CEDaR Online Recording

Pine Martens in Northern Ireland

Pine Martens and the potential link with squirrel populations

In Northern Ireland the distribution of the pine marten appears to be increasing however we lack the baseline information about their presence particularly in areas outside of County Fermanagh which has been a stronghold for some years. We are interested in the relationship between pine martens and grey squirrels as there is some tentative evidence that suggests that higher densities of pine martens lead to lower densities of grey squirrels which can allow red squirrels to recolonise areas from which they have been evicted.

Pine martens (Martes martes) are shy members of the weasel family, which are about the size of a domestic cat. They are chocolate brown in colour with a creamy yellow throat bib, this bib may be used to identify individuals as the markings are variable. The pine marten and several other members of the Marten family are found throughout most of central and northern Europe. The pine marten was once heavily persecuted due to its fondness of domestic and gamebird eggs and it is now considered extinct from most of England and 95% of Wales. Their last remaining UK strongholds are Northern Ireland and Scotland, they are also found across the Republic of Ireland. They favour well wooded areas where they can nest in hollow trees and old animal homes. Pine martens eat small mammals, ground nesting birds and their eggs and seasonally available produce such as autumn fruits, nuts and berries. They are also excellent climbers and can leap from tree to tree in pursuit of squirrels.

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

Submit your Pine Marten records using the form below

Tell us a bit about your Pine marten sighting

Alive or Dead:

Certainty:

Abundance:

Provide an indication of the abundance.

Determiner:

If you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Date of sighting (required): *

Sensitivity

Is the record sensitive?

Blur record to:

This is the precision that the record will be shown at for public viewing

Photos:

Overall comment:

Your details

Email: *

We will only use your email address if we need to contact you about your record.
If you are logged into the system, please do not lock these values. The information will be auto-filled from your account profile.

First name: *

Last name: *

Telephone Number:

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

This gives us an approximate grid reference for the location. We'll then move the map so that you can click on it to provide an accurate position for the record(s). Note: contents of this field will not be retained as part of the record.

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc. Please do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Notes about using the map:
use the + sign on the right hand side of the map to change the base mapping used from maps to satellite images or OpenStreetMap maps.
To create an accurate and useful record, use your mouse to drag the area of interest to the centre of the map window and use the zoombar on the left hand side to zoom in tight to the area where you made the sighting. When you have zoomed in, click on the location - this will autofill the Spatial Reference box.

Read more about Pine Martens in Northern Ireland

Submit record of invasive non-native species in Northern Ireland

Invasive non-native plant and animal species are the second greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide after habitat destruction. They can negatively impact on native species, can transform habitats and threaten whole ecosystems causing serious problems to the environment and the economy.

All records and sightings will help us determine the extent of the invasive species problem in Ireland and facilitate a rapid response, where necessary.

If you know of any invasive species in any location within Northern Ireland please submit your record using the form below. If you have a picture of the species or are unsure of what you have found, please submit your images.

If you wish to enter a record for anywhere in the Republic of Ireland please do so on the Invasives.ie website.

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

What did you see?

Species: *

Tip - add an asterisk (*) before the species name if you want to search for part of the name e.g. *porpoise will return both common and harbour porpoise. If you can't find the species using the common name, try using the scientific name. Click on the species you want to choose.)

Certainty:

Abundance:

Provide an indication of the abundance.

Determiner:

If you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Date of sighting (required): *

Sensitivity

Is the record sensitive?

Blur record to:

This is the precision that the record will be shown at for public viewing

Photos:

Overall comment:

Your details

First name: *

Last name: *

Email: *

Telephone Number:

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

This gives us an approximate grid reference for the location. We'll then move the map so that you can click on it to provide an accurate position for the record(s).

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc. Please do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Submit record of invasive non-native species in Northern Ireland

Submit a list of records for a site

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

What Did You See?
Where
Other Information

If you've got lots of records to submit, then we recommend breaking the records up into several batches as it is very easy to accidentally click the back button on the browser and lose the data entered so far.

Please enter the species you saw and any other information about them.

The Species field will autocomplete as you type.
Tip: add an asterisk (*) before the species name if you want to search for part of the name e.g. *porpoise will return both common and harbour porpoise. If you can't find the species using the common name, try using the scientific name. Click on the species you want to choose.)

Determiner: if you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Sensitivity: It is recommended you only use this facility if you want to protect the location of the species.

