Ringing Ravens on campus

A pair of ravens, known for being the most intelligent birds on earth, nesting on campus have become part of a nationwide conservation project.

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A few weeks ago I found a pair of Raven nesting in the grounds of UCC Ireland in the middle of Cork City and today Alan McCarthy accessed the nest and ringed the two chicks and were joined by President John O'Halloran. Fabulous to have them nesting in the city National Parks and Wildlife Service BirdWatch Ireland BTO

SIX EGGS!!! 😮

A decent gap in bad weather yesterday meant the team could get out and ring another Raven nest in an abandoned towerhouse. The biggest brood of the year so far with 4 chicks. At over 1kg each they are the biggest passerine in the world BTO National Parks and Wildlife Service BirdWatch Ireland EURING

And so it begins once again. The Barn Owl nesting season is now well underway and we have just spotted the first egg at Hannah Beth Hamilton nest box!
Kilkenny County Council National Parks and Wildlife Service

We've had great success with #BarnOwl nest boxes in Clare, working with Clare County Council + National Parks and Wildlife Service These boxes were installed at sites identified by Michael McGrath & Jamesy Lynch in West Clare, probably too late for this breeding season but we will check these & all boxes in June

Good day continuing our Cork Harbour Grey Heron colour ringing project and starting this years Raven ringing with 5 colour ringed chicks from two new sites National Parks and Wildlife Service BirdWatch Ireland BTO EURING Alan McCarthy PalomaB Domhnall Finch Róisín Towe IMcD

Not a typical location for a #barnowl nest box but needed here after the building where they previously nested in a Limerick village was renovated - now they have a suitable & safe replacement. Our Limerick Barn Owl nest box scheme is supported by Limerick Council - Comhairle Luimnigh & National Parks and Wildlife Service

Peregrine falcons: NPWS has installed three web cams (under licence) and a nest tray at Clonakilty Parish Church #CoCork to study the resident pair of Peregrines. The cameras are not livestream but updates and clips are being shared on a special page: facebook.com/profile.php?id…

Another new project started this year. Grey Heron is a Qualifying Interest for Cork Harbour SPA so we are targeting heronries around the harbour to get information on dispersal, longevity and how individuals use the estuary BTO National Parks and Wildlife Service BirdWatch Ireland EURING

Reminder that the BWI WestCork AGM is on tonight at 7.30pm in O’Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty, followed by a talk on Barn Owls by Alan McCarthy. Not to be missed!

LIVE! Follow two pairs of West Cork chough on livestream nest cams installed by NPWS. At the moment they're nest-building but we hope to follow their progress from laying to fledging chicks.

Thanks to Alan McCarthy, Jason Fathers & the landowners whose buildings the chough nest in.

🪺Tune into #Nestflix - a new live stream for nature lovers!

Follow our two Chough pairs as they build their nests, hopefully lay and fledge chicks!

We are urging people to make a submission to the draft #HenHarrier Threat Response Plan public consultation which includes our 3 key asks for the plan.
Help us to #SaveTheSkydancer . Tell the government why you care about the Hen Harrier.

See birdwatchireland.ie/henharrier for more.

Listen bk Morning Ireland piece w/me on Hen Harrier #SavetheSkydancer campaign.I feel govt is quietly quitting on one of 🇮🇪 most iconic birds. 10 yrs it took to dev just publishd Threat Response Plan, HH⬇️33% in that time & plan still not fit for purpose. rte.ie/radio/radio1/c…

Another Owl box installed this time in Rochestown. Thanks to TP Cassidy, Tomas Novak and Peter Farrell for their help fitting and installing the box.

Chough nest cam: watch this space! National Parks and Wildlife Service has installed a livestream camera in a chough box in a barn #westcork Another chough cam is being installed in a cattle shed. They are due to go live soon. Thanks to Alan McCarthy BirdWatch Ireland & Jason Fathers, Wildlife Windows UK.

🦉 Barn Owls recorded in record numbers County Cork!

🦉 BirdWatch Ireland in partnership with Cork County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have completed a survey of Barn Owls in the county, which shows that the fortunes of this iconic farmland bird appear to be changing.

📈 The…

One west Cork landowner putting in hundreds of metres of new hedging.

Another grubbing out hedges and riparian vegetation right down to the bank of the Bandon.

Swings and roundabouts.

I tried something different last night and went for a night time hike to a Cork mountaintop in simply shocking weather. But it was worth it - I confirmed the continued survival of red grouse at the site, managing to capture and ring this simply stunning adult male. #birdringing