| |
Blackbird |
Thrush Mistle |
Thrush Song |
Fieldfare |
Redwing |
Tit Blue |
|
Coal
|
Longtailed
|
Wagtail Pied |
Wren |
Robin |
Dunnock |
Sparrow - House |
Siskin |
Greenfinch |
Goldfinch |
Chaffinch |
Bullfinch |
Buzzard |
Kestrel |
Swan - Mute |
Swan- Whooper |
Mallard |
Moorhen |
Coot |
Heron |
Curlew |
Oystercatcher |
Lapwing |
Redshank |
Jay |
Starling |
Jackdaw |
Magpie |
Rook |
Hooded Crow |
Ravens! |
Swallow |
House Martin |
Swift |
Pigeon - Feral |
Wood
|
Racing
|
Collared Dove |
Pheasant |
Meadow pipit |
Wheatear |
Stonechat |
? Sedgewarbler |
Reed bunting |
Yellowhammer |
? Barn Owl |
Unidentified LBJs! |
Unidentified Waders |
|
< The
list of birds in the left panel are those seen in our Garden; Valley
Fields;
Flying over; or on the adjacent Ballyness Caravan Park 'Ponds' by A. Willis |
THE EFFECT ON WILDLIFE
|
| The first amended plan was taken to Moyle
Council on 27 May 2002 as a refusal on the basis of :- "Contrary
to Planning Policy Statement 2 : Planning & Nature
Conservation' |
|
| |
Badgers
On 28 October 2002 an official of the Environment and Heritage Service, Natural
Heritage, wrote to Divisional Planning Office. Here is an extract from her
letter:- |
"EHS visited this
site and found no evidence of a badger sett on site, therefore
no badger survey was requested. As evidence of badger tracks was
found, a wildlife corridor must be provided through the site. The
10m strip of trees along the stream can accommodate this".(My
emphasis)
|
|
| |
| Although a 10 metre corridor along the stream had been requested
(And subsequently ignored by the Planners) and although most of this is
planned
by the Landscape Designer to include trees
and "woodland
mix", there is one section which according to my reading of the Landscape
Design (January 2003) plan is only five metres wide,
the other five metres being sown with
grass. This design is for aesthetic reasons apparently. Grass which according
to the "Landscape
Element Maintenance and Guidance Notes for the Off Eagry Development" should
be : - |
"Cut every week in
growing season subject to weather. Remove grass cuttings from site
or use mulching mower. Feed grass areas with general purpose granular
feed in late April and again in late July".
|
|
| So part of this 10 metre wide wildlife corridor
is going to be a mere 5 metres wide. Wonder what the badgers will think
of that? And do badgers change their routes? I thought that is why roads
authorities make badger tunnels to enable them to continue their usual trajectories. |
Not that this matters in any case as the "Approved" May
03 Roads Plan shows an embankment built to within 4m of the stream bank
in several places.
The EHS has now seen the approved plan and (On
1 April 04) have asked that there there should be no infilling,
development, fencing, ground disturbance or seeding within a 10m
zone
along
the Rill. Click
to see their full letter. This request has been ignored by Planners.
|
|
| Otters Have been seen (February
2004) in the
Caravan Site ponds and get there via St Columb's Rill. We have been told
by the DOE Wildlife Officer that they could be after
the small trout and eels which
are probably in the Rill |
|
| Animals seen in or from the house
and garden of 32 Eagry Park, Bushmills include :-
Badgers, Foxes, Rabbits, Hedgehogs, Shrews, Mice,
Frogs, Rats, Bats, a Grey Squirrel spotted
by a neighbour on their garage wall! and three Irish Hares observed
for 30 minutes in the upper field (E/2001/0247/F) on 28/2/04
Estimates
indicate the present Northern Ireland population of Irish hares
may be
as low as 8250.
Factors causing decline include loss of refuge areas for daytime
lie-up sites particularly rushes and good quality hedgerows.
The provision of refuge area and freedom from disturbance are essential
if Irish hare numbers are to be maintained.
Paraphrased from - BIODIVERSITY
IN N.I. - SPECIES ACTION PLAN- EHS Pub. OCT 2000
|
As of
May 12, 2006
about 50m. of existing hedgerow has already been
removed.. |
Also seen : - Red Admiral, Painted
Lady, Peacock, Tortoiseshell, Angle
Shades Moth, Blue Tailed Damsel Fly, Hummingbird Hawk
Moth and the New Zealand Flat Worm. |
| |
| |
