Wild Birds of Baldoyle: An Introduction

By Michael J. Hurley

A brief description of the most common and numerous wild birds to be seen in the area of Baldoyle, County Dublin, Ireland. There are many illustrations included, both photograph and drawing by the author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael J. Hurley
• Release date: Jan 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465929396

Michael J. Hurley

Michael John Hurley was born in Baldoyle County Dublin in June 1950. He has harboured a lifelong interest in the history of the local hinterland. Michael has written the following books on the locality:'Where Came Dark Stranger', 'The View from The Grandstand', 'The Train to Howth', 'Articles, Particles, & Facts, 'Tales of Old Baldoyle', 'Baldoyle The Racecourse Village', 'Baldoyle, Portmarnock, Sutton - A Local History','The Light of Other Days', 'An Introduction to The Wild Flowers of Baldoyle', 'A Quick Guide To Old Baldoyle', 'The Story of Stapolin'. 'Cill Fhionntáin', 'Sutton, Baldoyle Musical Society 40th Anniversary', 'Baldoyle 1911 - The Census Year', 'The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) in the areas of Baldoyle, Howth, Sutton, County Dublin','The Howth Peninsula From Old Postcards' (with Anne Murphy). He has also released two DVD programmes on the locality. He has a photo collection of some 3,000 local images and gives talks and photo presentations to community groups in the area of north Dublin. For family reasons Michael has lived in County Galway since 2013. His latest e-books are on the subject of the Galway General Omnibus Company Limited, Galway Horse Trams, Galway Bay Steamboat Company, Wild flowers in Lackagh, and Wild Birds in Lackagh .

Book preview

THE WILD BIRDS OF BALDOYLE

Smashwords.com Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © Michael J. Hurley 2012

Revised edition 2015

All photographs and illustrations by author except where otherwise credited.

As I walked along the new pathway connecting Baldoyle Church and Sutton Station, a walkway that I have requested Fingal Co. Council to name ‘Coastguard’s Walk’, I was struck by the scarcity of wading fowl during the months of summer. An occasional Oystercatcher or Curlew rippled the tide line, or a lone Grey Heron stood round-shouldered and grumpy, but by and large the foreshore was silent and deserted.

I thought back to the days and nights of winter and spring when the rippling call of the Curlew foretold rain, and flocks of honking Brent Geese grazed the foreshore. I love to see these winter residents (I will not make nomads of them by referring to them as ‘visitors’) arrive, bringing the realisation that the long comfortable nights are with us again. How nice to see Shelduck, Mallard, Dunlin, and the over reacting and alarmist Redshank potter or rush about the bladder wrack.

The geese living here are the white fronted variety of Brent Geese and they divide their time between Fingal and Canada. I look at them sometimes and wonder how many have returned safely and how many are juveniles making their first trip.

When the tide is low the geese graze the shoreline but when the water is high they turn inland to