Saltees island outing

The Saltees trip took place on June 1st. 

The boat left from Kilmore Quay.
Thanks to Ben and Bridie for the pictures from the trip...an excellent turnout.

 

Recording biodiversity

Check out how to identify the Harlequin Ladybird here and why it is such a problem. What is an invasive species. Take part in the IWT Ladybird survey

 Identify Irish Butterflies...download the app to your mobile phone and send in your recorded sighting in the field. The Butterflies are split up into different groups so select the group you think the butterfly is in and then select the butterfly you think you may have seen. Examine the picture closely by pressing it and zooming in on the details. Read the information about all the the butterfly and decide if you have seen it. If you want to report the sighting then press "Record Details" and the app will record your location. You can choose to save the details and send a few records later or send the details immediately.

Look at Irish Wildlife Reporting to see what has been reported and where.

All data is sent to Biodiversity Ireland and made publicly available by them. 

Check out BirdTrack if you are interested in recording the birds that you see.

Celebration of Nature

A Celebration of Nature by Mark Roper and Paddy Dwan

The AGM  takes place on Tuesday April 29. The venue is the Children’s Link building Oakville, Military Road, Waterford. This is just across from the petrol station adjacent to the Hyper Market. The AGM starts at 7.30 pm and will be followed at 8.15 pm by A Celebration of Nature by the renowned poet-photographer duo of Mark Roper and Paddy Dwan whose lovely books, The River Book, and The Back Strand – Tramore’s Open Secret are a rich addition to the nature lover’s bookshelf.
We very much look forward to a brilliant evening in their company. The public is warmly invited to attend both events. However voting at the AGM will be for members only.

AGM Agenda
1. Report and Minutes of the 2013 AGM
2. Treasurer’s Report
3. Annual Report from the Chairman
4. Motions
5. Election of Committee

The Suir Estuary walk at Cheekpoint

 

Thanks to Emma for the photos of the recent outing

December walk

We are bringing our December walk forward to this Sunday December 8th. The venue for the walk is part of the perimeter of Little Island where Waterford Castle is situated. Meeting point for the walk is the Ferry terminal at Ballynakill at 1.45 pm and we will cross as foot passengers. Departures are scheduled for every 30 minutes so it is essential that we're all together for the crossing otherwise late comers will miss the walk. Most of the route is on prepared trail but part will be through grass which will probably be wet so footwear accordingly. The Island has many points of interest including wildlife of course with deer frequently seen. Bird life can be extensive and Denis Cullen will have his telescope for those who want to do some birdwatching - lapwing and oyster catcher and winter waders are very likely. Others who want a brisker walk will do that led by yours truly. We will then meet up back at the Clubhouse. We wish to invite members to the Clubhouse for tea/coffee and mince pies afterwards but non members are indeed very welcome to join us. The cost of the refreshments for non members is €4.00. Hope to see you all on Sunday.

Dawn Chorus

Waterford IWT joins forces with the Cheekpoint and Faithlegg community on May 6th to experience once again the dawn chorus.  Meeting point in Cheekpoint is the Moorings Pub  at the west end of the village and the time is 4.30 am.  Leaders for this unforgettable experience are Alan Walsh of IWT and Andrew Harrington, MISE coordinator.  All welcome but please do not bring dogs. The route consists of woodland and open country and is suitable for all ages.  Tea and coffee available in the village after the walk which will take about 2.5  hours.

Dunmore cliff walk April 15th

The Dunmore – Rathmoylan cliff walk is coming into its spring glory with the aroma of gorse and the brilliance of sea thrift and sea campion all around. The Irish Wildlife Trust Waterford invites  members and the general public to come along for its April outing on Sunday April 15.   This is a 2.5 hour walk  and apart from the descent and rise from Portally Cove and the rise from Rathmoylan Cove, the route is easy along prepared track or field edge.  Start time is 2.30 pm and meeting point is the Lifeboat House, Dunmore East.   A bus will do the return leg.  We visit the Kittiwake colony at the start of the walk and learn something of this interesting sea bird. The outing is family friendly but dogs must be kept on the lead.  Walk leader is Ray McGrath.

