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Northern Ireland - County Fermanagh

Black-headed Gull Larus minutus ŠSue & Andy Tranter http://www.suesbirdphotos.co.uk/

The Lakelands of Northern Ireland have Upper and Lower Lough Erne the largest bodies of water but there are a myriad of smaller lakes. The Pettigoe plateau leads you to the birding delights of Donegal across the border.

top sites

Boa Island

(H100630)Various

Castle Archdale

Map Ref: C170580 Bays, islands and woodlands

Castle Caldwell

Map Ref: H010600 Used to have breeding Common Scoter. Extensive woodland.

Castlecaldwell /Lower Lough Erne

Map Ref: H015605 Breeding waders, gulls and terns(Sandwich and common); wintering wildfowl including regular scaup, wigeon. Castlecaldwell occasionally has crossbill plus occasional singing wood warbler. Spring wader passage light but includes black-tailed godwit, whimbrel, occasional ruff, greenshank. Recent scarce visitors have included black tern (has bred `70s); Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, little gull, ruff, great northern diver. Rares have included American wigeon, red neched grebe and UK/Ireland`s first Wilson`s petrel in 1891.

Crom National Trust Estate

Map Ref: H363244 Possibly the most reliable and easiest access to garden warblers in spring, wintering wildfowl whooper swans and has included smew and the Baikal teal in Jan`67 (wild?); annual osprey records.

Drumgay Lough

Map Ref: H244475 Waterfowl occasionally including scarce species e.g.long-tailed duck, smew, scaup; always a possibility of something rarer.

Enniskillen tip

Map Ref: H263421 Good for winter gulls including glaucous, Iceland and other possibilities.

Lower Lough Macnean

Map Ref: H120370 An area near Gortatole with wintering Greenland White-fronted geese, whooper swans, wigeon, curlew, hen harrier, overhead peregrine, raven occasional merlin.

Pettigoe Plateau

Map Ref: H040690 Upland birds

Upper Lough Erne

Upper Lough Erne is difficult to watch as there is poor access but wintering wildfowl including internationally important numbers of whooper swans, occasional gargany in spring, wood sandpiper in spring and green-winged teal have been recorded. Olderrecord of hobby.

contributor

Brad Robson - Additional Material
RSPB Warden
(Fermanagh)

George Gordon
gordon@ballyholme2.freeserve.co.uk

useful reading

Where to Watch Birds in Ireland

by Clive Hutchinson - Paperback - 272 pages (17 March, 1997) Christopher Helm
ISBN: 0713638273
Buy this book from NHBS.com

useful information

South Tyrone & Fermanagh BTO Rep

PS Grosse, 30 Tullybroom Road, Clogher, BT76 0UW 028 8554 8606 phigro@aol.com

reserves

RSPB Reserve - Lough Erne Islands

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lougherne/index.asp
The breeding birds of the reserve include snipe, redshanks, curlews and Sandwich terns. In winter, whooper swans and wigeons can be found...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

places to stay

Belmore Court Motel

http://www.activehotels.com/hotels/index.php3?hotelid=128559&trkref=MIL
A paradise for birds, wild flowers and fishermen, Lough Erne is a magnificent waterway for unrestricted cruising and boating, the most un-congested in Europe, The lakeside is high and rocky in some parts and, in addition to the 154 islands, there are coves and inlets to explore. Wherever you float on Lough Erne, you are likely to see swans of one kind or another. Terns and common scoters breed on the low-lying islands and sand pipers, nightjars and garden warblers nest around the shore. On the upper Lough there are lots of great-crested grebes and a heronry whose big grey inmates may accompany your boat with much flapping of wings.

Mountview Guest House

http://www.where-to-stay.co.uk/whynot/enniskillen-00-0.html
61 Irvinestown Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland BT74 6DN

View Point Guest House

http://www.travel-ireland.com/irl/viwpoint.htm
Just off the Enniskillen - Tempo Road (B80) in the heart of County Fermanagh, View Point guest house is a Northern Ireland Tourist Board Approved Country House Accommodation, situated to allow easy access to a range of tourist amenities and within minutes of the historic town of Enniskillen.

Birdwatching in County Fermanagh

http://www.geographia.com/northern-ireland/ukibrd01.htm#Fermanagh
List of sites: The silences of Lough Erne are spring-broken by courting waders and wildfowl. The characteristic habitats of Lower Lough Erne are traditional hay meadows and unimproved islands. On the upper lake flooded drumlins, reed-swamp and fen are the pattern.