Little Terns in Wexford Harbour

Del.Monte

NPWS urge members of the public to take care at bird colony in Wexford Harbour

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has urged dog owners and members of the public not to enter a birds’ colony in Wexford Harbour, where Little Terns have settled to nest. The chances of chicks successfully hatching can be greatly diminished if they are disturbed by people.
Having nested on the Fort Bank and the sand banks off Rosslare Point last year, the Little Terns appear to be concentrated on the Fort Bank off the main harbour channel this year. It’s estimated that 100 pairs are sitting on eggs, which should hatch shortly. The chicks take to the air about three weeks after hatching.
The NPWS has put up temporary signs asking people not to enter the colony so that the chicks have the best possible chance of survival.

NPWS Ranger Tony Murray said:


“The Little Terns’ eggs and chicks look like seashells on the beach, so anyone could easily trample on them. The last time a colony was located here, the birds failed to breed due to disturbance by people entering the breeding area. Dogs pose an even bigger danger so we are urging dog owners to take particular care.
“The number of birds using Wexford Harbour has been very significant over the last two years, making this one of the biggest colonies of Little Terns in Ireland. We hope that, with the cooperation of the public, hundreds of chicks will successfully hatch in the coming weeks.”
http://www.ahg.gov.ie/npws-urge-members-of-the-public-to-take-care-at-bird-colony-in-wexford-harbour/


Tell me that I'm wrong and that there is more protection for this colony than a couple of signposts - we all know how effective they are against walkers, joggers, dogs and morons.

OpenYourEyes

Are they not on an island cut off from the mainland, in the mouth of the harbour? So the risk would be of people landing and walking around rather than walkers etc? That certainly has been the case in the past, not 100% sure if its the same this year.

Del.Monte

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Are they not on an island cut off from the mainland, in the mouth of the harbour? So the risk would be of people landing and walking around rather than walkers etc? That certainly has been the case in the past, not 100% sure if its the same this year.

It's not clear from the article but it sounds fairly dicey.

Del.Monte

In more encouraging news Kilcoole appears to be going well again this year.

http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/

OpenYourEyes

Del.Monte wrote: »

In more encouraging news Kilcoole appears to be going well again this year.

http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/

...wait for the next blog update unfortunately! A lot of nests have been lost to a pair of foxes in recent days.

Half-cocked

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Are they not on an island cut off from the mainland, in the mouth of the harbour? So the risk would be of people landing and walking around rather than walkers etc? That certainly has been the case in the past, not 100% sure if its the same this year.

The sand banks are constantly changing in Wexford Harbour from year to year.

Capercaillie

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

...wait for the next blog update unfortunately! A lot of nests have been lost to a pair of foxes in recent days.

Need to lamp those foxes. All it takes is a second for fox to jump the fence at night.

Capercaillie

Del.Monte wrote: »

In more encouraging news Kilcoole appears to be going well again this year.

http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/

Baltray Colony has totally failed this year. Heavy predation by crows last year and terns never settled this year. Most would have gone to Kilcoole.

wexandproud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Are they not on an island cut off from the mainland, in the mouth of the harbour? So the risk would be of people landing and walking around rather than walkers etc? That certainly has been the case in the past, not 100% sure if its the same this year.

if it is the ''forth bank'' that the birds have settled on then it is cut off from the land and this bank is relatively stable for the last number of years and is only visited the odd time by people wanting to have a look at the old ruins . the raven point itself on the northern side is the place most visited by people .
A few years back there was a small colony of terns breeding there and their was fences erected to discourage people but the biggest threat to the terns was from the rangers on there quads

OpenYourEyes

wexandproud wrote: »

A few years back there was a small colony of terns breeding there and their was fences erected to discourage people but the biggest threat to the terns was from the rangers on there quads

The NPWS staff down in Wexford know tern management better than any rangers in the country, so I can say with complete confidence that this statement is rubbish. There is no way that they're casually riding up in quads and causing disturbance.

And I can also say that people both landing on the island with terns, sometimes even bringing their dogs, and just generally using the waters near that island have indeed been a problem in the recent past too.

wexandproud

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

The NPWS staff down in Wexford know tern management better than any rangers in the country, so I can say with complete confidence that this statement is rubbish. There is no way that they're casually riding up in quads and causing disturbance.

And I can also say that people both landing on the island with terns, sometimes even bringing their dogs, and just generally using the waters near that island have indeed been a problem in the recent past too.

i know wexford harbour like the back of my hand as i fished there for years and for the past years have been on the water in wexford more often than any ranger so i can say with confidence that people rarely land on the 'forth' as it is known by people who know the harbour , if somebody was seen on the forth it would be commented on as an unusual sight and unless the rangers go up in some of the observation towers they cannot even see the place as they go about their daily business on the slob. People do however go out from wexford in small boats to the raven point for picnics or swimming on the western side of the point where it is safe . like i said in a previous post on here i would have a passing interest in the local wildlife and love the terns especially. You can dismiss my post as rubbish if you want it makes no difference to me whatsoever

