Calling all Skerries birdwatchers

taibhse

Hi,

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

So they're planning to turn the disused Milverton quarry into a landfill site.

http://http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/02/05/will-you-miss-this/



We already know that there are protected species in the area, but there have been reports of kingfishers too. If they are there, this would essentially destroy their habitat.

If anyone has been in and around that area and has seen a kingfisher, I would love to hear from you.

Luke92

Just looking at the picture and thinking how they could even think of turning that into a landfill! I can think of a lot of areas in Dublin which would be more deserving!

Looks a magnificent natural habitat for many species of wildlife!

OpenYourEyes

Honestly, I don't know the site, but it doesn't look likely to have Kingfishers? Kingfishers obviously use water bodies (mostly rivers) with fish in them, and it seems very unlikely there would be fish in a flooded quarry like that?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I agree. That is not a likely spot for kingfishers.

What protected species does it hold? I'm sure the planning required an Environmental Impact Study.

OpenYourEyes

Ellie Dirty Stepchildren wrote: »

I agree. That is not a likely spot for kingfishers.

What protected species does it hold? I'm sure the planning required an Environmental Impact Study.

If you click on the article you'll see some mention of a sensitive breeding species, discussion of which I'd like to minimise. To be honest I don't think it'd be enough to stop this going ahead, and possibly some mitigation measures could be put in place for them.

It also claims to have Otters, though that seems as unlikely as does Kingfishers.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The water appears stagnant and polluted . I wouldn't expect much in the way of fish or the like in it at all.
Old quarries are seldom of value for aquatic wildlife.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The water appears stagnant and polluted . I wouldn't expect much in the way of fish or the like in it at all.
Old quarries are seldom of value for aquatic wildlife.

OpenYourEyes

Another article on it here: http://www.thejournal.ie/quarry-disused-waste-facility-skerries-outside-1923729-Feb2015/

Provisions being made for that one cliff-nesting species, otters and kingfishers very unlikely to use it.

taibhse

Otters have been caught on camera both upstream and downstream from this quarry, so it must be considered there is even a small possibility that they may be there.

Have also heard reports of bats and newts. I'd be interested to hear what people think about those two in there?

OpenYourEyes

taibhse wrote: »

Otters have been caught on camera both upstream and downstream from this quarry, so it must be considered there is even a small possibility that they may be there.

Have also heard reports of bats and newts. I'd be interested to hear what people think about those two in there?

Does the stream run into the quarry?

Bats and Newts - certainly possible, you'd need to talk to someone with experience of surveying them tbh. Has anybody surveyed for them?

Capercaille

Peregrines nest in the quarry. Although peregrines breed in active quarries in Ireland, however this pair are unused to disturbance so might abandon the site. If the incinerator opened up at Poolbeg then these dumps would not likely open up.

taibhse

I'm trying to get that information, apparently the stream does flow into the quarry, but I can't see it on a map, so I'm guessing if it does then it's underground.

The licence allows for 400,000 tonnes of waste per year to enter the site. This breaks down to approximately 384 per week or 6 HGV trucks per hour, every hour for 11 hours per day, six days per week.

With the level of noise and dust pollution, they're asserting that the protected species won't be affected :rolleyes:

OpenYourEyes

With regard the Peregrines, they nest in active quarries and breeding success and productivity is as good as it is on natural cliffs and unused quarries. If the nest site is left alone, and they've said they'll leave 8-10 metres of that cliff clear, then the Peregrines should be ok.

For the other species, I still have some trouble believing that Otter or Kingfisher would be there with any regularity. For bats, get in touch with the Irish Wildlife Trust or Bat Conservation Ireland, and for Newts I'm not really sure who you should get onto. Quarries sometimes have unique assemblages of plants so that might be another avenue to pursue.

just as a Mod Note: I wouldn't ordinarily let talk of a specific breeding Peregrine site go on, but since the broadsheet and journal articles have made it common knowledge it seems theres little to be gained by maintaining secrecy here.

For the record, publicly advertising the location of breeding Peregrines, particularly in Dublin where there are a lot of pigeon fanciers, is very likely to lead to their persecution - either the nest destroyed or adults poisoned/shot etc. Similar goes for other breeding birds of prey. We don't usually allow it in this forum, and I may remove mentions of it after this thread dies down in the weeks to come.

OpenYourEyes

Try and talk to your local NPWS ranger too!

Birdnuts

Some quarries are better than others. Old sand pits in and around Blessington harbour alot of rare flora and fauna. I know a number of sites heavy with scarce orchids etc. as well as breeding Lapwing and Ringed Plover etc. The flooded areas can be good too depending on the depth of water and steepness of waters edge. Some mentioned fish. I've found fish at these sites too and it appears they arrive as eggs on the feet of various water birds

taibhse

Reading through reports that the company have provided themselves, their environmental impact statement gives at least one protected mammal and a couple of others not protected, two protected birds and a list of plants, though none rare. I'm sure they didn't check the water too thoroughly for the presence of anything - fish or newts

They'll be destroying a whole mini ecosystem here that has sprung up since the quarry hasn't been in use.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The EIS by it's very nature would have had to take the water life in to account. Contact An Taisce if you have concerns that the NPWS can't or won't address.

taibhse

Does anyone know in these situations of the EPA has to compile it's own inventory of flora and fauna?

I can't find one for this site, only the company's. Now it seems to me, they would obviously have an interest in not having any rare or protected species here. (Though they are there)

Surely some objective party would need to do this?

magicbastarder

Birdnuts wrote: »

Some quarries are better than others. Old sand pits in and around Blessington harbour alot of rare flora and fauna.

here's one such site:
http://www.nativewoodlandtrust.ie/en/our-sites/blessington

OpenYourEyes

taibhse wrote: »

Does anyone know in these situations of the EPA has to compile it's own inventory of flora and fauna?

I can't find one for this site, only the company's. Now it seems to me, they would obviously have an interest in not having any rare or protected species here. (Though they are there)

Surely some objective party would need to do this?

The company would usually hire an outside consultancy to do the work in relation to environmental impacts, flora and fauna etc. It's not enough for you to say "sure they probably didn't look properly" - they've done the work, the onus is now on you or someone else to prove that they didn't look properly for protected species.