BIRDS

Birds can be divided the following groups depending on whether they remain in their breeding grounds throughout the year or leave for the winter.

There are resident birds that stay close to the general area of their nesting grounds.

Migratory birds, however, leave their nesting grounds each year, fly to warmer quarters for the winter and return again in the spring.

Dispersiive birds often range hundreds of kilometres from their nesting grounds after their breeding season in search of better weather or a better food supply.

Glenullin is a home to all three types of birds.

We live in a world where many species of birds are threatened by changing agriculture systems or changing weather patterns. The corncrake, once a common visitor from Africa, is only found in about three places in Ireland today.

Even the cuckoo, yellow hammer, curlew and lapwing are becoming more and more rare. There are many young people in Glenullin who may never have experienced the sound of the woodcock or seen the majestic flight of the buzzard, the kestrel or the sparrow hawk.

But on a positive note, during a survey buzzards and kestrels were seen hunting across the bog. Numerous snipe were also seen. It has been reported by local sources that curlews nest on the bog.

Only when people are encouraged to recognise and look out for the many types of bird that frequent our countryside will we be able to say that we understand and cherish our native heritage.

There follows a list of birds that can still be seen in the Glenullin district.How many could your recognise?

Resident birds

Raven, rook, hooded crow, magpie, jay, jackdaw, wood pigeon, red grouse, snipe, collared dove, barn owl, starling, teal, mallard, kingfisher, water hen, pied wagtail, heron, dipper, pheasant, house sparrow, song thrush, missel thrush, blackbird, robin, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, yellowhammer, siskin, serin, dunnock, treecreeper, wren, goldcrest, blue tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, coal-tit, buzzard, kestrel, sparrow hawk, merlin, peregrine falcon

Spring and Summer Visitors

Cuckoo, swallow, house-martin migrate north from equatorial regions.The curlew and lapwing live on local coastal estuaries and in spring and summer come to our upland areas for breeding purposes.

Winter Visitors

Grey plover, woodcock, fieldfare from northern regions

ANIMALS

Hare, rabbit, badger, hedgehog, Irish stoat have been observed in the precincts of the bog. Otter spraint (droppings) were found in the northern fen area adjacent to the river.