Rare visitor causing traffic chaos in Wexford – ‘Cars abandoned in the middle of the road to see this white stork'
However, according to the cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) the bird's army of admirers are creating chaos wherever they go.
'There's been cars abandoned in the middle of the road down near Sigginstown Castle, all stopped to see this white stork,' said Councillor Jim Codd at the May of the RMD. 'He was in the Tacumshane area and now I believe he's moved to Mayglass, and where he goes, traffic havoc follows. Locals are telling me that they're coming across cars stopped stone dead in the road, drivers are jumping out to get pictures of this bird.'
Addressing roads engineer Michael Brazzill, the Aontú councillor continued.
"We're all lovers of wildlife and we don't want to get into a battle with birdwatchers but maybe you have a suggestion on how we handle this situation?'
Momentarily stumped, Mr Brazzill replied, 'The guards are the next port of call if people are doing dangerous manoeuvres and parking illegally.'
Speaking after the meeting, local birdwatcher Cian Cardiff explained the significance of the stork appearing in Wexford.
'White stork are a very rare vagrant to Ireland,' he said. 'It winters in Africa and returns to parts of Europe to breed each spring and summer. This is the first white stork to be seen by so many birders in Wexford for many years, from my understanding the last recorded sighting was in the late 1970s, also at Tacumshane Lake.
'So, it was of great significance to the birding and local communities.'
Explaining what might have drawn the white stork to the south-east, Cian said there were a number of potential contributory factors.
'During early spring we experienced a series of wind flows from the south and south-east, this led to species overshooting their continental breeding grounds and hitting Ireland,' he said. 'Good numbers of vagrant birds, such as the Eurasian hoopoe, which is also a vagrant species not usually seen in Ireland, were also spotted.'
While Cllr Codd spoke of traffic disruption and abandoned cars, Cian said the birdwatching community has been well-accommodated by local landowners in their quest to get a sighting of the stork.
'Groups of birders were watching the stork in the Coddstown Great area during its stay, especially during the first few days after it was pinned down to a general area of farmland. I must say a big thanks on behalf of birders and others to the local landowners and residents for allowing us to view this bird.'
The last recording sighting of the white stork was in Kilcoole, Co Wicklow on May 29.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
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