County Cork

• Ballycotton

  Satellite View
  Lying in east Cork, Ballycotton has entered into the legends of European birding. A mixture of habitat from open bay (with a lighthouse); lagoons, intertidal flats, pools, reed beds and excellent hedgerows and gardens in the town make this an ideal birding venue in spring and autumn. It is the waders that have really placed Ballycotton on the birding map. It defies logic what this small area has produced over the years. Mega birds include Red-necked and Long-toed Stints, Stilt, Least and Broad-billed Sandpipers and Greater Yellowlegs. Regular waders include Baird`s, White-rumped, Pectoral, Semi-palmated, Wood and Green Sandpipers, with Temminck`s Stints and Kentish Plover also recorded. In addition the area has even produced Stone Curlew, with Red-footed Falcon and Black Kite also seen. On the passerine front, Citrine Wagtail, Greenish Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike are but a few of the big finds that Ballycotton has unfolded. The whole area is easy to do and the village has a fantastic atmosphere (and some great pubs and B&Bs). And if the weather is bad, and its too wet and windy for the beach, take a look off the back of the cliffs…the sea watching is also excellent with large shearwaters, skuas and Sabine Gulls seen most years.

• Cape Clear Island

  Satellite View
  Situated off the southwestern coast of Cork, Cape Clear Island is another of Ireland's hotspots that has acquired legendary status. Reached by a ferry crossing from Baltimore, Cape has operated a manned observatory since 1959. The current obs is situated in the north harbour where the ferry lands. Accommodation is hostel style while holiday homes and B&Bs provide an alternative. Cape's fame is for the number of rare and unusual vagrants that find their way to the island and for the massive seabird movements that occur off the tip of Blanan, Ireland's most southern point. In spring, Cape is best visited from mid-April to late May where European migrants move through the island. Regular spring vagrants include Golden Oriole and Hoopoe, while last year, the island recorded Scop's Owl, Short-toed lark and, if accepted, Ireland's first Calandra Lark. In autumn the best times for visiting begin in early August when the seabird passage begins. During this month it's not unusual to see thousands of Great, Cory's and Sooty Shearwaters, skuas, Storm Petrels with Fea's Petrel seen every year since the mid-90s. In recent years birders have found Wilson's Petrels and Black-browed Albatross. While the seabirds are a great attraction, the autumn on Cape can produce anything from anywhere. In October 1999, birders looking at one of two Little Buntings found Ireland's first Chimney Swift. The list of goodies seen defies listing here but highlights include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo's, Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll Warblers etc. Perhaps one of the most incredible sights was of a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and a Swainsons Thrush seen in the same bush at the same time. A small piece of this nature simply does not do justice to the superb birding and general great fun of the Cape Clear experience.

• Courtmacsherry Estuary

  WebpageSatellite View
  Courtmacsherry Estuary is now designated as a SAC for Birds and dune system habitat. It holds internationally important wintering numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, and nationally important numbers of Cormorant, Teal, Redshank, Great Northern Diver, Shelduck, Wigeon, Red Breasted Merganser, Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew and Greenshank. Black-headed and Common Gulls also occur in significant numbers.

• Mark Shorten

  mshorten@indigo.ie

• Cape Clear Bird Observatory

  Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
  Cape Clear Bird Observatory is famous as a centre for watching North Atlantic seabirds and a location for seeing rare passerine bird migrants in autumn. The Observatory is wardened and offers hostel type accommodation to ten visitors. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 1998 and a new book on the island is planned. Access is straightforward. There is a daily ferry service from Baltimore, only an hours drive from Cork Airport.Warden: Steve King - Bird Observatory, Cape Clear, Skibbereen, Co. Cork. 00 353 2839181 stevewing@eircom.net See their Twitter page.

• BirdWatch Ireland - Cork

  Website
  The web site will hopefully provide the visitor, from both near and far, with information on the birds of county Cork. It gives information on all things relating to birds and bird watching/birding in the county. The Branch Events page provides information on upcoming branch activities such as outings, indoor meeting and survey work.While every effort has been made to provide accurate information we always welcome any suggestions relating to corrections, amendments or improvements to the web site.

• BirdWatch Ireland - West Cork Branch

  Website
  The Branch holds twenty to twenty-five outdoor and indoor events each year and these are open to the Public. The only exception to this is when a boat trip is involved, in which case the outing is limited to BirdWatch Ireland members only because of insurance. With exception of special trips, entry to our events is free….

