Booterstown Marsh - 14th January 2024.
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South Dublin Members, Booterstown, 14th January 2024 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
Booterstown Marsh Nature Reserve was obviously a popular venue for the first outing of the new year as over 50 individuals attended despite chilly weather. The group rendezvoused at 10:00 in the Booterstown DART car park from which a first scan over the marsh revealed reasonable wader and duck numbers and with high tide not due for 3 hours there was ample time for their identification.
The group made its way out along the Rock Road stopping when anything of interest arose before going onto the short path within the reserve to get the best view and afterwards finally returning to the bridge at the DART station.
Knot, Booterstown Marsh, 14th January 2024 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
Wader-wise there were a few hundred Red Knot and many Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank with a few Curlews and occasional Greenshanks and Oystercatchers. Unsurprisingly, some newcomers expressed difficulty in telling the more nondescript species apart. Many of the waders we see are winter migrants that have arrived from their summer breeding grounds in polar regions where they had richly coloured display plumage making them readily identifiable. Unfortunately, they exchange that splendour to the drabber greys and browns of their winter plumage which is all we get to see.
Black-tailed Godwit, Booterstown Marsh, 14th January 2024 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
Having to view waders from a distance or in poor light or if mud obscures any colouring of the bird’s legs or bills makes recognition all the trickier. Nonetheless by carefully comparing other physical characteristics that differ between wader species such as their relative size, leg and bill length/colouring or wing-bars in flight, it is possible to become adept at recognising many of them as did several of the novice wader-watchers during the outing.
On one occasion, the waders were startled into flight by the appearance of a male Sparrowhawk gliding over the marsh. That incident was used to emphasise to all the birders present, in case they were unaware, that scaring waders into the air such as when dog-walking causes considerable distress and precious energy loss to the birds. There were good views of drake and hen Teals and a feeding Grey Heron. A terrific close-up of a Little Egret surprised and amused some people when they saw that it had bright yellow feet on its long black legs!
Common Snipe, Booterstown Marsh, 14th January 2024 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the morning was a stunning view of a Common Snipe sitting on the edge of a reed bed with its cryptic striped plumage lit up in superb detail by the morning sun. An excited queue soon formed to view it through a spotting scope. This elusive little wader is usually only fleetingly glimpsed typically after inadvertent flushing from dense vegetation into its famous zig-zagging flight. For many it was their first experience of a Snipe, and they were clearly delighted.
Booterstown Marsh is the only bird sanctuary and remaining salt marsh on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Hundreds of DART train commuters pass by it each day and are oblivious to what a special place it is.
Some More Pictures
Some more pictures taken on the day by Gustavo Zoladz.
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A big thank you to all those who attended and especially to the parents who brought their kids contributing so much to the marvelous morning. The outing was led by Gustavo Zoladz, Rachel Hynes and the author and ended at 12:15.