What’s involved in working with BirdWatch
Ireland on the Dublin Bay Birds Project? I reflect on my six months as an
intern, which gave me a taste of what it’s like to work in conservation; a
dynamic area where fieldwork, office work and public engagement are all key
parts of the job.
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Ringing Arctic Tern chicks in Dublin Port Ricky Whelan
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In June 2015 I joined
the BirdWatch Ireland team as an intern, working primarily with the Dublin Bay
Birds Project team. With the breeding season in full swing, it was a running
start, and over the first few months Common and Arctic Terns were in focus. Fieldwork
involved visiting the breeding colonies in Dublin Port, to conduct nest and egg
counts and ring the chicks. It was a fantastic experience to visit the breeding
colonies and to be involved in this important research, although some of my
clothes will never be the same again!
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| Carrying out nest surveys on the new tern raft at the Great South Wall, Dubin Port Ricky Whelan |
After the breeding season, the focus of our
field work changed, along with the temperatures. The sun cream was swapped for a
flask of tea and a scope, and we began counts of wintering waterbirds in Dublin
Bay. Bull Island became my training ground, and with a lot of help from the
team, my identification, counting and ring-reading skills greatly improved. Visiting
various locations around Dublin Bay gave me a whole new perspective on the
city, and the important role it plays for so many species during the winter
months.
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Searching for
colour-ringed Oystercatchers on
Sandymount Strand, Dublin Jen Lynch
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Overall being
part of the Dublin Bay Birds team has been extremely rewarding and enjoyable. I
got the opportunity to be involved in many different aspects of conservation
work and learned a huge amount in this short period. Working alongside people
who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge (especially Niall
Tierney, Ricky Whelan and Steve Newton) was an essential part of this, and I
would recommend this position, or similar ones, to anyone hoping to pursue a
career in conservation.
