Shorebirds of Ireland

This evening Tuesday the 3rd of March 2020 at 8pm, Breffni Martin will give an illustrated talk on Irish Shorebirds at the Spirit Store upstairs.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Cooley Mountains 2019

Derek Watters, well know local mountaineer, guide and wildlife observer will give an illustrated talk on the Cooley mountains at 8:00 pm on Tuesday the 4th of February 2020 upstairs in the Spirit Store. The talk will cover a review of 2019 including updates of  breeding birds and a visit by the British and Irish Botanical Society and what they discovered.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Breffni

Buzzard being harried by a raven, Cooley mountains

Autumn Schedule 2019

3rd September 2019
Bird in an Age of Extinction - talk by Breffni Martin


1st October 2019
Birds of Lough Ree - Coilin McLoughlin

5th November 2019
Wildlife Crime in Ireland - Superintendent Walker

7th December 2019
Climate Change - Impacts on Ireland - Prof John Sweeney

All talks take place in the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks upstairs.

For details contact Breffni 0879145363

Bird in an Age of Extinction - talk by Breffni Martin

Spotted flycatchers have declined 87% since 1970

On Tuesday 3^rd September 2019 at 8pm upstairs in the Spirit Store Dundalk Docks, Breffni Martin will give an illustrated talk entitled Birds in an Age of Extinction.

About 2% of birds have gone extinct over the last few hundred years, and about a further 12% are under threat; about 22% of mammals and a staggering 33% of amphibians. This is between 100 and 10,000 times the background rate of extinction and tells us that we are currently living in an age of extinction. How great it will turn out to be depends on many factors. While birds have performed relatively well compared with other taxons, but up to 30% of what’s left are threatened. For example spotted flycatchers used to be common but have declined 72% in the last 20 years. The talk will cover how this came about and what is likely to happen over the next few decades.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Dawn Chorus 2019

We will meet at the car park at the Ballymascanlon Hotel at 5am and walk the perimeter starting towards the west and looping around the dolmen and back down along the river. All are welcome See you there! Breffni

Schedule 2017 - 2018

Monday 6 November 2017

Rare and scarce birds on Cape Clear Island, by Peter Philips. The Spirit Store, Dundalk, 8.00pm.

Monday 4 December 2017

Ireland’s woodpeckers, by Declan Murphy. The Spirit Store, Dundalk, 8.00pm.

Monday 1 January 2018

The ecology, birds, and habitats of Dundalk Bay, by Breffni Martin. The Spirit Store, Dundalk, 8.00pm.

Monday 5 February 2018

Peregrine Falcons, by Jen Lynch. The Spirit Store, Dundalk, 8.00pm.

Monday 5 March 2018

Our mysterious moths, by Don Hodgers. The Spirit Store, Dundalk, 8.00pm.

A Ramble through the Cooley Mountains

Tomorrow, Monday 2nd October at 8pm, Derek Watters will give an illustrated talk entitled A Ramble through the Cooley Mountains upstairs in the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk.

Derek is an experienced mountaineer and guide and has expertise in the mountain’s natural history and wildlife including birds, mammals and wild flowers, as well as walks, tracks and conservation. It promises to be a very entertaining talk.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Breffni

www.birdwatchireland.ie

www.louthnaturetrust.org

www.flickr.com/photos/breffni

twitter.com/louthbirdnews?lang=en

The Ecology of Carlingford Lough

Monday 4 September

The Ecology of Carlingford Lough, an illustrated talk by Breffni Martin, covering the natural history of Carlingford Lough since the Ice Age, including wildlife, birds, fish, benthos, habitats, and the impact of human activity. 
Upstairs at the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, 8:00pm. 

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Schedule 2015 to 2106

Monday 7th September 2015

Scarce Garden Birds - Breffni Martin - Spirit Store

Monday 5th October 2015

Birds of the Bay - Breffni Martin

Thursday  5th November 2015 7:30 pm

Crossmaglen community centre, O'Fiaich Square, Crossmaglen

Bird Identification talk focusing on garden birds: http://www.ringofgullion.org/events/whats-that-bird-garden-bird-id-and-feeding/

Monday 2 November 2015:

Wildlife Photography, by Enda Flynn. Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, 8:00pm.

Monday 23 November 2015:

Breffni Martin: Climate Change – What’s happening and what’s going to happen?

Monday 14 December 2015:

Eric Dempsey, author of Don’t Die In Autumn: A Memoir, on a life spent watching Ireland’s birds. Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, 8:00pm. Please note the change in date from that printed in Wings magazine.

Sunday 3 January 2015

Outing to Lurgangreen hide and surrounding area.

Monday 4 January 2016: Breffni Martin and Gerry O’Neill

Gulls: Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, 8:00pm.

Monday 1st February 2016: Jen Lynch

Bird Ringing at Home and Abroad

Monday 7th March 2016:

Climate Change - Prof John Sweeney, University of Maynooth

Saturday 7 May 2016

Dawn chorus event - Breffni Martin.

Meet at Creggan Parish Church,
Glassdrumman Road,
Creggan,
Crossmaglen
BT35 9DX, at 5.00am (see www.ringofgullion.org/events/dawn-chorus-walk/).

Sunday 15 May 2016

Dawn chorus event - Breffni Martin.

Meet in car park of Ballymascanlon Hotel, Co. Louth, at 5.00am.

