County Wexford in South-east Ireland is a wader-watching paradise – boasting some of the premier shorebird sites in Western Europe alongside a mouth-watering track record for rarities, this relaxed break see’s us link up with local expert guide Cian Cardiff for some top-drawer early autumn birding. Taking the ferry to Rosslare from the port of Fishguard in South Wales (where we may see Choughs before we set off!) we will have the chance for some sea watching too, with large numbers of Manx Shearwaters often in the Southern part of the Irish Sea at this time of year. There’s always a chance of the odd skua, large shearwater or petrel too and of course, cetaceans such as Common and Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Minke Whale and Harbour Porpoise. We are based throughout the tour at an excellent hotel on the banks of the river Slaney with views of the estuary and lots of birds even from the breakfast room!
When you think of birding in Wexford, the first place that springs to mind is Tacumshin. This World-famous site is one of Ireland’s premier birding spots and it’s easy to see why. Here it’s really possible to get in among the birds, with huge flocks of small waders likely to host scarcer species such as Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, and rarer ones such as Pectoral, Semipalmated and White-rumped Sandpipers. Great views of the birds are the key here and of course, the site is also famous for turning up the declining Buff-breasted Sandpiper, which is virtually annual at Tacumshin. Terns, gulls and wildfowl abound too while the surrounding countryside is good hunting for Merlin and Hen Harrier. We will make several visits to this site during our stay here but there is much more to County Wexford than just Tacumshin – the nearby areas of Nethertown and Carne provide some of the best sightings of Roseate Terns in Britain and we could see flocks over 100 strong along the coast here. Carnsore point brings the chance of a variety of passerine migrants to mix things up for us a bit, and in the far west of the county the excellent Hook Head can be a fantastic place to sea watch in the right conditions.
After making the most of the superb birding in Wexford, we will make the journey west to the county of Cork, another of Ireland’s best birdwatching regions. After calling in at Ballycotton and Cobh we’ll reach our base in Roscarberry for the next three nights. A standout highlight of our Cork stay will be a day trip out to Cape Clear Island – one of Ireland’s most famous birding localities. Here we will focus on finding migrants and the island regularly produces scarcities such as Wryneck, Melodious Warbler and Hoopoe. The short ferry crossing will also give us a chance to see some seabirds too. Seawatching may well be the theme of the following day when we’ll be birding on the Mizen Peninsular. Here, southerly winds can produce spectacular numbers of scarce seabirds. Or perhaps the winds will be favorable for bringing migrants from the east or west – the peninsular has a very good track record of producing rarities! Our final day will be back on a wader theme and we will also have the opportunity for some migrant hunting if the weather looks suitable. This varied and exciting tour will be led by Jonathan Farooqi, assisted throughout by Cian Cardiff.
DAY ONE
We set off from our Norfolk base today around 0900 and make the journey west to Newport in South Wales – pick-ups are possible en route by prior request. We will check in to our overnight accommodation here and then check out nearby Goldcliff Pools and/or Newport wetlands for a few hours late afternoon. These are great sites for waders and wildfowl and should kick off our list!
DAY TWO
We continue west this morning to Fishguard in Pembrokeshire, to check in at 1300 for the 1400 ferry to Rosslare in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland. The journey takes 3.5 hrs and there will be some sea watching opportunities on board – we normally expect to see large numbers of Manx Shearwaters but also species such as Fulmar, Gannet, terns and skuas. On arrival we make the short drive to the hotel, where we will be based for the next four nights.
DAY THREE
Carnsore Point will be our first destination today, a good area to explore for passerine migrants and often much favoured by hirundines massing up ready to make the sea crossing south. A variety of common warblers and chats could be expected and it’s just the sort of place we could bump into something like a Wryneck, though Pied and Spotted Flycatchers or Whinchat are more likely. Nearby, the beaches at Nethertown and Carne are excellent spots to check on the rising tide for close views of waders – lots of Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling can be expected but we have seen Curlew Sandpiper and even Baird’s Sandpiper here on previous visits. Marshy ground behind the beaches can sometimes hold something like a Wood Sandpiper (and we even saw a Citrine Wagtail here on one trip!) and gatherings of terns on the rocks can often include impressive numbers of Roseate Terns.
Before the day is out it would be rude not to make our first visit to World famous Tacumshin marsh, one of the best wader-watching spots in Western Europe. It’s a big site, accessible from several different points but the big plus is being able to get in amongst the birds by wading into the shallow water at the edge – wellingtons essential! Sometimes it is possible to enjoy views of species such as Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints so close, that they walk almost through the legs of your tripod!
DAY FOUR
A change of scenery see’s us head west to Hook Head, a long peninsula with a lighthouse positioned on a rocky point and providing a superb vantage point for seawatching. In onshore winds, we can expect large numbers of shearwaters but in poor weather, it’s also very good for European Storm-petrel too. After a session here, it’s always worth checking areas of cover back up the peninsula for passerine migrants such as Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Willow Warbler.
