Pat Dunning, an avid hunter and longstanding member of a shooting club, has often found himself explaining his deep-rooted passion for the conservation of endangered birds such as the curlew, red grouse, and lapwing. As a child in Co Roscommon, Dunning grew up surrounded by the sounds of these birds on Ballydangan Bog near his family farm.
When Bord na Móna, the owner of the bog, planned to drain it for commercial peat manufacturing, Dunning and his fellow members from the Moore gun club advocated for the preservation of these dwindling bird species, having witnessed their disappearance from other busy bogs in the midlands. Among their primary concerns was the potential loss of the local red grouse population.
The pleas of the gun club members were heeded by Bord na Móna, who leased the bog to them. This led to the launch of the Ballydanagan Bog Red Grouse Project 14 years back, supported by local citizens, state organisations and academic experts. An unforeseen positive outcome of the initiative was the rising numbers of curlew.
The transformation of what used to be a desolate brown landscape into a vibrant scene of wild orchids, bell and ling heather, and bog cotton is another achievement of the project. Beyond bird life, Dunning was excited by the discovery of the serrated wintergreen, a plant deemed extinct in the Republic, in 2015.
While being protective about revealing this in case someone might wish to take clippings, he remembers the excitement accompanying its discovery. Though the plant had previously been found in Co Fermanagh, the population in the Republic is considered viable, shares Dunning.
Many bird species have flourished since the process of re-wetting the bog began and draining channels, which had proved hazardous to chicks, were removed.
Dunning elucidates the importance of not just the red grouse, but also lapwing, curlew, snipe, barn owls, long-eared owls, short-eared owls, jacksnipe, golden plover and all avian species that rely on this particular environment are of significant concern to their project. His point of view is ratified by Paddy Feehily, who supervises a local employment plan involving four members who are responsible for predator control, wild bird monitoring and heather stewardship. Feehily, who also leads the shooting club, takes great pride in the recovery of the red grouse population, although still scarce, and the constant presence of the curlew’s melodic song.
From a mere pair of breeding curlews in 2010, the numbers have risen to seven the present year, as explained by Feehily. Concurrently, Vinny Flannelly, a local and co-worker on the employment scheme arrives from the marsh with news of sighting three curlews in Gerry Dolan’s territory. The group includes a male curlew and two immature birds, assumed to be left behind by the female in pursuit of replenishing her energy post egg-laying.
Dunning holds a distinct fondness for the lapwing, the emblematic bird of Ireland, however, he acknowledges that the curlew has a deep-rooted association with Irish tales.
The significant aspects of their endeavours include the removal of predators and careful management of heather to preserve their dwelling place and source of sustenance for the nascent grouse.
Referring to his initial solitary efforts on the marshland conservation, Dunning recollects capturing 58 intrusive North American mink, indicating their destructive influence on the bird population.
Their operation has been technologically upgraded by The Heritage Council’s funding of an advanced trapping system. This enables them to receive instantaneous mobile alerts upon trap activation, subsequently identifying the closed one. Their trapping method is humane, ensuring the release of any unidentified species caught. Hence, while mink, foxes, magpies, hooded crows, and grey crows are eliminated, innocuous animals like otters, pine martens, and a few hedgehogs are freed.
“An identifiable pine marten with just one eye kept returning for the bait, as Dunning illustrated. Feehily expressed his disappointment at the post-1950s mink situation, highlighting their status as a foreign species brought into Ireland’s fur farms. Their release and subsequent unchecked spread was viewed as a major issue.
During a tour of the bog with Feehily and Dunning, dialogues would often be interrupted to indulge in the curlew’s song. Dunning noted the invaluable role local farmers play, serving as reliable sources of information about predator sightings.
Dunning, who grew up hunting, shared his affection for birds including hen harriers, grouse, and lapwings. He worried about the potential absence of these species for future generations, emphasizing the fleeting nature of human life as a father of three.