Curlew down to 98 Breeding pairs in Ireland:

Capercaille

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/we-all-know-we-rely-on-nature-let-s-not-throw-away-what-s-left-of-it-1.2035585

Hondo75

Took a vist to lullymore during the summer and was able to see and hear one, amazing sight and sound on a summers evening

Their are different types so not all endangered is that correct?

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/CryoftheCurlewAppeal/tabid/1106/Default.aspx

Call of the curlew
http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Storspov_spelande_Krak2009-04-13.mp3

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Hondo75 wrote: »

Took a vist to lullymore during the summer and was able to see and hear one, amazing sight and sound on a summers evening

Their are different types so not all endangered is that correct?

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/CryoftheCurlewAppeal/tabid/1106/Default.aspx

Call of the curlew
http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Storspov_spelande_Krak2009-04-13.mp3

It certainly is a worrying report. I knew it was down to 200 breeding pairs a few years ago but this figure is disturbing.
There is only one species of Curlew here.

I am blessed to have a dozen or more regularly call as they fly over the garden but we are often misled in Ireland by the numbers of Curlew we see in Winter due to large numbers of visiting birds. I would stress the reduction in numbers refers to Irish breeding pairs.

Birdnuts

I think a "Boora" style rescue scheme will be required to get this species on its feet again. AFAIK BWI and the GET have a couple of smaller areas which are managed this way and have met with some success.

Paco Rodriguez

I think the fact that I can hear them at my local beach gives a false sense of security regarding their numbers, leaves me worried. I never knew they were in decline.

They are the most beautiful sounding birds and the biggest reason I went bird watching in my early teens.

V_Moth

Hondo75 wrote: »

Took a vist to lullymore during the summer and was able to see and hear one, amazing sight and sound on a summers evening

Their are different types so not all endangered is that correct?

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/CryoftheCurlewAppeal/tabid/1106/Default.aspx

Call of the curlew
http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Storspov_spelande_Krak2009-04-13.mp3

Worldwide there are eight species of Curlew, one of which (Eskimo) is extinct and another (Slender-billed) almost certainly is as well. As far as I can remember, the other six species are either threatened or declining.

Birdnuts wrote: »

I think a "Boora" style rescue scheme will be required to get this species on its feet again. AFAIK BWI and the GET have a couple of smaller areas which are managed this way and have met with some success.

These projects can work quite well, but ultimately the species needs to be successfully breeding in the wild without human intervention to survive.

OpenYourEyes

V_Moth wrote: »

These projects can work quite well, but ultimately the species needs to be successfully breeding in the wild without human intervention to survive.

Personally I wouldn't phrase it like that exactly - but they need to breeding without that level of human intervention - more of a 'land sharing' than 'land sparing' approach.

Like the guys in Boora will say that Boora is life-support for the Grey Partridge - if there aren't translocations and agri-environment schemes started and used to create habitat for them to move into across a large part of their range, then life-support isn't really any good.

Fingers crossed for the Curlew, a truly iconic bird.

Eddie B

[QUOTE=V_Moth;93446065
These projects can work quite well, but ultimately the species needs to be successfully breeding in the wild without human intervention to survive.[/QUOTE]

I think those projects aren't working as well for Curkew, as it does for other species! I worked with BWI on one such project and breeding numbers of Curlew were tiny!

Unlike Partridge at Boora, you can't keep, or make Curlew, breed at the project site! You can only entice them to breed there, by providing the necessary habitat for sucessful breeding!

Looking at the big picture! Well im afraid it isn't looking good for the Curlew in Ireland! Even with these projects, numbers are dropping, and its hard to see how that can be reversed when todays farming methods are whats squeezing the life out of the Curlew!

Capercaille

Eddie B wrote: »

I think those projects aren't working as well for Curkew, as it does for other species! I worked with BWI on one such project and breeding numbers of Curlew were tiny!

Unlike Partridge at Boora, you can't keep, or make Curlew, breed at the project site! You can only entice them to breed there, by providing the necessary habitat for sucessful breeding!

Looking at the big picture! Well im afraid it isn't looking good for the Curlew in Ireland! Even with these projects, numbers are dropping, and its hard to see how that can be reversed when todays farming methods are whats squeezing the life out of the Curlew!

