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Baby Bird's What do you do if you find a baby bird?
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Report your Swallows, Cuckoos and Swifts as they arrive back from Africa ~~~
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In this report, I wish to discuss the main features concerning the operation of the hide in the season just finished.
In the previous season (2002/2003), Hide access had been extended to Sundays from the beginning of October. The main target for the 2003/2004 year was a further extension of the Sunday service from September. This has been achieved through the recruitment of two new volunteers, which enabled the provision of a complete weekend service throughout the September-March season. The uniformity of the wardening service (30 Saturdays & 30 Sundays) has not only provided greater opening hours, but has also helped to clarify the level of access. Birders and members of the public need no longer worry about when the hide will be open because they will be secure in their knowledge that the Hide is scheduled to be open all through the season on both weekend days. A notice has also been posted on the hide platform explaining the access period and that the hide is open to key-holders during weekdays. The extended season also offers people more choice and it has emerged that Sunday has become the more popular day for visiting (average attendance on Sundays is 9 as opposed to 7 on Saturdays). It also allows for greater monitoring of birds and of any unauthorised activities that may adversely affect wildlife on the inner estuary. From my records, it would appear that there was a total of 2 non-appearances (2 Sundays). The total number of visitors for the season as recorded in the Visitors Book (1st of September to 15th of March), was 568 which represents an increase of over 25% on last year’s total. An examination of the visitor’s book revealed that visitor numbers ranged from 1 to 26 and February was the most popular month (averaging 14 on Sundays and 10 on Saturdays). This increase may be possibly due to a number of factors such as the excellent dry weather over the autumn/winter but probably also due to increased awareness of the extended service. It is hoped that these numbers will be sustained and gradually augmented. The new attendance book in situ, is ruled, has a diary format, page finder and hopefully presents a more attractive prospect for signatures. I believe that there is still a considerable number of visitors who forget to sign the attendance book. Wardens should continue to endeavour to get as many signatures as possible.It would seem that most of signs that give directions for the Hide, have disappeared. I believe that it would be worthwhile to reinstate these signs in order to facilitate easier access to the Hide area for new visitors.
As the season progressed, it was clear that the condition of the Hide’s exterior surface was deteriorating as evidenced from patches of peeling paint, some rust, and a small hole in the roof that leaked rainwater inside. It became apparent that a new roof and some other repairs would be required. In August 2003, a small work group comprising Rita O’Sullivan, Jim Malone, Frank McManus and Liam Feeney painted the Hide. The Fingal Branch then engaged a roofing contractor to replace the roof with a special waterproof roof. It materialised that the new roof was leaking water but this was rectified soon afterwards. Thanks to Sunday volunteer, Shay Connolly, a fire extinguisher has been installed, repairs have been made to door handles and posters have been firmly secured. One of the best bird books from Hide collection, “The Collins Guide to Birds” went missing and is presumed stolen. Appeals were made to return the book but it was never recovered. In the current situation whereby there is no refuse bin being maintained in the hide, it is important that wardens/visitors should remember to bring the necessary bags etc. with them in order to remove any food rubbish which they create during their visit. It has been suggested that a special area should be allocated on the notice board to the history of setting up the hide together with photos of people in the work groups involved. This seems like a good idea and merits further discussion.
To some degree, we are still on a learning curve as to how well certain Group activities scheduled in the Hide, work. The field trip organised for Heritage Officers to the Hide in February seems to have been very successful in terms of highlighting the birdwatching value/amenity potential and the valuable conservation work performed to date. It also helped give the estuary a higher profile. Part of a Mooney Goes Wild Programme with an interview given by Eric Dempsey, was conducted from the Hide and this also raises the positive image of the amenity and birdwatching in general. The Branch outing to the Hide in the early New Year only attracted one non-Branch person. Despite this, the gathering of so many Branch Committee members was good for in-Branch discussion in situ which meant it was worthwhile both as a social and developmental event.
The outcome in the recent court case in which a hunter was fined for shooting two brent geese, demonstrates how the Hide wardening service can be successfully utilised to bring illegal shooting to task. On witnessing the shooting activity, Paddy Woodworth, a Sunday volunteer consulted the shooting guidelines posted on the Hide wall and called the appropriate Garda Station in Lusk with his mobile phone. A garda responded to the call and caught the hunter red-handed with the geese outside the Northern reserve entrance. Follow-up enquiries were made by the Fingal Branch and Birdwatch Ireland with the Lusk Garda in relation to the incident. The case was heard in court, the shooter was fined and the outcome was publicised in the Fingal Independent. Despite the paltry fine (€200 + €100 costs to witness) and the frivolous atmosphere, an important result was achieved. The counteractive measures employed in dealing with the shooting incident proved to be effective. This incident illustrates a number of important aspects such as: the Hide as an observation centre, with its range of open viewing on both sides of the estuary; the shooting guidelines posted in the Hide with easily accessed Garda Telephone numbers; mobile phone to enable immediate action. This is why I would recommend that wardens should bring a mobile with them, if possible and have key Garda Station phone numbers readily to hand, if away from the hide. Of course the general guideline that shooters should not be confronted still holds. This year shooting activity was busy in December and then intensified in January towards the end of the shooting season. It is understandable how many Hide wardens and visitors are still very insecure about dealing with shooting incidents. Despite the Shooting Guidelines, they are unsure about the legalities involved, the shooting season and also where the County Council land boundaries start and finish. They are also anxious not to cause a false alarm for the police which could jeopardise the process. This is why I believe that it is crucially important that a detailed map of the inner estuary should be clearly posted in the Hide. The map should colour-coded clearly show on a field by field basis all BWI and Council lands and include landmarks that birdwatchers are familiar with. If anyone is seen shooting or engaged in unauthorised activity on BWI or Council land is should be instantly apparent from reference to the map that the person is trespassing. A good map reference could be critical to assessing the situation and whether a phone call should be made or not. Unfortunately, I get the impression that the level of unauthorised activity (including shooting and falconry) and disturbances from dogs has increased during this season. It is likely with projected local population expansion, that these pressures will also grow. This means that counteractive measures will need to improve. I feel that a detailed map is a priority. The “No trespassing/No Shooting” sign at the entrance from the Turvey Avenue has become faded and almost ineffectual. It should be replaced with a larger bolder sign with similar instructions pointing out that they pertain to all County Council lands on the southern inner estuary and also showing a map of Council owned property in the area. Failing this, additional “No Shooting” signs should be strategically placed in the most vulnerable areas.
