Are you wondering how to enjoy some truly high quality family time this coming weekend?
Why not bring the whole family along to Cabragh Wetlands from 9.00am to 12.00 noon this Sunday, 13th July 2014, when Birdwatch Ireland will open their ‘ringing nets’ to the public and giving you a chance to look at and hear about the birds that have been caught and tagged that morning.
To view video in HD please click HERE .
Ringing nets are the process used to attach a small, individually numbered metal or plastic tag to the leg or wing of a wild bird. This later enables individual bird to be identified should it be recaptured or recovered.
It is common to take measurements during this capture for ringing. The subsequent recapture or recovery of the bird can then later provide valuable insight on migration, longevity, mortality, population studies, territoriality, feeding behaviour and many other aspects that are studied in detail by ornithologists.
There will also be a Star Systems television crew filming and recording, for public broadcasting later in the year and they would truly love to film your children busily active and engaged with ‘Mother Nature.’
Insect traps will be set up and the pond dipped, so there will be plenty to see and lots to learn from a team of experts under the supervisory and informative wing of senior Birdwatch Officer Alex Copland.
This will be a great family morning, and we advise that you come earlier rather than later, as trapped birds and insects can’t be kept for too long and must be released back into the wild as soon as possible after capture.
Trust me when I say that this educational primary source experience will be the total conversation around your dinner table for many days to come.
There will be a small charge of €5 for adults and €2 for children, with same being used as a contribution to the Cabragh Wetlands current and very important environmental building programme.
