Published: Friday, 12th March, 2010 5:00pm

Protected buzzards being shot

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Survivor returned to the wild at Redhills school

The pupils at St Brigid's primary school in Redhills getting up close and personal with nature as they watch the antics of a bald eagle and a buzzard. Front: Sarto Quigley, Joshua Mohan, Lothar Muschketat and Alex Muschketat. Also included in the picture are Fr. Gerry Kearns, Fiachra O'Mordha, principal, Eilish McKenna and Gail Johnston.

The shooting and persecution of buzzards, which are a protected species, came into sharp focus last week when a wounded bird that had survived gun shot was returned to the wild in Redhills.

There are several pairs of buzzards living in the forestry areas in close proximity to the Cavan/Fermanagh border.

The pupils of St Brigid's School in Killoughter, Redhills were afforded the opportunity to get up close and personal with a bald eagle and the buzzard last Thursday morning.

Sarto Quigley told The Anglo-Celt that he found the buzzard shot in a hedge along a roadside a few miles from the Cavan/Fermanagh border and at first he did not know the bird was a protected species. "I just happened to be travelling along the road and spotted the bird in distress," he said.

He put his coat around it and Joshua Mohan got a box with straw to make it comfortable.

He took it home and contacted wildlife Ireland and they advised him to endeavour to get water into it and he did that with the aid of a straw.

Mr. Quigley later passed the bird onto conservation ranger John Matthews and he then put it in the care of Lothar Muschketat at the Irish Raptor Research Centre at Ballymote.

Sarto Quigley said he was now delighted that some four months later the bird had fully recovered and was now being released back into the wild in the presence of the pupils at St. Brigid's School at Kiloughter, Redhills.

He said people should not be shooting these magnificent birds. "Make no mistake about it, people are well aware that they are shooting a protected species."

John Matthews complimented Mr. Quigley on the manner in which he cared for the buzzard and ensured it got water and was kept warm and calm.

He revealed that when the bird was x-rayed by a veterinary surgeon, it became clear that it had been shot in the back.

Mr. Matthews also pointed out that a lot of birds have been poisoned around the country.

He said that the numbers of buzzards had not been dramatically reduced by lack of food or habitat, but instead they were persecuted to almost extinction by misguided people.

"The persecution takes the form of shooting and poisoning. If children become informed about the rare nature of these protected birds, they can become the protectors of tomorrow," he said.

Wild Life ranger David McDonagh who covers the general area between Ballyconnell to Virginia revealed to The Anglo-Celt that he had received numerous reports that buzzards are being persecuted in the region. Some people with guns are taking pot shots at these protected birds. He also pointed out that the use of meat based poisons is illegal.

Lothar Muschketat told the pupils at the school that they heal injured birds like this buzzard at their centre in Ballymote, and then they endeavour to return them to nature. Some of the lead shot has been left in the buzzard.

He said they had been extinct in Ireland for 100 years and in the 60s some birds came on their own to Ireland from Scotland. The buzzards are now found especially in counties Cavan, Donegal and Antrim.

The pupils were afforded an opportunity to ask Lothar Muschketat various questions about buzzards.

Fiachra O'Mordha, principal of St. Brigid's School at Killoughter said there are 67 pupils in the school.

He explained that the pupils take a particular interest in nature because it is a rural school and they operate a science programme as part of the curriculum. They get a chance to experience nature up close and personal. It is a four-teacher school and the other teachers are Angela Burns who is the deputy principal, Eilish McKenna, and Gail Johnston, learning support teacher.