WATCH OUT FOR WHOOPER SWANS IN OUR AREA!
In 2009/2010 Eirgrid submitted a planning application for the north-south interconnector under the strategic infrastructure act. This application would have meant the construction of tall pylons across the landscape west of Doohamlet village - the environmental, aesthetic and health implications were questioned at length during an oral hearing held in June 2010 before the project was subsequently withdrawn by Eirgrid due to a technical error in their planning application.
We have since been informed that Eirgrid are exploring the route options again before identifying their preferred route and submitting a new planning application under the strategic infrastructure act. It is not yet clear whether the route will follow the same line as the previous planning application, or whether a new route will be selected.
In the previous planning application, it was identified that Eirgrid's environmental impact report did not reflect the number of whooper swans who spend the winter months in County Monaghan. Whooper swans are winter migrants from Iceland. They return to the Doohamlet area every year over the winter months and can be seen grazing on grassland, especially at Ballintra and in the Tonyscallon area. They are identified by their yellow beak (mute swans have orange beaks). Not enough is known about the movements of the whooper swans in our locality - how many are there, do they move from site to site during the day, do they spend a number of days in one location before moving on, do they roost in the same place every night etc?
The importance of the whooper swan is not yet known, but their returning to this area every year may play a vital role in a decision about where and what form Eirgrid's proposed north-south interconnector may take in our locality.
We are asking local residents to keep watch for our annual visitors and if possible to keep some notes about their activities. Photographs will be very useful in verifying any information collected, so take this opportunity to take some wonderful wildlife photos of these beautiful birds - you'd never know, we may have a budding David Attenborough in our midst.
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