Tully Mountain Lake Creature

Tradition says that there are lake monsters in the lakes on the top of Tully Mountain. There are a few small mountain lakes located near the summit.

Lough Shanakeever Lake Creature 1945

Shanakeever Lough has been the site of a number of reports of sightings of unknown lake creatures. The first reported sighting was in 1945. The beast was  reported to be horse like with an elongated body.  Further sightings were made in 1963 and 1982 and reported a large eel like creature in the lake.

Lough Pibrum Lake Creature 1974

Lough Pibrum (Pybeln) is a mountain lake, located in Glanmore - a 15 minute drive from Carna village.In the 1970s three local men cutting turf spotted a large black creature in the late. They also saw what the describe as a "trail of slime" leading to the lake from nearby high ground.Lough Pybeln is located near Carna and Kilkerrin, between two mountains. The event took place in the summer sometime in the 1970s.  The man explained to that he'd been cutting turf with his father and cousin near the lake around 8pm when they noticed a large 40 foot object out in the lake.  It resembled the bottom of a pucan (type of boat) "turned upside down, just about to submerge".  There's one factor from this sighting that stands out in particular: they saw "slime" from the mountain down to the lake.

Lough Nahooin Lake Creature 1948

Lough Nahooin is a small mountain lake, located in Leagaun - a 7 minute drive from Claddaghduff Church. The creature in Nahooin Lough was first sighted in 1948 by two local men. Another sighting of what has been described as a large "eel like" creature was made in 1968. During the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau investigation (1969)  of the Lough Fadda sighting a local farmer reported having recently seen the Nahioon Lough creature on land.

Lough Fadda Lake Creature 1954

The first sighting of an unknown creature in Lough Fadda was in the late 1940s. Few Details exist of this sighting. In 1954 a group of local anglers encountered a large animal than swam towards them and reacted to their moving away from the shore. The sighting was investigated by the Lough Ness Investigation Bureau on two occasions.

Lough Fadda Lake Creature 1947

The first sighting of an unknown creature in Lough Fadda was in the late 1940s. Few Details exist of this sighting. In 1954 a group of local anglers encountered a large animal than swam towards them and reacted to their moving away from the shore. The sighting was investigated by the Lough Ness Investigation Bureau on two occasions.

Lough Auna Lake Creature 1985

In the late 1800s a sighting of a "horse eel" was reported by a local woman who was collecting turf by the lake edge. More reports of a similar creature were made in the early to mid 1900s. In 1980 multiple people saw a large eel like creature swimming in the lake. In 1985 an off duty soldier saw a similar creature in the lake.

