Panel: Richard Collins, Jim Wilson & Niall Hatch

Reporters: Terry Flanagan

In addition to listening to us on RTÉ Radio One at 22:00 every Monday night, don't forget that you can also listen back to each of our programmes any time you like at www.rte.ie/mooney. There, you will find an extensive archive of past broadcasts, conveniently split into different topics and segments.

Tonight’s programme features a report from our roving reporter Terry Flanagan about the mating behaviour of Ireland’s most common and widespread amphibian, the Common Frog. Our suggestion this week from the extensive Mooney Goes Wild archives, therefore, is a segment we first broadcast about frogs in March 2018. In it, Sheila O’Callaghan visits the grounds of University College Dublin to meet Rob Gandola, Senior Science Officer at the Herpetological Society of Ireland in order to discover more about these amazing creatures.

To listen to this programme from the Mooney Goes Wildarchives, visit https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/21334524/

The Lark Ascending

Spring is certainly in the air, and one of the biggest clues is the increasing amount of birdsong to be heard across the country. One of the true stars of the avian concert at this time of year has to be the Skylark, a somewhat drab, brown, secretive, ground-nesting bird that happens to put on one of the most impressive vocal performances you will ever hear.

As we learn on tonight’s programme, Skylarks perform their songs in a manner unlike that of any other Irish bird. Rising ever higher until he is a mere speck in the sky, constantly singing a melodic jumble of rapid notes, the male of the species can keep up his vocal performance for over an hour, seemingly never even pausing for breath. He is breathing, however: unlike humans and other mammals, which can generally only sing or call properly when breathing out, birds can sing whether the air is exiting or entering their airways.

For more information about Skylarks, visit https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds/skylark/

Spring Alive: submit your records of migrant birds

Mid-March is when our first migrant breeding birds begin to arrive back to Ireland from their wintering quarters, usually beginning with a lovely member of the swallow family called the Sand Martin. This is one of the common migrant bird species, along with the Swift, Swallow, Cuckoo and Ringed Plover, which are the subject of BirdLife International’s annual Spring Alive project, which is operated in countries across Europe, Africa and Central Asia by its national partners, including BirdWatch Ireland.

We are asking Mooney Goes Wild listeners to take part in this wonderful 'citizen science’ project by reporting their first sightings of the above-mentioned migrant bird species. There, you will also be able to follow the progress of spring on a continually updated map as the birds arrive back across Europe from Africa, as well as learn more about the incredible journeys that migrant birds undertake.

For more information about these migrant birds and to report your sightings to BirdWatch Ireland via Spring Alive, visit https://spring-alive.net/en/group/24

How good are the facilities for birdwatchers in Ireland?

Ireland is home to a growing number of birdwatchers, and interest in our feathered friends appears to be at an all-time high in this country. There are many excellent places in which enthusiasts can observe birds across the country, though the standard of the actual facilities, interpretive features, viewing areas and access routes at these locations can vary greatly.

On tonight’s programme, Jim, Richard and Niall discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of Irish birding facilities, from state of the art observation hides and well-managed nature reserves to hard-to-access gems well off the beaten track. They also ponder how Ireland compares to other European countries in this regard.

For more information about BirdWatch Ireland’s bird reserve network and facilities, visit https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/nature-reserves/

Harper’s Island Wetlands: the perfect place to watch waterbirds

If you are looking for comfortable, well-appointedbirdwatching facilities, you could do a lot worse than pay a visit to the wonderful Harper’s Island Wetlands nature reserve near Glounthaune, just on the outskirts of Cork City.

This natural jewel, which is owned and managed by Cork County Council in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland, Glounthaune Community (Glounthaune Community Association/Tidy Towns/Men’s Shed), and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, is home to large numbers of wintering birds, including internationally important numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, which visit from their breeding grounds in Iceland.

On tonight’s programme, Jim Wilson fills us in on the wildlife that can be found at Harper’s Island and explains the inspiration behind the reserve’s centrepiece: its fantastic, state-of-the-art birdwatching hide.

For more information about Harper’s Island Wetlands and to plan your free visit, see https://birdwatchcork.com/about-harpers/

To learn even more about this very special place, be sure to tune in to Jim Wilson’s upcoming documentary about Harper’s Island, which will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio One at 15:00 on St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2025 as part of our Nature on One series.

National Tree Week: "Planting Trees, Growing Together"

One of the highlights in our calendar here at Mooney Goes Wild is National Tree Week, which this year runs from 9th to 16th March. This is an annual event organised by the Tree Council of Ireland in partnership with Coillte. It is the largest tree celebration in the country, providing a unique opportunity for people to come together and celebrate the beauty and importance of Ireland's trees.

The theme of this year’s celebration of all things arboreal is "Planting Trees, Growing Together", and the programme of events features particular emphasis on the importance of planting native trees of Irish stock. To find out more, for tonight’s programme we dispatched our roving reporter Terry Flanagan to the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin in Dublin, where he spoke to Felicity Gaffney, Education Officer at the "Bots" and a member of the Tree Council of Ireland, and our very own Éanna Ní Lamhna, also wearing her Tree Council of Ireland hat.

To support National Tree Week, Coillte is supplying sapling trees to County Councils for distribution to communities nationwide. If you’re planning a National Tree Week community event and would like to receive trees for planting, please contact your local authority for more details.

For more information about National Tree Week, visit https://www.nationaltreeweek.ie/

Frogs are feeling frisky!

One of the joys of early spring is seeing Common Frogscoming out of hibernation, triggered by the warming conditions and increasing day-length. And what is the first thing they do after emerging? Why, head to the local pond, of course, in order to meet up with other frogs, sometimes hundreds of them, to mate and lay frogspawn. This is incredible not only to watch, but also to listen to.

Dermott Doran is a farmer in Co. Kildare who, a number of years ago, created a pond on his land to help the wildlife in his local area. Every spring since then, more and more frogs have been turning up at his pond to mate. He has witnessed hundreds of these amazing amphibians there, both last year and this year.

Last week, our roving reporter, Terry Flanagan headed off to meet up with Dermott and to see and hear this spectacular display.Last week, our roving reporter, Terry Flanagan headed off to meet up with Dermott and to see and hear this spectacular display.

For more information about Common Frogs in Ireland, visit https://iwt.ie/species-in-focus-common-frog/