A survey of the small migratory birds known as Swifts is to take place in County Sligo from now until about August.
Swifts, which are very similar to swallows, fly to Ireland from southern Africa, having spent nine months of the year there.
They are among the fastest birds on the planet but are now under threat due to loss of nesting sites and suitable feeding habitats.
The Sligo survey is being carried out by BirdWatch Ireland and a free workshop for members of the public will take place on May 13th at 7:30pm in The Southern Hotel in Sligo.
Ricky Whelan, projects officer with BirdWatch Ireland, has been telling Ocean FM News about the amazing little birds.
EU farmers can avail of 1 billion euro in funding.
The package was announced today by the European Commision to benefit young farmers in particular.
The move is being welcomed by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
Finally, mild winter conditions are being blamed for a spike in the fly population.
Rentokil says it has experienced a 33 per cent increase in call outs for infestations in the first 3 months of the year.
They expect call out levels to increase substantially during the summer months when insects breed.
The pest control company says flies are responsible for causing the highest number of illnesses, even more than rodents and cockroaches and they can pose a serious health risk
