Made an early morning visit this morning to Glen Lough SPA , near Edgeworthstown, on the Longford /Westmeath border. This freshwater marsh, once an open water lough before drainage in the 60's, holds a variety of wintering wildfowl, notably Whooper Swan, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon , Grebes etc.. Water Rail and Lapwing are also recorded here.
Due to overgrown foliage and low water levels, good viewing over the site is quite restricted currently, despite access to the very useful hide provided by the NPWS.
Winter flooding of the marsh creates better viewing opportunities with a few areas of open water visible.
This morning's visit was rewarded with a brief sighting of a female Hen Harrier, quartering the reedbeds on the eastern side of the marsh. This site is a regular haunt of Hen Harrier in Winter/Spring, along with Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
No wintering wildfowl arrivals observed on this morning's visit- from previous site trips here, best time to catch wintering flocks is from mid October onwards.
Access to the site is via minor roads off the N4 (Dublin/Sligo road, just east of Edgeworthstown) or off N55 (Athlone/Cavan road , south of Edgeworthstown)
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