Nature in the News

Birdnuts

magicbastarder wrote: »

apparently it's not being left untouched:
Investigation: Ireland’s first ever wilderness zone under threat from commercial forestry
https://greennews.ie/ireland-first-wilderness-zone-under-threat-commercial-forestry/

Coillte can't help themselves - love to see the back of them throughout the country and the land be given to local groups with a genuine interest in native woodland etc.

magicbastarder

someone once told me that there's actually a legal impetus on them to replant after felling, something to do with the law under which coillte was founded/enabled.
if true - and i'll wait to confirm it before believing it - it would mean that gestures like ballycroy are empty until that law is changed.

gzoladz

Murmuration in Meath

https://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2019/0108/1021881-murmuration-meath/

New Home

Incidentally, I was listening to Rufus Wainwright's version of "Across the Universe" while I opened that.

"Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
That call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Stumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe"

cameramonkey

magicbastarder wrote: »

someone once told me that there's actually a legal impetus on them to replant after felling, something to do with the law under which coillte was founded/enabled.
if true - and i'll wait to confirm it before believing it - it would mean that gestures like ballycroy are empty until that law is changed.

I think once land goes to forestry it is difficult to get it re-zoned to other uses.

It is still a pity that they did not plant native trees or develop habitats that would be more conducive to wildlife.

For anyone in the market.

https://www.forestsales.ie/newsletterdetail.php?id=37

recedite

From the link cited earlier...

The park is to grow from 11,000 to more than 15,000 hectares, with the transfer of Coillte land in the Nephin mountains – known as “Wild Nephin”.
It will make Ballycroy, which already has coveted “Dark Sky” designation for stargazing, as the third largest of the State’s six national parks.
Ballycroy, which is part of the Natura 2000 network, encompasses Atlantic blanket bog, including one of the last intact active systems in Ireland and western Europe at Owenduff, to the west of the Nephin Beg mountain range.
The expansion will improve access points to Ballycroy, and allow for a link to the Great Western Greenway extending north to Bangor Erris and Ballycastle.
Joint management by Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is to be consolidated into sole NPWS management, under a long-term lease with a nominal fee.

So this land is not subject to the normal Coillte management programmes and procedures. It is a national park.


"Rewilding" it as a proper national park would involve some money being spent on it. Some of the conifer plantations would need to be replanted as oak.
Bogs would have to be assessed, and drainage patterns altered or restored, if necessary.


Sheep would have to be moved out.


Hardy ponies or Kerry dexter type cattle could be moved in, and allowed to live in feral herds.


Hiking trails and huts could be established, to encourage tourism and more general interest in the project.


In short, lots of stuff needs to be done...

Strawberry1975

Hiking Trails & Huts similar to the One
That was Built without P&P or any Permission
Squatter's Rights
Would the be all called
"Camp Gold Rash"
Similar to the one on the Coolbawn River a Gold Mining Camp
Are You Encouraging Tourism Hiking
Magic Mushroom Picking Fishing
As well as Gold Panning/Gold Mining
That should Bring General Interest in that Project.
Plus a Tea shop with all kinds of Refreshment's
Hope it works out Long Term.
Would One Need a Licence to Prospect/Mine.

Alun

Apparently insects drinking tears of other animals is quite common but fairly uncommon for birds to be the providers ....

https://roaring.earth/moth-drinks-tears-of-sleeping-birds/?utm_source=bfb&utm_medium=pa&utm_campaign=4560

recedite

Strawberry1975 wrote: »

"Camp Gold Rash"
Similar to the one on the Coolbawn River
Are You Encouraging Tourism Hiking
As well as Gold Panning/Gold Mining
Should Bring General Interest in the Project.
Plus a Tea shop with all kinds if Refreshment's
Hope it works out long term.

A grand little place.
Did I mention magic mushroom picking as well? Something for everybody, including yourself.

Strawberry1975

The Magic Mushrooms are the Eaten Raw or are the Fryed or are the Boiled to make Soup.
Keep on Rolling.
G'luck with the
Hallucination's.
Will it help with the voices in one's Head There is no cure for it.
Have looked into it.

magicbastarder

anyway, back on track:

Corncrake comes back from the brink of extinction

The State’s bid to save the corncrake from national extinction received a boost last year with the number of calling males increasing by 8 per cent to 151.

The increase, which is being attributed to the warm weather, was the first rise in numbers since 2014.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/corncrake-comes-back-from-the-brink-of-extinction-1.3752871

i'm not sure the content of the article justifies the headline.

Strawberry1975

magicbastarder wrote: »

anyway, back on track:

Corncrake comes back from the brink of extinction

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/corncrake-comes-back-from-the-brink-of-extinction-1.3752871

i'm not sure the content of the article justifies the headline.

They conditioner mower ended the corncrake as well as the Pheasant in most of the country great to hear there on the increase in the west
Ya never see many owl's or hear the cokoo much

magicbastarder

Butterflies, daffs and grass-cutting in January: has nature gone haywire?

