquently in this issue about the coming of spring, I am a big fan of the wintertime. Quite apart from the pleasure of coming home on a dark evenin to a ar fire and a re ease fro the ress re of havin to o o t a ain and a e the most of the evening, there is a wonderful stillness to the countryside even in the most blustery weather that is found at no other time of year. Everything (apart from those poor unfortunate predators that still have to go out and make a living) pauses in the midst of the hectic cycle of reproduction, birth, growth and rebirth and takes a well-earned rest. I was aggrieved then, this year, when it never arrived. Barring a brief cold snap in November hen the s str tted aro nd indi nant on the s rface of the a e o tside office for a day, autumn segued almost seamlessly into spring. There was a chiffchaff singing outside the window over a month ago (admittedly, almost certainly a non-migrant), catkins on a nearby willow just after Christmas (perfectly complementing the rose in the garden), buds on the apple tree outside the door shortly afterwards, and an orgy of joyously spawning frogs in the second week in January. With each successive year becoming the warmest on record, it was hard not to feel a certain trepidation on hearing that little chiffchaff singing its heart out.

Along with the warm weather, the start of the year brought some welcome news for one of our most beleaguered native birds, the curlew. One of the most beautiful and evocative sounds to be heard during the winter in coastal parts of Ireland, the song of the curlew is fast vanishing during the summer months. With only 122 breeding pairs remaining in the country, a staggering 97 per cent decline over the last 30 years, the majority of those winter birds migrate north in the springtime, leaving much of the landscape bereft of its haunting cry. A taskforce is fina ein set the inister for erita e to save o r native c r e efore it disa ears completely. The savage decline of these red-listed birds as a breeding population is not completely understood, but like so many of our farmland birds, it is undoubtedly linked to changes in land use, agricultural practices and the inappropriate burning of scrub and afforestation of uplands. t is a sha e therefore that, hi e this initiative is ein e co ed, inister hre s i conceived erita e i e tendin the rnin season is once a ain rearin its head in the eanad an senators ar ed assionate a ainst this i the ast ti e it as de ated, and there is still an opportunity for us to lobby our representatives to continue to do so.

I was heartened to see renewed calls recently by the Irish Angling Alliance to end the practice of culling pike in Irish freshwaters, which is done ostensibly to protect brown trout and salmon stoc s fro these ost redator of fish i e are tr a nificent fish i never for et first si htin of a assive individ a hi e en a ed in a fish resc e in the e iver in Cork. Amidst the mud and mass of struggling stickleback and minnow in the scant water that as eft in the river ed, ca e a sin o s ash of ri iant e era d reen that si na ed the emergence of this old man of the river. Studies have shown that the removal of large pike from river systems will not reduce predation on salmonids (by far the largest part of the diet of pike is invertebrates, invading competitors for trout and, especially for the largest individuals, other pike), and recent research has shown that they are native to Ireland, arriving 8,000 years ago with as much right to occupy our rivers as their more highly regarded salmonid brethren.

avid cCor ic Chairperson, Irish Wildlife Trust

contriiButors MIKE WALKER,

from Co. Wicklow, was Campaign Director for the negotiations on the Ross Sea. He is currently Europe Coordinator for the Antarctic Ocean Alliance and the Antarctic & Southern Ocean Coalition.

DR. LIAM LYSAGHT, has served for 10 years as

Director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, and prior to that worked for the Heritage Council and National Parks and Wildlife Service. Liam is a geographer by training, with a background in biogeography and mapping of biological distributions. In 2002 he published An Atlas of the Breeding Birds of the Burren and Aran Islands, the first regional bird atlas in Ireland.of the Burren and Aran Islands, the first regional bird atlas in Ireland.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

001 IWT Spring_2017_Chairmans Comment.indd 1

1

23/02/2017 14:09

002 IWT Spring_2017_CONTENTS.indd 2

23/02/2017 09:47

CONTENTS

Contents 4.

ABOUT US Discover more about the work of the IWT and how you can get involved.

5.

CONSERVATION NEWS All the latest Irish and international conservation news.

8.

IWT NEWS What we’ve been doing throughout the winter months.

12.

EDUCATION Jenny Quinn gives us some ‘Food for Thought’ regarding our relationship with what we eat.

13.

BRANCH NEWS The latest updates from IWT branches nationwide.

16.

WILD IDEAS Mike Walker discusses the decision to make Antarctica’s Ross Sea the largest Marine Protected Area in the world.

19.

COMPETITION We’re offering our readers the chance to win one of two fantastic books.

20.

FEATURE – PUTTING MAMMALS IN THEIR PLACE ia sa ht on the findin s of re and s first ever atlas of marine and terrestrial mammals.

24.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE ordon rc e ores the ood ain forests of the eastern USA.

26.

SPRING FOCUS i nn re ects on the recent passed winter season, as he looks forward to a hopeful spring.

28.

FIELD REPORT Thomás Murray asks, ‘Who cares about the tter ies as he re ects on the ro e these insects play in our delicate ecosystem.

30.

OVER TO YOU A selection of letters and photos sent in by Irish Wildlife Trust members.

32.

ON LOCATION Katie Flood from the Irish Peatland Conservation Council takes us on a day out on one of their peatland reserves.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

002 IWT Spring_2017_CONTENTS.indd 3

3

23/02/2017 09:47

IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

About Us The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 and aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats it depends on throughout Ireland, while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Grey wolf (Photo: iStock) ABOVE: Curlew (Photo: iStock)

Have comments?

Magazine queries, general wildlife questions or observations email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie All other queries email: enquiries@iwt.ie Phone: (01) 860 2839 Snail mail: The Irish Wildlife Trust, Sigmund Business Centre, 93A Lagan Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 Web: www.iwt.ie Social media: facebook.com/IrishWildlifeTrust twitter.com/Irishwildlife

The IWT is dedicated to creating a better future for Ireland’s wildlife through: Motivating and supporting people to take action for wildlife.

Education and raising awareness of all aspects of Irish wildlife and conservation issues.

Research of the natural environment.

Acquiring and managing nature reserves to safeguard species and habitats.

Lobbying decision-makers at all levels to promote policy in Ireland that provides a sustainable future for wildlife and people.

Working in partnership with other organisations to achieve results that matter for conservation.

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT.

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Cork: corkbranch@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Irish Wildlife Trust – Cork Branch’ Dublin: Barbara, dublinbranch@iwt.ie facebook.com/DublinBranchIrishWildlife Trust, dubliniwt.blogspot.ie Waterford: Denis Cullen, iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com, deniscullen@eircom.net, irishwildlifetrust. blogspot.ie Cavan: cavanbranch@iwt.ie www.facebook.com/irishwildlifetrust. branch Kerry: Pat, iwtkerry@gmail.com www.facebook.com/KerryIWT www.iwtkerry.blogspot.ie Sign up to their monthly newsletter!

Galway: Lenny, iwtgalway@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Longford/Westmeath: Chris Martin, iwtlongfordwestmeath@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Longford/ Westmeath Irish Wildlife Trust Branch’ Laois/Offaly: Ricky, iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTlaoisoffalybranch

How can you help?

You, our members, make the IWT what it is. Through your subscriptions and support we can undertake the projects that are enefitin re and s i d ife f o o d like to help more, here’s what you can do: • Make a one-off donation to the IWT. • Give IWT membership as a gift.

• Volunteer – we are always looking for people to help out in different ways.

There are lots of ways to get involved, from work experience in specialist areas to getting your hands dirty at our sites or helping us increase membership at events.

See our website www.iwt.ie for details or contact the office direct • Do you have land that you would like

used for conservation? We are always on the lookout to establish new sites to enhance wildlife or provide education opportunities.

• Remember us in your will. Why not leave a lasting legacy towards conserving Ireland’s natural heritage? The IWT uses all funds towards our campaigns, managing reserves and our education programmes. Please visit www.mylegacy.ie.

• Set up a branch. Are you passionate about wildlife and are in a county that does not have an IWT branch? Contact the office and e can ive o the s ort you need to get up and running.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie 4

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

004 IWT Spring_2017_About Us.indd 4

23/02/2017 09:51

CONSERVATION NEWS

CONSERVATION

NEWS

A RARE FIND Slipper lobster

Sinéad Ní Bheolain outlines the latest national and international news from the world of conservation.

IRISH NEWS

700 PER CENT INCREASE IN OYSTER FARMING PROPOSED A west-Donegal community has come together, under the umbrella of Coiste Timpeallachta an Ghaoith, to oppose the vast increase in aquaculture operations in the Braade-Gweedore Bay area. Four new licences have been granted which include nine separate sites and represent a 700 per cent increase in operations, amounting to almost 40 hectares. The group says licences

 An Tráigh Bhán

were granted without consulting the local communities which are directly affected or undertaking a specific ‘Environmental Impact Study’.

Coiste Timpeallachta an Ghaoith, which includes representatives from all the areas affected, has asked that the licences be withdrawn and that shellfish farming be limited to the area which is currently occupied. There is already concern that the existing farms are a threat to the local natural mussel habitat along with the impact that these developments will have on the habitat of the otters, choughs and red-throated divers found in this bay. The bay is home to ancient seaweed harvesting plots called ‘sráthóga’ and to sand eel banks which are very much part of the local tradition and cultural heritage.The Braade-Gweedore Bay area is listed as ‘An Area of Outstanding Beauty’. Part of its appeal is undoubtedly the unspoilt natural habitat and the value of the foreshore and bay as a natural amenity to locals and visitors alike.

When a fisherman discovered a strange find in his catch he named it Tréan, the Irish for hardy, because it survived for so long in his boat. At only 72mm in length the slipper lobster is not a whopper! Caught off the Aran Islands, it is the first record of this species so far north in the Atlantic as they usually inhabit warmer waters.

