AN excellent way of banishing that anticlimax feeling after the build up to Christmas Day, is on offer from the Limerick branch of Birdwatch Ireland.
Westfields Wetlands on the North Circular Road, is home to a diverse range of bird life, including a variety of waterfowl and songbirds. The site consists of a lake area that has considerable stretches of reed bed.
On Saturday, December 27, there will be a field outing to Westfields – meeting at the viewing platform at 10am, of which anyone interested is invited.
“There will be binoculars, and telescopes at hand on the day to allow observers a good “bird’s eye view,” encourages Antoin Kiely, of the Limerick branch of Birdwatch Ireland.
Westfields Wetland is located between the North Circular Road and the Condell Road, close to the new Shannon Bridge, and is accessible from the Condell Road, or via the Westfield Park housing estate, off the North Circular Road.
“There is easy pedestrian access to the lakeside that affords surprisingly close views of birds on and around the lake and a display board at the site has drawings of the bid species likely to be seen in the area,” says Antoin, who adds:
“The nearby traffic on the busy Condell Road, or people out walking, doesn’t seem to bother the bird life who have settled in well at the lake, and the site is also a great example of the tenacity of nature proving itself happy to coexist with the hustle and bustle of a busy near-city centre location”.
Duck species that frequent the site in winter include Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shoveler and Pochard. Fence posts in the lake are often used as perching posts for Common Gulls and Black Headed Gulls, and by Redshank.
A number of the reed islands in the lake are often used as a roosting site for Snipe. and some rare birds have visited in recent years, including a Red Crested Pochard, and regular small winter numbers of the North American Ring Billed Gull. Duck Numbers on the lake tend to be highest in winter, peaking in January. Siskins and Redpolls are also seen regularly in the area each winter, the Siskins feeding on Alder tree catkins.
