Wildlife all the time has the capability to shock and delight us. Regardless of how lengthy you’ve been watching and learning wildlife, how acquainted you’re along with your native patch, you by no means can inform what you would possibly encounter on an outing. The potential for the sudden is all the time there… whether or not it’s a totally new species, or a well-known hen or animal exhibiting some uncommon behaviour, that prospect of the unknown is one factor that makes wildlife-watching such an enchanting and thrilling pastime.
Our latest spring Uncover Wildlife Weekend was a chief instance of precisely that phenomenon.
We’d had a implausible weekend watching every kind of wildlife spanning a number of habitats alongside the West Cork stretch of Eire’s Wild Atlantic Method. We had some nice views of summer season plumage nice northern divers from a coastal vantage level, watched late-staying and resident waders and wildfowl on the estuaries, inlets and tidal swimming pools, listened to our resident breeding birds and summer season guests in full tune.
As all the time, one of many highlights of the weekend was venturing out on the North Atlantic with Cork Whale Watch. There we loved some some memorable encounters with actually lots of of frequent dolphins, dozens of minke whales, and lots more and plenty of seabirds. Big rafts of Manx shearwaters took to the wing as we handed by, whereas auks (guillemots, razorbills, and puffins) dived beneath the floor. Storm petrels danced over the waves as numerous gulls, gannets and the occasional nice skua sailed by.
A go to to a naturalised beech woodland served as a stunning distinction to the continuous motion of being out on the water. The dappled daylight beneath the cover, the light sigh of the breeze by means of the treetops, offering a welcome calm as we loved a refrain of woodland birdsong and excellent views of a number of woodland residents.
However the spotlight of the weekend was nonetheless to return.
The cetaceans weren’t enjoying ball on Sunday morning for our shore-based whale watch from a coastal vantage level overlooking Rosscarbery bay. Regardless of perfect situations, the bay was quiet. When that occurs, it typically means there’s a big aggregation of forage fish in a single location (both offshore, or additional east or west alongside the coast), and whales, dolphins, gannets and every part else that eats fish make a beeline for them.
A stunning singing whitethroat, some fly-by chough, and the aerial mastery of fulmars as they wheeled to and from their nesting websites alongside the cliff saved us entertained. We checked an area stream for dippers, and a few had a fleeting view of 1 disappearing into bankside vegetation. Being out in search of wildlife is an pleasurable and worthwhile exercise in and of itself, however I couldn’t assist feeling the morning was under-delivering.
Our final cease earlier than ending up for the weekend was the Clogheen/White’s Marsh space, south of Clonakilty. There had been nice and cattle egrets within the space lately, and whereas they hadn’t been reported for a couple of days, it was properly price checking.
We made our means alongside the causeway from the north aspect of Clogheen, heading south in direction of Clonakilty, periodically stopping to scan the marsh for something fascinating. The very first thing we picked up was a ruff on the sting of the northern pool. Even once they’re not in full breeding livery, ruff are very placing waders. It was a primary for a number of within the group, making for a good-looking addition to the weekend record.
We moved on. As I scanned a channel working east to west by means of the marsh, one thing on the financial institution caught my eye. I finished the scope useless. Certainly I used to be seeing issues. I checked once more, zoomed in, refocussed.
There, preening itself in my scope view, was a Purple Heron. I might barely comprise my pleasure. What a hen!
I put the information out because the group loved implausible views of this beautiful uncommon hen. As different birders arrived we moved on, and whereas technically we completed the weekend with some very sensible male Pintail, a male Shoveler and a Cattle Egret in direction of the east finish of White’s Marsh, I feel it’s truthful to say the Purple Heron stole the present.
You by no means actually know what you would possibly see on these weekends. Each one is completely different, and I can’t wait to see what the remainder of 2022 has in retailer.
In the event you’d like to affix me on the West Cork coast for considered one of these weekends, I presently have simply 2 areas accessible on our summer season weekend working from 15-17 July, and there’s nonetheless loads of area on our October weekend (07-09), which coincides properly with peak autumn hen migration and fin whale season.
For extra particulars on the weekends, and to guide your house, take a look at our wildlife weekend reserving web page right here.