Slipper lobsters are not real lobsters; they do not have claws but are from a family (scyllaridae) of about 90 species of achelate crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. They are thought to be blind and like other crustaceans, have two pairs of antennae. One pair are long and flexible and are held up to sense their surroundings. However, what makes the slipper lobster instantly recognizable is the second pair which project forward from the head as wide plates. They are bottom dwellers of the continental shelves, found at depths of up to 500 metres, and these wide plate antennae help the slipper lobster to dig into the sand to find molluscs, including limpets, mussels and oysters, as well as other crustaceans, polychaetes and echinoderms that make up their varied diet. Tréan is currently being cared for in Galway Atlantaquaria in Salthill. See www. nationalaquarium.ie

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

005_IWT Spring_2017_Conservation News.indd 5

5

23/02/2017 10:04

CONSERVATION NEWS

IRISH NEWS

WHITE TAILED EAGLES 100 White tailed eagles were reintroduced to Killarney National Park between 2007 and 2011 from Norway. GPS tagging has shown that the eagles have dispersed and are now recorded from throughout the country while at least six birds have travelled to Scotland.

The first successful breeding attempt occurred on Lough Derg near Mountshannon in 2013. Since then, 13 chicks have fledged successfully in the wild. Although it was the first year the long established Mountshannon nesting pair failed to hatch eggs, 2016 was overall, still the most successful year so far with six chicks fledging in three different counties: Cork, Kerry and Galway. Young birds are known to move to new territories after fledging and it takes about five years to reach maturity and be ready to breed. Therefore we won’t see Irish born white-tailed eagles breeding until 2018 or 2019. Whitetailed eagles are the largest birds of prey in Europe with a wingspan of over two meters (the same as the mute swan, the largest resident bird species in Ireland). They have a body length of around one meter. They feed on carrion such as lambs and seals but their diet also includes small mammals such as hares and nesting sea birds. In Irish they are known as Iolar mara (sea eagle) or Iolar súil na gréine (eagle with the eye of the sun).

Hope for the Curlew?

Critically endangered curlews may live for 32 years and birds we see on our shores in winter, sometimes in large numbers, are part of an aging population. A count of adults can give a false sense of security, as it is easy not to notice that there is little recruitment of new, breeding adults into the population, with obvious long term consequences. Curlew productivity appears to be very low due to farming intensification and land abandonment resulting in loss of habitat.

British research suggests that the curlew returns to the same nesting site year after year, therefore it is important to protect known breeding sites.

The Department of Agriculture introduced measures for curlews in the Glas funding mechanism and farms with breeding curlew have priority access.

Bog loss though is a major issue and more needs to be done to protect breeding pairs there. In January of this year Minister Heather Humphreys announced that the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs would be setting up a task force with the aim of reversing the decline in the bird’s population. BirdWatch Ireland have been calling for such a task force since 2011. With only about 150 breeding pairs left, we have to hope that it is not too late to save this icon of rural Ireland.

Globally, there were eight members of the curlew family. However, there has been no verified sightings of the Eskimo curlew since the 1980s and there is sentiment that the slender-billed curlew is most likely extinct as well. In Ireland the majority of the Eurasian curlews are wintering and will return to the Continent to breed. The number of breeding pairs have dropped from 5000 to 200 pairs in the twenty years between 1991 and 2011 and there has been a ban on shooting since 2012.

6

Sea eagle. Photo: M.Brown

Planning with Nature in Mind A Lidl supermarket recently opened in Sallynoggin, County Dublin with one distinctive feature, a green roof.

Partially covered in vegetation, the roof of this supermarket provides insulation Klinik um, Stu while absorbing ttgart rainwater and reducing the need for drainage options.

Meanwhile, opposition is growing in Cork to the Office of Public Work’s flood relief plan. ‘Save our City’ campaigners believe that building reinforced concrete walls and embankments will increase the risk of flooding elsewhere, affecting places that have never flooded before, such as North Mall.

The flawed system of river containment has been abandoned as a flood defense measure overseas. It is expensive and difficult to achieve, relying on water pumps, drain valves and extensive engineering works.

Natural flood management up river would mean managing soil, wetlands and floodplains along a river to retain and slow water at times of flood risk, reducing the speed and the peak of floodwaters compared to approaches that rely on dredging and walls. A report commissioned by Friends of the Earth asserts that this approach is common practice in Europe but is ignored by Irish policy makers (see www.foe.ie).

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

005_IWT Spring_2017_Conservation News.indd 6

23/02/2017 10:04

CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Conservation of Peatlands in Belarus

Syrian brown bear

BEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST The Syrian brown bear is unique as being the only bear to have white claws. Weighing up to 250kg and measuring anywhere from 1 – 1.4 metres from nose to tail, it is the smallest bear of the Ursus arctos species (the same species which once inhabited Ireland and can still be found across Western Europe, albeit in low numbers). It was previously thought that these omnivores, once found throughout the Middle East in birch forests on higher grounds than pine forests, were in serious decline and found only in Iran and Turkey.

The last known recording of the bear in Syria was from the sale of fur skins at markets in 1955 and have since been listed as extinct in Syria and Lebanon. The species is on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

When bear tracks were photographed in the snow at 1,900 meters near Damascus in 2005, scientists thought it was a vagrant bear from Turkey or a released captive. However, in 2006 a US military pilot using infrared sensors observed a bear in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The sighting was reported to the international charity, Bear Specialist Group, and interviews conducted with local people in 2010 reported 10 to 30 sightings of bears annually. In late December, a recording of a mother and cub was made in Lebanon, close to the Syrian border, which went viral on the internet in January. This is the first sighting of bears in Lebanon in over 60 years, some rare good news from this part of the world. The video can be viewed on Independent.uk website; www.independent.co.uk.

Belarus, “The Land of Mires”, is named for its possession of the most extensive mires in Eastern Europe outside the Russian Federation. Before the 1950s 2.5 million hectares (ha) of land surface was occupied with natural mires but Belarus has become one of the top emitters of greenhouse gases due to the destruction of these peatlands. Since the mid 1950s, 1.5 million ha were drained for unsustainable peat extraction, as well as large scale conversion for agriculture and forestry. However, widespread fires between 1999 and 2002 in worked-out peat mines and denuded lands forced a rethink. Dr. Alexander Kozulin of the Academy of Sciences in Belarus, proposed a full- scale assessment of the state of Belarusian peatlands to develop corrective measures. The study revealed that the main cause of peat fires were disturbances in the hydrological regime of these wetland ecosystems. Only 863,000 ha remain in good condition ecologically. The UN Development Programme, Germany’s International Climate Initiative and other project partners have supported the Belarus Government to determine optimal water levels to enable the restoration of ecological integrity and the resumption of livelihood activities (foraging for mushrooms and cranberries, along with sustainable fishing) at 15 pilot degraded peatlands. Using the methodology learnt by the rewetting at these sites the Belarus government has restored over 50,000 ha of degraded peatlands resulting in improved water flows, wetland species recovery and reduced carbon emissions. There have been no fires since 2002 and the government agencies support the campaign for further rewetting and the placing of these ecosystems under formal protection(Source UNDP Global Voices 2016).

Overfishing in Cornwall According to reports in both The Independent(UK) and The Guardian there has been a sixfold increase in the number of dolphins found dead on Cornwall beaches. There has been a high number of dolphin sightings recently, therefore, it could just mean that dolphins are living and dying closer to the shore. Yet, as of January 18th 2017, 25 dolphins have been washed up ashore this year alone.

Porpoises and dolphins are threatened by a range of impacts from pollution, underwater noise from construction and boating, collision with boats and by-catch from fishing.

The Guardian also reported in December that, for the second time in a matter of weeks, a large shoal of fish had washed up on a Cornwall beach. Various explanations were given for these finds such as recent storms but it later came to light that the sardines were dumped by a fishing vessel because it had caught too many in its nets in shallow waters to safely pull on board.

Dumping sardines is not illegal because the species is not covered by the European Union’s landing obligation laws however concern was raised about the waste of an important fish in the marine food chain.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

005_IWT Spring_2017_Conservation News.indd 7

7

23/02/2017 10:04

IWT NEWS

IWT NEWS REPTILE SURVEY REVIEW

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer.

T

his year sees the return of the IWT National Reptile Survey and we are very excited to get going having had great success with this citizen science project in 2016. We ran volunteer survey training days in each province of Ireland and received hundreds of viviparous lizard and slow worm records from the general public across Ireland. Our training days were well attended and were a great opportunity for volunteers to learn about lizard identification and surveying techniques. These training days are happening again this year, are open to all and are free for IWT members.

Between the results returned by our trained volunteers and the amazing response to our call for sightings, we recorded 136 verifiable reptile records in 2016.

Here’s a quick look at what we learnt.

Our lizard sightings were nationwide coming from 20 counties across Ireland. The counties with the greatest number of sightings were Cork, Galway and Wicklow, while the months when lizards were most frequently encountered were April, May and June, however sightings did continue right into October.

We were delighted to have sightings of the elusive slow worm which up until now was only recorded from the Burren region. The Burren is where our first sighting came from, however this was followed up by a sighting from County Westmeath. This second location, far from the Burren, is very exciting and begs the question, has this legless lizard spread from Clare to

8

here or were there subsequent human introductions? This is a subject which we will look into in 2017.

