Birdwatching calendar filling up with events
THE latest outing of the Wicklow branch of BirdWatch Ireland was to Broadlough on the outskirts of Wicklow town, while a number of talks and outings have also been organised for the coming weeks.
The visit to Broadlough also involved the Carlow branch, with sightings of 27 different bird species recorded. Among them were 550 Golden Plovers, 24 Little Grebes, 30 Dunlins, a Kingfisher, Greenshank and a Snipe. Curlews were also spotted but the numbers were low. Four Brent Geese made an appearance near the end of the day.
On Saturday, December 9, there will be a festive walk around the East Coast Nature Reserve and a celebration of the return of winter migrant birds.
This winter walk will be followed by a workshop where guests can create their own winter wreath and bird feeder. All materials are sustainably sourced from the site. This free event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and there is no need to book. The meeting point is at the reserve’s front entrance.
On Tuesday, December 12 at 8 p.m. Andrew Power wil deliver an illustrated presentation on ‘The Wildlife of Transylvania, Romania’ focusing on the wide variety of butterflies and birds from the region. The two-hour presentation will take place in the Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs.
Activities for next year have already been arranged, starting with a talk by Richard Nairn on ‘Dublin Bay: Nature ad History.’ The talk will be based on his new book and takes place in the Glenview Hotel on Tuesday, January 9 at 8 p.m..
On Saturday, January 20, there will be an outing to the East Coast Nature Reserve (ECNR) and Newcastle coast in search of wintering wildfowl, waders, birds of prey, gulls and seabirds. The meeting point is outside the entrance to the reserve on the Newcastle Sea Road at 10 a.m.
The annual Wicklow County Bird Race will either take place on Saturday, February 10, or Saturday, February 17.