Abbreviations Key

• Cork - National Parks & Wildlife Service

  WebpageSatellite View

• NR Capel Island & Knockadoon Head

  WebpageSatellite View
  Knockadoon is a headland on the western tip of Youghal Bay, situated on the east Cork coast, and Capel Island lies just offshore. The headland and its short cropped heathland vegetation, full of colour in summer, attract Choughs to feed during the autumn and winter months, whilst overhead and on the cliffs, Peregrines may be seen. Scanning across to Capel Island, a colony of breeding Cormorants can be seen from the headland along with a feral population of Irish Goats. During windy spring and autumn days the headland itself is a good sea-watching point which, at the same time, can be attractive to migrant birds.

• NR Cuskinny Marsh

  WebpageSatellite View
  Cuskinny Nature Reserve, near Cobh, County Cork, Ireland is managed by Birdwatch Ireland (BWI). The land is owned by the Bird and Ronan families and comprises about 12 ha of land located along the lower reaches of the Ballyleary Stream on the Great Island in Cork Harbour.

• NR Glengarriff Woods

  WebsiteSatellite View
  Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve was designated in 1991 and is managed and owned by NPWS. The staff based in the Nature Reserve includes a Conservation Ranger and three General Operatives. The entrance to Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve is located approximately 1km from Glengarriff village, Co. Cork, on the Kenmare Road (N17). The Nature Reserve features a range of walking trails and picnic areas. There are no toilet facilities.

• Cork Bird News

  News & Sightings
  News of rare & scarce birds in County Cork. Text your news to 087 904 2383

• Ireland's Wildlife - Calvin Jones

  Guide
  Discover Wildlife Experiences / Discover Wildlife Walks

• Shearwater Wildlife Tours

  Tour Operator Facebook Page
  Shearwater Wildlife Tours offer a variety of guided tours and tailor made holidays along the Wild Atlantic Way with a main focus on West Cork and its Headlands, Estuaries and Islands...

• 2017 [10 October] - P M Callagher

  PDF Report
  County Cork, Sep 28th–Oct 3rd2017(PMC & APM)This was our first birding trip to Southern Ireland, and wetimed ourvisitto catchthe tail end of Nearctic waderseason (which usually peaks mid-September) plushopefullythe earliestAmericanvagrant passerines (whichusually peakthe second week of October). There was also the chance of some good seawatching: 2017 sawa surprisingnumberof Wilson’s petrels and large shearwaters,and although most of these weregone by the end of September, there were plenty of Long-tailed Skuas and Sooty Shearwaters reported.

• Inish Beg Estate

  Accommodation
  The gardens, orchard and woodland of Inish Beg have been carefully designed to encourage and compliment the many species of birds and wildlife native to the island and those that stop here annually during migration, while providing beautiful and dramatic scenery for walks and bird watching throughout all the seasons of the year — ideal for your bird watching holidays and vacations. In addition to the bird watching available on the estate, we can help arrange bird watching tours of other areas of West Cork and other prime bird watching spots in South west Ireland. The climate of Inish Beg is favourable to a wide array of plant species. Kept mild throughout the year by the Gulf Stream, growth is luxuriant.

• Suain-Aras B&B

  Accommodation
  Wildlife Wonders of Youghal, Birding, Wildlife, and Natural History Holiday Breaks (Ireland). Situated in East Cork Youghal (pronounced Yawl) is a heritage town surrounded by wetlands, rivers, mudflats, and estuaries. Home to variety of birds and small riverside mammals.

• The Rising Tide Brasserie

  Bird & Dine
  Beside the tidal estuary of the River Lee - The award-winning Rising Tide Brasserie is in the village of Glounthaune, beside the tidal estuary of the River Lee, just 10 minutes east of Cork.

• Birdwatching Clonakilty

  Website
  Clonakilty comprises two estuaries separated by Inchydoney Island. The northern area is Clonakilty Harbour with estuarine mud and sandflats. Cul de sac pool, an area of open water and reedbed, with a fringe of alder woodland, is part of this area. The southern area is Muckross Strand, again an estuary with mainly sand flats. There are two areas of marsh with patches of exposed mud and marsh; White's Marsh and Clogheen Marsh lying to the north and west of Muckross Strand

• Calvin Jones - Ireland's Wildlife

  BLOG
  The Ireland’s Wildlife website was created and is run by me, Calvin Jones. I’m a lifelong wildlife enthusiast, freelance writer and author based in beautiful West Cork.

• Cork City Wildlife

  BLOG
  Last updated September 2013 - A humble wildlife blog, this is my attempt to share my love for amateur wildlife photography as well as my enthusiasm for all forms of wildlife in the Irish city of Cork…

• Galley Head Birding

  BLOG
  Last updated January 2016 - A patch birding BLOG from Galley in Co Cork

• Graham Clarke's Blog

  BLOG
  Blog by birder and photographer Graham Clarke