An initial look at the data highlights reveals that our viviparous lizard seems to have a coastal distribution. It was recorded far more in coastal counties than midland ones and was encountered frequently in sand dune and headland habitats. Interestingly, while our lizards seem to love the beach they are also found in the uplands and bogland, with lizards spotted half way up Lugnaquilla Mountain in Co. Wicklow and Slieve Donard in Co. Down, as well as numerous sightings from our midland’s raised bogs. These results show a diversity in habitat use in this lizard species which appears well suited to the Irish landscape.

One particularly interesting sighting was a lizard caught on camera swimming underwater in a stream – certainly a first for our survey!

2016’s efforts have already shed light on the fascinating world of Ireland’s wild reptiles and helped us in establishing a baseline distribution map for the native viviparous lizard - and all through citizen science. In 2017 we hope to grow and improve our knowledge, filling in blanks on our distribution map by having a closer look at the midland’s lizard and slow worm populations and delivering more surveyor training days. Anyone who is interested in attending a training day or submitting a sighting see www. iwt.ie/reptile or contact us at research@ iwt.ie for details. Please do get in touch with any sightings you come across - we look forward to hearing from you!

Lizard sitings map 2016

LIZARD SURVEY 2017

When submitting records, please email us the following information: 1. Your Name 2. Date of the sighting 3. Location of the sighting (GPS Coordinates if possible), 4. Photo if possible 5. Sighting Habitat (e.g. bog, forest, etc)

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

008_IWT Spring_2017_IWT News.indd 8

23/02/2017 10:07

IWT NEWS

CAMPAIGN UPDATE IN BRIEF

By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer

T

he end of the year is s Hillewaert Sprat fish. Photo: Han always a busy time for fishing related issues.

The IWT travelled to Brussels in December last to witness first-hand the famous Council negotiations which decides how quotas are shared for the coming year. Non-governmental organisations like the IWT are beginning to sound like a scratched record, repeatedly calling for our Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (this year Michael Creed at his first Council meeting) to heed the scientific advice in the setting of quotas.

Yet, the government chose to fight for the short term interests of the big-boat fishing industry lobby. These lobbyists represent only about 10 per cent of Irish boats, and therefore Sprat fish. don’t really represent fishing Photo: Hans Hi llewaert communities, but they have the Minister’s ear. As a result, recommendations for zero catches of cod in Pair-trawling meanwhile involves two the Irish Sea for instance, went unheeded, boats towing a single large net and has as they have done every year since 2004. the capability to sieve all marine life from In 2013 a legally binding deadline was a given body of water, some of which are set to end overfishing and rebuild fish protected as Special Areas of Conservation. stocks by 2020 at the latest. This deadline The sprat are then sent off to be ground is not far off but the intervening years, into fishmeal and pellets for feeding where we might have seen a gradual farmed salmon. The IWT has called for transition to greater sustainability, have pair-trawling in coastal waters to be banned been squandered. The IWT believes that outright. The small sprat are far more the only way forward now will be to close valuable in the water supporting the marine off large areas of the sea to allow fish ecosystem. In doing so, they also support stocks to recover. This will mean taxpayers local economies including whale watching, paying fishermen to tie up their boats. sea angling and small scale fishermen.

PAIR-TRAWLING AND SPRAT

BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

The mismanagement of our seas was also exposed in November when pair trawlers moved into shallow inlets in the south-west in pursuit of sprat. Sprat are very small fish which shoal in large numbers. Despite their small size they play a vital role in marine food chains and are prey for everything from larger fish and sea birds right the way through to seals, dolphins and whales.

On December 21st last the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) issued a public consultation on the third National Biodiversity Action Plan with a one month window for responses. Is it just us or is a call for ‘consultation’ in Christmas week a deliberate ploy to discourage public involvement? Maybe we’re just too cynical. In making our submission

the IWT highlighted the failure of the first two plans as we are still experiencing massive biodiversity loss – more intensive farming and new plantation forestry plans have increased pressures in recent years. We believe that a lack of political engagement is at the heart of this breakdown and that the publishing of a new plan, one which fails to address this, is not the solution. When was the last time you heard a senior politician talk about the importance of nature? Until agencies like the NPWS are properly resourced and supported we can’t hope to start reversing the decline in many of our habitats and species.

BADGER CULLING NEWS

In 1991 the idea of vaccinating badgers in the fight against TB in cattle was first mooted as a way of protecting both animals. This February, 16 years on, witnessed a significant milestone as the first set of results were published showing that vaccinating badgers protects them from TB. In his press statement, Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, said: “It is my Department’s ambition to deploy a full badger vaccination strategy as part of the eradication programme, provided that the vaccination of badgers delivers an outcome equivalent to the current badger removal strategy”. Due to the length of time taken to receive the initial results (which had been widely leaked for a number of years), and because it is evident that the government has no intention of stopping the culling programme any time soon, the IWT no longer has faith that vaccinating badgers will provide a solution. Not only is this programme having a devastating effect on badgers but TB levels in cattle are also failing to decline. We would urge Minister Creed to remember that the main cause of TB in cattle is in fact other cattle. It’s time to end the pointless cull of the badger population altogether.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

008_IWT Spring_2017_IWT News.indd 9

9

23/02/2017 10:08

IWT NEWS

MECHANISED SEAWEED HARVESTING

By Tim Clabon, IWT Board Member

Seaweed. Photo: iStock

I

reland’s wealth of marine diversity is an attractive incentive for exploitation. It has been estimated that our seaweed resources could be worth in the region of €30 million a year by 2020. Licence applications for mechanised harvesting have been sought, and in some cases already given.

Seaweed is the collective name for a diverse range of macroscopic marine algae that is divided into three groups; green seaweed (e.g. sea lettuce), red seaweed (e.g. dulse) and brown seaweed (e.g. kelp).

Seaweeds are important in fulfilling a primary producer role, recycling nutrients in the marine environment. They also provide food, refuge and breeding sites for intertidal and subtidal species of marine and coastal organisms, which in turn provide food for marine mammals, seabirds and larger fish species. It would not be uncommon to find a whole community of organisms living on and within a single specimen of kelp.

10

As already mentioned they provide Seaweeds also provide a valuable protection to the coast and help build new service in the marine environment coastal communities for wildlife. However, through reducing water motion caused they are valuable commercially and are by waves. This reduces the damage along used directly for food, food additives, shorelines caused by storms. It also allows sediment suspended within the water body to settle, helping to create new habitats. As a final gesture, seaweed that gets washed up along the shore breaks down and helps stabilise foreshore environments and provide nutrients for shoreline species of plants.

Between 500-700 species of seaweed grow around our coasts which make our seas extremely important for seaweed biodiversity and even now, new species are being discovered.

Seaweeds are also Bladder wr ack. Photo: P. economically important.

Fogarty

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

008_IWT Spring_2017_IWT News.indd 10

23/02/2017 10:08

IWT NEWS

A pair of otters on the

gh. Photo: iStock

shore of Strangford Lou

// MECHANICAL HARVESTING CAN ALSO CAUSE INCREASED SEDIMENTATION, RELEASE HARMFUL NUTRIENTS AND ALLOW MORE OPPORTUNISTIC SPECIES TO OCCUPY THE SPACES LEFT BEHIND. WASTE FROM THE HARVESTING METHOD COULD ALSO INCREASE THE NUTRIENT LOAD IN THE AREA, CAUSING EUTROPHICATION. // fertilizer and animal feed. They are also processed to provide gels for making ice cream, toothpaste, beer and cosmetics.

Research on seaweed is also being carried out to develop seaweed uses in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

The IWT has produced a policy outlining concerns regarding the over-exploitation of seaweed, available to view on our website.

Traditionally seaweed is hand harvested on our shores using manual equipment such as sickles, a practice that goes back centuries. While this can have an impact on the marine environment through disturbance to the habitat, the practice is more selective, the sites recover, and this may well benefit smaller more fragile species unable to compete with larger faster growing species. Yet, in order to meet demand, mechanical harvesting, which is more efficient and requires less manpower,

national companies may result in the closure of areas where hand harvesting would have traditionally taken place.

Commercial licence holders will also be given the authority to allow or prohibit hand harvesting practices to continue and even control public access to these areas.

Growing seaweed through aquaculture has been practiced on a small scale in Ireland for a few years, but is likely to be extended to meet industry demands.

Along with directly growing on the seabed, seaweed can be grown on ropes or rafts in a similar method to mussels. It has also been suggested that areas where finfish farming is already taking place, may be suitable for seaweed aquaculture.

Concerns regarding seaweed aquaculture are varied based on the methodology used. However, the main concerns are the introduction of nonnative foreign species and hybridised species that could outcompete our native species, the formation of a seabed monoculture with little diversity and the shading of the seabed which could result from intensive seaweed culture.

Clearly more research is required to assess and mitigate the impact seaweed aquaculture will have on the marine environment before allowing this practice to become more widespread. Furthermore, until there is adequate knowledge on its impact, commercial mechanical harvesting should be kept out of Irish seas and coasts.

The IWT will continue to monitor developments within Ireland’s seaweed industry and will oppose any application to unsustainably exploit our marine resources..

has risen in popularity. Mechanical harvesting practices involve dredging the seabed with a mechanical cutter, pulling up large amounts of seaweed or the use of a hydraulic suction dredge, where seaweed is cut and suctioned up into the harvesting vessel. Mechanical harvesting is indiscriminate, both target and non-target species will be collected and large areas left barren. As seen with bottom trawls, there are risks that the seabed will be damaged. Mechanical harvesting can also cause increased sedimentation, release harmful nutrients and allow more opportunistic species to occupy the spaces left behind. Waste from the harvesting method could also increase the nutrient load in the area, causing eutrophication.

