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County Wicklow

Eurasian Teal Anas crecca ©Ian Montgomery Website
Birding County Wicklow

County Wicklow (Irish: Contae Chill Mhantáin) is a county on the east coast of Ireland, immediately south of Dublin. The county is bordered by the Irish Sea and the counties of Carlow, Kildare, Wexford, as well as two parts of what was County Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County and South Dublin County. Wicklow is known as the Garden of Ireland because of its scenery.The population of the county at the 2006 census was 126,194. The county seat is Wicklow (pop. 10,070), although the largest urban centre is Bray (pop. 31,901), on the northern border and effectively a Dublin suburb. Other main towns include Greystones (pop. 14,569), and Arklow (pop. 11,749). All of these towns are situated on the east coast.

The Wicklow Mountains are the largest continuous upland region on the island of Ireland; the highest mountain in the range, Lugnaquilla, rises to 925m. The Wicklow Way, the oldest waymarked long distance walking trail in Ireland, traverses the range, although tending to avoid major summits; the highest point, White Hill at 630m, ranks as just the 29th highest peak in the county.Wicklow rivers include the Avoca and the Liffey; other natural features include Lough Dan and Lough Tay, and the lakes of Glendalough.

County Recorder
Organisations

  • Birdwatch Ireland Wicklow Branch

    Facebook Page
    @birdwatchwicklow Branch events are generally held on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays in the third week of each month from September to June.
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NR Deputy's Pass

    WebpageSatellite View
    Although coppice in origin this woodland is a good example of its type

  • NR Glen of the Downs

    InformationSatellite View
    The Glen of the Downs (Irish: Gleann dá Ghrua, meaning "The Valley of the Two Brows") is a 2km long wooded glacial valley with steep sides rising to almost 250m on the east coast of Ireland. It contains a designated Nature Reserve comprising 59 ha, as well as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC)

  • NR Glendalough

    WebpageSatellite View
    A series of oak woods extending from the upper lake to the lower slopes of Derrybawn Mountain.

  • NR Glenealo Valley

    WebpageSatellite View
    A broad open valley surrounded by mountains and generally consists of a large plateau of mixed heathland and peatland.

  • NR Knocksink Wood

    WebpageSatellite View
    Some of the valley slopes are dominated by sessile oak, while other areas are characterised by mixed woodland. Notable features of the slopes are the frequent and extensive springs and seepage areas within the woodland. These petrifying springs are listed as a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive. The site has one of the most diverse woodland invertebrate faunas in Ireland, incorporating wet woodland organisms threatened internationally within the EU.

  • NR Vale of Clara

    WebpageSatellite View
    A large area of fragmented oak-wood. It contains the largest area of semi-natural woodland in Co. Wicklow and is potentially one of the largest stands of native hardwoods in the country. The area has been at least partially under woodland since the Ice Age.

  • Wicklow Mountains National Park

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Upland heath and blanket bog dominate the mountainous areas of the Park, and the moorland bird species include Ravens, Red Grouse, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Peregrine Falcons and Merlin. Ring Ouzel, a rare and declining thrush species also breeds on the scree slopes…
Blogs

  • Shazza's Backyard Blog

    BLOG
    Irish garden birding BLOG… Last updated 2013!

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