Rossacroo, Co. Kerry; Bird Survey Report

JULY 2001

Martin Brennan, MSc.

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. SITE DESCRIPTION
3. SURVEY METHOD
4. COUNT POINTS
5. RESULTS
6. COMMENT
7. RECOMMENDATIONS
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
9. MAP

 

1. INTRODUCTION

Rossacroo, Co. Kerry.
Grid Reference: W 04 79 and W 05 78

A network of 16 sites countrywide has been selected under the project known as The Millennium Forests the objective of which is to restore or create native woodlands. Rossacroo is one of them. Ecological surveys are being conducted to establish baseline data which will inform management decision making and provide knowledge for the complimentary educational and promotional aspects of the project. This study of avifauna forms part of that broader ecological survey.

 

2. SITE DESCRIPTION

Rossacroo Wood is situated about 9 kilometres north-east of the village of Kilgarvan on the steep, western slopes of Derrynasaggart Mountain in County Kerry. It is at an altitude ranging between 70 and 250 metres above sea level and comprises a total area of approximately 56 hectares. It forms part of a more extensive area of forest, and contains a diversity of woodland habitats including semi-natural oak woodland; sitka spruce; lodgepole pine/Scots pine; mixed broadleaved woodland and a clearfelled area which had been replanted with sitka spruce. It is shown outlined in red on the map attached.

 

3. SURVEY METHOD

The survey was conducted using the point count method. Points were selected to represent the diversity of woodland or habitat types within the study area, subject to the limitations imposed by the requirements of this method - e.g. minimum distance of 200 meters between points. Within the chosen habitats points were randomly selected where the extent of the site so permitted.

Two counts were conducted at each location and these took place between 06.00 hrs and 09.30 hrs on 15th May and 18th June 2001 respectively in favourable weather conditions.

Two separate recording bands were used at each point:- <30m and >30 meters.

All birds, whether detected by sight or sound (calls or song) were recorded.

Birds in flight and those recorded outside the official counts are shown separately and are excluded from computation of densities and from other statistical analysis.

Densities are derived from compounding the two counts for each point by taking the higher count for each species at ranges 0-30m and 0 to infinity as used in the IPA system {Blondel, Ferry and Frochot (International Bird Census Committee 1977)} - (Bibby et al 1985).

Abundance is based on recordings within the point - i.e. within the 30m radius.

 

4. COUNT POINTS

Counts were conducted at 7 points within the study plot. As far as practicable these represented the diversity of habitats within the site as a whole and a good spread of locations throughout the entire block. A brief description of the habitat at each point follows. These are specific to the habitats within the 30m radius but would be typical of the habitat generally, with only minor variations expected between any specific points chosen within it.

Point 1.
Oak (Quercus petraea) woodland. Some holly understorey. Some fallen dead wood. No ground vegetation except mosses (Bryophytes).

Point 2.
Mixed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and downy birch (Betula pubescens) woodland, with occasional ash (Fraxinus excelsior) on a steep slope. Holly (Ilex aquifolium), understorey. Ground vegetation consisted of heather (Calluna vulgaris), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), mosses and occasional ferns (Filiscopsida).

Point 3.
Mixed ash, birch and Scots pine woodland. Some holly understorey with ground vegetation confined to mosses.

Point 4.
Mixed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) woodland, with occasional birch. Some holly understorey and a ground vegetation of mosses and occasional grass (Graminaea).

Point 5.
Recently re-planted sitka spruce (approx. 2 meters), with a few mature trees (1 ash, 1 oak and 1 beech (Fagus sylvatica)). Dense bramble (Rubus fruticosa) reaching about 0.6 meters deep with some rushes (Juncus spp.).

Point 6.
Recently re-planted sitka spruce (approx. 1.5 meters) with a couple of beech (approx. 6 meters). Some birch/willow (Salix spp.) scrub - 1 to 1.5 meters and bramble. Ground vegetation of woodrush (Luzula spp.), ferns, rushes and occasional heather.

Point 7.
Recently replanted sitka spruce (1.5 to 2.2 meters), with a few tall, thin oak and some birch/willow scrub. Bramble and woodrush.

 

5. RESULTS

Species Richness
The number and variety of species varied from point to point and ranged between 6 and 11 (Table 1). The 12 points give a cumulative total of 20 bird species. A further 3 species (Table 11) were recorded within the study area outside formal counts bringing the total number of bird species for the entire property to 23.

Robin and chaffinch were recorded at all seven points. Wren, goldcrest and blackbird were each recorded at five locations.

Based on total bird recordings the greatest species diversity was found in oak woodland, followed by mixed birch/Scots pine. Based on numbers within the fixed 30 meter band oak woodland still records the greatest number of species but there is less variation in numbers between the remaining sites, with each recording either four or five species, with one exception - one of the establishment crops recording only two.

