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BIRDWATCH IRELAND eWINGS
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Welcome to the April 2019 issue of eWings, BirdWatch Ireland's email newsletter.
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On Friday 24th May those of us with the right to vote in Ireland will have the opportunity to elect candidates in the European and local elections. These elections are important, and we encourage our members to get out and vote, and especially to vote for candidates who support action for the protection of birds, biodiversity and habitats. Please also ask any candidates who canvas for your vote about their commitments to Ireland's natural heritage.
Between Brexit and the rise of the far right it is a troublesome time for Europe, which also doesn't bode well for environmental protection. The European Union is a peace project, but it is also where most of our environmental laws and policies originate.
We will be asking candidates standing in the European elections to answer questions in relation to protecting the environment, to see how they might fare as future champions for nature in the European Parliament. We will put any answers we receive online before the elections: please check our website for this information, if you would like to know their positions on nature protection. And don't forget to vote!
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To view the articles and news below in full, simply click on the link displayed at the bottom of each summary.
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ARTICLES
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Celebrating the beauty of birdsong: the dawn chorus is here again
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Throughout the month of May, BirdWatch Ireland branch volunteers across the country are planning a superb programme of dawn chorus walks . . . plus a few dusk chorus walks too, to suit those of you who are not so fond of early starts! All of our branch birdsong events are free of charge and open to all: they are not just for dedicated birdwatchers by any means.
If enjoying the dawn chorus without having to leave your bed is more your style, you will be pleased to know that Mooney Goes Wild and BirdWatch Ireland will once again be joining forces to bring you our award-winning International Dawn Chorus programme on RTÉ Radio One. Derek Mooney and his team will be joined live by BirdLife International Partners and national EBU radio stations spanning the entire continent. Tune in between midnight and 7:00am on Sunday 5th May to hear what all the excitement is about.
(Photo: Robin, one of the stars of the dawn chorus, in song, by Kimberle Stark)
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Find details of upcoming birdsong events near you on the 'Events' pages of our website
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Great new designs added to BirdWatch Ireland clothing range
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Show your true colours and support Irish wild bird conservation by wearing BirdWatch Ireland clothing, now featuring some fantastic new designs. From T-shirts to hoodies, the entire range is made from organic cotton and manufactured using 100% renewable energy.
The designs represent our current work and projects, including our Cape Clear Bird Observatory (left), and the bird species that continue to need our help. Proceeds of sale go directly towards supporting the vital conservation work carried out by BirdWatch Ireland, and of course by wearing them you will be helping to spread the word about the work that we do.
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Click to browse the full BirdWatch Ireland clothing range on our dedicated Teemill store page
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Call for records of rare breeding birds
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With the nesting season now well and truly underway,
the Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel is looking for help with surveys of rare breeding bird species across Ireland. It has developed a section on its website that it is hoped will encourage more submissions this year, allowing users to view maps illustrating the priority species that might be present in each county. The species profiles section of the website also provides useful tips on how best to go about surveying for each species, including links to songs and calls.
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It is not too late to get started - take a look at the IRBBP website and submit your records
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Symbols of love and fidelity brought down by illegal killing
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Just a scarce visitor to Ireland, the European Turtle-dove is perhaps best known here for its appearance in the popular yuletide song The Twelve Days of Christmas. It has long been a very familiar and well-known bird across much of the rest of Europe, however, and for thousands of years it has been a symbol of love, fidelity and new life in many cultures.
Unfortunately, humanity has not been treating the European Turtle-dove with love or fidelity over the past few decades. Once abundant, numbers have plummeted by 62% since 1980, and the species is now vulnerable to extinction. Intensification of agriculture has played a big role, as unfortunately has illegal killing of the species during its migration, which has now reached unsustainable levels. There is hope, though: our BirdLife International Partners are working hard to reverse the trend. (Photo: European Turtle-dove by BirdLife International)
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Read about BirdLife's efforts to solve the problem of illegal killing along migratory flyways
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This June Bank Holiday weekend, join us for a Blooming good time in the Phoenix Park
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Bloom, Ireland's premier garden and food festival, will be taking place in Dublin's Phoenix Park from Thursday 30th May to Monday 3rd June. If you are going along, make sure to stop by one of our BirdWatch Ireland stands to say hi, ask our experts some questions, pick up some posters and pin badges and renew your membership: we will be hosting both a garden bird information stand at our usual location (G6) in the Grand Pavilion and our outdoor family fun marquee in the Conservation Zone.
As an added bonus, all eWings readers can avail of a special €2 discount when booking Bloom tickets online by quoting the promotional code BIRD19.
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See what is planned for Bloom 2019, and avail of our special eWings discount when you book your tickets now
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FINALLY...
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The first Inishbofin Corncrake Festival takes place at the Dolphin Hotel, Inishbofin, Co Galway, this May bank holiday weekend, 3-6th May. This exciting new festival, the first of its kind in Ireland, aims to allow visitors to hear and see this iconic bird, while raising awareness of the plight of this endangered species.
The call of the Corncrake was once a familiar sound in rural Ireland. Intensification of farming practices, including early mowing for silage, has pushed this bird out to the more remote unspoilt parts of Donegal, Mayo, Connemara and offshore islands. Conversely, on Inishbofin numbers have steadily increased, with 18 calling males reported in 2018. This tiny island is now home to over 10% of the country's breeding population and this elusive bird has become synonymous with the island.
For full details of the festival programme and to book tickets, please contact the Dolphin Hotel either by phone on 095-45991 or by email to info@dolphinhotel.ie.
Don't forget to visit the BirdWatch Ireland Facebook page and to follow us on Twitter. Both offer great ways to stay informed about our work, to learn more Ireland's birds and to ask us questions about anything at all you like.
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See you again next month!
Niall Hatch
Public Relations, Branches & Development Officer
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 BirdWatch Ireland
Unit 20, Block D
Bullford Business Campus
Kilcoole
Co. Wicklow
A63 RW83
Tel: (+353)-(0)1-2819878
Email: info@birdwatchireland.ie
BirdWatch Ireland is the trading name of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, a company limited by guarantee and registered in Ireland, no. 116468.
Registered Charity no. 5703.
Please note that BirdWatch Ireland will never pass your personal details on to anyone else.
© 2019
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