May apologies

With apologies to punters and for the record, successful May outings took place

....on Sunday May 15th. Pond Dipping and a woods habitat exploration followed by a two hour walk along a section of the legendary Bothar na mBan gorm near the Harristown Passage Grave. The location was Belle Lake on the Waterford to Dunmore East road. This was a fascinating insight into local ecology and history. Walk leader for the day was Alan Walsh.

....and on May 22nd , the Cheekpoint and Faithlegg Development Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust joined forces to experience the Dawn Chorus. Denis Cullen, Birdman with the Irish Wildlife Trust lead a dawn chorus stroll though the Glazing Woods, the Marsh and the Rope Walk.

Wildlife and winter weather

Many people have contacted us with concerns about wildlife during the recent cold snap, to know how wild animals and birds are coping with the cold conditions and how they can help wildlife.
The reality is that there are and have been impacts on birds, resident and migratory and many of the impacts won't be fully realised until spring when numbers of young may be reduced. It is also true that all of our native wildlife is adapted to cold weather, such as thicker coats in winter time, e.g. deer or hibernation e.g. hedgehogs. However, wild animals, birds and insects need habitat / cover to hibernate/nest/forage in, so we humans can help by leaving as much habitat as possible, especially linking habitat such as hedgerows, rivers and streams. This means that there is plenty of cover for wildlife , and importantly, that wildlife can move about safely between feeding and breeding grounds. Without "linkages" such as hedgerows and linear woodlands, animals can be left isolated on "islands" without sufficient food.
These are the things we need to consider when building roads etc, which deplete the habitat available to other species

Another way in which we can help is by having wildlife-friendly gardens with logpiles, leafpiles, areas of longer grass and undisturbed corners for small mammals and insects to shelter/over-winter/nest in. Plenty of trees provide protection and shelter, and native trees in particular are a good source of food, e.g.holly, hawthorn.
Waterbirds such as duck, geese, swans and waders such as oystercatchers are affected by lack of access to open water.
Garden birds can be helped by giving water and food - provide seed and nut food, moist bread, mealworms, apples, cheese and fat from meat etc. Do not put out dry porridge or rice as it affects their digestion. A water-bath is essential for birds for drinking and bathing. Keep it frost free in the mornings. And remember, if you start to feed birds, keep it up - they will come to depend on your garden/food supply!

Frogs hibernating in ponds will suffocate unless water kept ice-free. A labour-saving way to do this is to leave an old football floating on the surface and simply remove it when ice forms.

Deer are apparently suffering adverse effects in Scotland as they come down from highlands and come into closer contact with humans / cars etc. In Scandinavia, they use railroads to travel along, so the potential for fatalities is high.

If you have any tips for caring for wildlife, we would love to see them posted on this blog, so get in touch

The picture above is from Birds and Bloom...a useful website on this and other issues.

Thanks to Marie for the words of wisdom!

New Nature Reserve for IWT

18th Feb, 2010.

The IWT is delighted to announce the latest addition to our collection of nature reserves around Ireland. Newcastle lake is situated in north county Meath and is an important site for the county's biodiversity. It is home to Kingfishers, Otters, Cormorants and Ravens. In winter Atlantic salmon pass through it to spawn in the river Dee while wildfowl, including Whooper swans, roost on its calm surface. In summer the air buzzes with dragonflies and swooping Daubenton's bats. This fantastic reserve brings to five the total under IWT management.

The IWT has a network of reserves around the county that it aspires to expand in the future in order to protect more and more of Ireland’s wildlife and their habitats. Our other reserves are wet grassland sites in Macroom Co. Cork, and in the Shannon Callows a unique area flooded annually by the river Shannon and important for many bird species such as Lapwing and Corncrake. The IWT also owns a bogland reserve at Boora Bog Co. Offaly and manages a reserve within Co. Dublin along the banks of the river Tolka at Ashtown.

The Newcastle Lake reserve is privately owned and is not accessible to the public. However there will be guided tours later in the year for those who would like to visit and these will be open to all IWT members. IWT membership subscriptions partly go towards managing these reserves for the benefit of wildlife so every new member counts! Go to www.iwt.ie to become a member today.
ENDS

Contact:

For further information please contact Kieran Flood IWT Reserves Officer

Ph: 01 860 2839 or E-mail