Two conservation projects have teamed up to protect breeding wader birds from predators on Mayo’s Achill island.
Teams with the EU-funded LIFE on Machair project and the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership (EIP) have worked to install 1.6km of predator exclusion fencing on Achill to protect the birds.
Machair is a coastal habitat characterised by a species-rich grassland plain, developed on wind-blown sand, and it is unique to the north and west of Ireland and Scotland.
(L to R) – Dominick Vesey(shareholder), Kyle Sweeney; Jimmy Kneale(BW EIP) and Dominick Vesey(shareholder), Kyle Sweeney; Jimmy Kneale(BW EIP) and Padraic McNulty(local)
The Breeding Waders EIP is a €25 million nationwide project, co-funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Valley on Achill Island has been a critical site for breeding waders since 1985, according to the Breeding Waders EIP.
“Historical data shows a significant decline in wader populations, with numbers dropping from 27 pairs across six species in 1985 to just three pairs across two species in 2022,”it says.
“Species such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, and Lapwing have all been affected,” it says.
In 2023, the LIFE on Machair Project initiated efforts to maintain and restore breeding wader populations, it explains, and a key strategy was the installation of a two-hectare fence, supported by local landowners.
This fence aimed to protect the birds from predators, land use changes, and disturbances, and the first year saw modest success with one fledged Lapwing, it says.
Drawing on that experience, the project saw a remarkable increase to 15 fledged Lapwing from six pairs in 2024, it says.
“The fence not only reduced the impact of predators but also prevented disturbances from human activity and provided a safe nesting environment. This success was further highlighted by the return of Dunlin, a species last recorded at the site in 1996,”it explains.
“In 2024, a pair of Dunlin nested and fledged two young, a significant achievement given their declining population,”it says.
The project also saw four pairs of Lapwing successfully nesting and fledging young on their first attempt, a critical factor for their survival and population growth.
In collaboration with the Breeding Wader EIP, the LIFE on Machair Project has expanded its efforts with a larger fence, covering 1.6 kilometres.
This new fence encompasses areas where Lapwing previously attempted to nest unsuccessfully. With the support of local communities, this larger fence aims to provide a safe breeding environment for all Lapwing at the site, the teams state.
Jackie Hunt, ecologist for the LIFE on Machair project, credits the commonage shareholders for the success of the project.
She has been working with the local shareholders over the past number of years and has built up strong relations.
These shareholders were involved in the construction of both the first fence and this second, larger fence, which is being constructed with the support from the Breeding Waders EIP.
Local shareholder Dominick Vesey is happy with the works taking place, and said it is “good for the area and it’s nice to see the birds coming back”.
Local farmer Paul Fitzgerald
He has paid tribute to all the people who were involved to date, including Jackie Hunt, Dr Mícheál Ó Briain, local ornithologist, and Dr Catherine Farrell who started the project back in May 2022.
Paul Fitzgerald, a long-time resident of the Valley on Achill island and a cattle farmer said it is “wonderful to see the birds coming back, especially the Dunlin”.
“The project is helping to restore the land to what it was like in my grandparents’ time, when everyone had cows grazing here during the summer months,”he said and “working with the LIFE on Machair project has been excellent”.
“We all hope to see the land and bird populations return to what they were 50-60 years ago, and we’re willing to help make that happen. I’d like to see the land restored and the erosion reduced,”he said, adding that it was “amazing” to hear the birds calling again, including the Curlew.
The Dúlra project has been contracted to carry out the fencing works. As this is a Special Protection Area, the use of machinery must be kept to a minimum.
Donal Beagan, Nest Protection and Headstarting Manager for the Breeding Wader EIP said there had been a “wonderful couple of days collaborating with LIFE on Machair, locals on Achill, and Dúlra in putting up a temporary nest protection fence at an important breeding wader site”.
Section of the completed fence
