Date: January 25, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Meet at the gates of Birr Castle Join our Tipperary branch for an Outing to The Little Brosna Callows
The River Little Brosna Callows is located 5 km south-west of Banagher, Co. Offaly. Winter is the best time of year to view this site. Large flocks (1,000+) of Black-tailed Godwit and over 100 Whooper Swans and Greenland White-fronted Geese are regularly seen, as are thousands of Wigeon, Teal, Lapwing and Golden Plover and significant flocks of Pintal and Shoveler.
****** Make sure to bring your wellies and rain gear ******
For further details contact the branch;
Kevin Collins – 087 237 3090 – kevincollins062@gmail.com
Aine Clancy – 085 241 7303 – tippbwi@gmail.com
Date: January 22, 2026 Time: 8:00 pm Location: Riverside Hotel, Sligo Join our Sligo branch for an evening with Sligo County Councils Biodiversity Officer Ruth Hanniffy to discuss - Bats: Natures Hidden Heroes by Ruth Hanniffy.
For further details contact the branch
Thelma Hunter (Sec) – 086 795 3349 sligobirdwatch@gmail.com
Michael Bell (Chair) – 085 175 1000 nature.learn1@gmail.com
Date: January 18, 2026 Time: 9:30 am Location: Meet at Woodenbridge on the River Erkina Our Laois branch invite you to join them for the International Swan census 2026.
This census will cover a wide area of Laois.
For Contact:
Find us on Facebook
Des Finnamore (sec)
086 229 1637, birdwatchlaois@gmail.com
John Maher (chair)
086 601 3483
Date: January 17, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Meet at Kilkenny Castle gates Join our Kilkenny branch for an outing to Saleens, Tramore
Sallens Tramore has Waterford’s newest bird hide
The location of the bird hide is of particular significance as Tramore’s back strand is an important habitat for a variety of birds, in particular little egrets, oystercatchers, herons, snipes and sanderlings.
Branch contacts:
birdwatchkilkenny@gmail.com
Date: January 17, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Meet at Drumlane Abbey carpark Our Cavan branch invite you to join them for an outing to Milltown lake and to take part in International Swan census that weekend.
For more details please contact Tom Broe (sec) cavanbirdwatching@gmail.com or Michael McKiernan 086 885 4989.
Date: January 17, 2026 Time: 10:00 am Location: Meet at the carpark beyond the airport Our Donegal branch invite you to join them for a visit to Carrickfinn and Inishfree Bay
Carrickfinn and Inishfree Bay are home to a variety of birds, including waders, waterfowl, and seabirds. Key species to look for include the Red-breasted Merganser, European Golden Plover, and Common Ringed Plover at Carrickfinn, while areas like Lough Swilly (near Inishfree Bay) have notable populations of Whooper Swans and Barnacle Geese. Seabirds like Fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Eider are also common in coastal areas.
For contact:
Chris Ingram (sec) 086 370 0243, chrisingram43@hotmail.com
Tony Gallagher (chair) 087 383 2935, tgmeenbanad28@gmail.com
Date: January 17, 2026 Time: 10:45 am Location: Meet at carpark alongside Charleville Cemetary to carpool Our Limerick branch are hosting a joint event to go to Kilcolman Fen along with our Clare branch.
Kilcolman Bog is situated on the southern foothills of the Ballyhoura Mountains in Co. Cork. Kilcolman Bog is an important site for wintering waterfowl, with nationally important
populations of Whooper Swan, Teal, and Shoveler.
Limerick branch contacts;
limerickbranchbwi@gmail.com Clodagh Glasgow or Jane Griffin
Clare branch Contact:
Tom Lynch – 065 682 2145 tnaclynch@gmail.com
Austin Cooney – 065 682 4804
Date: January 17, 2026 Time: 10:30 am Location: Meet at main car park Join our Wicklow branch for an outing to Wexford Wildfowl reserve
Wexford Wildfowl Reserve is located on flat farmland on the North Slob which was walled off from Wexford Harbour and reclaimed from the sea.
Over 250 bird species have been recorded on the Reserve, many of them Winter migrants from Greenland and Arctic Canada or from Scandinavia and Arctic Russia. Greenland White-fronted Geese are the most numerous and important goose species on the reserve and it is for them that it was established. They breed on the western lowlands of Greenland during the summer and winter in Ireland and Scotland from October to March. The North Slob holds about 5,500 or approximately 30% of the current world population of Greenland White-fronted Goose during these months.
Branch contact details
Clodagh Duffy or Joe Lennon at birdwatchwicklow@gmail.com
Date: January 14, 2026 Time: 7:30 pm Location: Cork Biodiversity Hub, Ballincollig P31 PX67 Our Cork branch invite you to join them for an evening discussing Bird Boxes and where the best place is to hang, direct and maintain them.
For contact:
Paul Moore, 087 690 8108 – paulwmoore01@gmail.com
Conor O’Keeffe, 083 155 1514 – calabkilworth@gmail.com
