Cabragh Wetlands - The Goldcrest

In the recent dry spell, it was noticeable that the newly opened landscape was somewhat devoid of groves or clumps of deciduous trees for shelter. Although the deciduous tree cover has been reduced to the lowest level in Europe and although great efforts are being presently made to redress the situation, the growth in coniferous forest has been dramatic. While there are still problems with the aftermath of clear felling and the acidification of rivers, they are a boon to the smallest and most attractive of our native birds, the goldcrest. It would have been an inhabitant of “the grove”, the field beyond the reedbed on the Cabragh Road where the larch was auctioned at the turn of the 1900’s and the roots were subsequently dragged out by horse. There is a small coniferous plantation beside the open water and the goldcrest still forages there as it does in the numerous hedgerows in the fields bordering the lake. In the winter it lives all over the place but seldom comes to the bird table and is certainly not the chatterbox the wren is but it may well be the most numerous bird in the coniferous forest.
There are clearly advantages to being so small. Goldcrests are rarely attacked by sparrowhawks because they do not constitute a substantial meal. They are also difficult to spot and they live in low densities. They can penetrate deeper among the needles of conifers than other birds where there are tiny food items beyond the reach of almost every competitor. The disadvantages of their size is their high surface area to volume ratio which means that they lose heat rapidly and they have difficulty surviving in cold conditions without feeding literally all day long. They are also forced to huddle together for warmth with the risk of passing on parasites but inevitably they get through and keep a high population.

Of course, when they breed in April, their young are even smaller. During incubation their parents must sit still which seems alien to their nature and it prevents them from feeding and fuelling. So that time of the year in a cold forest is fraught with danger. It may well come down to the quality of the nest and the goldcrest’s is one of the more intricate and takes up to twenty days to build. Everything serves a purpose and they are well insulated, strong and carefully hidden among the needles. From a metre to fifteen metres above the ground, they are always hidden among thick foliage towards the end of the branches. They may sway a little in the wind but the goldcrest always builds on the opposite side to the prevailing wind. They begin their construction by seeking out cobwebs. Their nests are suspended and so they need to be anchored to their point of attachment. They only begin the nest itself when this supporting structure is in place. The outer casing of spider silk is like a hanging basket so that two layers of insulating material can be placed within. The basic building blocks of the outer casing are fragments of lichen and moss fastened together into bricks by cobwebs. They build up the insulating layers and finally collect feathers and hair from the neighbourhood to make the nest cup warm and snug. For further defence against the cold they place the entrance very close to the branch so that the bird must squeeze in every time but it keeps out the cold air. Finally the rim of the nest is fitted with larger feathers with the bare shafts facing upward to screen the entrance and it also restricts the flow of cold air.

Planning is continuing for the Cabragh Wetlands stand at Ballsbridge for the world hosting of families. Heritage week is also upon us so why not come to Cabragh on Monday evening to hear the stories of the wetlands from a variety of sources. Áine Lynch has a full morning of activity centred on bird ringing on Wednesday and later the same day Birdwatch Ireland will deliver a talk on one of the most fascinating birds, the swift-details available on the Heritage Week booklet or online. Do not forget Saturday night August 18th when Tipperary Heartland, the umbrella group of Tipperary tourism facilities who do so much voluntary work in promoting our local area and deserve our support. Along with the barbecue there is a bouncy castle, face painting, duck racing etc, all in a beautiful setting of Jim O’the Mills. The throw in is at 6p.m. continuing to 9 p.m., all for the modest price of €10 per person with corresponding family rate.
Finally a big thank you to all who made the most recent music night such a success and all who came to celebrate Lughnasa. Ní neart go cur le chéile!
Slán go fóill.