Nests flooded

Birdnuts

Water levels on the lake here are the highest I've ever seen them due to the unusually wet weather for the time of year. Unfortunatly this has led to the flooding of a number of nesting sites for wildfowl and species like Great Crested Grebes, Snipe etc. Based on my observations over the past few days these losses appear to have been heavy in terms of clutches lost. I'm also worried about other nesting birds in exposed trees that have now been subjected to a week of almost constant cold rain in the East of the country. Many resident breeders like Skylarks will also be vulnerable having started breeding earlier this year due to the mild winter/early spring - its probable that many nestlings will have been lost to hypothermia etc.:(

wgsten

I watched a pair of Grebes trying to keep their nest built up ahead of the rising water. Passed by this evening no sign of Grebes or nest. Sad, all their effort wasted,

Birdnuts

wgsten wrote: »

I watched a pair of Grebes trying to keep their nest built up ahead of the rising water. Passed by this evening no sign of Grebes or nest. Sad, all their effort wasted,

Just back from another quick scout of the lake - things are getting worse all the time. The water is now up over many of the paths used by walkers, daytrippers etc. Is their some sort of problem at the dam in Poulaphuca I wonder

wgsten

Poulaphuca is where i had been observing the Greebes. I will also be watching for water releases from the dam at Golden Falls as i fish on the river. The water level rises quickly and can leave you stranded on the opposite side to where you got in. http://www.liffeyreleases.com/

meathstevie

It's not only on the banks of rivers and lakes that continious heavy rain is causing bother. All ground nesting birds are in trouble with this sort of weather. A second attempt can probably be made by some but they're going into the start of hay and silage cutting season at that stage so it's not all that great.

Birdnuts

Alot of broken eggs and egg shells have been washed up on certain sections of the lake in the last 24hrs confirming some of my worst fears:(

whyulittle

Piece on Sky News about flooding in the UK. One site, containing about 1/3 of all breeding/nesting Snipe in Wales and England under metres of water.

Cork boy 55

BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17966324

Heavy rain and flooding has had a disastrous impact on many of the RSPB's nature reserves, the charity has said.
Nests and breeding grounds have been destroyed by rising water levels, the bird protection group added.
The BBC's rural affairs correspondent Jeremy Cooke said the recent deluge of rain had come in the wake of acute water shortages.