Anyone willing to travel to the Boora bogs tomorrow morning will be rewarded with the sight of some beautiful French birds.
In Boora, near Tullamore, desperate attempts are being made to save the last native grey partridge. Ireland's last remaining 50 birds of the species live in a habitat which is being preserved by a major environmental and breeding programme.
Dr Brendan Kavanagh, the grey partridge co-ordinator, confirmed this week that the French birds have been brought in to ensure that the species will survive and that 10 French chicks have been reared successfully.
Grey partridges from France were not Dr Kavanagh's first choice for supplementing the endangered birds in Boora, where special crops have been sown to ensure the survival of the species.
"We had carried out DNA tests on the Irish birds and they seemed to be more closely related to Polish birds", he said. "However, when the birds were captured from the wild in Poland, had been quarantined and were ready to come here, we could find no one to transport them."
The Polish birds had to be released into the wild again, but he had managed to secure French birds, which had been captured from the wild and had bred in captivity.
Dr Kavanagh was full of admiration for the people of the area, who have decided to hold an open day in support of the birds in the Leamore/Leabeg community hall tomorrow.
"There will be a talk at 11 a.m. and we will outline the work that has been done in the area to conserve the birds. We will then have a tour of the area which will show the nesting banks, chick-rearing areas and the winter cover crops we have created for the birds," Dr Kavanagh said.
He advised those who want to make the trip to Boora to pack a lunch and bring their wellies.