As well as the threats to wildlife, Seadwee d harvester . Photo: iS the licensing of harvesting to multitock

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

008_IWT Spring_2017_IWT News.indd 11

11

23/02/2017 10:08

EDUCATION

Food for Thought Are ethical food choices simply about whether or not to eat meat? Jenny Quinn looks at the case for a more nuanced approach.

O

ur relationship with food can be summed up neatly and matter-offactly: we eat substances in order to maintain life and growth. That is simple. However, once the issue of what we should eat crops up, the relationship suddenly becomes complex and divergent, so much so that there is a seemingly ever expanding list of eating practises: vegetarianism, veganism, pescetarianism, raw foodism, omnivorism etc. Each imbued with their own distinct ethical, health and environmental considerations.

The main division we have constructed with regard to our diets is arguably between those who eat meat and those who don’t. If we look at this from purely a health perspective, a plethora of pros and cons exists for each practice, which makes it extremely difficult to know which diet is more beneficial.

For example, some research shows that the average vegan diet (purely plant based) is higher in vitamin C and fibre. Also, a diet without any meat or dairy products is likely to contain less saturated fat (which is connected with higher cholesterol and risk of heart disease). However other research points

12

out that a vegan diet is more susceptible to being nutritionally poor as calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids are commonly found in animal products. However, this is just a surface insight into the many health perspectives out there.

Of course there are also a multitude of ethical and environmental viewpoints to consider. I recently came across an interesting and rather novel ethical/environmental

cow eats the grass, we eat the cow — is inaccurate. He believes that a cyclical view — the cow eats the grass, we eat the cow, the worms eat us (after we die), the grass eats the worms — is more accurate. In this way, he states that a person can’t be a vegetarian because even plants essentially eat animals!

On a less abstract note, Smith believes there is a more important issue than whether we eat plants or animals and this is how we treat what will become our

// ON A LESS ABSTRACT NOTE, SMITH BELIEVES THERE IS A MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE THAN WHETHER WE EAT PLANTS OR ANIMALS AND THIS IS HOW WE TREAT WHAT WILL BECOME OUR FOOD. // perspective: Andrew Smith, an assistant professor of philosophy at Drexel University, Philadelphia, specialises in environmental philosophy. He takes a step back from the common debates that take place over food. He believes that the divisions we’ve constructed between plants and animals, and between meat eating and non-meat eating diets are arbitrary. He thinks that the linear way we currently view the food chain — the

food. He possesses the theory that by treating both animals and plants well, we treat ourselves and our world well. Once we think more along these lines the focus seems to shift from meat eating versus non-meat eating, to how we can live and eat more sustainably. While his perspective may not inspire you to make a massive change to your diet, it may make us more mindful about what we eat. It’s certainly food for thought.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

012_IWT Spring_2017_IWT Education.indd 12

23/02/2017 10:09

BRANCH NEWS

The latest updates from

IWT BRANCHES NATIONWIDE Laois/Offaly Branch By Brian Gaynor On Saturday January 21st, members from Portarlington (Co Laois) voluntary organisations joined forces to continue their nature reserve creation work at Marrian Hills Nature Area beside the town’s Spa Bridge, just off the Edenderry Rd. The work coordinated by the Irish Wildlife Trust, Laois-Offaly Branch, saw member representatives from Portarlington; Tidy Towns, Trail Walking Group, Community Development Association, District Gun Club and Wildlife Conservation Group come together to create a new wildlife pond and other habitats for wildlife on site. Marrian Hills Nature The success of the Area work was heightened by the supply of a compact that local schools, scout groups and digger from Laois Hire Portarlington others will visit the site to learn about and Depot and carpet remnants from experience biodiversity for themselves.

Centrepoint Carpets Portlaoise which Contributions from Laois County helped dig and line the pond.

Council, through the LA21 scheme, Brian Gaynor, IWT Laois-Offaly local fundraising and voluntary effort Conservation Officer, said: “The have made the project possible. cooperation between individuals, organisations and local businesses to plan and implement this project is hugely encouraging and everybody is to be thanked for their efforts. The next steps LAOIS OFFALY BRANCH at the site are to improve access and put in place wildlife interpretation panels.”

Things have been quiet in the The site was treated as a waste ground, Badger Club over the Christmas suffering from illegal dumping and period, and we hope you’ve all had a lovely Christmas break. We are now anti-social behavior over the years. It looking forward to spring time, and is now hoped that the nature area will to returning to seeing you at our become a green resource for the local monthly events! community. The site is also equipped with an outdoor classroom and it’s hoped

Badger Club

UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday 11th or Sunday 12th March at 10am CONSERVATION WORK GROUP & BADGER CLUB: Tree planting, Community Centre, Clonaslee, Co Laois. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for final details.

Thursday 23rd March, 8pm TALK: ‘The importance of biodiversity, conservation issues in Ireland and how things may be improved’ by Liam Lysaght (Director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre), The Offaly Heritage Society Building, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Co Offaly.

As always, please check our Facebook page and website closer to the date of events as the details may change for reasons beyond our control.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

013_IWT Spring_2017_Branch Focus.indd 13

13

23/02/2017 10:13

BRANCH NEWS

Kerry Branch By Anthony Dawson WILD ANT It is a species we see every day, it co-exists with us in our cities and towns and also quite happily in the countryside too. The gull or seagull (if you prefer) gets a bad rap from the press every summertime when the politicians go on holiday.

Flocks of murderous gulls start attacking tourists in our capital…please! If you ta e a c oser oo in that oc es ecia around winter time around Co. Kerry)

//...IT LATER PROVED TO BE A GLAUCOUS GULL, A WINTER VISITOR WHO WAS TAKING EVERY ADVANTAGE OF THE MEAL IN FRONT OF HIM. AT 70CM THIS GULL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST BIRDS YOU WILL SEE BUT IT IS A SCARCE WINTER VISITOR TO OUR SHORES. //

ll From America

Ring billed gu

14

to Tralee. Photo:

Herring gull, on Sleah Head.

Photo: Anthony Dawson

you will see a visiting cousin or two hiding amongst them. Whilst I was viewing a recently deceased common dolphin (sadly washed up on the beach) from afar with my binoculars I spotted a very large solitary gull feeding on it. As with most of my

Anthony Dawson

sightings, I took photographs for identification aragh. later as I was too far Glaucous gull, Arkewson oto: Anthony Da Ph away. After expert analysis from Ed Canty, a local birding genius, it later proved to be a glaucous gull, a winter visitor who was taking every advantage of the meal in front of him. At 70cm this gull is one of the largest birds you will see but it is a scarce winter visitor to our shores. Breeding in Iceland or Arctic Russia, this was a huge journey for the gull I spotted in north-west Kerry, who was here to escape the cold Arctic extreme temperatures. Recently, rin i ed s are ca sin a a a on st the local Kerry birders in Tralee as they have become a regular winter visitors to the area from America. Also Iceland gulls are occasionally amongst the lesser black-backed gulls, black-headed gulls and herring gulls, while Mediterranean gulls are summertime visitors. All the different types of gull look fairly similar to the next (debatable, I know Ed). Making it a verita e inefie d for an one ho has a passing interest in identifying them but just maybe, the next time you look at that oc of s, o i ht st sto and wonder where they came from.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

013_IWT Spring_2017_Branch Focus.indd 14

23/02/2017 10:14

BRANCH NEWS

Galway Branch By Lenny Antonelli The Galway Branch has been busy in recent months, with a series of outings and talks, as well as a continuation of our otter survey of Galway City. Last November, we arranged an outing to Rockforest, an ancient, remote oak and Scots Pine woodland in the Burren (Co. Clare) that is believed to harbour the only native stand of Scots Pine in the country.

Then in December, Fergal Ó Cuinneagáin gave a talk to a packed-out room about his farm in north-west Mayo, which he is far in s ecifica to rovide ha itat for corncra e This fo o ed on fro o r fie d tri to nish ofin in , here e heard corncrake calling throughout the day. Early in February this year, Ruth Hannify of the

Vincent Wildlife Trust gave us a talk on the pine marten, and on the organisation’s work to study this species in Ireland.

Meanwhile, our otter survey continues, with weekly surveys taking place at 12.30pm every Wednesday in the city. Nimmo’s Pier at the Claddagh has been a very successful location for spraint-hunting so far. Over the coming months, we plan to continue our otter survey of the city, and are provisionally organising a guided trip to Portumna Forest Park for the spring. We also hope to arran e a fie d tri to see the cor orant colony on Roundstone Bog this summer.

In other local news, we continue to oppose plans to build on part of the meadows at

Portumna

forest park.

Photo: Anthon y Dawson

Merlin Park. Developing the land would contribute to the loss of a crucial habitat, and the loss of one of the few public green areas on the east side of Galway City.

Microbeads – Tiny but deadly By Seán Meehan Every day billions of us worldwide are inadvertently responsible for disposing trillions of plastic particles into our waterways and oceans. These tiny pollutants, known as microbeads, are found in everyday products such as toothpastes and household cleaners. In recent years, microbeads have attracted scientific attention d e to their non biodegradable nature and ability to enter and contaminate aquatic and marine food chains.

These tiny plastic spheres, less than 5mm in size, made of polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene (petrochemical plastics) are used to add a ‘gritty’ texture and volume to products ranging from facial scrubs to scouring cleaning products. Microbeads even have uses in biomedical research. Invented in the early 1980s, these revolutionary synthetic particles quickly became a staple in various industries in lieu of more expensive biodegradable products. However, once washed down drains, microbeads end up in rivers and the ocean.

Up to 100,000 microbeads can be washed down the drain, into wastewater systems, during a person’s morning shower. Mistaken as food by aquatic life, over time these particles accumulate in organisms’ bodies.

