data citizen science wildlife

Freshwater Invertebrates: Survey notes 04/07/2025

Danny Gibson | July 11, 2025

This entry documents the second outing in a year-long journey exploring freshwater invertebrates across Northern Ireland, with a special focus on peat bogs and fenlands. Streams and rivers will also be included along the way to help find seldom-recorded species in overlooked areas.

This project is supported and funded by the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR), with permission from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to access and photograph species in designated Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs).

Sources for species distribution are CEDaR and the National Biodiversity Network Atlas for Northern Ireland.

Cusher River, Clare Glen - 28/06/2025

A session was carried out at Clare Glen, Co Armagh on designated stretch of the Cusher River at the below location:

Screenshot 2025-07-11 210249

A short distance south of Portadown is the start of the Newry Canal inland navigation. Here the canal is between two rivers: the Cusher River and the Upper River Bann. The Cusher River supplemented water to the lower part of the system. The Point of Whitecoat is where three waterways meet: the Bann, the Cusher River and the Newry Canal, the first inland canal in the British Isles.

Standard pond dipping techniques were used with samples measured in specialist measuring tanks, before being transported to a tank for identification photography, and then safely returned to the original pool. This will be the process for the future surveys on this project.

Species

Trichoptera - Polycentropus flavomaculatus larva x2 (without cases) - First County Armagh record
Arhynchobdellida - Erpobdella octoculata x2 - First verified Northern Ireland record
Non invertebrates:
- Stone Loach Barbatula barbatula - 3rd County Armagh record
- Brown Trout Salmo trutta - larvae - widespread