Baltimore, County Cork Birdwatch

Sea birds In addition to thriving populations of all the more common sea birds, the area receives regular visits from some less familiar species. They include sooty shearwater, great shearwater, Corys shearwater, Wilsons petrel, Leachs petrel, Sabines gull, The Ivory Gull, and three species of skua. On at least one occasion an albatross put in an appearance off Baltimore, but don't count on seeing one! Late summer is the best season for birdwatching and southerly winds help to bring them inshore.

Headlands notably Cape Clear are good vantage points, but a boat gives the chance of a close-up view. Keep a lookout, too, for other animals, such as basking sharks, sunfish, leatherback turtles and, of course, seals. In a quiet corner of the harbour you may catch a glimpse of an otter.

Sea birds are not the only rare birds to visit Baltimore. One of the most memorable, though not necessarily the rarest, in recent years was a Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula which perhaps mistook the village for its counterpart in America.