Write a commentNewry Mourne and Down District Council through the Ring of Gullion AONB project have teamed up with British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Ulster Wildlife to provide talks about surveying birds in the area on Saturday 25th April starting at 10.30am in Slieve Gullion Forest Park.
First up, will be BTO talking about garden birds in the area and outlining how members of the public can get involved in their Garden BirdWatchers survey. The results of these surveys are analyzed by BTO scientists to provide reliable, unbiased reports that are used to inform policy makers and conservation organisations about the state of the UK’s birds.
BTO Garden BirdWatchers have charted the decline of the House Sparrow, the rise of the Woodpigeon, have discovered that urban birds get up later than their rural counterparts and have alerted conservationists to the impact of an emerging disease in Greenfinches. By getting involved, you can make BTO aware of trends happening in the Ring of Gullion area.
Next what will be Ulster Wildlife, who are currently engaged in a 3 year Heritage Lottery funded project ‘Be there for Barn Owls’ and Catherine Fegan, the project officer, will be providing a talk for anyone interested in the barn owl and finding out how to get involved.
Catherine states “Through this project, we hope to make people more aware of these amazing birds. With heart-shaped face, buff back and wings and pure white underparts, the barn owl is a distinctive and much-loved countryside bird. If you have ever seen one of these birds, you can count yourself very lucky and I would like to hear from you.”
Therese Hamill Ring of Gullion AONB Officer said “Undertaking bird surveying is a great way of learning more about the birds and other wildlife in your local area. Surveying often takes you to areas that you would not normally visit, creating excellent opportunities to expand your knowledge. It also provides opportunities to develop other skills such as map reading & habitat identification.
She added “Another opportunity to experience Ring of Gullion’s bird life up close is the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership’s Dawn Chorus walk in Creggan Poets Glen. It’s an excellent opportunity to hear the wonderful dawn songs of our local birds and learn about them from, Breffni Martin, our knowledgeable guide. Starting at 5am!”
To book onto the Dawn Chorus event and find out more about our other events, please visit our website www.ringofgullion.org and click on Events in the Region.
All the talks are free and were supported by Newry Mourne and Down District Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Northern Ireland Environment Agency through the Ring of Gullion AONB and Landscape Partnership.
The Ring of Gullion has moved to new offices:- Crossmaglen Community Centre, O'Fiaich Square, Crossmaglen, BT35 9AA Tel:-(028) 3082 8590.