An additional impact of microbeads is their ability to absorb organic pollutants such as oils and pesticides and industrial chemicals from the surrounding water, thus poisoning marine wildlife that consume them. It has

not yet been established how far up the food chain that these toxic particles can travel but it is likely that humans are at risk, particularly through the consumption of she fish This iss e re ires a o a approach that involves industry and national governments implementing both voluntary codes of practice and legislation. n the ast five ears, so e cor orations who manufacture cosmetics and household cleaning products voluntarily commenced the phasing out of microbeads from some of their products. Yet, loopholes exist and without legislation, these same companies could return to using microbeads in the future. Some countries have implemented, or are drafting, legislation to introduce bans.

The ether ands as the first co ntr to set targets to be free of microbeads in cosmetics, while the USA introduced legislation in 2015 that requires all rinse-off cosmetic products to be microbead free by 2018. However, if we are serious about tackling the scourge of microbeads then more comprehensive bans are required, such as that proposed recently by Minister Simon Coveney.

In February 2017, Minister Coveney announced a six week public consultation period inviting stakeholders, including public regulatory entities, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, environmental NGOs and other concerned members of society

to make submissions as part of the legislation drafting process. It is hoped that with the passing of such legislation in Ireland other EU member states will follow suit. If this microbead legislation is passed, Ireland will again show Europe and the world that we are a country capable of addressing pressing environmental issues, just as we did with the plastic bag tax.

Whilst the range of microbead products available to the Irish consumer is limited, they do exist. Avoid products containing polyethylene.

If you are concerned about microbeads, follow IWT’s example and make a submission to the public consultation process which is open until March 24th 2017. Details can be found at http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/ Water/WaterQuality/Marine.

CORRECTION:

In our winter issue we published a photo of two chicks in a nest which we labelled ‘nesting swifts’.

We later discovered that they were not in fact swifts.

Watch out in our summer magazine where Lynda Huxley will be telling us more about these extraordinary birds and the efforts underway to boost their numbers in Ireland.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

013_IWT Spring_2017_Branch Focus.indd 15

15

23/02/2017 14:35

WILD IDEAS

PROTECTING ANTARCTICA’S OCEAN The agreement to protect Antarctica’s ocean was a bold move at a time of global uncertainty. By Mike Walker.

M

arine Protected Areas (MPAs) are vital for the conservation of ocean biodiversity and aintainin hea th fisheries The International Union for Conservation of Nature‘s World Parks Congress recommends protecting at least 30 er cent of the o a ocean C rrent , on a o t er cent of the ocean is protected with approximately only 2 er cent f rotected e no e traction er itted The Southern Ocean is the healthiest body of seawater on the anet ot on is it ho e to an e traordinar array of life but it is also 10 per cent of the world’s ocean and res onsi e for re atin its c rrents nd no , on ece er st , the oss ea, off the coast of ntarctica, i eco e the ar est arine rotected area on the anet, and the first ar e sca e reserve in the hi h seas, the aters e ond an nationa risdiction The decision was made on October 28th at the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of ntarctic ivin arine eso rces, CC see cca r or in o art, stra ia CC is ade of e ers states and the and is the od res onsi e for fisheries in the o thern Ocean, inc din those for ri and the crative toothfish CC e ers started the disc ssion on s in the o thern Ocean in Then in , the a reed to esta ish a re resentative s ste of s nfort nate , assed itho t this occ rrin ccessive CC eetin s fai ed to reach a ree ent on either of t o ossi e ro osa s, for the

16

 Adelie Penguins Hunting in a Sea Ice Crack

(Ross Sea, Antarctica). Photo: © John Weller

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

016_IWT Spring_2017_Wild Ideas.indd 16

23/02/2017 10:22

WILD IDEAS

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

016_IWT Spring_2017_Wild Ideas.indd 17

17

23/02/2017 10:22

WILD IDEAS

Ross Sea and the East Antarctic.

On the fina da of the eetin , the nited tates ith the intervention of the resident Barack Obama) secured the s ort of China, eavin on ssia o osin a oss ea ro osa ree ent as fina sec red in ith the invo ve ent of ecretar of tate ohn err , ssian orei n inister er e arov and ssian resident, adi ir tin This as the c ination of the efforts of co nt ess eo e ho had ca ai ned hard for e over a decade At a time when we seem ore intent on division and destr ction, the oss ea decision is a des erate needed re inder that states, inc din the nited tates, ssia, China and the , can a ree on the need to rotect the environ ent n the si natories to the ntarctic Treat a reed to set aside ntarctica for eace and science t is sti considered one of the ost s ccessf e a es of di o ac in the odern era t the rotection as ar e foc ssed on the and ass o , at a ti e of reat discord, e can finish the or started at the hei ht of the Co d ar rotectin ntarctica s o thern Ocean

 Adelie Penguins Hunting in a Sea Ice Crack

(Ross Sea, Antarctica). Photo: © John Weller

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ANTARCTICA’S SOUTHERN OCEAN? Protection of the Ross Sea is just the first ste in rea isin the commitment of the CCAMLR states to t in ace a s ste of MPAs in the Southern Ocean. It re ires reat o itica co ra e, but no more than what was de onstrated in nd as the effects of c i ate chan e eco e ore a arent, the ro e of the ocean in iti atin the is star The ro osa s ne t in ine are to rotect the aters of

// IN 1959 THE SIGNATORIES TO THE ANTARCTIC TREATY AGREED TO SET ASIDE ANTARCTICA FOR PEACE AND SCIENCE. IT IS STILL CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES OF DIPLOMACY IN THE MODERN ERA. // ast ntarctica, the edde ea, here rnest hac eton s nd rance as tra ed in the sea ice) and the waters off the ntarctic enins a The United States and New ea and ere the ro onents for the oss ea , no the ro ean nion es ecia rance er an , stra ia, r entina and Chi e need to ead in rea isin a s ste of MPAs in the Southern Ocean.

o ed the over he in ort of so an eo e ohn err co d cha ion the desi nation of the o thern Ocean s t, havin eft office, he can no on er add the considera e ress re of the tate e art ent t once as eno h e no need to direct o r s ort to rance, er an and stra ia the i need si nificant and contin ed s ort tho sands of eo e aro nd the or d s

joi n the movement Visit to WWW.ANTARCTICOCEAN.ORG

- supporting the creation of a system of MPAs in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean and build the momentum to protect this unique environment.

18

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

016_IWT Spring_2017_Wild Ideas.indd 18

23/02/2017 10:22

n o i t i t e p m Co

COMPETITION

This spring we are offering our readers the chance to win one of two new naturethemed books.

Ireland’s Animals - Myths, Legends & Folklore

by Niall Mac Coitir Niall Mac Coitir provides a comprehensive look at the folklore, legends and history of animals in Ireland. He describes their relations with people, being hunted for food, fur, sport, or as vermin, and their position today. A final section, inspired by stories of animal transformation, looks at twelve animals and how we can enrich our lives by visualising ourselves with their special qualities. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated compilation of folklore, legends and natural history will delight all with an interest in Ireland’s animals.

The Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 2010-2015

by Dr. Liam Lysaght and Ferdia Marnell The Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 2010-2015 is the first publication to map all mammals that occur on the island of Ireland and its marine waters. Almost a quarter of a million mammal sightings from 57 different datasets were used to produce distribution maps of 72 species. The book contains especially written species accounts by 42 leading authorities on mammals. More than 2,000 recorders have submitted records to the atlas. Maps compare the pre-2010 distribution to 2010-2015 distribution.

We have a copy of the new Atlas of Mammals in Ireland and a copy of Ireland’s Animals - Myths, Legends & Folklore to give away.

To be in with a chance to win, just answer the following question: The largest marine protected area in the world was recently declared on which continent?

Send your answer, name and postal address, and the prize you would prefer, to irishwildlife@iwt.ie by May 1st 2017

Winter ’16 winners: In our winter issue we gave our readers a chance to win a copy of The Breathing Burren by Gordon D’Arcy or The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds.

The question we asked was: Which native Irish cuddly carnivore is making a comeback but has attracted unwanted media attention? The answer was: the pine marten.

The winners are: Brendan Harvey from Navan in Co. Meath, Deborah Maxwell from Louisburgh, Co Mayo (The Breathing Burren) and John O’Toole in Dublin 18 (The Garden Awakening).

Congratulations and many thanks to all who entered!

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

019_IWT Spring_2017_Competition.indd 19

19

23/02/2017 10:23

FEATURE

Putting Mammals

IN THEIR PLACE On the 10th anniversary of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Dr.Liam Lysaght discusses the organisation’s new landmark publication, Atlas of Mammals in Ireland.

Red squirrel. Photo: Andrew Kelly

20

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

020_IWT Spring_2017_Feature.indd 20

23/02/2017 10:26

FEATURE

n January of this year, the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) celebrated the 10th anniversary of its establishment by the Heritage Council in 2007.

The role of the NBDC is to provide a focal point around the collation, management and publication of data on Ireland’s biological diversity, serving as a showcase for biodiversity data, much in the same way that the cultural institutions like the National Museum of Ireland, the National Library and the National Botanic Gardens do for their sectors. t as fittin that the th anniversary coincided with the release of the landmark publication, the Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 20102015, by the NBDC. This is the first a or at as ro ect to e coordinated by the NBDC and is the c ination of five ears of work, collaborating with key national mammal organisations and experts to produce a very comprehensive benchmark on the state of knowledge on mammal distribution across the island of Ireland and a vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

IRELAND’S MAMMAL FAUNA The atlas presents information on 72 mammal species that have been recorded in Ireland and its marine waters over the last 100 years or so. Of these, 68 are known to have bred in Ireland since the 18th Century, or are naturally occurring migrants or vagrants.

