Crow II

The same hooded crow was seen yesterday evening harassing a grey heron along the river; eventually the heron gave up its struggle and flew off.

An Bonnán Buí

A writer to the Connaught Telegraph has suggested reintroducing the Bittern to the grounds of the National Museum at Turlough House. Such a famous bird in Irish tradition should have its place at the margin of the glorified pond that is the lake at Turlough; visitors would be delighted to photograph it and feed it hoola hoops.

Now that the Donegal eagle project has borne its first fruits and that sea-eagles and red kites are following, it is to be feared that many other copycat projects will emerge.

Bird Notes

Spring has been slow in this part of Mayo. The bright nights last week brought frost;the oaks and ash are only just now starting to come into leaf.

   Three days ago our swallows made their first foray into the porch where they have nested for the past five years; about the same time, the house martins arrived at the old nests on the other side of the house overlooking the valley.

   In the bright, breezy weather we are having now, these birds are constantly flying past the windows in their search for flies and for each other. (The old bonds need renewal.)

   One evening last week, when the weather was not so kind, with clouds and a gale, a pair of meadow pipits spent about forty minutes hovering above the rushes in the stiff breeze, rising up and spinning round each other, being swept off on the wind and then returning to resume the hovering and spinning.

   Mink have not been wreaking havoc at the lake this year: a mink trap failed to catch any about a month ago. Accordingly, a pair of mute swans has built a nest and are incubating two eggs; close by, a moorhen nest has eight.

   Just on schedule, a flock of whimbrels arrived four days ago; last night there was no trace of them - it's onward to the north!

   We are waiting now for swifts and whitethroats