The Curious Case of the Jawless Living Fossils.
Beneath the surface of the River Blackwater and its tributaries swim fish that have no scales, no bones and no jaws. This curious group of species, known as lamprey, are not very well known to the Irish people, yet they have existed in Irish freshwaters for millions of years; well before man ever colonised the landscape. The earliest known occurrences of lamprey in the fossil record go back over...
Tomorrow's future guardians of the environment
A lot of fun learning about nature was had at this year's IRD Duhallow's Nature Camp. Children are receptive to environmental education if it is interesting and entertaining. Up to 17 children attended this years’ camp and were entertained by a number of fun outdoor activities including pond dipping for aquatic invertebrates, bug hunting with nets, small mammal trapping, scavenger hunts...
Return of the Skydancer
Satellite tagged hen harrier returns to nest in Kerry Hen harriers are one of Ireland’s threatened birds of prey and an icon of the Irish uplands. In springtime the ‘skydancing’ of the ‘white hawk’ as the male hen harrier is sometimes known as locally is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in nature, the male rising to sometimes great heights before plummeting to the ground in a rolling display...
RaptorLIFE Newsletter - Winter 2017/2018
Winter is a great time for wildlife spotting. Less greenery and the need to constantly forage for limited food means birds and mammals are easier to see at this time of year. The RaptorLIFE team are also busy out and about! Satellite tagged hen harrier RaptorLIFE have been monitoring hen harriers during both their breeding and wintering seasons. However one of the biggest gaps in our knowledge...
Controlled burning demonstration
Cork Wildfire Co-operative Group, of which RaptorLIFE is a partner, organised a vegetation management and controlled burning demonstration at Millstreet Country Park. The demonstration was conducted to show landowners how to burn safely for the sustainable management of our uplands. RaptorLIFE were proud to participate in this initiative and plan on putting into practice some of the techniques we...
Inspiring Environmental Awareness in Our Communities
Check out the ESAI website for an article on RaptorLIFE in the 2017 ESAI Spring newsletter http://us9.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4f5195295381516c8d91f2230...
Ballydangan Bog Project
RaptorLIFE visited Ballydangan Bog Project to view first hand the excellent work being carried out on their project. Ballydangan is a 240 ha of restored high bog in County Roscommon, with three other bogs being managed too. The project aims to reverse the decline of red grouse in This is achieved through a range of best-practice red grouse conservation strategies including heather management,...
RaptorLIFE Newsletter - Summer 2017
The long days of summer are finally here, and the countryside is alive with colourful flowers and animals busily tending to their young. The RaptorLIFE team have also been busy! The following provides a short update on what we have been up to.. Prey monitoringThe team have been busy recording both the number and types of small mammals and birds on all our project farms. This allows us to...
Ladybirds and citizen science talk
Come join us for a free talk by Gill Weymen. Held at IRD Duhallow from 7pm and refreshments will be provided. WE will follow the talk by a hunt for native ladybirds in the grounds of of the James O'Keeffe Institute and will record our findings as part of the 2017 All Ireland Ladybird Survey.
Free Talk: Angling and our Rivers in Duhallow
Come join us for a free talk by Tom Ankettell from the Duhallow Angling Centre of Excellence. Held at IRD Duhallow from 7pm and refreshments will be provided. An evening to learn all about an area of outstanding angling and freshwater species!
RaptorLIFE Newsletter- Spring 2017
Spring is finally here, birds including robins, song thrushes and mistle thrushes are already singing, the buds of birch, oak and hazel are bursting, and flowers are blooming. The RaptorLIFE team are also rearing to go! The following provides a short update on what we are up to. Creation of wildlife corridor RaptorLIFE has started work on a joint project with Coillte to create a wildlife...
Owls and Merlin in Duhallow Talk
Come join us for a free talk by BirdWatch Ireland's John Lusby! Held at IRD Duhallow from 7pm and refreshments will be provided. An evening to learn all about our native owls and merlin!
RaptorLIFE Newsletter - Winter 2016/2017
Winter is here, our native deciduous trees have lost their leaves, winter migrating bird species, such as redwings and Brent geese have arrived, and mammals are slowing down their activity. However, there is no rest for the RaptorLIFE team! The following provides a short update on what we have been up to. Fencing of river banksOur crews have been working hard fencing the banks of the Araglin and...
Hen harrier tagging project roundup 2016
HEN HARRIER PRODUCTIVITY AND NEST SUCCESSA total of 39 sites were monitored across all regions as part of the satellite tagging projects with the highest fledging success rates in the Ballyhouras and the lowest in the Slieve Blooms. A high failure rate in the Blooms, with three pairs failing early in the season and predation proven or suspected in another four cases, contrasted with good nest...
Article in the Irish Examiner
By excluding livestock from rivers, fencing reduces pollutants such as bacteria, nutrients, and silt getting into the water. Since June, IRD Duhallow have erected 9.2km of new fencing and 17 cattle drinking troughs, with more lined up, at no cost to landowners. As an added incentive, landowners in the GLAS agri-environmental scheme receive payment for the fencing work done by IRD Duhallow....
