Lough Gur Environmental Management Study February 2009

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and G. Hunt, personal communication). This was especially marked in January 2007 when a midwinter
count (normally the highest population) revealed only 367 birds on the lake. The reasons for
this decline are not known exactly, but it is thought to be related to the continuing eutrophication of
the lake. A comparison of the peak winter counts for surface-feeding and diving ducks reveals a
steeper decline in the latter species. This suggests that the reduced transparency of the lake due to
algal blooms is limiting the feeding potential for these ducks.
Whooper swans have used Lough Gur as a winter roost at night, flying out each morning to feed on
nearby farmland. The most important feeding areas for the Lough Gur whooper swans are in three
areas, namely the Morning Star River corcas, the Fedamore corcas and Herbertstown on the Camoge
River. They have been studied intensively here over five winter seasons from 1997/98 to 2001/02
(Murphy, 2003). The peak number of swans in the Lough Gur area during this period varied from
68 to 151 (mean 106). This falls short of the established criteria for international (210) and national
(130) importance for this species (Crowe, 2005). Whooper swans are listed in Annex I of the EU
Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). The swans almost never use the lake during daylight, presumably
because the feeding elsewhere is more favourable for them. In recent winters they sometimes do
not leave the feeding grounds and have been using the lake less frequently (G. Murphy, personal
communication).
Conclusion
Lough Gur has, in the past, been a site of national importance for birds with good winter bird
populations and at least two nationally rare breeding species (pochard and barn owl) and an
important population of whooper swan. Recent information suggests that the reduced water quality
has had a negative impact on wintering wildfowl and that the whooper swan population is no longer
using the lake consistently. The status of the breeding birds is presently unknown.
6.7 Bats
Bat activity during the site survey was high with many individual passes being recorded on the
detector. Species diversity was also high - with five species being recorded hunting or commuting on
site.
Several individuals of five species of bats; common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, soprano
pipistrelle P. pygmaeus, Leisler’s bat Nyctalus leisleri, brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus and
Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentonii were noted in the area. Some, like the Leisler’s bat, were
commuting while others were feeding. Both common and soprano pipistrelles were hunting within
the woodlands and along their edges south east of Knockadoon Hill and within the public areas. The
latter species also fed over the lake and along the treelines north of the visitor centre where males of
the species were detected emitting social calls to attract females for mating.
Leisler’s bat, typically, was high over the site and concentrated its activity over the lake while the
brown long-eared bat was encountered feeding within the woodland canopy near Bourchier’s Castle.
Lough Gur Environmental Management Study