They are not into politics or religion but rather the conservation of one of the island's most threatened bird species, the Red Grouse.

Yesterday, August 12th, saw the opening of the shooting season for grouse in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland but not in the Republic where wildfowlers have to wait until September 1st.

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Birdwatch Ireland was inundated with phone calls and emails in recent weeks over the brightly crowned birds with the orange plumes turning up all over the country. As the bird wasn't listed in any field guides, householders became convinced it was a new species colonising Ireland. But it turned out to be the common sparrow and starling staining their heads by dipping their beaks into the nectar of a plant called the New Zealand Flax, which has been planted in recent years in Irish gardens.

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Up to 250 scientists, academics and engineers will discuss how a rise in the levels of manmade under-water noise is damaging fish hearing and threatening future fish stocks.

They will bring together the latest research and devise new ways of tackling the problem.

Conference organisers Professors Tony Hawkins and Arthur Popper held their first conference on the issue in Denmark in 2007

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The Irish countryside is an utterly man-made artefact. Our hedgerows were planted centuries ago, and they naturally replenish themselves. But our tree population does not.

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The contortions of our politicians over the Bill to ban the Ward Union stag hunt makes for an intriguing spectacle. Let me declare my interest here.

I am pro-fishing, shooting and hunting. I further confess to the following -- I eat meat, visit the odd circus and have thoroughly enjoyed days out at Dublin Zoo with the kids. So I am at odds with the Green Party, which campaigns for an outright ban on all forms of hunting and traditional circuses, and which also opposes Dublin Zoo. I refer you to its website and 2005 policy document.

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The Central Fisheries Board is preparing a plan to try to eradicate the newly discovered invasive species, the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), from the River Barrow, Co Carlow.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre and Invasive Species Ireland have issued an alert following confirmation of the discovery of a "well-established" colony of Asian clams in the river.

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PEOPLE ARE being sought throughout the country to help monitor the butterfly population.

The project is being run by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, and anybody who has an interest in wildlife - as well as amateur lepidopterists - "can get involved".

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The Irish Coursing Club has denounced the video as fake. However, two Swedish students have now asserted that they filmed the footage during a two-week visit to Ireland. It is understood they came to the country to make a film about the greyhound industry, and travelled to Clonmel by train.

 WATCH THE VIDEO

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PRESSURE TO control the poison alphachloralose, available over the counter and used to kill vermin, is intensifying following the poisoning of two Red Kites in Wicklow which were only released into the wild last July.

The birds had ingested alphachloralose and it has been implicated in the poisoning of nine of the 11 reintroduced birds, golden eagles, white tailed eagles and the kites in all four provinces.

The Golden Eagle Trust has lodged a formal complaint with the EU commission over the State's failure to protect the birds.The killing of the birds has been condemned by farm organisations as wildlife groups believe poisoned meat bait used by farmers and gamekeepers to kill off foxes and other predators, such as grey crows to protect sheep or game birds, has been responsible.

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In its annual report, the board - which covers most of the Cork and Kerry region - said it received almost 185 complaints of an environmental nature. It has also warned of "an upsurge of interference with important spawning grounds" by heavy machinery causing damage of thousands of euro at works near stream heads in recent months.

Several incidents of silt discharges from large civil and engineering development sites occurred last year, the report said.

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Rise! (Rural Ireland Says Enough!) is aiming to "mobilise public and political opinion in support of traditional field sports and rural pastimes". It is backed by 16 organisations - ranging from the Hunting Association of Ireland to the Irish Hawking Club - representing some 300,000 people.

The campaign is a response to what it regards as "imminent threats" to rural sports from proposed animal welfare legislation which was included in the renewed programme for government at the insistence of the Green Party. Activists say they are especially concerned by plans to ban stag-hunting and the inclusion of hunt kennels in new legislation on dog breeding. The dog-breeding legislation is being discussed in the Senate and the Bill to ban stag-hunting is expected to be published at Easter.

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The Imperial College London and Zoological Society of London report comes ahead of a controversial cull in west Wales planned for later this year.

The report, which studied the aftermath of cull trials in England, claims the benefits "disappear" after four years.

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The twite, a member of the finch family, is at high risk of becoming extinct, according to Dr Derek McLoughlin, an ornithologist who recently completed his PhD on "The Ecology of the Twite in Ireland".

A cousin of the linnet, the small brown-streaked songbird was once common around the entire Irish coastline but changes in land use, has led to its demise in many areas.

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Biodiversity Ireland has reported sightings at a number of locations in 2009.

The most startling of their reports revealed a 396lb boar "was shot near a school playground in south Tipperary" earlier this year. The group have also recorded sightings of sows, boars and piglets in counties Kilkenny and Wicklow.

The physical environment has greatly changed since the wild boar became extinct in Ireland several centuries ago.

Wildlife group Invasive Species Ireland is concerned about its reappearance. Ironically, due to the extinction of the Irish wolf, the wild boar has no natural predators in Ireland and could "expand unchallenged", it said.

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Hundreds of activists gathered in Dublin yesterday to call for greater protection for animals ahead of the publication of a new Animal Health and Welfare Bill next year.

As part of the revised Programme for Government, the Greens won a ban on stag hunting and the phasing out of fur farming. Activists said they hope both measures would be included in the new bill.

However, John Carmody, spokesman for Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN), said that until the practices are banned, his group will put pressure on the Government.

"We have had similar pledges from many governments around the world that have come to nothing. The only thing we can do is remain hopeful."

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Animal welfare workers believe the recession is putting financial pressure on horse owners and an increasing number of them are dumping injured and starving animals.

The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) said it has already rescued 100 horses so far this year, up from 48 in 2008. It has also been forced to put down 56 horses so far in 2009.

The DSPCA said Ireland was in the midst of an "equine crisis" and that "reckless breeding" during the Celtic Tiger years left the country awash with unwanted animals.

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The association returns to Mayo two months after they staged their initial protest at Charles River premises in the county and are expected to be joined on this occasion by other groups including Donegal Veg, and Animal Rights Northern Ireland, together with UK-based activists.

The first protest is scheduled to take place between 12 noon and 2.30pm out-side Charles River Laboratories premises in Carrentrila, Ballina with the second planned for 4pm to 6pm at the company's Glenamoy base.

NARA spokesperson Laura Broxson says the activists will also be targeting the neighbouring Ovagen plant in Carrentrialla. She claimed the companies were involved in the business of animal testing which inflicts pain and fear on the animals involved.

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