Notice Nature Winter

Mammals

Winter is the toughest season for animals. Animals deal with winter in three different ways; they adapt, migrate or hibernate.

Bats and Hedgehogs hibernate during this season as food sources are decreased and they need to conserve energy. Newborn seal pups can often be seen around the coast during the early winter season. They are born with creamy white fur, which after they are about one month old, gets replaced by dense fawn-coloured adult fur. Seals should not be disturbed when they have young pups as they are very sensitive and may abandon their young if they feel threatened.

Hedgehog - hibernates during winter

Plants and Trees

Few wild flowers can be seen over the winter; holly ivy and mistletoe along with many fern species flourish during this period.

Most of Ireland’s broadleaves are deciduous, which means that they drop their leaves in the winter. Of course, there are always exceptions!  Holly and arbutus are two native broadleaf trees that retain their leaves in the winter, making them evergreen broadleaves. Most conifers in Ireland are evergreen, which means that they retain their leaves (or needles) throughout the year including winter time.  Larch is a conifer grown in Ireland that sheds all its leaves (or needles) in the winter, making it a deciduous conifer.

Winter Migratory Birds - Case Study

Ireland is a key refuge and a hub for Arctic and European migratory birds. The autumn migration with its passage of millions of birds is an amazing event in the calendar of the natural world. Some birds will travel huge distances, often encountering incredible challenges, as they make their way from their breeding areas to their wintering grounds.

Many geese, ducks, swans, and wading birds that inhabit regions in and around the Artic start to move southwards as the winter sets in. Ireland’s mild winter weather means that wetlands and mudflats never freeze over and provide plenty of water and food for birds.

Some winter migrants to Ireland such as the ruff and the whimbrel are passing migrants, and Ireland is an important fuelling stop for them on their journey further south. Others, such as the Greenland white fronted goose, the whooper swan and the red-tailed godwit stay in Ireland for the duration of the winter, until March or April. The Greenland white fronted goose, which is considered the ‘Goose of Ireland’, is found at this time in many of Ireland’s bogs, wet callow lands and agricultural lands. Over 7,000 of these birds spend the winter in the Wexford Slobs. Whooper swans, which breed in Iceland, arrive in large numbers in October to the Northern loughs of Ireland. These birds travel from Iceland to Ireland, across 1,000 km of sea, in just 7 hours. It would be difficult for these birds to go unnoticed due to the their noisy wing flapping and vigorous ‘whoop-a’ calling and neck pumping!

Migrants at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

The Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, located on the North Slob right beside Wexford harbour, is by its very structure and location, a natural haven for birds.  Situated in the south-east of Ireland, it offers one of the closest crossing points to Britain and Europe for birds migrating into or out of Ireland. The Reserve is therefore a great place to observe the autumn migrant flux. The ponds around the Visitor centre have been deliberately lowered to encourage and coax passage wading birds to drop in and feed in the invertebrate rich exposed mud.

At this time of year there is always a chance of seeing rare or uncommon birds. Bad weather can sometimes knock birds (often juveniles making their first journey) way off their normal migration route or flyway. This is an especially exciting time of year for birdwatchers and because birds are so mobile and can cover huge distances, you never know what you might encounter.

For more information on Migratory Birds - check out the Birdwatch Ireland website