Boffins and Birders to meet in Cork again! 5th Ornithological Research in Ireland, University College Cork, 15th November, 2008.
UCC Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science will host the 5th Ornithological Research Conference on November 15th, 2008. It is five years since the third Conference on Ornithological Research in Ireland was held at University College Cork in November 14th and 15th 2003. Since then a number of projects have been completed, others started and some long-term studies are ongoing.
Ornithological research continues to evolve in Ireland reflecting changes in the avifauna of Ireland (e.g. Little Egret), availability of new methodologies (e. g. nest cameras, GPS devices, Stable Isotope ratios etc), introductions of new species (Kites and eagles) and the impacts of environmental change, particularly those associated with global warming. It is now time to consolidate existing research effort, to review developments in research over the last 20 years and to explore the research challenges in the coming decades.
This is the first notice of the meeting which will celebrate 40 years of Bird Watch Ireland, 150 Years of British ornithologist Union and 75 Years of BTO and over 20 years of our Ornithological Research Meetings. Abstracts, summarising your work on birds, of no more than 250 words should be submitted to j.ohalloran AT ucc.ie and t.kelly AT ucc.ie by September 19th, 2008. Each abstract should also be accompanied by 4-5 key words. It is intended to once again publish the abstracts in Irish Birds.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cork! Please feel free to contact us regarding this meeting. Tom Kelly (t.kelly AT ucc.ie) and John O’Halloran (j.ohalloran AT ucc.ie)
General News and Views
No improvement on the weather through June then? And what a start to July - Global Warming is certainly affecting us with these unseasonable weather changes. Mind you the rainfall in June was not actually that high - the daily record taken on the North Slob shows a total of just 59.3mm which is actually below the monthly average. It is more those long unsettled windy periods that seem to be so demoralising especially when one is trying to get regular wildlife records from around the County. How does our wildlife manage - I think it probably does, but there is no doubt that certain groups struggle not only to survive, but also to breed in this the most important part of the year for many species. Certainly news filtering in from the UK has been suggesting that some bird groups have been under-producing by as much as 75% this year - that is potentially disastrous for some species..... Again to measure this sort of activity it is YOUR observations and records that help us to assess what is actually going on so PLEASE, PLEASE keep those records coming in - I know that some of you pass on your records to the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve (053-9123129) and some of you have passed them directly to our Field Club Record's Officer - Patricia Byrne - this is great. Then, of course there is our new facility on the Club's web-site of being able to place records 'on line'; BUT no wildlife records since 7th June? - Do please also remember that we need your Butterfly and Moth records in a.s.a.p.. The fieldwork timescale for the completion of our County Lepidoptera Guide is coming to an end - Not that records will not be needed and required in the future, just that we have to have a 'cut off' period sometime soon in order that we can complete as full a picture as possible and, of course, a Lepidoptera benchmark for the County.
In relation to migration, June tends to be one of the quieter months of the year. However by the end of the month the autumn migration has/had started - and this June was no different - with a number of species, either early or failed breeders, been recorded back in the County. As mentioned above - we have not had a summer yet - but by 18th June the first Curlew were back - yes signalling the start of the autumn. And do you remember mid-summer's day. It was dreadful, pouring rain, dark and miserable... that is enough of the negative thoughts - lets be thankful that we have plenty of rain....
And so to the known wildlife highlights of the month:
Recent Bird Reports in the County
5 Wigeon arrived back at Our Lady's Island Lake on 25th (1st of the autumn duck returning) and 2 Teal were noted at the same location on 26th. A Hobby was at Ballyvaloo on 1st with a 2nd bird also present on 2nd. A pair of Barn Owls were in a breeding site on North Slob through the month with another bird also recorded locally. A Short-eared Owl was on North Slob on 11th. Up to 3 Little Gulls were recorded on a number of dates through the month at Our Lady's Island Lake A dark phase Pomarine Skua was noted near Tuskar Rock on 1st. The first Curlew of the autumn was noted on North Slob on 18th and there was another at Our Lady's Island Lake on 20th. A flock of Curlew of approximately 16 was present on North Slob by end of the month. 10 Grey Plover were seen in one of the fields on North Slob on 26th (very unusual record). Small flocks of Black-tailed Godwits were present on North Slob through the month. A Cuckoo was noted near Lady's Island Lake on 7th.
Great Saltee Island: A Redstart was noted on 3rd. there was a male Sub-alpine Warbler present on 2nd and a Common Rosefinch was on the Island on 5th. A Tree Sparrow was seen on 5th - Tree Sparrows are renowned for being non-migratory. This was the first record of this species seen on the Island.
Other Wildlife News in the County
MAMMALS: Two ferry cetacean surveys (Rosslare to Pembroke Dock and back) took place in the period: 3 Risso's Dolphin seen off Tuskar Rock on 1st. There were 14 Common Dolphins on 1st and between 125 and 145 Common Dolphins on 28th. 4 Harbour Porpoise were recorded on 1st and 2 noted on 28th. Red Squirrels were particularly noticeable in Raven Nature Reserve through the period.
BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS: Small Blues were recorded in Raven Nature Reserve through the month with a maximum count of 10 noted on 7th. Common Blues were also present at same location through the month with a maximum count of 73 noted on 7th. The first Meadow Brown was noted at Jamestown on 8th. 22 Meadow Brown on 29th was maximum count at Raven Nature Reserve. Wood Whites were plentiful through the month with a maximum count of 15 noted at Raven Nature Reserve on 7th. 22 Ringlet were recorded at Raven Nature Reserve on 29th and on the same date, same location 22 Small Heath were also counted.
MOTHS: Moths noted during the month on North Slob and at Jamestown included Buff Ermine, White Ermine, Small Square Spot, Small Magpie, Oblique Carpet, Brussels Lace, Buff Arches, Large Yellow Underwing, Mottled Beauty, Grey Pine Carpet, Common Rustic, Common Quaker, Flame Shoulder, Cinnabar and Six-spot Burnet. A Satin Beauty trapped in the last week of the month in Gorey was a new County Record.
DRAGONFLIES: Emperor Dragonflies were noted in small numbers through the month. A Common Hawker was at Raven Nature Reserve on 29th. 5 Common Darter were seen on 22nd in Raven Nature Reserve and a count of 22 Four-spotted Chasers was the highest count of this species in Raven Nature Reserve on 29th. Good numbers of Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly were recorded at Raven Nature Reserve through the month. 2 Banded Demoiselle were noted at Jamestown on 8th.
FISH: A probable River Lamprey was seen and noted at Jamestown on 8th.
