Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council
Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council
Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Turloughs are hugely important for over-w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g birds.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y tend to have rich source of w<strong>in</strong>ter food for waterbirds<br />
because they are usually grassl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>in</strong> the summer <strong>and</strong> so<br />
unlike other lakes have a green layer for munch<strong>in</strong>g under<br />
water; <strong>and</strong> they tend to be relatively shallow. Turloughs<br />
often have some <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>vertebrates swimm<strong>in</strong>g about<br />
(e.g. beetles <strong>and</strong> fresh-water shrimp) because there are no<br />
fish to eat them!<br />
Over-w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g birds found <strong>in</strong> <strong>Roscommon</strong>’s turloughs<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude: Greenl<strong>and</strong> white fronted geese, Bewick <strong>and</strong><br />
Meadow buttercup. Photo by John Earley Whooper swan. Photo by John Earley<br />
Ball<strong>in</strong>turly turlough <strong>in</strong> summer. Photo by John Earley<br />
Ball<strong>in</strong>turly turlough <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter. Photo by John Earley<br />
21<br />
Whooper swan, P<strong>in</strong>tail, Golden plover, Lapw<strong>in</strong>g, Curlew<br />
<strong>and</strong> Redshank. Mallard <strong>and</strong> Snipe will also breed <strong>in</strong> these<br />
areas. Plants <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Lesser water-parsnip, Water-milfoil,<br />
Marsh cudweed, Water sedge, <strong>and</strong> Northern yellow-cress<br />
form part of turlough vegetation.<br />
Turloughs are important for biodiversity, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
water quality <strong>and</strong> for agriculture. Loughnaneane Park <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong> town provides an excellent view over the<br />
adjacent turlough. Visit <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> summer to see<br />
how the birdlife <strong>and</strong> vegetation changes with the seasons.