The 68 species are represented by nine different mammal groups, including rodents, lagomorphs (rabbits etc.), bats, carnivores, deer, seals, whales and dolphins, and even marsupials (there are rednecked wallabies on Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin).

A further four additional species: roe deer, coypu, Siberian chipmunk and raccoon, are also included in the atlas as these have either escaped from captivity or were released deliberately into the wild, but there is no evidence as yet of them breeding. The inclusion of these species is important for it demonstrates the relatively good surveillance systems that are now in place within Ireland to track the arrival of new species whose presence in the wild would be a cause of grave concern for the threat they pose to Ireland’s established biodiversity.

Long eared bat. Photo: Maurice Flynn

Common Dolphin. Photo: M. Brown

// THE 68 SPECIES ARE REPRESENTED BY NINE DIFFERENT MAMMAL GROUPS, INCLUDING RODENTS, LAGOMORPHS... BATS, CARNIVORES, DEER, SEALS, WHALES AND DOLPHINS, AND EVEN MARSUPIALS (THERE ARE RED-NECKED WALLABIES ON LAMBAY ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF DUBLIN). // THE DATABASE The Atlas of Mammals in Ireland database is a huge collection of 237,463 mammal sightings. This consists of 57 different datasets made available to the project by partner organisations, researchers and national experts. This also includes more than 14,000 sightings that were submitted to the project through the Atlas of Mammals in Ireland online record submission system by more than 2,400 individual recorders.

The dataset contains records from 5,884 different 10km squares across the mapped area.

The vast majority of records are from the land area of Ireland.

However, the offshore records go out to about 160km from land. Beyond that, there are clusters of sightings along the

continental shelf and on the Rockall Bank, but vast areas remain without any mammal sightings. This will change in the future, as new surveys are done, employing modern technologies.

TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS The distribution of 49 different terrestrial species is mapped for the island of Ireland and its offshore islands. There are some signs of regional variation in terms of the number of species recorded within each 10km square, but is it unclear whether this discernible pattern is due to a real and existing variation or just observer effort.

Fewer species were recorded along the entire west coast from Kerry north to Donegal, parts of the midwest around Limerick and Clare, and for a swathe of the midlands, Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

020_IWT Spring_2017_Feature.indd 21

21

23/02/2017 10:26

FEATURE

Highlight GREY WOLF now extinct in Ireland Details of wolf distribution in Ireland from the 12th to 18th Century are provided, based on research undertaken by Kieran Hickey for his book ‘Wolves in Ireland’.

Historic reference to the wolf from documents and reports are mapped, from the earliest record of a reference to the hunting of wolves at ‘various lands near Waterford’ c.1185, up to 1786 when the last wolf was reportedly shot on Mount Leinster in Co. Carlow. In all, 31 specific site references, 8 regional references and a further 15 county references are mapped.

Grey wolf. Photo: iStock

extending westwards from Mullingar. The 10km square with most terrestrial species recorded is T19, around Laragh in County Wicklow. Here, 29 different species were recorded.

THE TEXT Accompanying the distribution maps are specially written acco nts coverin identification, distribution, ecology, habitat and population. Forty one authors were invited to write the species accounts, each a recognised expert on their particular species.

For each of the main species, two distribution maps are presented showing the number of sightings prior to 2010 and from 2010 to 2015. The sightings are collated at the 10km resolution for the terrestrial species and

Canis Lupus Signatus. Photo:

Juan José González Vega

at the 50km for the seals and cetaceans. For the terrestrial species, the density of 1km squares within each 10km

//THE TOTAL PACKAGE ADDS UP TO A WONDERFUL COMPENDIUM OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON IRELAND’S MAMMALS, AND WILL SERVE AS A VALUABLE BASELINE FOR HOW THIS DEVELOPS OVER THE YEARS AHEAD. // 22

square, for which there are records, are shown, whereas for the marine species, the total number of sightings within each 50km square is shown.

Other information for each species includes the total number of records, the number of 10km or 50km squares from which it has been recorded, and a phenology graph showing the frequency of sightings by month. For some of the rarer cetacean species (whales and dolphins),

a separate map showing strandings is included.

There is more to the mammal atlas than just the s ecies rofi es t a so includes chapters on the ori ins of a a s in re and an ont o er , a a research in re and Co in Lawton, legislation and id a a s in re and Ferdia Marnell and advances in mammal studies using genetic analysis by Denise O’Meara and Catherine O ei The fina cha ter is a forward-looking piece on the future outlook for a a s in re and fro the perspective of the editors, Ferdia Marnell and Liam Lysaght. The total package adds up to a wonderful compendium of the state of no ed e on re and s mammals, and will serve as a valuable baseline for how this develops over the years ahead.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

020_IWT Spring_2017_Feature.indd 22

23/02/2017 10:26

FEATURE

Otters along the River Boyne,

Co. Meath by Paul Hayes

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Squirrel/pine marten interaction?

The at as is ti e as it sho s the return of the red squirrel back to parts of the Midlands from where it had become absent, and a contraction in ran e of the re s irre The dramatic expansion in range of the ine arten, hich a e a contri tor factor in the chan in o ation d na ics of the squirrels, is also mapped.

Highlight OTTER the most widely distributed species Ireland has one of the healthiest populations of otter of any European country. The species has been extensively surveyed over several decades. It occurs throughout the country and is the most widely distributed of all terrestrial species, having been recorded in 943 10km squares.

MAMMAL ATLAS – A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT One of the striking things about the atlas is how much of a collaborative effort it has been. The atlas covers almost a quarter of a million mammal observations, and these have been provided different ro s and individuals. All the main bodies involved in mammal records, from both the private and public sector contributed with data and expertise.

National Parks and Wildlife ervice, orthern re and nviron ent enc , rish

Whale and Dolphin Group, Bat Conservation Ireland, Northern Ireland Bat Group and the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, all contri ted si nificant to the production of the atlas.

The atlas demonstrates the important role that the ationa iodiversit ata Centre has to a in the collation, collection and dissemination of information on re and s io o ica diversit Compiling and presenting scientific infor ation in this manner ensures that the importance of conservation is communicated to a wider audience, and helps to build the case for conservation.

Widespread species Badger, red fox and Irish hare are e tre e ides read species in Ireland, and were recorded throughout the co ntr o rano, co on pipistrelle and Leisler’s bat are the most widespread bat species, hi e co on do hin and re sea are, far, the ost ide recorded marine mammals.

Hedgehog Thanks to a huge effort from recorders, we are now able to confir that hed eho is ide distributed in urban and rural parts of Ireland. It is found on lowlands throughout the co ntr , t see s to avoid the wet ground of blanket bog, and is local or absent

from other areas, such as the drumlin belt of counties Monaghan and Cavan.

Vagrants re and s ver rare, va rant species are also mapped.

Included are sightings of both the greater horseshoe and Brandt’s bat, and unusual sightings of marine mammals, ost nota for earded sea and walrus. Of the cetaceans, there is a single sighting of Gervais’s beaked whale, and a few sightings of beluga and false killer whale.

New arrivals The atlas also maps the distribution of some of Ireland’s newest arrivals, showing the continued range expansion of the bank vole which is now widespread in the south western ha f of the co ntr The reater white-toothed shrew range now e tends fro Cor Cit north to irr, Co Offa , ith a ne population established around Mullingar in Co. Westmeath.

The atlas reports that the greater white-toothed shrew has now crossed the River hannon in Co C are, hi e the restricted distribution of the dormouse is also mapped.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

020_IWT Spring_2017_Feature.indd 23

23

23/02/2017 10:26

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Floodplain

FORESTS John James Audubon’s commentary on the great floodplain forests of the south-eastern USA resonates with their former primordial splendour. By Gordon D’Arcy

W

ould that I could describe the extent of these deep morasses, overshadowed by millions of gigantic dark cypresses spreading their moss-covered branches as if to admonish intruding man to pause and re ect on the an diffic ties hich he must encounter should he venture far into their inaccessible recesses…’

When Audubon wrote this in 1831 i ions of acres of ood ain forest e isted from Texas to the Carolinas. Comprising of more than 200 tree species, such as a 50 metre high bald cypress, loblolly pine and tupelo, these forests supported an astonishin arra of ora and fa na

Plate 66 of Birds of America by John James

Audubon depicting Ivory-billed Woodpecker

24

and were the ancestral homes of many swamp Indian tribes. Undaunted by the many dangers of the region, the intrepid Audubon sought out (and shot) many of the ood ain forest irds inc din the spectacular ivory-billed woodpecker, ‘great chieftain of the tribe’- as portrait specimens for his Birds of North America.

With the advance of European settlers, and ides read avai a i it of firear s, the ‘bottomland forests’ became important hunting grounds. Diseases new to America – smallpox, measles etc. - brought by the ioneers, s read i e i dfire thro h the region, effectively wiping out the swamp Indians. By the 1880s the lumber industry, which had almost cleared the eastern ‘goodland’ of its trees, turned its attention to the va a e ood ain ti er Those remnants that survived the axe and the plough were drowned in reservoirs. By the a orit of the ood ain forests were gone. With them went the ‘great chieftain’, declared extinct by 1944.

My four-day visit to the last tract of ori ina ood ain forest in o th Caro ina, and the ar est in the , was spent trekking and canoeing through its extraordinary wilderness. Extending over 25,000 acres, Congaree (named after the Indian tribe that once inhabited it), is now a National Park. Dominated by gigantic ‘old growth’ cypresses with buttresses at their bases, festooned with lichens, mosses and draped with vines, the forest is just as Audubon described.

