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Mayo
Branch of Birdwatch Ireland Welcome to the website. Our aim is to bring together birdwatchers living in or visiting Mayo by providing information in a central location |
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© BirdWatch Mayo
2010
| The Mullet Peninsula | OS Discovery Series - Map No 22 |
| Includes | Blacksod and Broadhaven Bays, Headlands, Beaches, Lakes, Marshes, Hills and the many Islands off North West Mayo |
| There are many rare, unusual and scarce birds reported from the area. |
| Nearest Town | Belmullet at the far North West of Mayo |
| How to get to the Mullet Peninsula | Drive
through the town of Belmullet and either turn left for most of the
peninsula or go straight (north) on for the Erris Head area Neighbouring Site: Carrowmore Lake |
| Best Time to Visit | All Year Winter: Good for geese, swans and ducks Autumn: Provides excellent chances to see passage migrants The peninsula is noted for some of the Red-Listed birds and Annex 1 birds, e.g. Greenland White-fronted Geese, Corncrake, Red-billed Chough and Twite |
| Type of Site | Penisula with cliffs, sandy beaches, machair, lakes marshed and low hills |
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| Bays | |
| Blacksod & Broadhaven Bays (north and south of Belmullet) are both SPAs | Winter Birds:
Whooper Swans; Geese (White-fronted, Barnacle, Light-bellied) Plover (Golden, Ringed, Grey and Lapwing) Divers (Black-throated, Red-throated, Great Northern) Ducks (Wigeon, Teal, Scaup, Long-tailed, Shelduck, Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser) Waders (Sanderling, Dunlin, Knot, Curlew, Black-tailed & Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank) Slavonian Grebe may also be seen Summer Birds: Include Terns and Sandpipers Autumn: Passage waders & Passerines |
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| Headlands | |
| Erris Head (F700415) Situated on the northern tip of the Mullet. Park at the car park and walk to the headland over the styled walk on the left side of the car park at the Danish Cellar Chough; Twite; Rock Dove; Passage Migration during the autumn |
 Annagh Head |
| Annagh Head (F625345) Drive past Annagh Marsh to the end of the road and park in the car park. Autumn: Passage migrants Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: Booted Warbler (Sept 2004) Wilson's Petrel (2002, 2004) Benwee Head (F825455) Situated north of Ross Port Passage migrants; Fulmars |
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| Beaches | |
| Annagh Beach (F468345) Drive west past Annagh Marsh, take the next track to the right |
Waders including sandpiper; also a good range of gulls Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: American Golden Plover (2006) White-rumped Sandpiper (16/10/2006) Baird's Sandpiper (12/09/2006) Collared Pratincole |
| Elly Bay | Geese - Light-bellied Brent; good selection of waders |
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| Lakes | |
| Termoncarragh Lake (F663350) View from the car park at Termoncarragh graveyard where there is a 'birding' board. See BWI main website for more details |
Winter: up to 50 Greenland White-fronted Geese, 200 Whooper Swan, 1,000 Barnacle Geese, 50 Greylag Geese, Pink-footed Geese Summer: Corncrake can be heard calling from surrounding fields All Year: Chough and Twite Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: Snow Goose (September 2008) Long-billed Dowitcher (3 from Sept/Oct 2005) |
| Cross Lough (F645295) On the south-west of the penisula, an SPA |
Winter: Whooper Swans; good variety of ducks Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: Lesser Yellowlegs (Sept/Oct 2006) |
| Leam Lough (F648270) |
All Year: Waders Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: Baird's Sandpiper (01/10/2008) Citrine Wagtail (5th & 6th Sept 2004) Upland Sandpiper (19/10/1998) |
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| Marshes | |
| Annagh Marsh (F655340) Owned by BWI - an SPA and has been recently restored to specifically help breeding waders. No Entry - viewing from the road only. See BWI main website for more details Best Time to View: All Year Also late Spring/Summer: Breeding waders, Corncrake, Snipe, Grasshopper Warbler |
 Annagh Marsh |
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| Hills | |
| Termon Hill (F630195) At the south end of the peninsula, park at the stone circle. Snowy Owl has been seen here in the autumn and spring of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Rare/Scarce/Unusual Birds: Red-eyed Vireo (5th -7th Oct 2006) Swainson's Thrush (dead at Blackrock Lighthouse, 26/05/1956 - now at the National Museum, Dublin) |
 Stone Circle at Tarmon Hill
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| Islands | |
| Inishkea Island (F565225) West of the penisula, they are an SPA Winter: Sanderling; Barnacle Geese; Peregrine The Barnacle geese have been studied here since the early 1960's Summer: Waders (Oystercatcher, Ringer Plover, Redshank, Dunlin); Terns (Arctic, Little, Common); Gulls; Wheatear On Passage: Skuas |
 Inishkea Island |
Stags of Broadhaven (F478480) Off Benwee Head, an SPA. This island is inaccessible. |
Best in the summer with Storm and Leach's Petrel; Fulmar |
| Inishglora (F615315) and Inishkeeragh (F605303) Both are SPAs |
Little and Arctic Tern; Storm Petrel; Shag; Barnacle Geese |
| Duvillaun Islands (F580160) |
Fulmar; Storm Petrel; Cormorant |
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