Index Home Join IPCC

Fauna of Fenor Bog, Co. Waterford

One day in May
There is a man-made THING in Fenor Bog. It is at the south side of a water meadow and looks like a two-toned bed in shape and size. It might be the base of a small hide yet to be built, or something else. It matters little as after tramping through and around the tussocks, it is a welcome refuge where you can sit, take off the wellies and swing the legs for a little while. You can also stand on it for a better view of the bog over 360 degrees: or lie on it, close your eyes and listen to the birds singing, the insects buzzing, the wind in the willows; hear a distant Stan Flynn organising the volunteer workers on the site, the fen squelching, - or you can just smell the flowers.

The ninth of May last year was one such day. This is the height of the breeding season and the activity in and about the bog was a cacophony of sound utterly consistent with the mayhem and panic of birds defending territories, young birds screaming to be fed, and the usual murder, rape, violence and thievery of nesting materials at the rookery near the church. 15 Wrens were singing in every direction around the THING. 4 male Blackbirds were also singing between intermittent flights to the nests with mouthfuls of wrigglies or butterflies. 4 Meadow Pipits were out on the periphery as also were a Dunnock and Chaffinch, and a male Reed Bunting was asserting his authority over several nests as he patrolled his harem. Every Willow Tree in the bog had its own resident bird and African migrants like the Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff added welcome notes to the continuous crescendo as did a male Cuckoo as he watched several females, assessing the nests of all. Woodpigeons could also be heard with the clapping sound of their wings and the almost apologetic call of the Collard Dove.

The impressive Emperor Moth flies at night over Fenor Bog. Pictures clockwise from the far left: Emperor moth caterpillar, female adult, male adult and cocoon. The cocoon is made from silk. Photos: P. Foss, C. O'Connell

This was also a day of sudden death in Fenor Bog. It was a butterfly day and several came and settled on the THING alongside of me and a few even sat on me. I counted 110 Green-veined Whites, 66 Orange Tips, 70 Small Whites, 25 Large Whites, 2 Small Tortoiseshells, 5 Speckled Woods and one first brood Small Copper. 12 Dark-green Fritillaries flew by but none landed. This was just a small sample within my vision and there is little doubt that thousands of butterflies were flying in Fenor Bog on that day. However, these were also seen by others with more deadly intentions and no butterfly or caterpillar was safe from a bird population driven by a million years of evolution to propagate their genes and survive as species. A butterfly basking in the sun became an immediate target, and birds with up to three in their bills were seen flying to nests on several occasions. Wrens, Willow and Sedge Warblers together with Blue Tits and Great Tits constantly foraged in the vegetation for these and other insects and their larvae.

Later that night I operated a mercury vapour insect trap to sample the nightlife. After a warm day, insects newly emerged are on the wing for the first time in their short lives. This is a device a bit like a dustbin with a plastic funnel at the top. A 150 watt MV lamp is suspended above the funnel between three upright vanes. The insects are attracted to the light. They fly in ever-decreasing circles, hit the vanes and fall into the hole at the bottom of the funnel. The bin is full of cardboard egg boxes into which the insects settle. As they cannot see the light from here, they do not fly out again. The light is driven by a small portable generator and is usually left on for two hours. The trap is opened in the morning, the catch is examined, recorded and released. Surprisingly, few common species of moths were flying on this occasion and these included the Common Carpet, Spectacle and the spectacular and impressive Emperor Moth. Uncommon moths included the fifth county Waterford record of the Flame Carpet, and third county records of the Brown Silver-lines (6 recorded) and Hebrew Character (2 recorded). Another surprise was to find a moth usually associated with rocks and cliffs, the Northern Rustic ­ but as rocky outcrops occur a small distance and within sight of the bog, perhaps this is the source of this occurrence. In addition, the Common Cockchafer beetle along with 7-spot Ladybirds also appeared in small numbers together with many aphids and a few nasties like mosquitoes and biting midges.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly and Common Blue Damselfly, two of the species commonly seen on Fenor Bog in the wetter areas. Photos: M. Scherrenburg

Other Days
This was one day in May but several other visits were made before and after. A visit on a cold and icy morning in late March produced 16 species of birds at the dawn chorus and most of these were subsequently recorded throughout 2000.

The mammal list of Fenor Bog stands at an impressive 12 species. These include common species that might be expected particularly in the dryer areas adjacent to the fen itself - Hedgehog, Badger, Stoat, Fox and Rabbit but also species associated with aquatic habitats like the Otter and even the Mink. The Long-eared Bat and Ireland's smallest bat, the Pipistrelle also occur and the site appears to hold a good population of Ireland's smallest mammal, the Pygmy Shrew. This is an interesting resident as it is a known prey species for owls. Three owl species have now been recorded, the Long-eared Owl, the Barn Owl and one that visits Ireland in the winter months, the Short-eared Owl. These owls will also exploit the larger insect population as the indigestible remains of beetles can be seen in local owl pellets. A surprising mammal recorded at Fenor is the Sika Deer. These are probable escapees from local deer farms that have found a nearby niche for themselves in the wild and are now surviving on their own.

While no dragonflies were flying in May, hundreds were present on days later in the year. Amongst the first to appear were the Four-spotted Chaser and the Hairy Dragonfly and others included the Brown Hawker, the Common Darter and the delicate Large-red, Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies. These are preyed upon by birds but also frogs which are common (one went into my wellie lying under the THING in June) and lizards which are to be found in the dryer ground to the west. Newts have also been recorded.

What happens next?
While much progress has been made in recent years to record the fauna species of Fenor Bog, much work still remains to be done. Additional records will continue to be added to the families already recorded and a start has been made on the woodlice, beetles and spiders of the fen. Animals such as the grasshoppers, bees and wasps, snails and slugs need to be identified and much is still waiting to be discovered!

I will go there again when the little yellow orb-web spider Araneus quadratus is dangling from the Lady's Smock growing up through the slats of the THING. I might at least discover what the THING is!

Michael O'Meara

Reproduced from IPCC Members Magazine Peatland News 31

Fenor Bog Vegetation and Flora

Fenor Bog Housing Development Threat 2008

Fenor Bog, Co Waterford Conservation Plan 2008

Fenor Bog, Co Waterford Nature Trail

Fenor Bog, Co Waterford National Nature Reserve 2004

Please make your donation today to the Fenor Bog Conservation Project