The atmosphere is unique; the silence is broken only by dripping water, bird calls,

the scampering of unseen creatures through the leaf litter and the occasional startling crash of a rotten bough. Eight species of woodpeckers are found here but alas, no longer the ivory-bill, not seen since 1930.

Ivory-bills were hunted by the swamp Indians as items of ritual display. They were shot by specimen collectors and trophy hunters for their beautiful feathers. They were killed by loggers for ‘damaging’ trees.

It was, however, the massive destruction of their habitat that eventually caused their eradication. Today, the iconic ivory-billed woodpecker has become the unfortunate symbol for the effects of habitat destruction throughout the world.

Yet the story is not without hope. The last fra ents of o d ro th ood ain forest are now strictly protected from logging and measures are underway to restore and even expand what remains. The possibility also

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

024_IWT Spring_2017_Exploring Wildlife.indd 24

23/02/2017 10:30

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

The section of the Gearagh, Co. Cork, which was

destroyed by an ESB dam. By Pádraic Fogarty

// THIS 300HA ‘ALLUVIAL WOODLAND’, A COMPLEX OF BRAIDED CHANNELS, WOODED ISLANDS AND FLOODED ‘BOTTOMLAND’ IS REGARDED AS THE LARGEST REMNANT OF ITS KIND IN WESTERN EUROPE. // remains that the ivory-bill may still survive, though recent reports of sightings from old growth forest in Arkansas have been treated skeptically by many ornithologists. re and s ce e rated ood ain forest is the Gearagh, on the River Lee in Co. Cork. This 300ha ‘alluvial woodland’, a complex of braided channels, wooded is ands and ooded otto and is regarded as the largest remnant of its kind in Western Europe. In prehistoric times s ch ood ain forest o d have een widespread in the catchments of our larger

rivers and particularly along the River Shannon. Although it is not endowed with dominating cypresses, the Gearagh contains a mixture of hardwoods, with oak and ash dominating on the drier islands and alder, birch and willow in the wetter areas. Like that of its much grander US counterpart, the dense labyrinthine forest of the Gearagh offers the visitor an extraordinary primordial experience. By rish standards, its ora is rich and varied containing rarities such as Irish spurge and mudwort, not to mention a myriad

et and s ecifics ts fa na inc des fresh ater sse s, scarce dra on ies and many retiring birds and mammals.

The return of the salmon to upstream spawning grounds through the Gearagh in recent years has been hailed as an important turning point in the ‘regularising’ of the waterways, formerly radically altered by engineering works under the Lee scheme.

The future of the Gearagh, (protected now as a Statutory Nature Reserve), seems assured. As with Congaree, an unobtrusive programme of restoration and expansion in decades to come should even enhance the habitat. e ectin on the for er rande r of o r ood ain forests, is it too fancif to imagine that they too may have been inhabited by some ‘great chieftain’ of a bird - now gone and unknown to us?

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

024_IWT Spring_2017_Exploring Wildlife.indd 25

25

23/02/2017 10:30

SPRING FOCUS

END OF A

SEASON Billy Flynn talks about the beauty of a passing season.

F

our times a year, the editor of Irish Wildlife sends out a polite email thanking the regular contributors for their input and asks if they would like to submit an article for the next edition. Of these quarterly requests, there is no question as to which I like best and indeed even look forward to. It is the request for the spring edition and the promise that, spring itself, must surely be coming soon. have a diffic t re ationshi ith inter easi east favourite of the seasons. But fear not, I’m not about to use up column space by moaning about the short days and dark nights.

Instead, I’d like to focus on the positives as the season now draws to its close. This is, in part, due a niggling guilt for the way I typically shun the chilly months, but maybe also because it is only now that spring is close that I can warm to winter.

Feeding birds in winter is much more satisfying than at any other time. Yes, this is when they can make best use of any additional nutrition, so you do feel that you are doing some good, but it’s not that. It’s the colours and movement that give the most pleasure.

These little visitors never seem so vivid or vital than during the coldest months when they attack the birdfeeders con gusto. A few years ago I suspended peanut and seed feeders in front of the windows of the playroom so that our youngest could see the birds close up. Blue tits, redpolls and siskins bring multiple hues and practice wonderful gymnastics on all but the wettest of days.

 Pair of Feeding Blue Tits. Photo: iStock

26

 Co Wicklow. Photo: iStock

Despite a great crop of apples this year and burdened cotoneaster branches, no waxwing has yet deigned to visit. Perhaps next year.

I’ll admit that I have spent too many hours grumbling about the darkness of winter. But this is to ignore the wonderful brightness on a cold winter’s morning. Starting a day’s work in Kildare last December, an engineer and I were discussing the cold. “Still”, he said. “It’s a beautiful day. Look at it.” And I did.

I felt somewhat ashamed as I hadn’t even noticed the frozen beauty of the cobwebs, and how humdrum plants like soft rush and hogweed were transformed by thick whiteness into miniature frosty forests. Nor had I really looked at the truly blue sky, absolutely cloudless all the way to where it met the white tops of the Wicklow Mountains. When had I last seen such pure light?

Perhaps we tend to ignore it without summer’s attendant warmth.

No matter the time of year, I still try to be outside as much as I’m allowed (or can stand it). While walking the same routes the year round may seem dull, the winter starkness of my two kilometre a e the ini a o ed the do itho t h e rotest

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

026_IWT Spring_2017_Spring Focus.indd 26

23/02/2017 10:32

SPRING FOCUS

// NOR HAD I REALLY LOOKED AT THE TRULY BLUE SKY, ABSOLUTELY CLOUDLESS ALL THE WAY TO WHERE IT MET THE WHITE TOPS OF THE WICKLOW MOUNTAINS. WHEN HAD I LAST SEEN SUCH PURE LIGHT? //

never ceases to amaze me. Hedgerows that seem massively thick and impenetrable in summer become translucent by December. Old nests slouch in the V of hawthorn branches. However, it’s the trees that fascinate me most. Winter allows you the only time when you can truly appreciate their shape and scale. Willows seem terribly spare and blackthorn looks spitefully jagged. Birch trees though, somehow look fantastic whatever the season or setting. A row of mature ash trees on a nearby skyline looks so impossibly skeletal in front of a setting winter sun that it is hard to imagine them in full foliage, although this is how I have seen them for so many years.

However, it’s a horse chestnut that has fascinated me most this winter. A really unusual ‘specimen’ tree, it stands at a junction of two small Fermanagh roads near a river, close to the border. Easily a century and a half old, it bears the hallmarks of some stresses in earlier life and some truly ponderous and moss-covered lower branches. It forces the passer-by to stop and marvel at not just the huge scale of it but also the intricacy of the details that would defy faithful rendering in any artistic reproduction. The improbably large

 Ballinafagh Lake, Co.K

ildare, by Pádraic Fogarty

buds let me know that soon these details will be lost from sight, as the ranches eco e rec othed and o ers a ear t see this impressive winter tree again, I hope, as the seasons will surely turn.

Okay, maybe it’s only the ‘close enough to touch’ proximity of spring that allows me to speak warmly of winter. You know: the way you chat with guests that have stayed far longer than you’d expected as you usher them to the door. This was great. We must do this again. You must come back. Just not too soon.

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

026_IWT Spring_2017_Spring Focus.indd 27

27

23/02/2017 10:32

FIELD REPORT

Who Cares About Butterflies?

Monitoring from the National Biodiversity Data Centre is revealing some worrying trends in the population of our butterflies.

Tomás Murray explains why we should all be concerned.

Common Blue butterfly, Image by K Murphy.

28

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

028_IWT Spring_2017_Field report.indd 28

23/02/2017 10:47

FIELD REPORT

J

126 sites across Ireland are monitored each week from April to September by a team of 119 citizen scientists.

Your time per year 26 hrs

8 hrs

6hrs

mins/hrs

mins/hrs

Butterfly monitoring scheme Reduced effort scheme/Atlas Single-species monitoring/Atlas

What this tells us

Distribution changes

Across Europe, our temperature regime has moved northward by ca. 250km since 1990 with a resultant northward shift of ore ar ovin tter ies e s a white and meadow brown) by 114km, compared to 37km shift for birds. hat are o r rish tter ies te in s 126 sites across Ireland are now monitored each week from April to September by a team of 119 citizen scientists, recording on avera e , tter ies across species. In combination with 360 recorders submitting 5,000 casual sightings each year, the evidence ase for tter conservation in re and is fina esta ishin itse f e re still in the process of collating records from 2016 but initial estimates are that it was the worst year since the scheme began in 2008 with counts down by 54 per cent on average across species and sites. Of the 16 s ecies here e have s fficient data to accurately identify population changes, 4 are increasin e ri stone and s a co er , are decreasin e oran e ti and cryptic wood white) and 4 are too variable to assign a trend. According to the latest report from the EEA, Europe has lost 30 er cent of its tter o ations since 1990 while Ireland was in the top 5 out of 21 countries with the greatest decline in both widespread and specialist species. hat can o do to he rish tter ies Get involved! No matter how much time you have, even a little can be spent helping

Population changes

im lists his occupation as far er and rovides a detailed description of how to a e a fist si ed tter cage from rushes. Jim is ears o d, it s the th of Octo er , he s in schoo t the person being taught to build the cage is his grandfather, Livingston, then 70, who di i ent rote do n i s instr ctions that now reside in perpetuity as part of the choo s Co ection see d chas ie hat i s acco nt so a i strates is o r shared chi d i e fascination ith insects and how thoughts of running through fie ds chasin tter ies dra s a niversa image of innocence and warmth. For those fortunate enough to retain, or regain, this fascination for tter ies in ad thood, it is the principle reason they now volunteer their time to help the National Biodiversity ata Centre C to onitor these ea tif insects o ever, don t a o the aesthetics of these animals to trivialise the otivations of those ho record re and s tter s ecies, as increasin conservation scientists, land managers, policy makers, and now climatologists are all paying much ore attention to this ro of insects and sincerely wishing they had done so sooner).

