Ireland - Corncrake Weekend

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1 Naturetrek Tour Dossier 2011 Dates Friday 27th May - Tuesday 31st May Cost 595 (Land only) Single room supplement 105 Grading A. Easy day walks Focus Birds and other natural history Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Tour Dossier NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. Introduction A 5-day tour in search of Corncrakes, breeding waders and seabirds along the north-west coast of Ireland. The north-west coast of Co Mayo is an area of extraordinarily wild, rugged, picturesque, beauty with extensive machair grasslands, golden sand beaches, sheltered bays and inlets, cliff scapes and offshore islands. This spectacular landscape contains an impressive array of birds and habitats within relatively small areas. With the Nephin Beg mountain range as the backdrop, this tour will focus on the birds of the Mullet Peninsula and surrounding coastal areas which are home to a rich variety of wildlife including many bird species. This tour is designed to give you the opportunity to see some of these rare species. We will search for the elusive Corncrake whose rasping call can be heard on these summer evenings, serenaded by the drumming of Snipe and reeling of Grasshopper Warblers. Some of the other special species we will search for within these habitats are the Irish sub-species of Dipper, Jay and Coal Tit in the Nephin Beg mountain range, Dunlin, Red-necked Phalarope, Peregrine, Merlin, Rock Dove, Chough and Twite on the Mullet Peninsula, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Common Scoter within the sheltered bays and up to 20 different species of seabirds, including shearwaters, petrels, auks and skuas along the coast and offshore islands. Amongst the mammals we may hope to see are Otter, Irish Hare, seals, Minke Whale, some dolphins and the elusive Pine Martin, and, if we are lucky, Basking Sharks. Combine all this with the friendly people, quiet roads, fine food, excellent traditional music and the perfect Guinness and you have all the ingredients for a first class holiday! Our short holiday will be based near the southern tip of the Mullet Peninsula, deep within Corncrake territory, at an outstanding B&B (where the incredibly friendly host also serves an excellent evening meal). The holiday is timed to coincide with the peak of the breeding season, whilst also coinciding with the wader and seabird passage. During this period we can expect to hope for the best from Ireland s famously fickle weather. Day 1 Friday During the afternoon your tour leader will meet those of you arriving by air at Knock Airport, the small international airport of West Ireland. After meeting and collecting our luggage and transport, we will begin our Irish birding straight away as we drive through the Great Lakes of the west towards the Atlantic coast. As we drive along the edge of the Atlantic coastline, our first experience will be of the extensive geomorphologic features within Clew Bay. At low tide these islets are connected by mudflats and therefore attract common waders such as Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Dunlin alongside a few scarcer species like Whimbrel and Greenshank. At Mallaranny Pier we will be able to look back at these areas, as well as scanning off-shore for feeding terns, auks and any summering Great Northern Divers. Naturetrek December 10 1

3 Tour Dossier Ireland - Corncrake Weekend We will complete our journey by driving along the inner coastline of Blacksod Bay and over the blanket bog areas at the base of the Nephin Beg mountain range where there is always the chance of a passing Peregrine, Merlin or Hen Harrier or even an Otter making its way stealthily up one of the creeks. We will then check into the very comfortable B&B at the base of the Mullet Peninsula that will be our base for the next few days. Each evening, after our evening meal, we will venture out (weather permitting) to listen for the rasping call of the elusive Corncrake that with diligence and patience can give good views before the sun sets, whilst being serenaded by the drumming of Snipe and reeling of Grasshopper Warblers. NB. The order in which the next three days excursions are arranged will depend very much on the weather, tides and other local factors. We can afford to be flexible however as everywhere on the itinerary is within an hour s drive of our hotel. Day 2 Saturday One full day will be spent exploring this remote Peninsula, which has an array of extensive machair grasslands, golden sand beaches, sheltered bays and inlets, cliff scapes and offshore islands. Because of this array of habitats the Mullet Peninsula has an exciting variety of birds on offer and during our exploration we will be looking for breeding waders within the machair such as Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe, Ringed Plover and Dunlin, and if we are very lucky Red-necked Phalarope. Peregrine, Merlin, Rock Dove, Chough and Twite occur within the coastal cliff scapes. Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Common Scoter within the sheltered bays and a variety of seabirds, including Manx Shearwaters, petrels, auks, terns and skuas passing along the Atlantic coastline. Amongst all these we will keep our eyes peeled for Otter, Irish Hare, Common and Grey Seals, Minke Whale, some dolphins, and possibly Basking Sharks. Because of its geographically strategic position the Mullet Peninsula has an exciting tendency to turn up rare migrants and in the open grassy areas, loughs, lakes and bays amongst the regular birds it will be worth searching carefully for a chance American wader such as American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper or Wilson s Phalarope, or Ring-billed Gull or a rare pipit, lark or bunting. Any patch of vegetation, particularly in the gardens of Glenlara at the north of the peninsula or Blacksod at the south of the peninsula need to be carefully checked for migrants. Whinchats, Pied Flycatchers, Lesser Whitethroats and other passerines scarce in the west of Ireland regularly turn up here and along side them the unusual and unexpected; a Rose Coloured Starling, Melodious Warbler or Scarlet Rosefinch perhaps, or something even rarer! Day 3 Sunday We will continue to explore the sheltered bays and inlets of Mullet Peninsula, although this time will we venture out to some of the offshore islands (weather permitting), either the low lying machair islands of the Inishkeas, once home to a thriving farming community up to the 1930 s but now home to breeding Eider, waders such as Dunlin and Arctic and Little Terns, and the occasional Corncrake, or the Stags of Broad Haven which host breeding seabirds including Puffin and both Storm and Leach s Petrels. 2 Naturetrek December 10

