Welcome funds to save breeding waders from extinction
Curlew (Numenius arquata): Each winter, we get thousands of curlews from Scotland, Scandinavia, and even Russia
You usually hear a curlew before you see one. So it was the other day when the unmistakable, and lonesome ‘cor-lee’ call rang out from the Tralee Bay wetlands, in County Kerry.
It came as we walked the path by the old ship canal, at Blennerville, with the Dingle Peninsula and Fenit Port looming ahead. A few minutes later, and a little further along the estuary, two curlews were spotted.
They stepped together along the sand and mudflats, about two metres apart, feeding on snails and small shellfish. Many other migratory birds were also there.
Most likely, these curlews were non-native. Each winter, we get thousands of curlews from Scotland, Scandinavia, and even Russia.
Bird migration is one of the great mysteries of nature. These birds fly thousands of kilometres along routes cris-crossing the globe. You wonder where they get their energy and how they can navigate their perilous way over land and sea.
They may, indeed, have an instinct to wait for premium conditions before setting out. Clearly, wind and weather outlook are vital factors.
But, Anthony McGeehan, in his fascinating book, , stops short of coming to definitive conclusions on how birds assess their long journeys ahead.
“Taking wind into account, a bird can almost double its flight speed and save half the energy needed for a leg of its migratory journey. Less time is required for refuelling and fat reserves are less depleted," he writes.
In County Cork, Ballycotton, Courtmacsherry and Cape Clear, which has a well-known bird observatory, are among many places where seabirds and waders can be observed.
A Government decision, meanwhile, to set aside €30 million for nature supports, including the protection of breeding waders, has been welcomed.
Waders are among the most threatened of all breeding birds in Ireland, with six in the red list of birds of conservation concern: curlew, lapwing, dunlin, golden plover, redshank, and snipe.
Loss of habitat through farming, drainage of wetlands, and forestry, is usually cited as the reason. However, widespread predation of nests and chicks by animals like foxes and crows also has a severe impact, according to nature lovers.
The latest scheme will help fund efforts by farmers to act in a way that will save breeding waders from extinction — but other work is also required.
Welcoming the package, BirdWatch Ireland chief executive, Linda Lennon, said control measures, such as fencing to keep out predators, are also needed: “The effectiveness of such fencing has already been proven beyond doubt by projects implemented by BirdWatch Ireland and others and is crucial to efforts to save our breeding waders."
