Loop Head, Ireland
Loop Head is a famous destination for birdwatchers from all over the world. The variety of seabirds that breed here each summer, including Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins, and Gannets, and especially the passing of an extraordinary variety of seabirds and waders in the fall, is responsible for this area's attractiveness.
The ideal months to visit are August through October when numerous passing seabirds are brought close to shore by the west and northwest winds, providing superb viewing. Manx and Sooty Shearwaters, Storm and Leaches Petrels, as well as Great, Pomarine, and Arctic Skuas, are among the seabirds that are frequently spotted in large numbers here. Numerous rare species are occasionally spotted from nearby viewing areas, including Little Stints, Curlews, and the American Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
The Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head Peninsula are a birder's dream for observing vagrant stragglers from North America and observing the migration of passing seabirds. They are regarded internationally as one of Europe's finest sea-watching spots. Here, it has been possible to observe shearwaters, skuas, petrels, and uncommon birds like Sabine gulls. Every winter, a large number of waders and wildfowl migrate to the mudflats of the Shannon estuary from Northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Siberia, and Scandinavia. Poulnasherry Bay is an excellent location for spotting them.
