Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan announced his intention today (Friday, November 1) to purchase Clawinch Island on Lough Ree in order to protect breeding waders.
The 50ac island, which is located around 500 metres from the western shore of the lake is a designated Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.
It is a key site by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), home to breeding Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Snipe, as well as various Duck, Gull and Tern species. White-tailed Eagles have also been recorded roosting on the island.
Lough Ree was recently identified as the most important site in Ireland for breeding waterbirds.
The announcement adds to the footprint of lands already being managed for nature by the NPWS on Lough Ree, following last year’s acquisition of the nearby Black Islands.
Breeding waders
Minister Noonan said: “The opportunity to purchase an island site like this is rare, and it’s particularly valuable for breeding waders. These birds nest on the ground and are particularly vulnerable to predators.
“Because it’s an island, Clawinch is something of a haven for them. I’d like to thank the current owner for his willingness to see this site conserved for its ecological importance into the future.”
Lough Ree is also an important migratory stopping point and wintering site for many other species, with Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper and both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit consistently using the site for feeding and roosting.
Clawinch island, meanwhile, has some wet-grassland habitats, with species such as Water Germander, Teucrium scordium, in abundance. Otters are also recorded in the waters around the island on a regular basis.
Many of the larger Islands on Lough Ree became uninhabited in the mid to late 1900s and, on certain islands, this has seen the level of agricultural activity decrease.
Reduced grazing and less intensive land management has led to scrub encroachment becoming an issue for some species.
Ownership of Clawinch will allow the NPWS and the breeding waders EIP to implement measures to restore habitat where necessary.
The Breeding Waders EIP project aims to secure existing breeding wader populations and support population recovery through landscape management and policy development.
This EIP-agri project is a €25 million nationwide project, co-funded by the NPWS and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).