Atlantic Salmon

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic. Major Connemara salmon fisheries: Erriff river, Ballynahinch river. In Connemara fishing for salmon is highly regulated. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic. It has also been introduced to the north Pacific. Atlantic salmon breed in the rivers of: Western Europe from Northern Portugal north to Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the east coast of North America from Connecticut in the United States north to northern Labrador and Arctic Canada. Atlantic salmon which have escaped from the aquaculture industry have also been found breeding in rivers tributary to the Pacific Ocean in British Columbia on Canada s west coast. The name, Salmo salar, is from the Latin   Salmo  , meaning salmon, and   salar  , meaning   leaper,   however a more likely meaning   resident of salt water.   It is also known as bay salmon, black salmon, caplin-scull salmon, fiddler, grilse, grilt, kelt, landlocked salmon, ouananiche, outside salmon, parr, Sebago salmon, silver salmon, slink, smolt, spring salmon or winnish. Atlantic salmon in general are migratory. They spawn in freshwater streams where the eggs hatch and juveniles grow through several distinct stages before they migrate to the sea to mature. They then return to their original stream to spawn. Some examples of fully freshwater (  landlocked  ) populations of the species exist. None are known in Connemara. The Atlantic salmon constructs a nest or   redd   in the gravel bed of a stream. The female creates a powerful downdraught of water with her tail near the gravel to excavate a depression. After she and a male fish have respectively shed eggs and milt (sperm) upstream of the depression, the female again uses her tail, this time to shift gravel to cover the eggs and milt which have lodged in the depression. Unlike Pacific salmon, the Atlantic salmon does not die after reproducing and can return numerous times during its life. Once hatched the freshwater life phases of Atlantic salmon vary, depending on the river, from between one and eight years.  In northern rivers they tend to stay for 4 years but in more southern rivers they leave after one year. The longest stay has been recorded in Canada where smolts up to 8 years old have been recorded. River temperature seems to be a determining factor. The warmer the river the earlier the smolt migrates to the sea. The first phase of the Atlantic salmon  s life is the Alevin stage. The newly hatched salmon stay in the breeding ground and uses the remaining nutrients in their yolk sac as food. Their gills develop and they become active hunters once the yolk sac is empty. They then become fry. At this stage they grow and leave the breeding ground in search of food. Juveniles start eating tiny invertebrates, and as they mature, they may occasionally eat small fish. Some have been known to eat salmon eggs. The most commonly eaten foods include caddis flies, blackflies, mayflies, and stoneflies. The final freshwater stage is when they become Parr and prepare to migrate to the Atlantic as Smolt. In the fresh water phase up to 40% of the young salmon are eaten by trout. Birds and other fish also prey on them. Their migration generally happens between March and June. During this time they must adapt to increased water as they approach the sea. The salmon spend up to 4 years in the Atlantic Ocean mostly on the continental shelf off Greenland. and grow rapidly. Their major food sources are Arctic squid, sand eels, amphipods, Arctic shrimp, and herring.  During this phase they are prey to humans, Seals, Greenland sharks, skate, cod, and halibut. Once above around 250 g, the fish no longer become prey for birds and many fish, although seals do prey upon them. Seals that commonly eat Atlantic salmon are the grey and common seals. Survivability to this stage has been estimated at between 14% and 53%. During this 4 year period the Atlantic salmon enter the grilse phase and they prepare to return to their original stream. It is thought that the unique chemical signature of the stream is a major role in them finding the exact stream in which they hatched. Atlantic salmon change colour during their lives.  During their early freshwater time they have blue and red spots. Once they mature they change to a silver blue sheen. When they reproduce, males take on a slight green or red colour. Wild salmon disappeared from many rivers during the twentieth century due to overfishing and habitat change. By 2000 the numbers of Atlantic salmon had dropped to critically low levels. The main commercial value of the remaining wild Atlantic salmon stocks is as sports fish. Sport fishing communities, mainly from Iceland and Scandinavia, have joined in the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) to buy away commercial quotas in an effort to save the wild species of salmon. The commercial fishery of Atlantic salmon has virtually disappeared due to extensive habitat damage and overfishing. Wild fish make up only 0.5% of the Atlantic salmon available in world fish markets. In the 1950s, salmon from rivers in the US and Canada, as well as from Europe, were discovered to gather in the sea around Greenland and the Faroe Islands. A commercial fishing industry was established, taking salmon using drift nets. After an initial series of record annual catches, the numbers crashed: between 1979 and 1990, catches fell from four million to 700,000. The market is supplied with farmed salmon from Ireland, (Connemara having the second largest commercial salmon farm in Europe), Norway, Chile, Canada, the UK, Faroe Islands, Russia and Tasmania in Australia. Salmon fishing has been controlled by legislation for over 800 years since the time of Edward 1 of England.

Atlantic cod

The Atlantic Cod can grow to 2 meters in length and weigh up to 96 kilograms (212 lb). It can live for 25 years and usually attains sexual maturity between ages two and four.  It has a colouring of brown to green, with spots on the dorsal side, shading to silver ventrally. A lateral line is clearly visible.   Its habitat ranges from the shoreline down to the continental shelf.  The   Atlantic cod   is labelled VU (vulnerable) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Several cod stocks collapsed in the 1990s (declined by >95% of maximum historical biomass) and have failed to recover even with the cessation of fishing.  Adult cod form spawning aggregations from late winter to spring. Females release their eggs in batches, and males compete to fertilize them. Fertilized eggs drift with ocean currents and develop into larvae.  Atlantic cod are a shoaling species and move in large size-structured aggregations led by larger scouts who lead the shoals direction, particularly during post-spawning migrations inshore for feeding. Cod actively feed during migration and changes in shoal structure occur when food is encountered.   Atlantic cod are apex predators and adults are generally free from the concerns of predation. Juvenile cod, however, may serve as prey for adult cod, which sometimes practice cannibalism. In the southern North Sea, 1 to 2% (by weight) of stomach contents for cod larger than 10 cm consisted to juvenile cod. In the northern North Sea, cannibalism was higher, at 10%. Other reports of cannibalism have estimated as high as 56% of the diet consists of juvenile cod.  Atlantic cod have been recorded to swim at speeds of a minimum of 2 to 5 cm/s and a maximum of 21 to 54 cm/s with a mean swimming speed of 9 to 17 cm/s. In one hour, cod have been recorded to cover a mean range of 99 to 226 square meters. Swimming speed was higher during the day than at night. This is reflected in the fact that cod more actively search for food during the day.      

