Common Crane

LostCovey

Maybe this has been mentioned in this forum (I haven't logged in much this week), but I haven't seen it ..... there's a huge invasion of Common Cranes into Ireland this autumn, presumably Scandinavian birds - apparently there's over 100 of them spread across the country, but very little/no media coverage outside the birdwatching websites like
http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web?task=BasicBirdSightingSearch

Impressive birds.

I see there are some pictures of two seen in Mayo today, posted on the Sligo website tonight:

http://www.sligobirding.com/November2011Gallery.html

I am tempted to go up for a look!

Have a good weekend, all.

LostCovey

Birdnuts

Yeah - fantastic isn't it!!:cool: Hopefully they will start breeding again before the decade is out like they have in the UK. I would really love to see them and the Bittern back in our wetlands:)

V_Moth

Birdnuts wrote: »

Yeah - fantastic isn't it!!:cool: Hopefully they will start breeding again before the decade is out like they have in the UK. I would really love to see them and the Bittern back in our wetlands:)

Unfortunately there just isn't the extensive habitat present in Ireland for Common Cranes to breed. Bittern could breed in Ireland, but areas with the right habitat are not being managed properly/at all for that species.

swifts need our help!

Practically in someones yard! I want to see them but it's a four hour drive - at least

Mark
N Ireland

snowstreams

http://goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?z=132&news_id=11&article=298

This article above about cranes is from the Golden eagle trust website. The quote below seems to suggest that they could survive and breed here.

The Golden Eagle Trust attended the European Crane Working Group Conference in 2010 and invited experts from the Swedish Crane Working Group to visit Ireland in July 2011. Their expert opinion suggests that the wetlands and wet meadows in Longford, Roscommon, Leitrim and many other places are still suitable for cranes, providing a rich source of earthworms, wetland vegetation and other dietary items such as berries and snails.

V_Moth

snowstreams wrote: »

http://goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?z=132&news_id=11&article=298

This article above about cranes is from the Golden eagle trust website. The quote below seems to suggest that they could survive and breed here.

Unfortunately, the Shannon Callows are just not comparable to the Norfolk Broads or the vast meadow-boglands of northern Germany. More info on Crane ecology here.

robp

Further publicity about cranes in Ireland in the Irish Times


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1203/1224308505518.html