4 Tour Dossier On the way to the offshore islands we shall look out for other seabirds such as Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Terns, and Black Guillemot, as well as Common and Grey Seals, Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise and dolphins. On previous trips to the islands Basking Sharks, Sunfish and turtles have been seen. As with the Mullet Peninsula, these islands have a tendency to turn up rare birds, therefore it will be worth keeping in mind that something unusual is always on the cards with for instance, rare petrels and shearwaters being seen offshore or, as in the summer 2002, a magnificent adult male Snowy Owl on the Inishkeas! Day 4 Monday Our last full day in Ireland will likely find us exploring along the north coastline of Mayo. We will drive along the western shore of Carrowmore Lake with breeding Red-breasted Merganser and inland breeding terns before scanning over Broad Haven bay and out to sea along the north coast for passing seabirds, including Manx Shearwaters, petrels, auks and Great and Arctic Skuas, as well as for Minke Whale and dolphins, and possibly Basking Sharks or Sunfish. After a leisurely lunch at the Céide Fields Visitor Centre where we can indulge in a vast prehistoric landscape amongst the oldest known field systems in the world (over five and a half millennia old) and learn about the natural wild ecology of blanket bogs we will walk out onto the dramatic, windswept, cliff-bound headland of Downpatrick Head which is home to large colonies of Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Razorbills and Guillemots during the summer months and Raven and Choughs are a regular sight along the cliff top and, as before, we will be scanning offshore for passing seabirds and for whales and dolphins. Day 5 Tuesday London After breakfast we will depart from our base and spend the day leisurely driving into and through the rugged mountain landscape of the Nephin Beg range, were we will search for the Irish sub-species of Dipper, Jay and Coal Tit, along with Grey Wagtails, Crossbills, Siskins and Redpolls, and throughout this area hunting Peregrine, Merlin and Hen Harrier are possibilities. The forested areas within the mountain range are home to the elusive Pine Martin, and time spent quietly looking along forest tracks may well bring reward. As we drive out of the mountain range we will drive along the shores of Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, scanning these large inland lakes for breeding Common Scoters before arriving at Knock Airport in good time to check-in for our flight home. Grading This is a grade A/B holiday constituting a traditional bird-watching tour. We will be travelling in minibuses to each site, walking at a gentle pace and covering moderate distances as we search for the birds and other wildlife of North- West Mayo. Naturetrek December 10 3

5 Tour Dossier Ireland - Corncrake Weekend Weather Not called the Emerald Isle for nothing, Ireland s weather is famously unsettled and precipitation levels are high, even during the summer months and especially in the mountains. Expect mild temperatures but be prepared for wind and rain. Food and accommodation Accommodation and all meals are included throughout this holiday. Breakfasts and dinners will be taken here and are of a high standard. Lunches will be either picnics or in cafés, pubs or visitor centres. Flights Return flights to Knock Airport are operated by Ryanair from London Stansted and are not included in the tour cost as price depends on how far in advance you book. Flights can be arranged directly at or through the Naturetrek office for a booking fee of 15. The starting time of the tour will usually revolve around the arrival of the Ryanair flight. The tour will end on the Tuesday, when members of the tour party returning to Stansted we will have to check-in at the airport for the Ryanair flight back to London. Flights to Knock may also be available from other regional airports; is a useful site to check. Alternatively feel free to make your own way to Geesala via the ferry services from the UK mainland. How to book your place In order to book your place on this tour, you will need to read the Naturetrek brochure and booking conditions carefully and then complete and return a booking form (found in the back of the brochure or on our website, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, or should you have any questions about the tour, please call us on Naturetrek December 10