Corncrake Watercolour on Paper 42X30cms

In the 1960s and 1970s the distinctive call of the corncrake was the sound of the summer.   However due to changes in farming practices – higher stocking levels and the changeover from hay to silage, these ground nesting birds were severely impacted, leaving only 120 calling males mostly in the northwest and off shore islands.   Over the past five years due to collaborative conservation measures involving local farmers and communities, the Corncrake LIFE Project, and the NPWS there has been a 35% increase in the corncrake population although the overall numbers remain very small.

Tern Oil on Canvas 25X30cms

Summer visitor from March to October. Breeds on the coast, with larger colonies in Co. Dublin, Co. Wexford and Co. Galway. This year BirdWatch Ireland staff have been dealing with unprecedented outbreaks of bird ‘flu at some of Ireland’s most important tern colonies. There are fears for the long-term devastating consequences this outbreak may have on Ireland’s seabird populations, which are of international importance.

Lapwing Watercolour 36x30cms

Ireland’s National Bird. Like many other ground-nesting birds, the lapwing has suffered major declines over the last forty years due to the loss of wetland habitat and changes in farming practices. The bird is now red-listed on the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland and is a Northern Ireland priority species because of its decline, rarity and importance. This year thanks to conservation efforts two pairs of Lapwing nested successfully in Co Down after a gap of many years.

The Freshwater Pearl Mussel

The freshwater pearl mussel which is only found in near-pristine freshwater habitats can live for up to 140 years, making them Ireland’s longest living animal.  The tiny Larvae and juvenile mussels need a clean, well oxygenated river bed in order to survive. They also rely on a host fish for part of their complex life cycle. Increased intensification of land use has contributed to poor water quality.  The low level of survival is leading to an ageing population not capable of replenishing itself. European freshwater pearl mussel populations have declined by 90% over the past century. In Ireland, 27 freshwater pearl mussel populations are protected within Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) but these populations are also undergoing a slow decline, and face extinction unless action is taken.

Curlew Oil on Canvas 50X60cms

Curlew arrive back at their breeding grounds in late March or early April. They breed on upland and lowland bogs, wet grassland and unimproved/semi-improved pasture. Curlew numbers have declined drastically from 5000 nesting pairs in the late 1980s to approximately  130 pairs today.  A decline of 97% in just 20 years.  This is due to habitat loss and predation. They are critically endangered.

Irish Hare Oil on Canvas 50X60cms

Hares will avoid grazing in the same areas as cattle and sheep so any increases in livestock numbers will reduce hare habitats. Populations can vary locally due to direct competition for territory with rabbits and brown hares. Numbers are falling due to habitat loss and predation by foxes, stoats, cats, stray dogs and birds of prey. However the good news is that new populations of Irish Mountain Hares live on the grounds of airports which provide them with suitable habitats.

Oystercatchers Oil on Canvas 25X30cms

Resident and winter visitor from Iceland and the Faeroes. Their main food is mussels and cockles that are found along sandy coasts.  They also occasionally feed for worms on grasslands and football pitches. Nests principally on shingle beaches, dunes, salt marshes and rocky shores around the coast, but also on some large inland lakes. Their numbers have declined about 28% since the early 2000s.

Natterjack Toad Oil on Board 12.7X17.8cms

One of Ireland’s most endangered creatures, the natterjack toad, is making a slight comeback.   During the recent dry spell many of their local ponds in south Kerry dried up. Spawn was rescued and taken to Fota Wildlife Park where it hatched out successfully.  200 baby toads were then released under a NPWS conservation scheme which compensates farmers who maintain suitable breeding ponds on their land.

Puffin Oil on Canvas 60X50cms

Summer visitor from March to September mainly along the west coast of Ireland but also locally on the east coast and some islands. They live off small fish such as herring, hake and sand eels. They can also “fly” underwater. Using their webbed feet as a rudder, puffins can dive down 60m in search of food. They live for around 20 years. The main threats are overfishing, pollution and climate change which is altering the feeding habitats of their prey species.

Pigmy Shrew Oil on Board 12.7X17.8cms

Is found throughout Ireland. It has a preference for dense habitats such as hedgerows, grasslands, woodlands and peatlands which give protection from predators.  The Pigmy Shrew’s  heart beats at 1200 times per minute.  It eats only insects but because of its high metabolic rate it must eat its own bodyweight every day. The Irish pygmy shrew is now endangered as the Bank Vole and Greater White-toothed Shrew, two invasive species, are taking over their habitat.

Red Kite Oil on Canvas 60X50cms

The Red Kite is a very large bird with a wingspan of almost 2 meters. By the early 19th century it had become extinct in Ireland due to overhunting. In 2007 Red Kites were reintroduced to Co Wicklow and later to Fingal, Co. Dublin where they are successfully breeding. As they are primarily scavengers they are under severe threat from poisoning

Squirrel watercolour 21X29.5cms

Red squirrels have disappeared in areas where the grey squirrel is common. The recent increase in the numbers of domestic cats and dogs and death by road accidents cause many deaths of red squirrels each year.  However the growth in numbers of the Pine Marten has reduced the population of grey squirrels and in some areas of suitable forest habitat the red squirrels are making a comeback.

Kerry Bog Pony Etching 51X40cms

These ponies survived in a small pocket of land in south Kerry where they had been used to take turf in from the bog and to carry seaweed to fertilise the fields.  They were identified as a distinct breed in the 1990s due to recent advances in DNA analysis.  By this time there were only six stallions and twenty mares known to exist.  Urgent conservation measures were taken and today there are around 150 breeding mares with around 60 foals being registered every year.  They make wonderful children’s ponies and can also be driven by adults when outgrown by the children.

Old Irish Goat and Kids Oil on Canvas 50X50cms

They arrived in Ireland during the Neolithic age, about 5,000 years ago. The Old Irish Goat was Ireland’s only goat breed until around 1900 and was often known as “the poor man’s cow”. The breed could give up to 200 gallons of milk a year.   They became extinct in captivity surviving only in feral herds where interbreeding with imported domestic goats caused major loss of the original characteristics.  A captive breeding programme is ongoing and the goats are also being used for conservation grazing to create fire breaks on Howth Head.

Red Deer and Fawn Oil on Canvas 60X50cms

Red deer are the only deer species native to Ireland. They are believed to have been here since the end of the last Ice Age (c. 10,000 BC). However as a result of deforestation, over hunting and the Great Famine (1845 – 1847) many populations became extinct surviving only in the woodlands and mountains around Killarney.  Purebred numbers declined between 1900 and 1960 to as few as 60. Non Native Red Deer are found elsewhere in Ireland but were introduced from Scotland in the 19th Century.   Conservation efforts continue in Kerry and a high priority is attached to maintaining the genetic purity of the native herd.