Wildlife bears brunt of fires
THE fires at Slievenaglogh mountain have had a devastating effect on wildlife. Unusually among the Cooley mountains, the non forested part of the mountain isn’t grazed by sheep, making it the perfect habitat for a large number of birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects.
Local wildlife enthusiast Derek Watters, who spends much of this time on the mountains, says that ‘ thousands and thousands of birds, insects and small mammals have perished in the fires.
He explains that among those worst affected are small migratory birds who make a 15,000 mile round trip from Africa to breed here each summer.
He reckons that thousands of nests belonging to ground nesting birds such as the Meadow Pippet will have been destroyed in the blaze. Other birds which can be found there include the Wheatear, the Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.
‘Everything is gone,’ Derek says of the gorse and heathers where these birds nest. He suspects that their chicks, which may have hatched by now, will have perished. And while he has heard the Cuckoo since the fires, their eggs, laid in the nests of other birds, and any chicks, will also have perished.
And it’s not just birds which will have suffered. The red listed (endangered) smooth newt, common lizards and frogs will also have been caught up in the fire which has scorched the once rich habitat. The eggs and caterpillars of insects like butterflies and dragonflies have also been wiped out. Butterworts and Sundews, among Ireland’s few carnivorous plants, are also to be found on Slievenaglough.
It will take years for the landscape to recover, for the gorse and heather to grow.