Increasing the Recording Potential
Flocks of grey geese proved to be very interesting this year as they often included a pair of pink-footed geese and a single white-fronted goose. On the January bird count, the sky was filled with chopping flashes of black and white as up to 5,000 lapwings were counted. A mixed flock of up to 200 fieldfares and redwings would often rove between the dump near Blake’s Cross feeding on dumped apples and Turvey Golf Club, before settling around the sheep pens in Newbridge Park. After Christmas, a flock of around 3,000 starlings would perform their daily dusk ritual of spectacular aerobatics, twisting and turning like shimmering fish shoals until finally dropping like a sudden rain shower into the larch plantation near the Hide. A sparrowhawk would often lurk patiently in the trees nearby, poised for a quick snatch. Some beautiful bramblings were also viewed amongst a mixed chaffinch/bunting flock near the allotments in December and March. The American Widgeon returned again and was sighted a number of times from the Hide put has preferred to spend more time feeding near the outflow at Rush Sailing Club in the outer estuary. Pellets continue to be left on the window ledges sparking much speculation as to the bird(s) responsible. Some visitors still believe that an owl may be involved and that some of the small bones are from a mouse. Others believe that the pellets are too small for an owl and were possibly generated by a kestrel. There are also some really small pellets that are likely to have been regurgitated by gulls. Recorded sightings of buzzard would appear to be down on last year (see attached table) by around 50%. This is an interesting statistic probably more for environmental reasons than anything else. It is common knowledge that buzzards are on the increase in national terms, with more breeding records and gradually spreading southwards every year. So, less recorded sightings could probably reflect a number of factors such as: a cleaner dump is less attractive, the area is getting busier, noisier with more shooting and more built up which has probably encouraged the buzzards to use different flight paths, and hunt in quieter, rougher ground. So the statistic might mean nothing significant but it could also be a reflection of the changes that are happening on the estuary. Little Egrets sightings are as frequent as ever with a maximum of seven birds seen together on one occasion. Egrets often fly over Newbridge Park at dusk and often feed at Corballis on the Swords outer Estuary. Some egrets regularly roosted in the heronry in Newbridge Park in Summer 2002. Following on the news that little egrets nested in Wicklow last year, people are continually on the look out for any possible signs of breeding in the Dublin region. The only gull of note was a First Winter Iceland Gull seen in January. Regular migrant sightings included whimbrel, green sandpiper, curlew sandpiper and ruff. Interesting raptors included sightings of a female merlin often sitting on the brown poles in front of the curlew hide and a pair of peregrines which would often perch in the dead trees west of the Hide. All three owls have been seen in the area: a short eared owl hunting behind the allotments, a perched long eared owl gave great daylight views during the bat survey and the white shape of a barn owl was seen flying at dusk near the Hide car park.
Interesting mammals included the presence of an otter, seen swimming during the early morning time in the channel behind the allotments. The findings of the bat survey conducted on Turvey County Council lands near the Hide in July, 2003, indicated the presence of pipistrelles (soprano and common) leislers and possibly myotis bat species. The survey concluded that bat activity was lower than expected possibly because of the distance from known roosts and the dryness of habitat conditions. It was suggested that the number of bat species could be increased by the creation of more waterways (e.g. ponds for insect prey) and more passageways through the woods. Perhaps these measures, if implemented, could also lead to a higher diversity of bird life.
In last year’s report, I drew attention to the potential for Hide wardens to perform counts on special species of interest to Rogerstown. Recent pressures for building developments both North and South of the estuary have shown the importance of maintaining good records from Counts and surveys. It is important more than ever now to focus on the birds of greatest value to the estuary eg. (Annex 1 birds, Amber/red listed species and migrants) and to reference the sightings properly i.e. by location, date and observer. Under the impending bird survey to be performed on Council lands on the Southern Inner Estuary, every field will have a reference number. There is no reason why every field adjoining all parts of the estuary cannot be number referenced on suitable maps. If important roads and recognised landmarks are highlighted, then there is no reason why any location should not be easily identified from the map. This means for example, if some one sees a flock of 20 yellowhammers in a hedgerow while driving down to the hide, he can check the map posted in the hide for the location reference and record 20 yellowhammers seen in field B3. It is also possible to use the hide wardens as a resource for monitoring special species now that we have a regular sixty duty season September-March. A special count sheet could be drawn up to include the species of main importance and made accessible to the wardens. The data could be summarised and kept as a database at the end of the season. Wardens could also be encouraged on a voluntary basis to walk certain areas near the hide and count selected species e.g. for kingfisher, little egret, woodcock, bar-tailed godwit, yellowhammer, skylark, short eared owl etc. __________________________ Liam Feeney, Rogerstown Hide Coordinator 29 March, 2004
RECORDED BUZZARD SIGHTINGS FROM ROG. HIDE IN LAST 2 SEASONS
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