Life

Take on Nature: mourning pigeons, fledgling wagtails and a batty survey

A flock of pigeons feeding around a red telephone box in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
A flock of pigeons feeding around a red telephone box in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann A flock of pigeons feeding around a red telephone box in Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann

IT IS probably fair to say that pigeons are not our most endearing species. Perhaps it is because they are so common that we take them for granted and treat them with disdain.

Strutting about on city streets, heads bobbing back and forth, they make a mess of car windows and occasionally our hair and clothes as they casually dump upon us.

Last week, I saw one lying motionless beside a step and when I poked it with a toe it did not respond. The gulls on the nearby rooftops were already eyeing it up and I presumed it would be picked apart very quickly.

I moved away to take a phone call and when I came back another pigeon had landed on it, pecking at the lifeless body and grabbing it with its claws.

At first I thought it was also going to feast on its fellow species, but then it suddenly stopped and flew to perch on a nearby handrail – there were no marks on the body of the motionless bird and the other pigeon seemed to let out a plaintive coo.

It sat there for another few moments, not flying away when I approached, as if it was watching over the dead bird and I was left with the distinct impression that it been trying to revive it but had now given up.

It soon took off again as if it had just needed a few moments to mourn the other bird but was now ready to move on. Maybe there was a more mundane explanation for what I had just witnessed, but it was quite a sad sight.

:: Wagtail update

Wagtail chicks nesting under a steel cover on top of my oil tank
Wagtail chicks nesting under a steel cover on top of my oil tank Wagtail chicks nesting under a steel cover on top of my oil tank

FOR those who read this column regularly and are curious to know about the fate of the wagtail nest built on top of my oil tank I wrote about a few weeks ago, the good news is that they hatched.

When the mother went off to get food I was able to get close enough to see the chicks, their beaks stretched upwards above the nest as they heard me approaching in competitive demand to be fed.

I took a couple of grainy pictures before backing off again, not wanting to spook the mother, who when she came back sat over her chicks, a warning look directed at me as I watched from a distance.

By last week, the chicks were big enough to make their own way in the world and the nest is empty once again.

:: Release the bats

Daubenton’s bat prefers to roost and feed close to water such as rivers and lakes Picture from Batconservationireland.org
Daubenton’s bat prefers to roost and feed close to water such as rivers and lakes Picture from Batconservationireland.org Daubenton’s bat prefers to roost and feed close to water such as rivers and lakes Picture from Batconservationireland.org

THE Daubenton’s bat is known as the water bat because of its preference to roost and feed close to water such as rivers and lakes. It is easy to identify because, of all our 10 species of bat, it is the only species that can be seen continuously skimming water surfaces as it is feeds on insects.

This year is the 14th year of the All Ireland Daubenton’s Bat Waterway Survey and Bat Conservation Ireland are seeking volunteers right across the island.

Among those supporting the initiative is Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, which will host two bat nights this month in preparation for the survey at Fermanagh Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen on Thursday July 25 at 8pm and Hospital Road Community Centre on Tuesday July 30, 8pm.

The survey will take place over two nights in August and training will involve an indoor lecture followed by a practical session using bat detectors on a nearby river, weather permitting.

The All Ireland Daubenton’s Bat Waterway Survey is funded by NIEA in Northern Ireland and the NPWS in the Republic. If you would like more information on training venues or if you would like to register to take part in the bat survey, visit Batconservationireland.org.