BirdWatch Ireland may be a bird-focused organisation, but we wouldn’t be where we are today without the many people who get behind our work.
Across the country, we have a network of passionate and dedicated volunteers who take on a variety of roles, from spearheading branch initiatives and doing manual work at reserves, to taking part in bird surveys and representing us at key national events.
There’s no doubt that our volunteers are the backbone of our organisation. In light of International Volunteer Day on December 5th, we want to highlight some of the many volunteers who have made huge contributions to BirdWatch Ireland (BWI), and conservation as a whole.
An inspiring friend coupled with an interest in nature saw Barny Johnston first get involved as a volunteer with BirdWatch Ireland, beginning with the Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) over 20 years ago.
“I started my volunteering due to my friendship with a member of the Fingal branch of BWI. I accompanied him on some I-WeBS surveys and improved my ID capabilities of the ducks, geese, waders and allies,” he explains.
“I enjoyed the experiences very much and then volunteered to take on a survey section –Hampton Cove to Skerries Harbour. My available records start in 2005 but I think I may have started prior to that. Around 2009/10, I joined the committee of the Fingal branch. I have been involved in almost all of the activities of the branch since then such as talks given by invited guests on a range of nature, biodiversity and related subjects, day outings to birdwatching sites during the winter periods and looking after the two hides that the branch is responsible for on the Rogerstown Estuary.
The branch also played a part in the reintroduction of Red Kites in the north county Dublin area. We took on the task of assisting with the feeding of the kite chicks until they were old and big enough for release. In 2018, Little Terns returned to Portrane Beach after a long absence and started breeding there again and the branch and I have been involved with wardening and protecting them with varying degrees of success since. These particular annual Little Tern projects have also had a lot of involvement from Fingal County Council and NPWS.
I enjoy all aspects of the volunteer work because most of it is outdoors, it’s close to nature and it’s nice to know one is making a contribution to the work of BWI.”
Joe Lennon.
Joe Lennon has always had an interest in birds and in 2014, he decided that he wanted to channel this passion into action.
“I wanted to help BirdWatch Ireland to help the birds that had given me so much enjoyment over many years. The opportunity to become a survey volunteer and to make my bird-watching literally ‘count’ in achieving that aim, was one I was eager to take,” he says. “I started in 2014 with my first Countryside Bird Survey (CBS) counts and in 2016, I also volunteered for I-WeBS. Subsequently in 2017, I volunteered to become a Committee member of the Wicklow Branch of BirdWatch Ireland.”
“Becoming a BirdWatch Ireland survey volunteer has incentivised me to learn more about birds than I ever had before and in particular, to be focused and accurate in identifying individual birds because ‘every bird counts’ as Dick Coombes, the former CBS co-ordinator always says! It has also enabled me to enjoy some wildlife experiences that I may otherwise have missed such as watching a Snipe’s early morning ‘drumming’ flight in an upland bog in West Wicklow and watching a Peregrine take a leisurely bath in a pond at the East Coast Nature Reserve. As a Branch Committee volunteer, I have enjoyed helping others to identify and learn more about the birds around them on our monthly outings and also having the opportunity to meet a diverse range of bird and nature experts through organising some of our monthly talks.”
Heather Bothwell’s passion for birdwatching stems from her childhood, when she and her father would take part in bird surveys in their locality.
Heather Bothwell doing a CBS count at Lough Gowna, Co. Cavan with fellow volunteer Nathalie Eakins.
“Birdwatching was introduced to me as a child as a weekly adventure early on a Saturday morning. It was also introduced as a skill that contributed to the knowledge of our local environment. Queens University extra-mural department worked with the local field club and ran a BTO Common Bird Survey on a farm in Co Antrim. This was with the late Ian Forsyth. Volunteers (including my father and I) were learning birdsong and survey methods. This included filling in Nest Record cards. CBS was all about drawing symbols on maps in those far-off days. I was hooked, and I have volunteered surveying on and off ever since,” she explains.
“Suffice to say, my childhood back then was an era when the now Red-listed farmland birds were much, much more common. I am now reaching the age where there may be a drop off in high-pitched species like Goldcrest and Treecreeper song records from me. So far, I can still hear them.
