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Overview
In the centre of Kerry in south-western Ireland is Killarney National Park, an area of woodland and mountains, lakes and bogs that is both a Biosphere Reserve and a Special Protection Area.
The woodlands include deciduous woods, mainly Sessile Oak Quercus petraea and these are probably the finest surviving oakwoods in Ireland. There are also extensive conifer plantations, the finest natural yew wood in the country and small areas of alder carr. Rhododendron scrub is a major problem in the area.
There are several lakes including the large Lough Leane and smaller Upper Lake and Muckross. More than 140 bird species have been recorded within the park.
Birds
Notable Species
Woodland birds present include Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Long-eared Owl and various warblers including Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff, probably also Wood Warbler. Common Redstart is also present as well as many other more widespread species. However, the most important species within the park and the reason for its designation as a Special Protection Area are breeding Peregrine Falcon, Merlin and Red-billed Chough. White-tailed Eagle have recently been reintroduced.
The mild climate of south-western Ireland means this area is important as a wintering ground for many species. These include large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing as well as Golden Plover, Whooper Swan, a small flock of Greater White-fronted Goose and various ducks.
Rarities
Vagrants and rare migrants are sometimes recorded at the Killarney lakes and have included Ring-necked Duck, Garganey and Osprey.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Grey Heron, Whooper Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Common Pochard, Common Goldeneye, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Golden Plover, Common Woodpigeon, Common Cuckoo, Long-eared Owl, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Common Wren, Dunnock, Common Wren, Eurasian Robin, Common Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Treecreeper, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Red-billed Chough, Eurasian Jackdaw, Northern Raven, Chaffinch, Common Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
The national park is also important for plants with rare species such as the Killarney Fern Trichomanes speciosum which survives in the mountains here, and the "Killarney Violet", better-known as the Greater Butterwort Pinguicula grandiflora, a carnivorous plant of wet bogs. Irish Spurge Euphorbia hiberne is confined to south-west Ireland and commonly grows in the park. The parasitic Birdsnest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis is also found here as well as Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae which has a similar parasitic lifestyle.
More specialities of the area are the Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo and Saint Patrick's Cabbage Saxifraga spathularis, both of which are representatives of the "Lusitanian Flora". These and other plants have an unusual distribution being found mainly in Spain and Portugal but with isolated outposts in south-west Ireland.
The Kerry Spotted Slug Geomalacus maculatus is a very common slug in the area which also has this "hiberno-lusitanian" distribution. The Killarney lakes are home to a distinct landlocked form of a normally sea-going fish. The Killarney Shad Alosa fallax killamensis is found only here and is now considered endangered.
As well as having links to the south-west of Europe, Killarney also hosts species such as the Northern Emerald Dragonfly Somatochlora arctica that otherwise occur much further north in Europe. It is believed they were pushed southwards by the last Ice Age and survived in ice-free south-west Ireland where they remain today. There are numerous moths in the oakwoods including the Green Oak Moth Tortrix viridana, the Oak Beauty Biston strataria and the famous Peppered Moth Biston betularia.
The Red Deer Cervus elaphus is a common native of Killarney and the introduced Sika Deer Cervus nippon also occurs in the park. Other mammals include Pine Marten Martes martes, Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris, Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and Badger Meles meles. Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus is very common and also the Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus, unknown in Ireland until discovered in Killarney in 1964. How this mammal came to be present here is currently unknown but it appears to have been the result of an accidental introduction.
Site Information
History and Use
This is a scenically very attractive area, popular with tourists and the lakes are widely used for angling and boating.
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Being such a popular area for tourism there are numerous hotels, guest-houses and other forms of accommodation in the town of Killarney and the local villages and numerous campsites in the area.
Within the park there is an information centre at Muckross House, nature and cycling trails and various boat-trips are available.
Contact Details
Killarney National Park
Muckross, Killarney, Co. Kerry
Telephone:
- Main Office 064-6631440
- Ranger Base 064-6635215
- Email - [email protected]
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