Dewberry

The dewberries are a group of species in the genus Rubus, section Rubus, closely related to the blackberries.  Unlike Blackberries they have separate male and female plants. Dewberries are common throughout most of Connemara and are mainly in dry grassland, hedgerows and in sandy places.     The fruits of this plant are edible.  The berries are sweet and edible. They can be eaten raw, or used to make cobbler, jam, or pie.  The blackberry-like fruits have less drupes or individual segments than those of Bramble but each segment is larger than on that plant.  They also have a blue-silver bloom like that on the Sloes of the Blackthorn plant.

Derrylea Lough Creature 1961

The sighting in 1961 was of a black eel like creature 3 - 4 metres in length. It remained in view for over half an hour. Local legends speak of a "Horse Eel " creature living in the lakes and capable of moving overland between them.

Derrylea Lough Creature 1888

In the late 1880s, during a drought, a  second creature similar to the one at Ballynahinch became lodged and died in a culvert between Derrylea and Gowlan lakes.

Cuviers beaked whale

They may occur in numbers over the Atlantic continental shelf - most records Jan to March and June to September.  One was washed up (dead) on Clifden beach on December 24 2014. Key Identification Features: Max body length: 23 ft, Average body length: 20 ft, Blow: Slightly forward and to left, inconspicuous. Head: Gently sloping forehead. Beak: Indistinct (less distinct with age). Dorsal Fin: Small, falcate. Colouration: White, beige to brown. Colour varies according to location, sex or age. Older animals almost white. Markings: Upper side can be almost white in front of dorsal fin. Swirling patterns typical of many animals. White or cream on underside and sides. Often leave marks from teeth. Field Identification: The dorsal fin is often the first feature seen at sea and is set far back on the body. The head is usually small and pale, visible only when sighted close up when the animal is surfacing from a deep dive or surfacing to breath before deep diving, when they may also steeply arch back and lift flukes. Colour variations are common, light brown to grey or white in older animals. Behaviour: Although rarely seen, these whales have been known to breach and occasionally approach boats. Food and Feeding: Cuvier  s are a deep diving animal. It is thought they feed primarily on squid. Social Structure: Although information is very scarce it is thought that Cuviers beaked whales live in family groups of up to 25 individuals. A typical group size would be 5  to  7. Single animals are thought to be old males. Where and When Best Seen in Ireland: Although rarely seen alive, they are the most frequently recorded beaked whales in Ireland. Between 1901  to  1995, 21 individuals washed up along our coast, an average of just 1 every 4 years. In 1997, two were recorded. But in nine days in March 2000, three washed up dead on Irish beaches, two in Co. Clare and one in Co. Sligo. Then on May 1st 2000 a fourth washed up at Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry. The IWDG raised the possibilities of these unusual stranding events being linked to offshore seismic surveys along the west coast. They may occur in numbers over the Atlantic continental shelf - most records Jan to March and June to September. Species Similar in Appearance: The beaked whales are among the most difficult to tell apart, thus the cuvier  s can easily be confused with almost any other beaked whale, and perhaps the bottlenose whale and minke whale. Status and Distribution:  is known mainly form strandings and a few sightings. Cuvier  s beaked whale appears to be one of the most abundant and widespread of the beaked whales. It has a very broad range in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, but is apparently absent from Polar waters. It is encountered around oceanic volcanic islands with some regularity. Reproduction and Life Cycle: Too little is known about their life history to comment.

