The nesting season is over. Territories are being abandoning and there’s not much birdsong. New feathers must be grown to replace ragged worn-out ones and, until the moult has been completed, flying skills are limited. It’s no time to be noticed by the local sparrowhawk and the wise bird stays hidden. Fortunately, there is plenty of food; many insects are still on the wing and berries are ripening. This low-profile behaviour makes life difficult for the birdwatcher. Even when a bird is seen, its feathers may be in tatters. Dishevelled individuals can be difficult to identify even in the hand. Juvenile plumages add to the confusion.
Things start to improve come September and, after the equinox, happy birdwatching days are here again. As day-length shortens, the birds become more active; flocks of starlings, tits and finches roam the countryside. Winter migrants flood into the country, while the odd summer visitor is still around; wheatears from Iceland, and even some from Greenland, stop off on their way to Africa.
Birdwatching is a field sport, a benign form of hunting. We humans evolved as gatherers and hunters. Our gathering instincts run deep as every supermarket owner knows; the prospect of finding a bargain makes shoppers browse the shelves. Stumbling on an unusual bird is a similar experience. Then the hunting begins. Getting close enough for a good view requires fieldcraft and stalking skills, an ability to out-manoeuvre the quarry. Binoculars and telescope substitute for the arrows and spears of long ago.
Binoculars should have a magnification between 7 and 10; hand-shake becomes a problem with higher values. An 8x30 or 10x40 pair is ideal, not too heavy and easy to carry when travelling. The other necessity is an identification book. Eric Dempsey and Michael O’Clery’s Complete Guide to Ireland’s Birds is easy to use. However, 20 million people passed through Dublin Airport last year and the Irish birdwatcher’s "home range" now extends well beyond our shores. The Collins Bird Guide by Svensson, Mullarney, Grant and Zetterstrom covers everywhere from Ireland to the Urals. Available in several languages, it has become the standard European field guide.
But now another publication has arrived. Finding Birds in Ireland, the Complete Guide by Eric Dempsey and Michael O’Clery is not an identification book. It’s focus is on locations and it covers all 32 counties. The authors, experts in finding and identifying the most elusive species, have combed every nook and cranny of this island.
More than 300 sites are detailed, each one clearly shown, complete with grid reference, on an area map in colour. There are more detailed maps of difficult locations. Directions are given, prominent landmarks noted, road numbers listed and the best vantage points indicated. Nor is the visitor from abroad neglected; notes on Irish driving, road and rail networks and the telephone system are included. The book, organised on a county by county basis, is a joy to use. Its colour-coded text enables information to be retrieved effortlessly, while beautiful vignettes of individual species lighten up this well-stuffed reference book.
Co Cork has the largest number of entries; 38. Only one site is listed for Laois, while Monaghan, Carlow and Kilkenny each manage only two. In general, coastal counties fare better than inland ones. Does this mean there are fewer birds inland or is it just that there are fewer birdwatchers to report them? The quality of the birdwatching to be expected at a site in each month of the year is indicated on a colour-coded chart. The species likely to be seen are listed. Mentioning very common species in the notes on each site would choke the text with unnecessary detail, so the authors have devoted their first chapter to the 60 commonest birds, giving a distribution map for each and some notes on habitat etc. This section will be invaluable for beginners. There is an appendix on "sea-watching". The seabirds passing along our coasts in spring and autumn can be watched from headlands, with the prospect of seeing whales an added attraction. There is a map of the best vantage points, the outstanding ones being outlined in red and cross-referenced to the site information in the main text.
Experienced birders will welcome the comprehensive list of the species which have been recorded to date in Ireland. The current total is 430 but the number rises by one or two most years. The races encountered here and the breeding and rarity status of each species are given. Irish bird names are also listed. The yellow-browed warbler, a rare visitor from Siberia, is "an ceolaire buímhalach". Really?
Finding Birds in Ireland, the Complete Guide by Eric Dempsey and Michael O’Clery is published by Gill and Macmillan, price €20.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, October 15, 2007
