Rare bird flies again

Date Published: 01-May-2008

A RARE bird that was found perishing on Kilronan beach, Inis Mór three weeks ago was released back into the wetlands of Connemara yesterday after Moycullenbased artist, Padraic Reaney, nursed it back to health.

The yellow bittern was found by two islanders and they immediately contacted Mr. Reaney who keeps birds of prey and has a reputation for nursing injured falcons, owls and hawks.

“This was a very lucky bird. When he was found he was skin and bone — he had no flesh on him at all. He also had a damaged leg, it wasn’t broken but it might have been sprained,” he said.

The bittern has not bred in Ireland for more than 160 years — however, four sightings of the species have been recorded around Lough Corrib in the past 10 years.

It is a mystery what happened to this adult bird and it is not known how long it was left dying by the shore but it was clear it hadn’t eaten in a while, according to Mr. Reaney, a Carraroe native. “We don’t see bitterns in Galway very often. They are extremely rare these days.

They are usually found on the East Coast of England and…..