Species		Present	Determiner	Certainty	Abundance	Comment	Sensitivity	Photos

Please provide the spatial reference of the record

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Please do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Notes about using the map:
use the + sign on the right hand side of the map to change the base mapping used from Google to OpenStreetMap.
To create an accurate and useful record, use your mouse to drag the area of interest to the centre of the map window and use the zoombar on the left hand side to zoom in tight to the area where you made the sighting. When you have zoomed in, click on the location - this will autofill the Spatial Reference box above.

Habitat:

Please provide a date for your sighting(s)

Date of sighting (required): *

Please provide your contact details (note: this information will be used for record verification purposes).

Your contact details

First name: *

Last name: *

Email: *

Telephone Number:

Any additional recorder(s).

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Overall comment:

Read more about Submit a list of records for a site

Submit single record (all species)

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

What did you see?

Species: *

Certainty:

Abundance:

Provide an indication of the abundance.

Determiner:

If you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Date of sighting (required): *

It is recommended you only use the following facility if you want to protect the location of this species.

Sensitivity

Is the record sensitive?

Blur record to:

This is the precision that the record will be shown at for public viewing

Photos:

Overall comment:

Your details

First name: *

Last name: *

Email: *

Telephone Number:

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

This gives us an approximate grid reference for the location. We'll then move the map so that you can click on it to provide an accurate position for the record(s).

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc. Please do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Submit single record (all species)

Ladybird Survey

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

Use this page to enter records of ladybirds for a single location. To find out more about Ladybirds see the Ladybirds of Ireland website.

There is a new Harlequin Ladybird ID sheet available for download to help with identification of this invasive species.

Please tick all the species you saw and any other information about them.

Please note: if you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Species		Present	Abundance	Determiner	Certainty	Comment	Photos
10-spot Ladybird - Adalia decempunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
11-spot Ladybird - Coccinella undecimpunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
12-spot Ladybird - Vibidia duodecimguttata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
14-spot Ladybird - Propylea quattuordecimpunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
18-spot Ladybird - Myrrha octodecimguttata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
19-Spot Ladybird - Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
22-spot Ladybird - Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
24-spot Ladybird - Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
2-spot Ladybird - Adalia bipunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
7-spot Ladybird - Coccinella septempunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Cream-spot Ladybird - Calvia quattuordecimguttata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Eyed Ladybird - Anatis ocellata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Heather Ladybird - Chilocorus bipustulatus insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Hieroglyphic Ladybird - Coccinella hieroglyphica insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Larch Ladybird - Aphidecta obliterata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Orange Ladybird - Halyzia sedecimguttata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Seven-Spot Ladybird - Coccinella septempunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Striped Ladybird - Myzia oblongoguttata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Ten-Spot Ladybird - Adalia decempunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Two-Spot Ladybird - Adalia bipunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos
Water Ladybird - Anisosticta novemdecimpunctata insect - beetle (Coleoptera)							Add photos

Your details (please note: this information will be used for record verification purposes only by NIEA and CEDaR staff).

Your contact details

Email: *

First name: *

Last name: *

Telephone Number:

Weather:

Site Description:

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Date of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Ladybird Survey

Grasshopper Survey

What have you seen hopping about?!

Submit your grasshopper records below and you’ll be contributing to the Northern Ireland survey effort for this species! We only have a few species, so that should make ID-ing them simple! Visit your site once in September and once again in October to see if they’re still hopping about.

Tip: taking a sweep net (if you have one) and combing long grassland will help track these insects down.

Download the recording form here

Download the survey methodology here

Identification

For help with identification and further information on these species, please visit the Orthoptera Recording Scheme website and visit their ‘Species Accounts’ tab: https://www.orthoptera.org.uk/home

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

Please tick all the species you saw and any other information about them.

Please note: if you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Species		Present	Grass height (cm)	Abundance	Determiner	Comment	Sensitivity	Photos
Chorthippus brunneus - Field Grasshopper insect - orthopteran								Add photos
Myrmeleotettix maculatus - Mottled Grasshopper insect - orthopteran								Add photos
Omocestus viridulus - Common Green Grasshopper insect - orthopteran								Add photos
Tetrix subulata - Slender Ground-hopper insect - orthopteran								Add photos
Tetrix undulata - Common Ground-hopper insect - orthopteran								Add photos

Your details (please note: this information will be used for record verification purposes only).

First name:

Last name:

Email: *

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Weather Conditions

Temperature (Celsius):

Cloud cover (%):

Wind:

Date and time of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Time of visit (e.g. 13:25):

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Grasshopper Survey

Cuckoo Survey

Mark the return of Spring by listening out for the cuckoo!