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/butterflies-daffs-and-grass-cutting-in-january-has-nature-gone-haywire-1.3754746

Birdnuts

magicbastarder wrote: »

Butterflies, daffs and grass-cutting in January: has nature gone haywire?

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/butterflies-daffs-and-grass-cutting-in-january-has-nature-gone-haywire-1.3754746

It has happened in the past - i remember 98' being similar, followed by one of the coldest April's of the 20th centuary with snow and -6C frost!!:(

Questioning sacred Cows

Apparently the elusive corncrake - close to extinction in Ireland - is slowly starting to recover in numbers. This is good news.

That say more intensive farming nearly wiped out this bird in Ireland.

Strawberry1975

recedite wrote: »

A grand little place.
Did I mention magic mushroom picking as well? Something for everybody, including yourself.

Can you still get Stoned in that spot.
Them big stones lol

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Rare Turtle washed ashore.

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2019/0117/1023894-rare-turtle-donegal/

New Home

Poor thing... I hope it pulls through.

Keplar240B

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/nine-deer-killed-by-train-travelling-from-cork-to-dublin-1.3766575

Nine deer killed by train travelling from Cork to Dublin
Train strikes herd in area where maximum speed limit is 145km/h

Strawberry1975

Strawberry1975 wrote: »

Hiking Trails & Huts similar to the One
That was Built without P&P or any Permission
Squatter's Rights
Would the be all called
"Camp Gold Rash"
Similar to the one on the Coolbawn River a Gold Mining Camp
Are You Encouraging Tourism Hiking
Magic Mushroom Picking Fishing
As well as Gold Panning/Gold Mining
That should Bring General Interest in that Project.
Plus a Tea shop with all kinds of Refreshment's
Hope it works out Long Term.
Would One Need a Licence to Prospect/Mine.

One wouldn't need one to illegally Mine
Like this T***** on YouTube
"jaffyger" on YouTube
https://www.Watchyoutube.com/user/jaffyger

keps

Bad news about guillemots


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/06/netherlands-guillemots-death

New Home

And yet again, it would seem humans were responsible...

Eddie B

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature

Birdnuts

Eddie B wrote: »

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature

Scary stuff - a neighbour back home has a beef demo farm and gets to go on farm visits to the UK. He said it struck him on his last few visits that even at the height of summer, the lack of insects from flies to moths on many UK farms was notable

Eddie B

Birdnuts wrote: »

Scary stuff - a neighbour back home has a beef demo farm and gets to go on farm visits to the UK. He said it struck him on his last few visits that even at the height of summer, the lack of insects from flies to moths on many UK farms was notable

I don't know if studies have been done here in Ireland, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's as bad here, if not worse. Insect life here must be at an all time low. The vast majority dont give a dalm, and when they do eventually wake up to whats happening, it's already gonna be too late.

Capercaillie

magicbastarder wrote: »

anyway, back on track:

Corncrake comes back from the brink of extinction

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/corncrake-comes-back-from-the-brink-of-extinction-1.3752871

i'm not sure the content of the article justifies the headline.

Donegal numbers are down from last year. West Connacht numbers have increased mainly due to intensive management being done on a number of farms in Mayo.

Del.Monte

Eddie B wrote: »

I don't know if studies have been done here in Ireland, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's as bad here, if not worse. Insect life here must be at an all time low. The vast majority dont give a dalm, and when they do eventually wake up to whats happening, it's already gonna be too late.

Anecdotally, I have noticed a major decline in house flies, blue bottles, wasps in the last couple of years. They aren't the kind of things that people like so nobody complains about their disappearance.

Mr Crispy

Same - I don't have the numbers obviously, but it seems like there has been a huge decline in moth activity too.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Dogs becoming a threat to wildlife

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47062959

Please let's not end up with dogs doing as much damage as cats to our wildlife.

recedite

Moses Faithful Slime wrote: »

Dogs becoming a threat to wildlife

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47062959

Please let's not end up with dogs doing as much damage as cats to our wildlife.

Not sure how scientific that article is. Possibly based on "researching" social media.
There's a guy wondering how far dogs will get into tiger reserve. I would say not far at all, before they become a tiger's dinner.


There's talk of dogs breeding with wolves. Well wolves are far more likely to kill dogs on sight. On rare occasions they interbreed, but this has not been a problem for wild wolf genetics in the last 10,000 years, so why would it be now?


There's a video of some stags looking with disdain at 3 dogs yapping at them. The stags are not stressed at all.

I've seen good sized dogs trying to chase deer in Wicklow and its pathetic. Deer will prance off, open a 500m gap, then stop to chew some grass.
5 minutes later the dog catches up. Deer just does the same again, toying with the dog.


There's a picture of what looks like dingos catching a deer, and another picture of African Painted Dogs in the sea catching a bird. These are not domestic dogs. They are wild animals.


Its very rare a domestic type of dog can catch anything. Even when greyhounds are used in hare coursing, the hare is confined by fences and nets. Out in the open, they can easily escape from a dog.