Events

Date: April 9, 2025
Time: 8:00 pm
Location: The Club House, Patricks Street Kilkenny
Join our Kilkenny branch for an evening with Aine Lynch on the Tipperary Barn Owl Project. This presentation will be followed by the AGM at circa 9.15pm Branch contacts: birdwatchkilkenny@gmail.com or patandmarydurkin@gmail.com 056 776 2130 Also listen to KCLR or Kilkenny City Community Radio for details.

Date: April 6, 2025
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Meet at Sonairte Carpark A92 D9XH
Admission for this trip is €3.00 Our South Dublin branch invite you to join them for a trip to Sonairte, Laytown, Co Meath We will visit nature trails along the River Nanny and view saltmarshes, mudflats and the walled organic garden! Sonairte was established as a charity in 1988 by members of the local community and concerned environmentalists to promote environmental awareness and education. The founders drew inspiration from organisations such as the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. For contact: Mary Daly (sec) 086 1586 330, secretary@southdublinbirds.com

Date: April 5, 2025
Time: 10:30 am
Location: Meet at base of Nimmo's pier
Join our Galway branch for a walk along Nimmo’s Pier. For contact: Find us on Facebook or to be added to a mailing list just pop a line to the below; Cyril Manning (chair) – cyril.a.manning@gmail.com Bláithín Kennedy (sec) – blaithin.kennedy@gmail.com

Date: March 22, 2025
Time: 10:00 am
Location: Meet in the car park by the allotments at Turvey Nature Reserve
The outing on Saturday 22nd March 2025 will be to Turvey Nature Reserve, Rogerstown and North Dublin, meeting in the car park by the allotments at Turvey Nature Reserve at 10 AM. We may visit other locations from there depending on what has been reported.

Date: March 19, 2025
Time: 7:45 pm
Location: Auditorium, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin
We will hold a short talk and fun bird quiz along with the Tolka Branch BirdWatch Ireland Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 19th March 2025 in the Botanic Gardens auditorium, starting at 19:45 and the doors and car park opens at 19:30 and the car park is free. Anyone can participate in the talk and quiz, but voting in the AGM will only be open to current BirdWatch Ireland members and if anyone is interested in getting involved on the committee, please email dublinbirding@gmail.com.

Date: March 11, 2025
Time: 8:00 pm
Location: Cabragh Wetlands Centre
Contact details; Aine Lynch (Sec) 087 936 9372 – tippbwi@gmail.com Kevin Collins – 087 237 3090 – kevincollins062@gmail.com

Date: March 4, 2025
Time: 8:00 pm
Location: The Strand (back lounge) K56 D722
Light pollution is increasing worldwide at up to 10% per year and changes in lighting technology have led to the increasing use of blue-rich LED lighting. Research shows that light pollution has an impact on a wide range of species from plants to humans and may be as important as climate change in its impacts. In Ireland, light increased by ≈ 60% in the two decades to 2015 and now pervades most of the country with impacts from the dawn chorus to reproduction. In this talk the growth of light pollution on Ireland, its impact on birdlife from coastal to inland areas and some measures to reduce its impact will be outlined. Brian Espey is an astrophysicist who has been involved in light pollution research since 2009 using a combination of satellite and ground-based observations. He was involved in the setting up of Mayo Dark Sky Park and in developing and protecting other dark sky locations. Brian is currently chairperson of Dark Sky Ireland (https://www.darksky.ie) and actively campaigns for a reduction in the harmful effects of light at night through a combination of public outreach and engagement with both local and national authorities and organisations. Recent successes have been the adoption of dark sky friendly policies and the commitment to expand protected dark sky areas in the Programme for Government. For contact: Frank Prendergast (sec) 087 131 9884, frank.prendergast@tudublin.ie Paul Lynch (chair) 087 631 9209, paulllynch@gmail.com