Help record what is for many the distinctive sound of Spring – the call of the cuckoo.

If you see or hear a cuckoo please submit your record below.

Colouring: Upper parts: blue-grey; breast: dark-barred white; males and females similar; juvenilles grey-brown and heavily streaked.

Size/shape: Dove size. Slim body, pointed wings - like small bird of prey e.g. kestrel or sparrowhawk.

Call: Cuc-oo (males). Bubbling call (females). Call throughout spring. To hear it, visit the RSPB website. This bird is much more likely to be heard than seen.

Timing: Arrive from Africa in April and May.

Strategy: Don't build nests, but use those of other birds e.g. dunnocks, meadow pipits etc. In host bird's nest, female cuckoo removes one egg and lays one of her own. Host bird brings up large cuckoo chick which pushes the remaining eggs or chicks out of the nest.

Occurrence: Found across Northern Ireland. More common in western parts but occurs in east also e.g. Murlough National Nature Reserve in Co. Down.

Habitat: Wide variety but prefers rough marginal land such as hillsides, heathland, scrub and marshes.

Status: Rapidly declining species. Red listed as a bird of conservation concern in UK. Northern Ireland Priority Species. Protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (NI)Order 1985 (as amended).

Threats: Land use changes leading to loss of preferred habitats such as wetlands and marginal land.

Call often mistaken for: Collared Dove or Wood Pigeon

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

Please provide as much information as possible about your Cuckoo sighting(s).

Record comment:

Photos:

Your details (please note: We will only use your email address if we need to contact you about your record.
If you are logged into the system, please do not lock these values. The information will be auto-filled from your account profile. ).

Your contact details

Email: *

First name: *

Last name: *

Telephone Number:

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Date of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Cuckoo Survey

Barn Owl Project

Help Ulster Wildlife’s barn owl project, Be There for Barn Owls.

We need to know more about the barn owl in order to turn around its declining population in Northern Ireland. We use sightings to help identify where barn owls may be nesting in order to protect the nest site and enhance foraging habitat where it is most needed.

If you see or hear a barn owl please submit your record below

Picture: Barn Owl © Richard Bowler

Honey-coloured back & wings and white underneath with a white heart-shaped face, the barn owl is a distinctive farmland bird but rarely seen in daylight in Northern Ireland. Most often reported as a large, white, ghost-like bird seen in car headlights at night. Only about 250mm from head to feet, broad wings and long wingspan make it appear much larger in flight.

Found throughout Northern Ireland but seem to avoid higher ground; can be seen throughout the year hunting for small mammals on open countryside (not within woods).

Most often confused with long-eared owl; our other resident nocturnal owl in Northern Ireland

Picture: In headlights © Barn Owl Trust

Please provide as much information as possible.

Occurrence attribute occAttr:547 not found.Both checkboxes can be selected if required

Click to hear barn owl sounds: Barn owl screech/Chicks snoring

Abundance:

Occurrence attribute occAttr:541 not found.Occurrence attribute occAttr:543 not found.

First name: *

Last name: *

Telephone Number:

Email: *

Are you a Member of Ulster Wildlife? *

Are you happy for us to contact you? *

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Date of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Time of sighting: *

Barn owl sites

Did you find pellets?*

Typical barn owl pellet (held in hand)

Barn Owl Pellet

Do you suspect this is a roost or nest site?

What sort of site is it?*

Select a record sensitivity (recommended if you suspect a roost/nesting site or you found pellets)

Sensitivity

Is the record sensitive?

Blur record to:

This is the precision that the record will be shown at for public viewing

Any other notes or observations that you would like to add?

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Please do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Barn Owl Project

Hedgehog Survey

Laurie Campbell

Citizen Science: Help the Hedgehog

The hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is one of Britain and Ireland’s most loved and charismatic species, a friendly visitor, found in both urban gardens and rural settings alike. Hedgehogs are protected under the wildlife NI 1985 (Schedule 6 and 7), which is further enhanced by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (NI) Act 2011 and is one of the priority species in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, studies have shown that the species has declined significantly in the UK and Ireland in recent years. Here at CEDaR we want to help the hedgehog and find out what is happening to our hedgehogs in Northern Ireland.

What can you do?

