Gaeltacht twite fading from sight

THE plight of the twite troubles ornithologist Derek McLoughlin.

This elusive little finch is not easy to track down, but Derek has been studying it since 2005. With funding from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, he has ringed many twites, found their breeding haunts and documented their lifestyles. His PhD thesis will be the first really comprehensive account of the species in Ireland.

The twite, like the corncrake, basking shark and sunfish, is one of those creatures which wildlife enthusiasts hope to encounter when visiting the western seaboard.