Summer bonanza from woodpecker and ‘lucky’ moth
SUMMER in North Louth has proved a bonanza for nature enthusiasts with woodpeckers hatching in Ravensdale and a stunning hummingbird hawkmoth captured on camera in Ballagan.
Bird expert Gerry O’Neill has revealed that a pair of breeding woodpeckers have successfully fledged three chicks in Ravensdale Forest, with the babies having left the nest around two weeks ago at about seven weeks old. Gerry, who can be found on Twitter @louthbirdnews, says the chicks will stay with the parents for the summer, before their dad puts them out of his territory, along with his mate, in October. The young woodpeckers will then establish their own territory away from their birthplace, perhaps a couple of miles away. In addition, there is another woodpecker in the Jenkinstown area, and it is estimated there are eight woodpeckers in total now in the North Louth area, with 34 pairs countrywide.
And wildlife photographer Don Hodgers had a stroke of luck last week too when he managed to capture stunning pictures of the hummingbird hawkmoth at Ballagan. Mr Hodgers said: ‘Hummingbird hawkmoths are beautiful moths that are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds as they hover to feed at nectar-rich flowers.
‘ They are migrants that originate in the Mediterranean area and North Africa. They are seen in Ireland every year and have been found in every month, although most are seen between May and October. This year there is an influx and they have been recorded at about 40 sites so far.
‘In this area a couple were seen on the Boyne, one on the Old Golf Links Road, Blackrock, and one at Ballagan. There were other migrant moths and butterflies at Ballagan on the same day, including four Silver Y moths, six Painted Lady butterflies and two Red Admirals.
‘It is always very special to see a Hummingbird Hawk-moth. In olden days, seeing it was thought to be a sign of good luck.
‘MothsIreland is trying to monitor this influx, so if anyone sees one, it would be appreciated if they visited the MothsIreland website and reported the record’.