Capercaillie

wexandproud wrote: »

i know wexford harbour like the back of my hand as i fished there for years and for the past years have been on the water in wexford more often than any ranger so i can say with confidence that people rarely land on the 'forth' as it is known by people who know the harbour , if somebody was seen on the forth it would be commented on as an unusual sight and unless the rangers go up in some of the observation towers they cannot even see the place as they go about their daily business on the slob. People do however go out from wexford in small boats to the raven point for picnics or swimming on the western side of the point where it is safe . like i said in a previous post on here i would have a passing interest in the local wildlife and love the terns especially. You can dismiss my post as rubbish if you want it makes no difference to me whatsoever

I believe Openyoureyes worked on the Wexford Slobs so he would know the NPWS wardens better than anybody. Since Openyoureyes has worked on tern conservation for last 3 years, he probably knows the craic with the terns better than anybody.

wexandproud

Capercaillie wrote: »

I believe Openyoureyes worked on the Wexford Slobs so he would know the NPWS wardens better than anybody. Since Openyoureyes has worked on tern conservation for last 3 years, he probably knows the craic with the terns better than anybody.

i am not questioning oye knowledge , or the rangers about the terns . I enjoy looking in here the odd time to see whats going on around the country on the wildlife front and I totally respect the knowledge and work yourself , oye and indeed several posters have and do regarding irish wildlife and particularly birds .
however i know how often the fort in wexford is visited and i know what i see around the harbour.
any way i would say we have to agree to disagree but if i ever see any unusual critters around the place i will let you know.
The population of buzzards seems healthy down this corner at present and i see them most days in an area around kilmore .How's work with the corncrake going up your way , a little fella i would love to see or hear but alas , they are not present down this corner

Capercaillie

wexandproud wrote: »

i am not questioning oye knowledge , or the rangers about the terns . I enjoy looking in here the odd time to see whats going on around the country on the wildlife front and I totally respect the knowledge and work yourself , oye and indeed several posters have and do regarding irish wildlife and particularly birds .
however i know how often the fort in wexford is visited and i know what i see around the harbour.
any way i would say we have to agree to disagree but if i ever see any unusual critters around the place i will let you know.
The population of buzzards seems healthy down this corner at present and i see them most days in an area around kilmore .How's work with the corncrake going up your way , a little fella i would love to see or hear but alas , they are not present down this corner

Huge decrease in corncrake in my area. I have none despite good habitat:(. Very disappointing. Decreases across Donegal. Some Connemara Islands doing well.

wexandproud

Capercaillie wrote: »

Huge decrease in corncrake in my area. I have none despite good habitat:(. Very disappointing. Decreases across Donegal. Some Connemara Islands doing well.

why would the islands do well ... peace and quiet or something else

last question as dont want to derail thread

Capercaillie

wexandproud wrote: »

why would the islands do well ... peace and quiet or something else

last question as dont want to derail thread

don't really know. Donegal Islands are not doing well either from what I have heard.

recedite

Capercaillie wrote: »

All it takes is a second for fox to jump the fence at night.

This is an electric fence about 1.2m high. There is also an outer non-electrified fence about a metre out from it, so not easy for a fox to jump the two at once.
Does anyone know if there was a power failure, or how exactly Fantastic Mr. and Mrs. Fox got past the defences?

Capercaillie

recedite wrote: »

This is an electric fence about 1.2m high. There is also an outer non-electrified fence about a metre out from it, so not easy for a fox to jump the two at once.
Does anyone know if there was a power failure, or how exactly Fantastic Mr. and Mrs. Fox got past the defences?

A fox would clear 2 metres easily.

recedite

I suppose a fox would also clear the two fences at once then.
I wonder is the outer fence causing the problem there. It seems to be there to prevent the public from touching the electric one.

The way a fox-proof electric mesh works is that the fox comes up to it and first tries to dig or poke a way through, but gets a shock and then avoids it altogether.
It does not have to be very high, because once they have been shocked they are reluctant to try to jump it.

If the fox gets a chance to examine the outer fence first, and then decides to jump it, he won't even realise the inner one is electric until after he is inside the nesting area. Getting out would be the problem then. But being sufficiently desperate, and having vaulted it once already, that is do-able.

Capercaillie

recedite wrote: »

I suppose a fox would also clear the two fences at once then.
I wonder is the outer fence causing the problem there. It seems to be there to prevent the public from touching the electric one.

The way a fox-proof electric mesh works is that the fox comes up to it and first tries to dig or poke a way through, but gets a shock and then avoids it altogether.
It does not have to be very high, because once they have been shocked they are reluctant to try to jump it.

If the fox gets a chance to examine the outer fence first, and then decides to jump it, he won't even realise the inner one is electric until after he is inside the nesting area. Getting out would be the problem then. But being sufficiently desperate, and having vaulted it once already, that is do-able.

The fence at kilcoole is the best you can really get for a temporary fence. It protects against hedgehogs, but if a fox really wants to get into the colony then it will. It needs to be snared/shot asap. Would be bad publicity for an eNGO to do that however.

recedite

I'd agree the fox should be shot. Once a fox discovers an easy food source in his area he will keep returning to it regularly.

Del.Monte

recedite wrote: »

I'd agree the fox should be shot. Once a fox discovers an easy food source in his area he will keep returning to it regularly.

Get the army down now that they have their eye in after shooting all the cows.