Celebrating Exploring Our Foundations
& Water Heritage Day 2025
During National Heritage Week 2025, 24 August, we celebrated at-risk Irish birds and Water Heritage with experienced birder, Mick Wright of BirdWatch Ireland.
In celebration of Water Heritage Day, Mick talked about birds especially seen on raised bogs, but also the fact that, like water, the Drummin Bog boundary is porous, and birds move between this special place, the woods and the nearby River Barrow.
Wetlands birds and raised bogs, peatland birds and their surrounding landscapes; this bird walk and talk was led by experienced birder Mick Wright.
What birds live on Drummin Bog?
Where do they find water?
What can we do to support them?
These are the questions Mick Wright answered for us:
Mick shared that raised bogs typically support a LOW diversity of bird species, but at the same time hold a high proportion of the country’s open habitat species.
From Birdwatch Ireland’s surveys in the 2022 census of 5 raised bogs, 62 bird species were recorded across these high bog-cutover bog and surrounding scrub and woodland.
Twenty of the 62 species are on the RED and AMBER IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists, which underlines the immense conservation concern that peatlands are a vital habitat for at-risk bird populations.
Of the 20 RED and AMBER-listed bird species, 8 were designated as KEY BREEDING birds. CURLEWS were present on 3 of the raised bogs and RED SHANKS on 2, which, given the precarious state of their national populations, makes their presence at these sites of national significance.
Mick also shared that an active raised bog, which is actively peat-forming (growing), is a Priority Annexe 1 Habitat, which means it is protected under EU Law. The aim of raised bog restoration is to preserve and grow the area of active raised bog by restoring the water table of the peatland area.
Acknowledgements
The Drummin Bog Project Committee are very grateful for Mick Wright’s wonderful presentation on Drummin Bog, his research notes and beautiful laminated photos of bird species, which will be invaluable to nearby schools and other visiting groups to Drummin Bog.
Mick Wright also kindly gave his notes, a research article and the laminated photos of the birds to the Drummin Bog Project.
As caring for at-risk Irish birds is an important facet of peatland restoration education, we have also created a new Bird Resource page on this website, with more of the information that Mick shared on the day.
The Drummin Bog Project always aims to continue the old custom of “Tea on the Bog”.
We conclude our public events with flasks and sustenance, by way of thanking people for coming, and giving us their time.
We support and emphasise local food producers.
For this event, committee members made sandwiches with produce from nearby Borris Market – Plúr bread, Mount Leinster cheddar, and Truffle Fairy baking.
The Drummin Bog Project also acknowledges the generous support of LAWPRO and The Heritage Council
Would you like to get involved with the Drummin Bog Project?
Join the voluntary committee? People with diverse skills and knowledge are welcome. To find out more, please contact Alan Price, Chair of Drummin Bog Project at alandesprice@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: Access to Drummin Bog is limited due to the sensitive nature of the habitat and its status as a wildlife reserve. Great precaution must be taken in visiting the bog due to its unmarked deep drains, and other hazards. It is therefore recommended people do not walk on the bog alone. Children must always be supervised and no dogs please as efforts are in place to encourage birds to return. Thank you for understanding. In time, a woodland walkway is envisaged. The Drummin Bog Project is in its very early stages.
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