Curlew in flight. \ Janice Mulligan
Farmers need to be funded to keep gorse and scrub, and more efforts need to be made to ensure wild bird cover suits the bird species in the area, BirdWatch Ireland has said.
Speaking on Teagasc’s Environment Edge podcast in a week that saw a report from BirdWatch Ireland and RSPB NI showing one quarter of Ireland’s bird population was at risk, Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland said farmers deserved more funding to support birds.
“We in Birdwatch Ireland are very much of the view that farmers who want to support biodiversity deserve a lot more support for that.
SHARING OPTIONS:
One of Pat McKenna s Dexter cows which will be going up to graze on the Slieve Beagh hills in Co Monaghan. \ Claire Nash
Monaghan farmer Pat McKenna keeps 100 head of Dexter cows and followers on 70ac in the foothills of Slieve Beagh in Co Monaghan and, this summer, he will be trialling virtual fencing for 20 weanlings on the hills.
McKenna also has a sizeable portion of land on the mountain, which has peatland-type soil. He plans to put the weanlings up on the hills by the end of the month.
“I’m in the process of getting 20 collars from a Norwegian company called Nofence.
April 26, 2021 12:52 pm
Citizen scientists can help to bring one of Ireland’s most iconic birds “back from the brink” – curlew conservation – by reporting sightings to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The Curlew Conservation Programme is encouraging members of the public to record locations of curlew sightings between April and June and report the information to the NPWS team.
Breeding curlew are currently nesting in bogs, pastures, meadows and other open and wet habitats in curlew hotspots around the country.
By submitting records of sightings, the public can help build up a national picture of the number of breeding birds.
Updated / Friday, 23 Apr 2021
17:31
Curlew numbers have decreased by 96% in a 30-year period
People are being encouraged to report sightings of breeding curlews as part of a programme aimed at bringing the iconic bird back from the brink .
The Curlew Conservation Programme is encouraging landowners and other members of the public to record locations of curlew sightings between April and June and report the information to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The NPWS has said breeding curlew are currently nesting in bogs, pastures, meadows and other open and wet habitats in hotspots around the country.
The identified hotspots are: Stack s Mountains, Co Kerry; Lough Corrib; Lough Ree; North Roscommon/Mayo; Mid-Leitrim; North Monaghan; Donegal; the Slieve Aughty Mountains and counties Laois and Kildare.