RTÉ Radio 1

Dr. Barry O'Donoghue, from the National Parks & Wildlife Service, tracks the story of Heather and Sally, two sister hen harriers, born in Kerry, and named by local schoolchildren.

Mooney Goes Wild reporter Terry Flannagan discovers why some Dublin residents have become infuriated by the capital's gull population.

And the triggerfish, one of the most striking fish in the oceans, has been strangely absent from Irish waters this summer. Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium director Kevin Flannery wants to find out why!

The great Irish poet Seamus Heaney died earlier today, and our panel remember his work and his poetry on the show today.

The RTÉ Radio 1 programme Arena will broadcast a special extended programme at 7pm this evening to remember the life and work of Seamus Heaney. For more information visit www.rte.ie/radio1/arena.

We have spoken at length about jellyfish on this programme over the years. During the summer, especially, they are often visible in large numbers around the coast of Ireland.

In the Sea.

But, here is a first for Ireland...

This week jellyfish were discovered in FRESHWATER!

In Lough Derg on the River Shannon!

And it’s baffling the experts because these jellyfish originate in the Yangtze River – in China!

Dr Joe Caffrey is a Senior Research Officer with Inland Fisheries Ireland and he joins Derek on the phone today to explain more...

Craspedacusta, or Freshwater Jellyfish

Craspedacusta, or Freshwater Jellyfish

Craspedacusta, or Freshwater Jellyfish

For more information, visit www.jellyfish.ie.

We read a little report in The Kerryman newspaper recently about a small cargo of clams that had been seized by customs, having been brought from Vietnam, of all places.

When we think of clams, we think of tiny little shellfish, around the size of your thumb, which you regularly find in the likes of seafood chowder, and other seafood dishes.

These clams, however, were absolute giants, in relative terms, growing to about five or six inches in length.

The Giant Clams in Dingle

The cargo that was seized included up to 20 of these guys. They were very much alive, as they are prized among collectors, and they were transferred to Dingle Ocean world for safekeeping.

Kevin Flannery is the director of Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium, and he joins us today from our Radio na Gaeltachta studio in Dingle.

The Giant Clams in Dingle

Kevin also talks to us today about the absence of a particular fish from Irish waters this summer, called the triggerfish... 

Clown Triggerfish in East Africa

Clown Triggerfish

Picasso Triggerfish

Queen Triggerfish

Stone Triggerfish

Triggerfish Teeth

Triggerfish

Yellow Spotted Triggerfish

The Mooney Goes Wild programme is celebrated for many different things, like NestWatch and the Dawn Chorus, to mention but two.

The Dawn Chorus is a six-hour marathon, broadcast every May, where listeners get a chance to appreciate the wonderful cacophony of sound just before and after dawn.

But everybody appreciates listening to the birds. Recently, a number of listeners have been in touch to complain about the racket that is going on, for hours at a time, in their localities. We sent our reporter, Terry Flanagan off to investigate. He first headed off to Beaumont where he met up with Anne Marie Winick...

A gull in Dublin

Gulls in Dublin

Now you might remember earlier this month we told you about a controversial remark which a politician in Limerick made about Hen Harriers.

The councillor in question, John Sheahan, Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council, said that if nothing was done about the restrictions placed on landowners in special protection areas – SPAs – "open season should be declared on the hen harrier".

Basically, Cllr Sheahan was bemoaning the fact that farmers were struggling and in areas where the Hen Harrier was offered some protection the farmers couldn’t consider other options like wind farms, forestry or reclaiming land.

The poor hen harrier - a spectacular and rare bird of prey - was being blamed.

Now we talked about that particular controversial remark at the time so we’re not going to rehash that issue. But we decided we’d find out a little more about the bird at the centre of the controversy, the hen harrier.

With Derek today is Barry O’Donoghue, Assistant Principal Officer with the National Parks & Wildlife Service.

Sally, Millstreet 2013

Cordal Nest satellite tagging in mature forestry adjacent to nest on July 13th 2013. This is Heather (younger bird) and Sally

Cordal Nest satellite tagging in mature forestry adjacent to nest on July 13th 2013 - this is Sally

Cordal Nest Visit on June 27th 2013, four of five chicks showing, two eldest in this photo were sat tagged July 13th 2013

On January 1st 2011

On November 16th 2012

Heather in Wicklow, August 21st 2013

A bit of breaking news today, as Dr. Joe Caffrey, Senior Research Officer with Inland Fisheries Ireland, tells us about the freshwater jellyfish discovered in Ireland this week for the very first time...

Mooney Goes Wild reporter Terry Flanagan goes out to Beaumont and Leeson Street to meet two listeners concerned with the proliferation of gulls in those areas...