I love getting out, I love getting to know a patch, including plants and some insects. I saw my only Chimney Sweeper moth on one of my CBS transects. I hope I am contributing to data that is used to inform policy and encourage people to value our habitats.”
Tom Doyle has also been nurturing a love of birds since childhood, having joined the junior branch of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy as a schoolboy in the late 1960s.
“Over the years, most of my birding was for personal satisfaction so it wasn’t until I went to a BWI open day on the Causeway of Bull Island in the early 2000s that I thought about giving a little back. There, I ran into an old birding friend, Eugene Archer, who asked if I’d like to join in the counting of wetland birds on the Bull with I-WeBS, so I agreed and have been involved ever since,” he says.
“As birdwatching has been a passion of mine for most of my life, volunteering for the wetland bird counts on Bull Island has been a really fulfilling experience. I get great satisfaction in believing that I am contributing to the provision of important data on bird populations and the fluctuation of their numbers, as well as the health of their habitat. I hope it also helps to raise awareness about the significance of wetland areas and the need to preserve them.
In addition, we often get beginner counters joining us. When they are enthusiastic about learning, I find that teaching them identification and counting techniques an enjoyable experience.”
For Paul Moore, the decision to volunteer for BirdWatch Ireland seemed like the next logical step once he started attending branch events and field trips.
“At my first Cork branch AGM, I was elected treasurer, which suggests that either I had a trusting face or they were desperate, I’m not sure which! That was in 1990 and I have been involved on and off ever since,” he says.
Some of the great things about volunteering with BWI are the friends you make who will share an interest. They could be friends for life. Knowing you’re helping to conserve Ireland’s bird life and adding to our knowledge of their needs and distribution is also great, and sometimes it can be interesting to get the inside track on what’s happening in bird conservation in Ireland.”
Clodagh Glasgow, Maura Turner and Moya Ni Cheallaigh on a recent outing to Curraghchase.
Maura Turner has always been involved in organisations that bring her on outdoor pursuits so getting involved in her local BirdWatch Ireland branch 12 years ago was a no brainer.
“While I enjoyed observing birds, I soon discovered that learning about the various species and their habitats had become addictive. When then Chairperson Geoff Hunt wasn’t in a position to continue with the branch, I decided to try to get the branch up and running again with the help of a few Limerick members and some of our colleagues in the Clare Branch. I didn’t know enough about Bird ID to take on leading outings. However, I was handy on the administrative side so off we went and set up a very active committee,” she explains.
Once we established some contacts with experienced birders, we set up monthly outings to various areas in Limerick and also liaised with the Clare branch to do some joint outings both in Limerick and Clare which have been very successful in attracting new members. It was good to network and meet many likeminded people who were willing to do their bit for nature.”
Maura has found her experience as a BWI volunteer to be very rewarding, adding that staff are always willing to assist with information and back-up where necessary.
“It’s good to expand ones knowledge and interest and this is well facilitated through the Garden and Countryside Bird Surveys and I-WeBS for those who wish to go a step further,” she continues. “We were also happy to volunteer in other areas such as the Swift Survey, where we collaborated with The Council, BWI HQ and our Limerick branch. We continue to monitor the swift boxes which were erected around Limerick City in 2020.
In recent times, it’s been difficult to attract new volunteers and for a while, it looked as though our Branch would cease. However, I’m delighted that the work we have put in over the years has attracted some new committee members and a new Secretary who will replace me. I’m glad to report that volunteering, especially in this organisation, is alive and well and allows the continuation of bringing people out to view and experience all aspects of wildlife and birdlife in our many habitats.”
From the foundation of our organisation, volunteering has been at the core of what we do and who we are, explains Head of BirdWatch Ireland’s Survey and Monitoring Team, Brian Caffrey.
“Our volunteers are the life blood of much of the work that we undertake, work that simply wouldn’t be possible without them. It is so rewarding to work with such highly dedicated and skilled volunteers, their passion for birds, is often what inspires us to do more. On International Volunteer Day, we say a huge thank you for the impact that you have,” he adds.
We are always looking for new volunteers and whether you are an experienced birdwatcher or an eager beginner, there is an opportunity for you to get involved. For more information about our current opportunities, see our volunteer page and, to find your local branch, see our list of BirdWatch Ireland branches.
