- This event has passed.
May 23, 2019 - June 2, 2019
Ireland
Ireland is known for its iconic pastoral landscapes, breathtaking vistas, and medieval history displayed in ancient architecture. But it is also becoming known as one of the best birding destinations in Europe for its incredible array of seabird colonies, and the warmth of the Irish people along the way.
This trip will start in Dublin before starting a clockwise loop around the country, stopping first Wicklow National Park where we’ll be introduced to European passerines like Redstarts, Winchats, and Wheatears, and head to the East Coast Nature Preserve for our first chance at Northern Gannett and Great Cormorant.
Cliffs of Moher, Wikimedia Commons
Northern Gannets, photo by Thomas Haeusler
Register today to travel with us to Ireland!
By choosing to travel with Bird Alliance of Oregon, you are supporting our conservation work here in the Pacific Northwest. Sign up for the trip of a lifetime!
RegisterAs we continue to explore the SE coast, we’ll look for Terns, Lapwings, and Godwits around Wexford, and hope for a chance at the hard-to-find Bearded Reedling.
Heading West, we’ll stop in for a visit to Cork, Ireland’s Second City, and explore the ruins of Drombeg, before heading to Glengarriff for the night. The next day will be dedicated to the 80 mile Ring of Beara loop- the locals’ preferred alternative to the touristy Ring of Kerry. This drive will feature picturesque towns, great scenery, wildflowers, butterflies- and hopefully some good birds like Red-billed Chough.
No trip to Ireland is complete without a visit to the Cliffs of Moher, which is not only a UNESCO site for its unparalleled beauty, but also an Important Bird Area for its populations of seabirds like Atlantic Puffin, Northern Fulmar, Black-legged Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, and Razorbill. From there we’ll explore The Burren.This National Park is home to the Glacial Karst Plateau, a unique landscape that hosts a variety of interesting and beautiful plants and flowers, Ireland’s best assortment of butterflies, as well as Common Cuckoos, and possible raptors like Eurasian Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
We’ll end our trip with a healthy does of Irish culture in Galway, famed for its traditional music scene, and look for any of the Irish coastal birds we may not have found yet like Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone, and Common Ringed Plover. On our last full day in country we’ll explore Shannon Callows with a representative of Birdwatch Ireland to learn about the important conservation work being done in country with a hope of finding inland specialties like Woodcock, Snipe, Curlew, or Spotted Crake.
Trip Details
- Trip Leader: Brodie Cass Talbott
- Fee: $3,895 members* / $4,195 non-members*
- Deposit: $1,900 required to secure your place
- Single supplement: TBD
- Group size: Limited to 14 participants
*Unless otherwise noted, trip fees cover all ground transportation, double-occupancy lodging, breakfasts, lunches, local guides, entrance fees, excursions and the services of your skilled leaders. Fees do not include dinners, alcoholic beverages, or airfare to and from your destination.
