Eric Dempsey at the Spirit Store next Monday

The ever popular Eric Dempsey will deliver an illustrated talk at the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, on Monday, 1st November 2010 entitled "A Year In Birds". Eric will also be on hand to sign copies of his latest book, "The Complete Field Guide To Irish Birds", possibly a thoughtful present for a birdwatching friend!

The talk will start at 8pm as usual and all are welcome!

Shorebirds of Ireland the Illustrated Talk

In a follow-up to the photographic exhibition in the County Museum, Mark Carmody, co-author of the widely acclaimed book "Shorebirds of Ireland", will give an illustrated talk on the Shorebirds of Ireland, that is to say waders, wildlfowl and gulls at the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks at 8pm Monday 4th October 2010. Dundalk bay holds the hightest concentration of shorebirds in Ireland, all of which will be covered in this talk.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Shorebirds of Ireland - photographic exhibition by Mark Carmody, County Museum

Dundalk Bay holds the highest population of overwintering shore birds (waders, wildfowl, gulls and the like) in Ireland.

Next Friday the 24th September at 8pm, 2010, The County Museum, Dundalk, in collaboration with the Louth branch of Birdwatch Ireland, will run a photographic exhibition of Mark Carmody's wildlife photography. This exhibition covers photographs of Ireland's shore birds; these photographs were published earlier in the year by Mark in his book Shorebirds of Ireland, co-authored with Jim Wilson.

Drinks served afterwards. All are welcome!

Corncrakes!

This evening, Monday 6th Sepember at 8pm in the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, Anita Donaghy, Corncrake Project Manager at Birdwatch Ireland will give an illustrated talk on the Conservation of Corncrakes in Ireland. This is of particualr interest as we had several instances of calling corncrakes in East County Louth last year.

Entry is free and all are welcome!

Update

Thanks to everybody who came along to the seawatch off Clogherhead on Wednesday. In the event we has manx shearwaters, fulmars, gannets, common and sandwich terns, razorbills, guillemots, cormorants, black-headed, common and great back-backed gulls, common scoter, grey heron, grey seals, and a glimpse of a light coloured unidentified cetacean. Despite a fresh south easterly the birds were quite a bit off shore, however as conditions strengthen over the weekend it might be well worth a try, particularly on Sunday.

Right now the forecast is a beauford 3 - 5 on the Irish Sea on Sunday. A 3 is go and a 5 is stay for the pelagic - if its a 4 bring your sea sickness tablets!

Seawatching and Pelagic

We would propose to run the seawatching outing on Wednesday from 6:30 - 8pm at Clogherhead meeting at the upper car park to walk out on the headland. Please bring telescope or binoculars. Nothing is guaranteed but we would hope to see good numbers of manx shearwaters as well as gannets, fulmars, terns, gulls and perhaps a skua or some storm petrels. There should be a few migrants on Clogherhead as well. All are welcome!

The pelagic is provisionally scheduled for next Sunday departing from Dun Laoghaire (the boat has unfortunately moved south for the summer and will not be back in Clogherhead until the winter). However this means we are further south and can check out the Kish bank. Several have reserved already, could they reconfirm this date, and could anyone else who is interested let me know. The pelagic will depart mid-morning and return late afternoon. If the sea is anything more than a Beauford 3, please be aware that we will cancel.

Seawatching and Pelagic 2010

We are organising a seawatching outing (viewing seabirds from the headland) from Clogherhead and a pelagic (trip in a boat out to Dundalk Bay to view seabirds closeup) during the next few weeks. For both outings we need to keep an eye on the weather, therefore dates will be announced here a few days before the outing (likely dates are 15, 22, 29th August or 5th or 12th September.