The Return of the Bittern to Ireland

Feargal as Luimneach

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bird-lovers-in-flap-over-bittern-return-2498069.html
Once a former breeding species in Ireland, but sadly long since exterminated. Three separate birds have been seen since before christmas:). Hopefully they might stay and the booming call of the Bittern/Bonnán Buí might return to éire.
Tacumshin lake/lagoon (where the birds are) is a magnet for wildlife. Why the place isn't a national park I don't know.

Half-cocked

Bitterns are so secretive, its reckoned that quite a few have visited us in recent years without being recorded. An ornithologist with the NPWS was sitting on the DART in Bray station a few years back and one flew over! It would be wonderful if they started breeding here again.

Birdnuts

Boora and some of the cutover bogs nearer the Shannon that are becoming more waterlogged/vegetated again would seem like good candidates too:)

LostCovey

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bird-lovers-in-flap-over-bittern-return-2498069.html
Once a former breeding species in Ireland, but sadly long since exterminated. Three separate birds have been seen since before christmas:). Hopefully they might stay and the booming call of the Bittern/Bonnán Buí might return to éire.
Tacumshin lake/lagoon (where the birds are) is a magnet for wildlife. Why the place isn't a national park I don't know.

I really hope there is some basis to this story, but the headline "Bird lovers in flap over bittern return" and the source (the Independent newspaper group) would make you doubt it.

There has been such wholesale destruction of Bittern habitat in Ireland since they last bred here, I suspect that this is just a case of a few wintering after a spell of hard weather. It seems a bit premature to make the leap to expecting them to breed. i would love to be wrong.

Tacumshin is a smashing place for rarities, but i guess this alone won't ever make a case for National Park status. That would depend on the existence of unique and intact habitat (which may be the case at Tacumshin, I just do not know it).

I agree the cutaway bogs is our best chance. Many of our native extensive reedbed areas are in trouble.

LostCovey

Feargal as Luimneach

LostCovey wrote: »

I really hope there is some basis to this story, but the headline "Bird lovers in flap over bittern return" and the source (the Independent newspaper group) would make you doubt it.

There has been such wholesale destruction of Bittern habitat in Ireland since they last bred here, I suspect that this is just a case of a few wintering after a spell of hard weather. It seems a bit premature to make the leap to expecting them to breed. i would love to be wrong.

Tacumshin is a smashing place for rarities, but i guess this alone won't ever make a case for National Park status. That would depend on the existence of unique and intact habitat (which may be the case at Tacumshin, I just do not know it).

I agree the cutaway bogs is our best chance. Many of our native extensive reedbed areas are in trouble.

LostCovey

The Bittern sighting are authentic, http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web. Niall Hatch is a senior member of Birdwatch Ireland.
The habitat is there: extensive reedbeds. Hopefully they might stay and breed.
Tacumshin lake is probably the best example of a coastal lagoon in the country. Holds internationally important numbers of wintering wildfowl. Holds rare breeders such as reed warblers, gadwall and occasional garganey. Marsh harrier are regulars in summer and might breed. If the place became a national park the habitat could be improved further.
The Irish Independent can however talk alot of rubbish:mad:.

bogtreader

Springtime is breeding season so with a bit of luck
the booming cry of the male will be heard in reed beds

LostCovey

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

The Bittern sighting are authentic, http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web. Niall Hatch is a senior member of Birdwatch Ireland.
The habitat is there: extensive reedbeds. Hopefully they might stay and breed.
Tacumshin lake is probably the best example of a coastal lagoon in the country. Holds internationally important numbers of wintering wildfowl. Holds rare breeders such as reed warblers, gadwall and occasional garganey. Marsh harrier are regulars in summer and might breed. If the place became a national park the habitat could be improved further.
The Irish Independent can however talk alot of rubbish:mad:.

You're taking me up wrong and I don't blame you, that was a bit garbled. I thought there was a lot being made from the actual facts, and maybe the extrapolation was a little optimistic, including Niall Hatch's contribution.

I suppose what I was saying is that it's a bit of a leap from a few wintering birds driven over here by horrendously severe weather to believe that this is possibly the basis of an actual real breeding population.

Look at Ospreys - regular visitors, no evidence of breeding.

I fear these birds will go straight back to where they came from when the weather allows..

Re Tacumshin, fair enough, National Parks have been established with a lot less going for them than that lot!

LostCovey

bogtreader

What is needed a mixture of males and female one, two, or three
is probably not enough to start a viable population

Judgement Day

All this talk of Tacumshin prompts me to mention that I have a nice, signed copy of the Birds of Wexford by Oscar Merne for sale on Adverts.ie here: http://www.adverts.ie/non-fiction/the-birds-of-wexford/402785 I have lots of other Irish bird books for sale so PM me if you have any wants. Plenty of bargains as Paddy Power is insatiable.

Feargal as Luimneach

Bittern booming (calling) in Tacumshin today
http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/31737/Bittern.html

bogtreader

I am hoping to go to Tacumshin lake in the next few weeks.
Do they only boom in the breeding season?
Does the breeding season last long?

Feargal as Luimneach

bogtreader wrote: »

I am hoping to go to Tacumshin lake in the next few weeks.
Do they only boom in the breeding season?
Does the breeding season last long?

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/bittern/nesting.aspx?view=print
Info on breeding...
The best time to see them is at dawn or dusk. This is generally when they fly from their roosting site to feeding areas.
I don't know if the boom only in breeding season. When I saw one in early January though they weren't booming at that time. I think they Boom generally at night.

Dubh Geannain

Not a bird watcher myself but came across this and thought it might interest some:

Spotted at Inch island, Donegal yesterday.



Video footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XSrtZ5647dU