Howth and Dublin Bay Boat Trip - 18th May 2025.
Click on pictures to view the full size image. Use the up and down arrows on your keyboard to scroll through them or click on slideshow and sit back. Links open in a new window.
South Dublin Members, Howth Harbour, 18th May 2025 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
The long-awaited boat trip to view the seabirds of Howth and nearby islands began from the West Pier in Howth Harbour in glorious sunshine. This was the first such event ran by the South Dublin branch in a great many years and proved extremely popular as the 60 available places made bookable online in February were sold-out within three days with an additional 20 persons added to a cancellation lists. On the scheduled day, 58 individuals checked in at 13:45 before boarding the Saint Bridget, a vessel owned by Dublin Bay Cruises. Howth town was crowded with day-trippers and foreign tourists, so it was with a relief when the boat departed on time at 14:15 and headed out into the freedom of the open sea with excited anticipation.
Most seabirds live offshore except during breeding season and are usually seen from land only as distant specks, even with the best optical equipment. So, the aim of the tour was for us to go to them and hopefully also gain privileged views of their nesting colonies located on the otherwise formidably inaccessible island cliffs.
Ireland's Eye mixed seabird colony, 18th May 2025 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
The first pass-by was that of Ireland’s Eye whose seabird colonies are one of the most closely monitored in the country. Large numbers of Shag and Common Guillemot and significant numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes and a few Northern Fulmar were observed on the island, but it was the first views of spectacular diving Northern Gannets that was the sort of thing we had really come to see, and they were magnificent. Kittiwakes circled the rock faces, with some observed on the water. This small gull is recognised by its black eyes, white head plumage, yellow bill, and nasal calls from which its name originates.
As the boat progressed towards Lambay Island, the sea grew increasingly choppy, causing several individuals to experience sea-sickness or difficulty standing. Due to time constraints, Lambay Island was chiefly approached from the south-side which was a pity because it was on the east-side where the main Atlantic Puffin colony is located. A single Puffin was briefly sighted, and its near absence was a disappointment since it was likely the top species on everyone’s list to see. Like the Kittiwake, the Puffin is a summer visitor to our coasts only for breeding which disperses to spend winter far out to sea.
Kittiwake, off Ireland's Eye, 18th May 2025 (picture: Simon Robinson)
Interestingly, the scientific name for the Puffin Fratercula arctica translates into English as 'little brother of arctic', and it loses its iconic bright bill colouring during the winter. The Puffin is a member of the Auk family Alcidae, which consists of small, short-necked diving marine birds that are highly mobile underwater. The other representatives seen in Ireland namely the Black and Common Guillemots (also known as Murres) and Razorbills were seen in abundance on our travels that day.
Lambay has one of the most diverse and densely populated seabird colonies in Ireland and the UK with 14 species currently breed on the island. There is a possibility that a limited number of Choughs have recently established breeding grounds on the island. The Chough is a sea crow with a distinctive downward curving red-bill with finger-like outer wing feathers in flight and occurs elusively across the south and west coasts of Ireland. Alas, no Choughs were seen on the afternoon nor was the charismatic Manx Shearwater. Shearwaters are rarely seen near the shore, except at night when they nest in burrows. They can travel over 100 kilometres a day for food. The Manx Shearwater is seen in the summer when 90% of the global population breeds on British and Irish coasts before migrating to waters off Brazil and Argentina.
Guillemots, off Lambay Island, 18th May 2025 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
Several wallabies were spotted on Lambay Island. These Australian marsupials would have bred from stock introduced by the island’s managers during the 1980s. We also spotted a Harbour Porpoise, the smallest and most common inshore cetacean along our coast. Porpoises are frequently unnoticed unless the conditions are calm, as they are generally solitary, slow-moving, and barely emerge above the sea surface. Dolphins in contrast are much livelier and lift higher out of the water making their presence felt. The dorsal fin of the Porpoise is also shorter, less sickle-shaped with a blunter tip than that of the Dolphin. Dolphins are less commonly observed along the east coast of Ireland, and none were seen during the outing.
A Little Egret and a Barn Swallow were seen outside their usual environments. Seeing the tiny swallow against the vast ocean in the background makes you marvel even more at their migration feats.
Lambay Island, 18th May 2025 (picture: Gustavo Zoladz)
After leaving Lambay the boat steadily headed towards and along the cliffs of Howth including the nose and Casana Rock areas arriving at about 16:20 before moving on past the Kish Lighthouse and the Martello Tower and Sutton Creek before heading southward towards Dalkey in thankfully calmer waters. Although some were finding the sea swell uncomfortable others seemed oblivious including Johnny Milroy was beaming with enthusiasm telling the author how much he was enjoying the experience and spoke of how his father’s passion for birdlife had got him interested. Also smiling and chatting was artist and knowledgeable birdwatcher Laura Kelly. While many photographers present struggled to keep their cameras steady, Jean Swift kept her lens remarkably still while others around her had difficulty maintaining balance.
One lady expressed disappointment that she was a novice and felt she had learned little from the trip because there was no running commentary on the birdlife as was presented for example during the previous months dawn chorus event which she had attended. It was explained to her in a sympathetic manner that, while it would have been ideal, identifying fast-moving birds present in small numbers amidst significant sea swell was challenging, even with binoculars. Additionally, immediately relaying this information to passengers was not feasible.
Arctic Tern, off Dalkey Island, 18th May 2025 (picture: Shane Kerr)
At approximately 17:30, the group arrived near Dalkey Island and observed terns diving nearby, including the Arctic Tern, known for its extensive migratory patterns. Many of our tern species can be identified by their bill colouring differences however that is only possible when seen in good light and at close quarters but here the bright red bill of the Arctic Tern was clearly visible to distinguish it from the similar Common Tern which has a black tip on its red beak.
The ship finally arrived and docked in a lively Dun Laoghaire at 19:00 in warm sunshine. A total of 27 species were recorded during the outing. Detailed observations are available on eBird, thanks to contributions from South and Tolka branch members, Simon Robinson and Neill Molloy respectfully. The full checklist can be accessed at this eBird Checklist.
Some More Pictures
Howth and Dublin Bay Scenery & South Dublin Members
Some more pictures taken on the day by Gustavo Zoladz and Simon Robinson.
Click on the picture and then use the left and right arrows to scroll through them.
The South Dublin Branch of BirdWatch Ireland acknowledges Dublin Bay Cruises for subsidising the cost of the event, and Skipper Eddie Keane and his crew for safely steering us throughout the afternoon. This outing required considerable behind-the-scenes organisation. Gustavo Zoladz deserves full credit for first proposing and following through on the idea from start to finish with enthusiasm and conviction.
Branch Secretary, Mary Daly coordinated the attendance planning, even though she had paid to attend the event herself but was later unable to go. Niall Hatch also did a first-rate job setting up the online payment system and applying his expertise to the legal considerations involved. We would like to applaud all attendees for their punctuality and understanding regarding the weather conditions and the birdlife present of which we obviously had no control.