HUNDREDS of Icelandic whooper swans have set up nest on the fields of Westmeath farmer Vincent Nally, Emper, Co Westmeath.
Speaking to Topic Mr. Nally said the swans have been making the annual 1,400km trip across the North Atlantic for ten years.
An estimated 12,500 whooper swans spend the winter in Ireland. They come from western Iceland to Ireland and western Scotland. Birds from eastern Iceland spend the winter in eastern Scotland and southern Scandinavia.
“They were in the area probably 10 or 12 years ago and I’ve had them here about eight to ten years. They move daily but I’ve had them on my land every day this year, since around 20 October. They generally travel back in the last days of March. They sing and chant to each other during the winter and a couple of days before they head back you can hear them for miles.”
It’s clear that Vincent has a soft place in his heart for the birds he describes as majestic. “It’s lovely to see them because we don’t usually see such big numbers of large birds.”
He said the migratory birds are attracted to fields where slurry was recently spread. “They like fields where you are putting out heavy fertiliser and a good growing regime and your fertility is high. They don’t live in water but they do like a little wet corner. They graze most of the time and do a little bit of movement in the evening time. Sometimes fifteen or twenty may go flying at a time. It’s lovely to see nature flourishing and they seem to be increasing in numbers over the last number of years. The numbers are bigger and this year is the highest ever, I’d say there are 300 swans.”
Vincent said that has a farmer he always had a fondness for animals and nature. “Anyone that’s farming has an affinity with the life cycle of nature and the biodiversity around us. If you look at the bee, it’s under a lot of pressure from intensive farming and all these chemicals that we should probably not be using.”
He said the birds were a welcome addition to his farm not only due to their beauty but also for their choices in snacks. “Historically farmers wouldn’t like them to be on the land because they eat a lot but they are part of nature so I leave them be. A vet said to me that they pick up the liver fluke snail so they are probably doing some service in cleaning up too.”
Vincent’s suckler farm is off the beaten track, meaning the birds have a peaceful existence there which is just as well as the birds will take to the skies if approached. “When I drive down in the tractor, they just walk away but if you try to approach them suddenly they will fly. They will allow machinery to work beside them but they don’t like human interaction.”
An estimated 12,500 whooper swans spend the winter in Ireland. They come from western Iceland to the Emerald Isle and western Scotland.