When was the last time you saw a hedgehog in your garden or around Northern Ireland? This information is vital to our understanding of the status of hedgehogs in Northern Ireland. Consequently we are asking you, as a member of the public to become a citizen scientist and submit any sightings of hedgehogs to our online recording system (including road kill). This will help to improve our understanding of hedgehogs and establish if there is a decline in Northern Ireland.

What to look out for?

The hedgehog has a short, rounded-looking body that is almost completely covered by a coat of about seven thousand dark-brown spines with lighter coloured tips. These are about 2cm in length and can be raised in defence. The head and underside are covered with coarse greyish hairs. The eyes and ears of the hedgehog are very small. It has a pointed and relatively mobile snout. The head and body length of a fully grown adult is about 250mm. Body weight can vary a great deal and is on average about 1kg. The hedgehog is able to roll up into a ball that protects its head, legs and soft underside. Hedgehogs are almost entirely nocturnal but are frequently seen at dawn and dusk. Nests are usually only built for the purposes of hibernation in winter and for rearing their young in summer. Outside of this the animals usually shelter in vegetation. Hibernation begins around October/November and ends during April.

Important: if you use this site regularly, please remember to login.

This will give you access to the My Records report which allows you to manage your data.

Please provide as much information as possible about your Hedgehog sighting(s).

Alive or Dead:

Abundance:

Certainty:

Please note: if you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Determiner:

Record comment:

Photos:

Your details.

Your contact details

First name: *

Last name: *

Email: *

Telephone Number:

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Date of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:

Read more about Hedgehog Survey

Urban Fox Survey

The Urban Fox Survey invites the public to help gather information on Red Fox distribution and expand the knowledge on their relationship with urban environments in Ireland.

Fox picture

Photo: Jamie Hall

Why do we need an  Urban Fox Survey?

The urban ecology of our wild animals has become increasingly relevant with the spread of urbanisation across the globe. Red Foxes are a prime example of a species learning to adapt to these rapidly changing environments. Understanding their distribution and behaviour across Irish urban areas can shed light on the needs of the animals and the potential of cities to provide for them.

This project will provide valuable data for conservation planning in Ireland and finding solutions for potential human/wildlife conflicts. Our study will focus on the 7 most populated cities/towns across the island of Ireland; Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Derry, Galway, and Waterford.

The Red Fox

Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are widespread across Ireland and are characterised by their red fur, bushy tails and dog-like appearance.
This versatile species is primarily nocturnal with a diverse diet which allows it to exploit a wide range of habitats. As omnivorous opportunists, urban foxes feed mostly on scavenged meat, invertebrates, fruit, and anthropogenic food in cities.

Fox activity increases during mating season in January and February and vixens birth cubs between March and April. Urban foxes are frequent visitors to residential areas and often seek gardens to raise cubs.

Signs of Foxes

Evidence of fox activity can be found in various forms, including tracks, scat, prey remains, fur clumps, and trampled flowerbeds.

The paw prints of foxes vary from dogs with a more oval pad pattern, with the central digits sitting in front of the outer pair.

Due to their broad diet, fox scat can be tightly packed with a range of contents including fur, bone shards, feathers, seeds, and beetle chitin. They can be differentiated from dog faeces by the presence of a tapered curl at the end. Foxes can harbour parasites so we recommend you don’t handle their droppings!

footprint comparison

Credit: Marc Baldwin

CONTACT US

For any queries regarding the Urban Fox Survey project, please email Urbanfoxsurvey [at] gmail.com (Urbanfoxsurvey[at]gmail[dot]com)

Please consider supporting the project further by following the following social media platforms!

Please provide as much information as possible about your Fox sighting(s).

What was observed?

Alive or Dead:

Abundance:

Occurrence attribute occAttr:1142 not found.

Certainty:

Please note: if you have had an expert confirm the identification of a record please add their name in the 'Determiner' field. This will help when the record is being verified.

Determiner:

Record comment:

Photos:

Your details.

Your contact details

First name: *

Last name: *

Email: *

Telephone Number:

Do you feed the foxes?

How do you regard foxes?

Any additional recorder(s) names.

Name(s) of any additional recorder(s):

Date of your sighting.

Date of sighting (required): *

Time of sighting:*

Please provide the spatial reference and site name for the record.

Search for a place on the map:

Spatial reference: *

By clicking on the map the spatial reference will autofill. The more you zoom in, the more accurate the grid reference.

Site name: *

For example the nearest town, village, park, nature reserve etc.
Do not enter a postal address as the information you provide will be visible to others.

Habitat:*

Additional detail if "Other" habitat selected:

Read more about Urban Fox Survey

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