Follow the satellite-tagged Hen Harriers

Two Hen Harrier chicks are being satellite-tagged as they fledged from their nest site on Mount Eagle in East Kerry this summer. You can follow their fortunes on www.henharrierireland.blogspot.ie

Screengrab of the Hen Harrier Ireland website.

One has already flown to Co. Wicklow (after flying over Dublin City Centre), the other is now in Co. Limerick. The blog can be seen here.

Encounter with an adult male Barn Owl

While checking a traditional nest site in a castle in Tipperary we came across the adult male shown in the video clip below. The previous nest site within a chimney which had been used by the birds for the last three years has been taken over by Jackdaws and is no longer suitable for the owls, so they have had to relocate to another part of the castle. While searching for the nest we found the adult male perched in a shallow roost cavity.

As well as ringing the chicks, ringing adult birds also gives us really useful information on survival and turn over within the population. This was our first encounter with this particular male, which we ringed and quickly released. As you can see from the clip he was in excellent condition and is one of the largest males we have ringed to date (based on wing length measurements).

From this birds behaviour alone, and the fact that he did not leave the area after release it was obvious that there was a nest in the castle, and thanks to Ricky O'Brien for doing a night shift to listen for the sound of "snoring" chicks and locating the new nest site which we subsequently revisited and ringed two healthy chicks. This impressive and feisty male is obviously a good hunter and provider as well.

Releasing an adult male at a nest site in Tipperary (video: Dario Fernandez-Bellon under licence from NPWS)

Raptor news from BirdWatch Ireland, August 2013

Being particularly charismatic, birds of prey (or "raptors") tend to grab their fair share of the headlines: however, this July has been quite exceptional in the number of occasions they featured in the spotlight. Unfortunately, the historic fledging of the first 'Irish born' White-tailed Eagles in over 100 years from their nest at Mountshannon in Co. Clare provided the only positive story among these news items.

We apologise in advance for the grim reading which follows, but we feel it is essential to highlight the sinister issues which sadly still exist in our countryside if we are to effectively tackle them.

A recent article in the Limerick Leader publicising comments made by Limerick County Council Cathaoirleach John Sheahan, urging the removal of protection for Hen Harriers and calling for an "open-season" on this Annex I species made for depressing reading and caused shock and outrage amongst conservationists and the general public in Ireland, as well as overseas: please see Birdwatch Ireland's response here.

Ironically, in the same week as the councillor's ill-informed comments, the National Parks and Wildlife Service published its first Bird of Prey Poisoning and Persecution Report from 2011, which BirdWatch Ireland assisted with and which clearly demonstrates the damage caused by such indiscriminate acts of wildlife crime.

NPWS Bird of Prey Poisoning and Persecution Report HERE.

We also have outrageous news to report regarding a spate of recent shootings of nesting Peregrine Falcons in south Tipperary, which shows beyond doubt that we need to step up efforts to tackle these despicable acts of bird of prey persecution.

Finally, we wanted to give you an update on how some of our widespread raptors have fared the 2013 breeding season

Update on our raptors during the 2013 breeding season HERE.

Adapted from news items posted in the recent BirdWatch Ireland eWings Newsletter.