Cuckoo

The best time to hear a cuckoo is during most evenings between mid-April and June. It is summer migrant from Africa the Cuckoo is a brood Parasite (lays eggs in other birds nests). The cuckoo s favoured foster parent species include pipits, warblers, dunnocks and robins. The cuckoo is now a protected bird but populations continue to decrease due to loss of habitat and the use of insecticides.  The male cuckoo is famous for its   distinctive koo-kooO  call. Females have a bubbly chuckle sound different from the males.  Juvenile cuckoos migrate several weeks later than their real parents, and they manage to find their way to the regular wintering areas despite never having made the journey before.  Cuckoos feed on the ground, but are clumsy walkers. They can often be seen perched on telegraph lines.  The cuckoo has long been associated with fate for humans. Numerous beliefs exist, including: it is good luck to have money in your pocket when you hear a cuckoo; whatever you are doing when you hear a cuckoo, you should repeat throughout the year as the call was a sign that the particular activity will be beneficial; for single people, the number of calls or notes would signify how many years they would remain unmarried; and in Sweden, the direction of the call signifies either good luck (west), death (south), consolation (east), or sorrow (north).

Coral ( Maerl) Beaches

Maerl is a name for a group of red seaweeds (Lithothamnion corallioides, Lithothamnion glaciale and Phymatolithon calcareum) that deposit calcite in their cell wall. When sections break off these seaweeds the bits form (in certain locations) coral beaches. There are two known coral beaches in Connemara at Ballyconneely and one at Carraroe. These  gravel beaches a rare and of great conservation importance. The Coral Strand and Tran an Doilin are unusual beaches formed from the dead fragments of "maerl", a twig-like calcareous seaweed (Lithothamnion spp.).  This seaweed, which is pinkish- purple when alive, changes to a bright golden-yellow once it dies. This type of beach material is washed up at only a few locations in Ireland - including Tran an Doilin, Carraroe and the Coral Strand Ballyconneely.    Maerl beds are found up to 30 m down in Irish waters and can be up to 10 m thick.   Radio carbon dating has found the lowest layers to be over 5000 years old.  Maerl beds are slow to regenerate (1 mm per year). Beds of Maerl are ecologically important. They are a nursery for the juvenile stages of commercial species such as cod,  Pollack and scallops. Maerl beds are easily damaged by dredging and towed fishing gear. It is illegal in Ireland to remove maerl from beaches.  This substance was extensively dredged as a source of lime for gardens and organic farms. This is because it contains high concentrations of calcium and magnesium. ( 32.1% CaCO3 and 3.1% MgCO3 ).

Common Skate

The  common skate  or  blue skate  (Dipturus batis) is the largest  skate  in the world attaining a length of more than 250  cm and weigh  up to 220  lb (100  kg. it has been listed as Critically Endangered globally in 2006 by the UN. It is threatened both in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In both areas, it seems likely due to fishing trawls that are after things like hake or anglerfish, and who simply catch the Common Skate by accident. Common Skate around 11 years to reach sexual maturity. Once it has reached sexual maturity, they will only reproduce every other year.   They mate in the spring and during the summer they lay approximately 40 egg cases which they put in sandy/muddy flats. The embryos then develop for 2 to 5 months before leaving their egg case.  Egg cases are measured up to 25  cm long (excluding the horns) and 15  cm wide.   In the 19th and 20th centuries egg cases were usually seen along the entire British coastline in high numbers, but now they are only found in a few selective areas.

Common Seal

The  Common , or Harbour seal, as it is also known, is mainly an inshore animal, frequenting inlets, estuaries and unpolluted harbours. This seal is less numerous than the Grey seal over much of the western and northern coastlines. Population: 2003 estimate seal census 2,900 in Ireland The  Common , or Harbour seal, as it is also known, is mainly an inshore animal, frequenting inlets, estuaries and unpolluted harbours. This seal is less numerous than the Grey seal over much of the western and northern coastlines. It is the smaller of the two Irish seal species. Females are smaller than males. Bulls may reach 6ft (2m) long and weigh 550lb (250kg. Females reach 5ft and weigh 330lb (150kg).  Pups are born on land but can swim straight away. Coat colour is variable but usually some shade of grey or white with darker spots. . The adult has predominantly greyish to greyish-brown upper parts, with irregular black mottling. This mottling is repeated on the underside, which is lighter, silver or cream. The young have a darker, greyish brown mottled coat. The common seal favours shallow, sheltered coastal waters and estuaries. It can dive for up to 10 minutes and eats a wide variety of inshore and estuarine fish species.

