Protecting wildfowl - Mink pose a big threat to bird life

ALMOST anyone who enjoys a walk along the waterways of Ireland or the sound of songbirds in their garden will more than likely have a tale of absent friends to relate.

A river walk is no longer the time or place to watch waterfowl in numbers previously enjoyed. Coot and water hens, once commonplace, are almost a novelty in too many places.

Ducks struggle to rear enough ducklings to sustain their populations on our rivers and lakes. Even nesting on the remote islands of our lakes no longer offers a refuge to nesting wildfowl.