THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced plans to purchase Clawinch island on Lough Ree, in an effort to protect wading birds who use the site for nesting and breeding, bringing it under the management of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The 50-acre island, located around 500m from the lakeshore, was identified by the NPWS as the most important site in Ireland for breeding waterbirds.

Lough Ree is a designated Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

It is home to breeding Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover, and Snipe, as well as various other species of ducks, gulls, and terns. There have also been recorded sightings of White-tailed Eagles on the site.

The birds of Clawinch clockwise from L to R: Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Snipe, Ringed Plover. Birdwatch Ireland Birdwatch Ireland

Minister of State for Nature Malcolm Noonan said that the opportunity to purchase a site like Clawinch was extremely rare, and was particularly valuable to 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,” he said.

Lough Ree more broadly is an important stop-over site for a number of migratory birds, including Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, and both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit.

A decline in agricultural activity has led to many islands on Lough Ree being encroached by scrub, which has become an issue for many species.

The purchase is being made under the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership (EIP), which aims to secure existing breeding wader populations and support population recovering through landscape management and policy development.

It is a €25 million project and is co-founded by the NPWS and Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.

Owen Murphy, the Senior Project Manager with the Breeding Waders EIP, said that collaboration with local farmers will be crucial for the island moving forwards.

“The need for scrub maintenance, and other habitat restoration measures, shows the dependency that Waders such as Curlew, Lapwing and Redshank have on sympathetic agricultural activity.

These birds need farmers, and I want to compliment the amazing work being done by local farmers in managing lands to support vibrant Breeding Wader populations, as well as maintaining productive farming models,” he said.