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Ireland in late March (1 Viewer)

gareth_blockley

gareth_blockley

Smile people
I'm after some advice on birding in Ireland.

I'm going over for about ten days at the end of March. I think i'll be based in Kerry but will be travelling around a bit. I'm going with a non-birder but i will of course always be birding!

I'm after some good tips of where to go like a good place to catch some early migrants. I really want to go to Nimos pier but have two questions, where is it and will the gulls (winter visiting ones) be around then?

Any help will be much

Gareth
 
Hello Gareth,
I suggest you buy Finding Birds In Ireland by Eric Dempsey, its new and very up to date and invaluable for a visit like this.
Nimmos is in Galway City about 3 hours from Kerry but is well worth the visit. Some of the winter visitors will be there into April and you should see Iceland, Glaucous and Ring Billed with little difficulty and possibly American Herring Gull and Forsters Tern etc.
Dingle in Kerry can be very good for gulls and would be worth a look for Iceland, American Herring etc and there should be a few bits and pieces still knocking about like Black Duck etc. PM me a week or so before you go and i can check whats about down there for you.

all the best

derek
 
I can heartily recommend the Finding Birds in Ireland book by dempsey and o'clery .
I bought it today in Tralee, Co Kerry. As a beginner i cant tell you where to go and see the birds you require but if you are stuck for directions in Kerry give me a shout as its my home .The Blennerville area of Tralee has a good spread of birds today and is easily accessible. Dingle is beautiful and well worth the visit as is most of coastal Kerry.
Dave
 
I'll back up Paddyenglishman's advice, the book is excellent. BTW, Paddy, your avatar quote gave me the best laugh I've had all week. What's it from?
 
hi sancho
lol , my avatar quote is stolen from a tech forum site for industrial control, but as i work for a company that is making waste water systems or to be blunt poo tanks i thought it was apt
dave
 
Brilliant. I may have to plagiarise that. Also apt for Gareth if he's visiting Galway, considering the problems they've been having with the water supply there this past year.....:eek!:
 
Thanks for the advice on the book. I had looked at a few but wasn't sure on which to get. Also thanks for the invite to get some info closer to the time, this may be handy as any free time i get will probably be to go for specific birds.

i know a book will tell me this when i get it but, how easy is it to see Black guillemots? its one of my target birds. Any where reaally good for them down in south west Ireland?

My friend really wants to go and find Puffins too so he's not completely against me birding ;-)

Gareth
 
Hi Gareth

Just noticed this thread. Timely as I’m off to Kerry again (and Nimmo’s) for the weekend tonight.

Derek’s given a good summary of what to expect and you should definitely get a copy of Dempsey & O’Clery’s book. The long-staying Black Duck at Ventry, Dingle is from my experience at the west end of the bay at Cuam Pier. Though the Dingle harbour/Smerwick harbour areas are now firmly on the birding map there are plenty of other places to go at especially on The Iveragh Peninsular.

On The Ring of Kerry, there are lots of sites with immense potential – the estuary at Derrynane, Ballinskelligs Bay (for Surf Scoter) and my favourite Reenard Point near Cahersiveen for gulls (I had 5 white-wingers here in December including the near adult Kumlien’s that I found in September).

Though you’ll probably struggle for migrants as you’ll be too early (and if you know any Irish birders they’re continually complaining about how poor spring migration is), you may get the odd Wheatear on Valentia or Bolus Head.

I’ve done many birding trips to Kerry with the last two being with my non-birding girlfriend – there’s always something new to find and late March you’ll hopefully have a few gulls etc to see. If you’re not fixed for a place to stay then The Moorings in Portmagee (http://www.moorings.ie/) is excellent and from my experience keeps the other half happy.

You may be a bit early for Puffins I would have thought but Black Guillemot shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you e.g. Dingle, Reenard Point, Portmagee.

Cheers and good birding

Rich
 
I was in Galway in late March last year. Quite a few very easy Icelands at Nimmo's Pier but Glaucs were very scarce, we only saw one. Also two Ring-billeds but we missed the American Herring. Pale-bellied Brent Geese can be seen further south in Co. Clare, out towards Taiwin Island. Lots of Great Northern Divers and RB Mergs on the sea. We also went to Cliffs of Moher, no seabirds at that time but Chough, Raven and Peregrine all present. I'm mainly a photographer so we didn't visit all the sites that we might have done had we just been birding but hope this helps.
 
Recieved my book yesturday and have had a good lok at the Kerry area. I'm quite looking forward to this trip now as it seems just about any birds are possible in the transition from winter to spring. I take on the fact that most Migrants will not be around so early but anythings possible, no? and i remain hopefull of some auks being around, and even petrels and shearwaters... very hopeful!

Cheers
Gareth
 
Hi guys

In a weeks time i will be in Waterville, Kerry (all going to plan). Could anyone give any details of any birds around at the moment? I think i will be quite restricted to the ring of kerry, but will try to travel out some days. Dingle is definately a day trip, a boat trip is boked to the skelligs (weather permitting) and, if i push, i would like to go to Nimmo's pier.

Anything been blown in this week? Any news would be appreciated.

Cheers
Gareth
 
Gareth
I'll try and give you a reply as your request seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Try and appreciate the lack of news/birders on The Ring/Kerry in general so any news within the last couple of months should be treated as recent: -

Cattle Egret - Waterville Spunkane 2nd Feb
Kumlien's Gull (near adult) - still west of Cahersiveen at Reenard Point (where the ferry to Valentia Island goes from) 2nd Feb plus adult Iceland Gull
Surf Scoter - drake Ballinskelligs Bay early January still

Within easy reach on Dingle the Black Duck has been seen recently at Ventry/Dingle Harbour as have several Iceland and Glaucous Gulls. The small beach at Ferriter's Cove, Ballyferriter is also good for the odd white-winger. Up to 3 adult Ring-billed Gulls have been seen at Blennerville recently.

Hope the above vague info gives you something to go at - do let us know how you get on.

Cheers and good birding

Rich
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I got back yesturday and had a brilliant time. Great scenery and birding, its very wild out on the south west coast!

I'll get a report in the Trip reports if anyone wants a looks.

Thanks again
Gareth
 
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