Do a few a few breed at Lough Boora? The BWI sites are tiny as well I believe (you would know more though). With BWI virtually bankrupt I can't see them buying up any land soon for Curlew conservation and the areas would have to be huge.

The only hope is widespread targeted agri-enviromental schemes, which ain't going to happen either.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

Do a few a few breed at Lough Boora? The BWI sites are tiny as well I believe (you would know more though). With BWI virtually bankrupt I can't see them buying up any land soon for Curlew conservation and the areas would have to be huge.

The only hope is widespread targeted agri-enviromental schemes, which ain't going to happen either.

To the best of my knowledge a few do breed at Boora, butobviously with 98 pairs in the country overall it is only a few!

That's one comment I've heard alright - that given what EddieB said about them not necessarily deciding to breed on the project site, any attempts at curlew conservation has to be at a larger scale than what is currently being done - more of a landscape scale, than just a relatively small plot of land in the middle of inhospitable land and near large tracts of forestry that are refuges for foxes etc.

But unfortunately securing a suitably large area of land, even in a land-sharing type way, is very difficult - especially in Ireland given the way land is divided up and the limited finances of BWI, very limited political backing of the NPWS etc.

Eddie B

Capercaille wrote: »

Do a few a few breed at Lough Boora? The BWI sites are tiny as well I believe (you would know more though). With BWI virtually bankrupt I can't see them buying up any land soon for Curlew conservation and the areas would have to be huge.

The only hope is widespread targeted agri-enviromental schemes, which ain't going to happen either.

Well I don't know about all the sites, but the one I worked on was just a small island with good numbers of Lapwing and Red Shank but very little Curlew! Not sure if Boora have any breeding there, because the habitat might not be suitable! The land has to be say top bog, or semi grazed land with fairly short grass and little or no tree's! The nesting birds need to be able to see around them whilst on the nest!

There are a couple breeding on Clara Bog!

Capercaille

Eddie B wrote: »

Well I don't know about all the sites, but the one I worked on was just a small island with good numbers of Lapwing and Red Shank but very little Curlew! Not sure if Boora have any breeding there, because the habitat might not be suitable! The land has to be say top bog, or semi grazed land with fairly short grass and little or no tree's! The nesting birds need to be able to see around them whilst on the nest!

That sounds like Bullock Island, formerly used to hold corncrake:(

There are a couple breeding on Clara Bog

Clara bog is one of the raised bog SAC's. Turfcutting has stopped there and restoration work is ongoing. Just shows that if the bogs are protected they can benefit wildlife like Grouse, Curlew. Unfortunately illegal turfcutting is rampant on most of the "protected" sites.

Eddie B

Capercaille wrote: »

That sounds like Bullock Island, formerly use to hold corncrake

No it was little island on the Shannon called Inishee! A lot of money spent on it, and maintenance needed yearly, performed mainly by volunteers!

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

But unfortunately securing a suitably large area of land, even in a land-sharing type way, is very difficult - especially in Ireland given the way land is divided up and the limited finances of BWI, very limited political backing of the NPWS etc.

Land prices in Ireland are very expensive as well. Much easier for RSPB to buy land in Scotland compared to comparable land in Ireland. RSPB have much better resources as well.

Eddie B wrote: »

No it was little island on the Shannon called Inishee! A lot of money spent on it, and maintenance needed yearly, performed mainly by volunteers!

Satisfying work for the volunteers though:)

Hondo75

Came home by Rodgerstown estuary today, spotted two Curlew from the car bigger then I thought and plenty of Barnacle or Brent Geese. No binoculars ,but the area seems to be heaving with wildfowl.

Capercaille

Hondo75 wrote: »

Came home by Rodgerstown estuary today, spotted two Curlew from the car bigger then I thought and plenty of Barnacle Geese. No binoculars ,but the area seems to be heaving with wildfowel.

Those Curlew would be wintering birds from elsewhere in Europe (most likely). The geese would be pale bellied Brent geese. Barnacle geese would be quite uncommon on the East Coast. It would be are enough to see them in Rogerstown.