Sunday 15th May 2016

Evening walk at Clogherhead Breffni Martin.

Meet in upper car park, Port Oriel, at 7.00pm.

The Mysterious Plain Pounched Hornbills of SE Asia

Mon 2nd February Rachel Pearson will give an account of the conservation of hornbills in Malaysia by way of an illustrated talk. The talk is entitled "The Mysterious Plain Pounched Hornbills of SE Asia" - the talk will also cover the adventure whereby Louth-born Rachel ended up in Malaysia. Entry is free and all are welcome!

Oystercatchers by Breffni Martin

Breffni Martin will give an illustrated talk entitled "Oystercatchers" on Monday 5th January 2015 upstairs at the Spirit Store. Having spent the last three years watching oystercatchers at close quarters, this talk will focus on direct observations of oystercatcher behaviour and ecology, as well as their overall natural history and ecology. Entry is free and all are welcome!

From Siberia to Saskatchewan: Why do so many northern hemisphere migrants reach Ireland? By Anthony McGeehan

Our next talk is on Monday 1st December and entitled From Siberia to Saskatchewan: Why do so many northern hemisphere migrants reach Ireland? By Anthony McGeehan (who will sign copies of his latest book, Birds of the Homeplace, a great Christmas gift). As usual the talk starts at 8pm at the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, Co Louth. Entry is free and all are welcome!

Talk in Drogheda this evening, Monday 15 September 2014 is DEFERRED

The following talk has been unavoidably deferred due to the venue being unavailable because of illness: Monday 15 September: Irish Garden Birds, by Breffni Martin. St. Peter's Parish Hall, Drogheda, 8:00pm. I will organise a replacement talk in due course or when the venue again becomes available. Apologies for that!

Forthcoming events

Forthcoming events: All indoor events are held in the Spirit Store (upstairs), Dundalk Docks at 8:00pm unless otherwise stated. Sunday 31 August: Seawatch and botany walk at Clogherhead : a Heritage Week event. Meet in upper car park, Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth, 4:00pm. Sunday 31 August: Beginning Birdwatching for Children (with craft activities): a Heritage Week event. Learn about waders and geese at the Lurgangreen Bird Hide and then make your very own flock of paper creations. Lurgangreen Hide, Dundalk, 12:00 noon to 2:30pm. Monday 1 September: Irish Garden Birds, by Breffni Martin. Spirit Store, 8:00pm. Monday 15 September: Irish Garden Birds, by Breffni Martin. St. Peter's Parish Hall, Drogheda, 8:00pm Monday 6 October: Seabirds: Dr Steve Newton - Spirit Store, 8:00pm. Monday 3 November: Bird Reproductive Ecology: Everything you wanted to know about the love life of birds but were afraid to ask, by Breffni Martin. Spirit Store, 8:00pm. Monday 1 December: Terns, gulls and skuas: Their Identification and Ecology (speaker to be confirmed). Spirit Store, 8:00pm

Dawn Chorus 2014

We will be meeting at the Ghan House in Carlingford tomorrow Sunday 18th May at 5am for the dawn chorus this year. As usual all are welcome! Breffni

Now covering all of County Louth

The North Louth branch is now the Louth branch following the demise of the Boyne Valley Branch. As a result we will be running talks and outings in the southern part of the county and Ardee in coming months. Breffni

Global warming and its impact on birds and other wildlife

GLOBAL WARMING TALK On Monday 7th April 2014 at 8pm Breffni Martin will give an illustrated talk on global warming and its impact on birds and other wildlife. The talk will outline the science behind global warming, its probable impacts, and its effect on birds and other wildlife. It will particularly focus on the north west Atlantic region, Ireland in particular. The talk will take place upstairs in the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, Co Louth. Time will be available after the talk for questions/discussion. Entry is free and all are welcome! HIDE OPEN DAY On Sunday 19th April 2014 we will run an open day for our newly installed bird hide at Lurgangreen, named The Oscar Merne Bird Hide. The hide will be open to all members of the public from 11am until about 6pm. The hide is located at the end of the cul-de-sac immediately south of the Fane river at Lurgangreen. Please park safely along the main road and walk down to the hide. See http://lurgangreenhide.blogspot.ie/?m=0 for details.

Oceanic Wonders & Migration on the Edge!

•"Oceanic Wonders & Migration on the Edge! - seawatching & the Seatrack project" - a talk by Niall Keogh. •The Spirit Store (upstairs), Dundalk, Monday 3rd March at 7:30pm

The Wild Bogs of Ireland

Nuala Madigan (Education Officer Irish Peatland Conservation Council)will give a talk entitled The Wild Bogs of Ireland at 8pm at the Spirit Store, Dundalk, Dundalk Docks. Boglands are one of Ireland's wild landscapes. They are thousands of years old often being described as living history books and are home to a great diversity of wildlife. This talk will explore peatlands from their formation through to their modern uses and threats with particular attention to the diversity of species they support, including birds. Entry is free and all are welcome!

Peter Phillips - Birding from Cape to Tory

Well known Louth birder Peter Phillips will give a talk entitled "Scarce and Rare Birds From Tory To Cape" Peter has been visiting both Tory Island off Donegal and Cape Clear Island off west Cork, arguably Irelands two hottest birding spots, for the last 15 odd years. The talk is an account of what he found over this time - it will also describe practical aspects of visiting the islands Upstairs FREE 8pm All are welcome!