Common Newt

The common newt is found all across Ireland where there is suitable habitat is found. They favour ponds and shallow lake sides. The smooth newt is the only newt native to Ireland, and it is protected there under the Wildlife Acts (1976 and 2000). It is an offence to capture or kill a newt in Ireland without a licence. Both sexes are of similar size (roughly 10 cm head-to-tail length), and a similar pale brown to yellow colour.  Adult smooth newts emerge from hibernation on land from late February to May, and head towards fresh water to breed.   At this time, both sexes become more strikingly and colourfully marked, with vivid spots and orange bellies. The male also develops a wavy crest along the back and tail  to  the sexes are clearly different during the breeding season.  Once fertilised, after a few days the female starts to lay eggs. These are placed individually, usually under aquatic plant leaves at a rate of seven to 12 eggs per day. Altogether, a total of 400 eggs may be produced over the season.  After two to three weeks (depending on water temperature), the eggs hatch to a larval form  to  a tadpole or eft.   As the tadpoles mature, they develop legs (front first), and the growth and use of their lungs is matched by a gradual shrinkage of the gills. Over 10 weeks the larva gradually shift from being fully aquatic to having a body suitable for living on land. (Some may over winter in the larval state, only emerging from the water the following year).

Common Lizard

The common lizard is Irelands only reptile. occurs in drier environments, including open woodland, meadows, moorland, heath land, fens, dunes, rocks, roadsides, hedgerows and gardens. It lives mainly on the ground, although it may climb onto rocks, logs and low-growing vegetation. The length of the lizards body is less than 12 cm (5 in) (excluding the tail). The tail is up to twice as long as the body, although it is often partially or wholly lost. The limbs are short, and the head is rather round. Males have more slender bodies than females. The neck and the tail are thick.   The main colour is typically medium brown, but it can be also grey, olive brown or black.   Females may have dark stripes on their flanks and down the middle of their backs. Sometimes females also have light-coloured stripes, or dark and light spots along the sides of their backs. Most males and some females have dark spots in their undersides. Males have brightly coloured undersides  to  typically yellow or orange, but more rarely red. Females have paler, whitish under parts. The throat is white, sometimes blue.  In early spring, late autumn, and cool summer days, it basks in the sun to reach its optimum body temperature, which is about 30 °C (86 °F).  Lizards feed on invertebrates, mostly small insects.   Males reach sexual maturity at two years old, females at three years old.  Lizards mate in April or May. Males take females in their jaws before mating  to  if the female is not interested, she will bite the male fiercely. The offspring develop for about three months inside the female.   Lizards give birth to live young, an adaptation to a cool climate, but some southern populations lay eggs. The three to 10 young (or eggs) are usually produced in July.   In Ireland lizards begin hibernation in September or October usually underground or in log piles. Hibernation ends about mid-February.  

Common Frog

The common European frog was thought to have been introduced to Ireland but is now deemed to be a native species due to genetic analysis. Ireland is the most westerly part of its range. Common frogs have a three stage life cycle  ” aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile, and adult.   They have fat bodies with a rounded snout, webbed feet and long hind legs adapted for swimming in water and hopping on land.  Adult common frogs have a body length of 6 to 9 centimetres (2.4 to 3.5 in).  Their backs and flanks vary in colour from olive green to grey-brown, brown, olive brown, grey, yellowish and rufous. Both black and red individuals have been found and albino frogs have been seen with yellow skin and red eyes.  Common frogs are known to be able to lighten and darken their skin in order to match their surroundings.  Newly hatched tadpoles are mainly plant eating. They  feed on algae, detritus, plants and some small invertebrates. They become fully carnivorous once their back legs develop and feed on small water animals or even other tadpoles when food is scarce.  Juvenile frogs feed on invertebrates both on land and in water.   Adults only feed on land. Common  frogs eat mainly insects (especially flies), snails, slugs and worms. They feed on any invertebrate of a suitable size, catching their prey on their long, sticky tongues. They do not feed during the short breeding season. Common  frogs eat mainly insects (especially flies), snails, slugs and worms.  Outside the breeding season, common frogs live a alone in damp places near ponds or marshes or in long grass. They are normally active for much of the year, only hibernating in the coldest months.  Common frogs breed in shallow, still, fresh water such as ponds, with spawning commencing sometime between March an late June, but generally in April .  Tadpoles are eaten by fish, beetles, dragonfly larvae and birds. Adult frogs have many predators including storks, birds of prey, crows, gulls, ducks, terns, herons, pine martens, stoats, weasels, polecats, badgers and otters. Some frogs are killed, but rarely eaten, by domestic cats, and large numbers are killed on the roads by motor vehicles.