Table 1. Bird Species Recorded at Rossacroo in Summer 2001.

SPECIES	POINTS
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Blackbird (Turdus merula)	-	/*	/*	/*	/*	/*	-
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)	-	-	/	-	-	-	-
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)	/*	/	/	/	/	/*	/
Chiff Chaff (Phylloscopus collybita)	-	-	-	/*	-	-	/*
Coal Tit (Parus ater)	/*	-	/	/	-	-	-
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)	-	/*	-	-	-	/*	-
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)	-	-	-	-	/*	-	/
Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)	/	/	-	/	/	-	/*
Great Tit (Parus major)	-	-	-	-	-	-	/
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)	/	/*	/*	-	-	-	-
Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)	/*	/*	-	/*	-	-	-
Raven (Corvus corax)	-	/*	/*	-	-	-	-
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)	/	/	/	/	/	/	/
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)	/	-	-	/*	-	-	-
Siskin (Carduelis spinus)	-	-	-	-	-	/*	-
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)	/*	-	-	/*	-	-	/*
Tree Creeper (Certhia familiaris)	/	-	-	-	-	-	-
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)	-	-	-	-	-	/*	/*
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)	/	/*	/*	-	-	/*	-
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)	/	/	-	-	/	/	/
Number within 30m radius	7	4	4	4	4	2	5
Total Number	11	10	8	9	6	8	9

(Note: / = recorded inside 30m zone; /* = recorded beyond 30m zone; - = not recorded)



Table 11. Additional species recorded outside formal counts.

SPECIES	LOCATION
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)	Compartment 45759G (Sub 1)
Merlin (Falco columbarius)	Compartment 45752S (Sub 1)
Hooded Crow (Corvus corone cornix)	Compartment 45752S (Sub 1)

Abundance
The most abundant species varied from point to point (Table 111). However, goldcrest, robin, wren and chaffinch constitute the most abundant species in the woodland as a whole. In the oak woodland there was a more even distribution of species with none constituting a major proportion of the total bird population. Goldcrest was the most abundant in three of the four mature sites and wren in two of the three establishment sites.

Table 111. The most abundant species at each point.

SPECIES	POINTS
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Goldcrest	1	1	-	1	3	-	-
Wood Pigeon	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wren	3	3	-	-	1	1	2
Robin	3	3	1	3	3	2	3
Treecreeper	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chaffinch	-	2	2	2	2	-	-
Coal Tit	-	-	3	3	-	-	-
Blue Tit	-	-	3	-	-	-	-
Dunnock	-	-	-	-	-	-	1

Note: species are ranked in order of abundance 1 to 3 (1 = most abundant), where species ranked equally they are given the same number in the order; - = not recorded.

Density
Bird density for the total study area 22.37 birds per hectare.

 

6. COMMENT

This property displayed relatively low species richness. This may be accounted for by the fact that there was not a great diversity of broadleaved woodland. Only one point was located in pure broadleafs, two were in Scots pine with birch and one in conifer. The remaining three were recently re-planted sites of sitka spruce which, surprisingly displayed poor species richness, given that they had a considerable cover of scrub, with the sitka itself up to almost two meters high in places. The absence of broadleaved margins around the forest blocks may be a contributory factor, as may altitude.

The tit species were poorly represented with both blue and great each recorded only at one location, although a family of juvenile blues were recorded at one other location.

Density was low which can be accounted for by the area of young plantation.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS

In any programme to replace the recently planted sitka spruce a diversity of species should be included.

Develop margins of broadleaves around the blocks and along roads.

Plant clumps of berry-producing scrub.

Retain or develop open areas.

Monitor the impact of the forest programme and operations on bird communities.

 

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anon (Forest Service) - Code of Best Practice - Ireland (2000).

Anon (Forest Service) - Forest Biodiversity Guidelines (2000).

Bibby, C. J.; Burgess, N. D. & Hill, D. A. - Bird Census Techniques (1992).

Fitter, R.; Fitter, A. & Blamey, M. - The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe (1974).

Higman, S.; Bass, S.; Judd, N.; Mayers, J. & Nussbaum. R. - The Sustainable Forestry Handbook (1999).

Humphries, C.J.; Press, J.R. & Sutton, D.A. - Trees of Britain and Europe (1981).

Mullarney, K.; Svensson, L.; Zetterstrom, D. & Grant, P.J.- Collins Bird Guide (1999).

Mutch, W. -Tall Trees and Small Woods, How to Grow and Tend Them (1998).

Peterson, R.; Mountfort, G. & Hollom, P.A.D. - A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (1954).

Richards, A.J. - British Birds, A Field Guide (1979).

Sutherland, W.J. & Hill, D.A. (Eds) - Managing Habitats for Conservation (1995).

 

9. MAP

Legend
Study area : outlined in red
Count Point : number in yellow circle