Back towards base, we will re-check the beaches at Carne and Nethertown, both spots which often have a large turnover of birds and we never know what we might find here. We also have the opportunity to catch up with any rarities present in the area, and we will remain flexible in case we need to head to Wexford Slobs, Bannow Bay or The Cull if something good has appeared there.
DAY FIVE
Back to Tacumshin this morning, we’ll head down to The Forgotten Corner and scan for flocks of wildfowl and check the bushes and reeds for passerines. Rare birds are synonymous with this site and often a Glossy Ibis or Cattle Egret can be here, though of course it is the roll call of rare waders that really interests us. Buff-breasted Sandpiper is regular, and species such as Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pacific and American Golden Plovers, White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers are all regularly recorded. We’ll probably spend half the day here, before moving on.
We will also wade across the shallow water to the area known as The Patches, the favoured feeding area for Buff-breasted Sandpipers which in the past have even been recorded in small flocks here. The key to success at Tacumshin is careful and patient checking through the massive flocks of Dunlin that occur here, as this is how we are most likely to find something unusual. Considering what a brilliant place it is, the area is incredibly under watched, so much so that we often don’t see a single birdwatcher!
Lady’s Island Lake is another good spot nearby, which should hold some wildfowl and provide more chances to see various tern species at the seaward end and waders roosting if water levels allow. A Glossy Ibis or Cattle Egret often make an appearance here.
We will of course keep our finger on the pulse for any local rare bird sightings, and make the most of the local knowledge of our guide Cian.
DAY SIX
Today we make the journey west to the county of Cork, another of Ireland’s premier birdwatching regions with a wealth of World-famous sites for waders. The journey will take around 4hrs but en route we will spend the afternoon birding in East Cork, at Ballycotton and Cobh. These locations again have an incredible track record for producing rare birds and we will be checking flocks of waders, gulls and terns for that Nearctic wanderer! Ballynamona Strand just north of Ballycotton village has a network of inter-tidal areas and shoreline that can attract good numbers of waterbirds, while the estuary complex around Cobh can also be excellent but is tide dependent. In the late afternoon we complete the journey west, arriving at our hotel close to the estuary at Roscarberry, for a three night stay.
DAY SEVEN
An exciting day awaits today as, weather permitting, we head to Baltimore harbour in west Cork and take the 45 minute ferry ride out to Cape Clear Island, lying off Ireland’s south-western tip. This fabled birding spot houses a bird observatory and with around five hours ashore to explore, we will mostly spend our time looking for passerine migrants in the fields, scrub and trees. The crossing itself offers the chance to observe seabirds with Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake, terns, auks and shearwaters all likely on the journey. Once ashore, we spend the day on foot walking the quite lanes that criss-cross the isle, looking for migrant birds. Species we might expect include Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Willow Warbler, Wheatear and Whinchat, but of course being an island scarce and rare birds occur regularly – Wryneck, Melodious Warbler or Hoopoe wouldn’t be totally unexpected here. After a brilliant day out we return to Baltimore for 5.15pm.
DAY EIGHT
Today we head out to the wild coastlines of the Mizen peninsula, where we have opportunities to seawatch and look for passerines depending on the weather. In southerly winds Mizen Head itself can offer some great seawatching as Manx, Sooty, Great and Cory’s Shearwaters pass by in the right conditions. Among the throngs of commoner seabirds maybe we will pick out a Storm-petrel or Sabine’s Gull, but of course the stronger the wind the better our chances. The peninsula has a number of sheltered spots for migrants and in high pressure systems with long-reaching easterly winds, migrants and vagrants can arrive here from a long way east. Fast-moving westerly depressions bring the chance of the first American landbird vagrants of autumn, and we will just be into that window when a Red-eyed Vireo or Yellow Warbler could appear! Heading back along the peninsula we spend the afternoon exploring Lisagriffin Lake – one of the best sites for rare wader’s in Ireland and one which has hosted the majority of American shorebirds on the British and Irish List! A long but exciting day!
DAY NINE
Today we get back on the wader trail visiting some of the best sites in West Cork. Our exact itinerary will be flexible depending on the weather and bird news but we are really spoilt for choice here for great spots to visit. White’s Marsh offers a series of reed-fringed freshwater pools which can be absolutely packed with shorebirds, especially Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit. Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs are regular and the area has hosted many vagrants in the past. Roscarberry itself also offers excellent wader-watching opportunities and we also have options to visit Clonakilty or Galley Head today depending on the weather. Here a small marsh and pool can offer refuge for migrants and the lush gardens along the road to the head often shelter warblers and flycatchers on passage.
We leave the area in the early afternoon, making the four hour transfer back to Wexford to catch the ferry from Rosslare back to Wales. We arrive late and will have an overnight stay before travelling back to Norfolk the next day.
DAY TEN
Arrival back to Norfolk with drop-offs en route
Includes return ferries, 9 nights accommodation with all meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on day seven (apart from lunch on day two, at a service station stop), transport in Ireland and services of Oriole guide and local guide.
Drinks, tips or items of a purely personal nature. Lunch on day two is also not included.