The ost co on ro e for tter ies in our ecosystems is that of food for a range of other animals. It is estimated that, across Ireland and Britain, blue tits alone consume over 50 billion caterpillars per year.

Therefore, to protect the myriad of species hich ti ise tter and oth arvae as food, clearly monitoring and conserving their habitats should be a priority too. Other than supporting terrestrial food webs, the value of tter ies to h an societ is increasin as indicators of change. Given that there are ca. 11,400 species of insect in Ireland and e can t onitor the a , tter ies act as an re a ro , hose chan es si taneo s re ect chan es across a breadth of other terrestrial insect groups. tter ies are a so considered i ediate indicators in that they predict future changes faster than in s o er reactin s ecies s ch as birds and plants. For example, loss of breeding areas and habitat fragmentation can ca se tter co nities to chan e ithin ears, o erin their a ndance t a so eadin to ess s ecies rich co nities do inated enera ists s ch as the reen veined white, peacock and ringlet. Similarly, tter ies have een for a ado ted by the European Environmental Agency as indicators of c i ate chan e

Butterfly Atlas project Casual recording

tter ies and he in s onitor the There are a host of ways to participate, either thro h the re and o inator an an of the actions enefit oth ees and tter ies , oinin tter Conservation Ireland or simply coming along to one of the C s free or sho s to earn ho to identif tter ies n ti e o re i in to give will make a genuine impact on our ability to conserve these insects and track changes in the Irish landscape and climate.

Ireland has changed dramatically since the ti e that itt e i reer ade his tter ca e fro r shes t that chan e doesn t have to ean the end of the tter Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

028_IWT Spring_2017_Field report.indd 29

29

23/02/2017 10:47

MEMBERS’ LETTERS

OVER TO YOU As the darkness of winter slowly fades away and the welcomed warmth of spring arrives to our shores, IWT members visit wildlife at sea and in the skies and share their stories with us.

FANtastic Find!

Dear IWT, Here are pictures of tube worms.

The photos were taken at low tide from the shore between Warrenpoint and Rostrevor looking towards the Cooley Mountains during a recent Coastwatch survey.

Thanks, Jen! These seem to be peacock worms, which live in muddy sand around the coast.

Their tentacles emerge from the tubes like a fan of feathers, which they use to collect small particles of food.

- From IWT

All the best, Jen Lynch

Tube worm

OVERHEAD A

Murm ura Bally tion at willia m

30

IR SHOW

Hi IWT, Here’s an image of a starling mur muration captured moment I’m putti in County Wex ng together a colle ford. At the ction of images of by the murmurat the various shap ion at Ballywillia es produced m , Co. Wexford. place in the gene This event has be ral area for man en taking y years. Every even out to watch the ing that I get the show, it’s a truly ch ance, I go amazing spectacle attacked by the pe , even more so w regrine falcons. I he n they are ha ve seen four falcons They drive them attack in the one into a tight ball, evening. so m ewhat like shoals predators.They ha of fish when atta ve been using th ck ed by e same plantatio weeks, but somet n for roosting fo imes, for no appa r the last few rent reason they some miles away can decide to go . to another one Regards, Edward Delaney

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

030_IWT Spring_2017_Over to You.indd 30

23/02/2017 10:57

MEMBERS’ LETTERS

BIRD VOMIT! Thanks to Barry Murphy for bringing this unusual phenomenon to our attention!

As a defence mechanism, the fulmar (a sea bird which nests on coastal cliffs) can projectile vomit a gluey stomach oil that renders a predator unable to fly. Gerry Quigley from Mayo spotted this peregrine victim perched on a low wall. When approached, the falcon ran across the road (being unable to fly) and tried to hide in a field, where these pictures were taken. He will most likely have been taken by a fox later.

FUN FACT: A female peregrine is called a falcon, while the male is a tiercel, socalled because he is approximately 1/3 smaller than the female.

Otters on the Rive Dodder , Dublin r Hi, I read with interest Stephen McArdle’ s article on otters in your winter edition and have attached a photo I took on the River Dod der in Dublin, along the Orwell Walk on Sun day 18th December last, showing two young otter s playing with their mother. So that’s the place to look!

Tony McGaley Dublin 16. v

GOLDEN GLOVE FIGHT

www.facebo

ok.com/Irish

WildlifeTrust/

Hi IWT, I took this photo in my garden. Goldfinches were particularly active among the niger seed feeders so I carefully placed a feeder in direct sunlight to hopefully capture them fighting over the seed. They are indeed very aggressive birds! I sat in a hide and not long after at least ten goldfinches were fighting amongst each other.

It was very difficult to capture them in focus but I managed to get a few.

, Co Meath

Goldfinches

Thanks, Ben Whitley, Nobber, County Meath

PHOTO OF TH

E MONTH!

Congratulatio ns to MARTIN GOLDEN: “I to photo on the ok this 16th January at the entrance University of Lim to the erick the day my son receive Masters. It wa d his s taken with a Cannon EOS ca mera.”

If you have a story, question, or an image you’d like to share with us, or, God forbid, even a complaint, send it to irishwildlife@iwt.ie Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

030_IWT Spring_2017_Over to You.indd 31

31

23/02/2017 10:58

ON LOCATION

A DAY OUT

ON THE BOG For Katie Flood, a day on the bog with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) can vary hugely, from counting butterflies on Lullymore West Bog, Co. Kildare, to using a giant rubber mallet to hammer plastic lumber into a drain on Coad Bog, Co. Kerry.

A

day of blocking drains on the bog will definite id a s eat ith ent of lifting and swinging mallets! However, it is one of the most rewarding jobs as the rising water levels in the drains can be seen almost immediately. Blocking drains sin astic er and eat is a i art of the restoration or that ta es ace on CC s o s rains are oc ed to restore the nat ra hydrology in the bog and make the conditions s ita e for the ro th of ha n oss the o i der To onitor the s ccess of drain oc in , re ar ater eas re ents are recorded on the bogs. For e a e on od e o , Co i dare, these eas re ents are recorded at the start of every month. Recording da s consist of eas rin ater eve s at di e s s read o t over the entire ha o hi e a in aro nd the o e also record any wildlife observed. These onth visits are a reat o ort nit to see the chan es in the o thro ho t the ear ven in the de ths of inter, s ecies s ch as sni e are active ith irds risin on Girley Bog in Meath in November! ach ear the onth of ri rin s ith it the ret rn of the c r e and the start of the tter season i d ife onitorin a s a a or ro e in the CC s or e have the eas re of o servin c r e ehavio r on od e o ever da hi e the birds are nesting on the site. This

32

g

Blocking drains works in risin

the water table. Photo: P. Fogarty

or he s s to nderstand the needs of these threatened irds and he s s to ens re the reed s ccessf rin the tter season ri Octo er a da on ore est o , Co i dare, i consist of a nice stead a thro h the site, co ntin and recordin tter ies a on a tter transect The rare arsh friti ar tter is fo nd on the site n s rin and a t n e s end a da or t o r in o r heads in the rass in search for their larval nests containing tin ac cater i ars There is a a s reat excitement when a new nest is discovered.

The CC o n and ana e five eat and nat res reserves across re and t o in i dare and one each in eath, err

Katie F

lood from the IPCC. Ph oto: P. Fo garty

and Waterford. All of these sites are managed for the conservation of habitats and i d ife ana in eat ands ta es the s ort of dedicated vo nteers, a ot of h sica a o r, re ar onitorin and a assion for these ea tif , ni e and r ed andsca es For more information on IPCC’s reserves visit www.ipcc.ie. 2017 will be full of exciting new projects so if you wish to sign up as a volunteer please contact me at bogs@ipcc.ie or call 045 860133

Irish Wildlife Spring ‘17

032_IWT Spring_2017_On Location.indd 32

23/02/2017 10:48

SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY FIELD TRIPS WITH THE IWT It is amazing what we can learn in our local nature reserve, park or even school grounds – all we have to do is get out in nature and have a look.

This year the IWT is running a range of curriculumlinked school field trips tailored to Junior Cert, Transition Year and Leaving Cert. All field trips are led by an IWT scientist, can be run in a location convenient to your school and cover biology curriculum needs such as ‘study of a habitat’.

For course information, pricing and booking contact us at conservation@iwt.ie or call 01 860 2839

IWT Biology Field Trips_V2.indd 1

18/08/2016 15:24

IFC ads.indd 1

19/08/2016 16:04

Introducing the new Irish Wildlife Trust membership card.

Please fill in your name, cut out and keep your new membership card to present at talks and other events.

Cards valid until 31st December 2017.

Your 2018 card will be printed in our spring 2018 issue.

IBC_IWT Spring_2017_2 Half.indd 1

Membership Card 2017

Individual members, please fill in your full name. Family members, please fill in your family name. Card valid until 31st December 2017. Your 2018 card will be printed in our spring 2018 magazine. © Irish Wildlife Trust 2017.

23/02/2017 14:14

CARSTEN KRIEGER PHOTOGRAPH FINE ART PRINTS - BOOKS - WORKSHOPS CARSTEN KRIEGER

FINE ART PRINTS - BOOK

Join or renew your IWT membership today and make a difference for Irish Wildlife

OBC_IWT 1 Untitled-2 Spring_2017_Badger.indd 1 ADVERT.indd 1

CARS

Join or renew your

22/02/2017 14:16 26/02/2016 16:44 2/9/14 09:53:10