BIRD KILL CONDEMNED

PAUL WILKINSON

‘TRIGGER-happy brutes' are being blamed for killing a number of Grey Herons along the River Lagan at Dromore; the bird has been a protected species since 1975.

According to a local man, who did not want to be named, an angler recently discovered three of the birds shot dead and piled by the riverside on land off the Ballynahinch Road.

The same angler, he said, had heard shooting in the area some days before; both men fear more of the Herons may have been killed and discarded elsewhere.

"I think this is an absolutely shameful thing for anyone to do," said the angry local. "Herons are very hard to get in on, so whoever is responsible must not only have been ruthless but they must have known what they were doing."

The Grey Heron is a large wading bird which in Ireland is often colloquially called 'crane'; its plumage is mostly grey on top and off-white underneath.

Adults have a white head while younger birds have a dull grey head; they have a pinkish-yellow bill.

The bird feeds in shallow water, catching mostly fish, frogs, and insects.

"They're a very shy bird and a protected species," said the disgusted Dromore man,"This was a shameful slaughter of protected birds and the person or people behind it are nothing but trigger-happy brutes who probably dit it for no better reason than there was nobody about to stop them.

"The three that were found may very well not have been all of them that were killed."

Planning to report the find to the authorities, he added an appeal to local people to stay watchful and report any suspicious behaviour in the hope of preventing any similar incidents in future.