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Searching for birds along an Irish beach, also called a strand. The weather was, for the most part, unusually sensational during our tour. Photo by guide Karen McEneaney.

To me, a trip to Ireland is like going into a dream. I constantly dream of Ireland. And when I get there, my dreams and expectations not only come true but are oftentimes exceeded. Ireland is one of the most refreshing and invigorating landscapes one can ever experience in life. But the keys to this experience are the warm, funny, hospitable, and friendly Irish people, coupled with craic (fun) in an atmosphere unique to Ireland -- the “Irish Pub” experience. By this I am referring to quaint, old, darling, cozy buildings where jokes, stories, poetry, and traditional Irish music (instrumental and singing) unfold. Let’s face it, birding Ireland is just an excuse to experience the Emerald Isle, to go back to the basics in life as the Irish like to call craic (pronounced “crack,” meaning grand fun). I know Field Guides technically describes this tour as “Ireland in Fall: Birds, Pubs & Traditional Music” -- yet in all its simplicity it is essentially a “birds by day--pubs by night" tour.

Having traveled to Ireland for more than four decades, and having close family and musical ties there, I feel privileged and honored that I can show people an Ireland that few foreigners have ever experienced. The “craic was mighty” (meaning it was one not to be forgotten and running on all cylinders) on the 2016 fall Field Guides Ireland tour, and everyone enjoyed all aspects of the tour. Additionally, this was the best weather we have ever experienced in Ireland on a November Field Guides tour: we had only one day of overcast/rain, and nine days of refreshing sunshine. The deciduous trees still held their leaves, and the colors were similar to those seen in New England in October. This was a very rare Ireland event, and it was Ireland at its best.

The unseasonably sensational weather allowed for our other activities -- such as viewing ancient archaeological sites and visiting Irish pubs and listening to traditional Irish music -- to be that much more meaningful. We ended up with 101 species of birds and 8 species of mammals, which was predicted for a fall Field Guides tour of Ireland this time of year. Our rarest bird species for the tour included Short-eared Owl, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, and Carrion Crow. The first three were new for this fall tour. And luckily for us, stationary cold fronts positioned further north forced boreal migrants to slowly arrive from faraway places like Iceland, Greenland, Russia, and Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, and Finland), particularly the likes of Whooper Swan, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenland White-fronted Goose, and Redwing.

We were able to observe a good cross section of wintering Irish birds, while at the same time seeing an Ireland few visitors have an opportunity to experience. Let’s say we got off the beaten path. Our range of interest was broad and included historic and ancient places such as the site where the Titanic was constructed and last seen off the coast of Ireland; the filming location of the movie “Moby Dick”; the departure site for many Irish emigrants headed to America; a well-rounded view of the Troubles area of Belfast; modern-day Dublin; two famine burial sites; gothic cathedrals; standing stones; ring forts; passage tombs; castles; round towers; stones bridges; and mysterious fairy trees.

But to fulfill our need for the mighty craic, we started our adventure in one of birthplaces of Traditional Irish Music (TIM) in the seldom visited small town of Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Keady is a musician's paradise and stronghold, and it's the hometown of “the godmother of Irish music,” Sarah Makem, and her son Tommy Makem (of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem fame). Our first afternoon started with a uilleann piper playing in a relative's pub, then on other days we enjoyed all types ranging from the rural pub to the urban pub for a wonderful cross section of ceol agus craic (music and fun). But the highlight of the TIM was a special music "sessun" one evening at a relative's country farmhouse known as “Tossey’s”(“the last bastion of a unique cultural experience”). Folks heard we were in the area, and more than 60 people (relatives and friends) showed up to celebrate our presence. It was one for the annals and an incredible experience. All told we visited a couple dozen beautiful Irish pubs with fabulous music and people. It was the Ireland that we know and few people ever get to see. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to show it to you!

We leave you with a few Irish sayings to keep close to the heart, but please don’t take them literally:

-“pickpockets love tourists”

-“many are called but few get up”

-“I live with fear every day, but sometimes she lets me go to the pub”

-“no paths cross in Dublin without crossing a pub”

-“it never rains in a pub”

The craic on this Field Guides tour was nothing short of mighty!

Tabhair aire! Take good care! And Tog E bog E! Take it easy!

--Terry and Karen

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

Three friends entertaining us at a Dublin pub music session, one of many fabulous ones we experienced. Photo by participant Bob Meade.

Jackdaws at the Rock of Cashel. Photo by participant Mary Lou Barritt.

The fortress itself, the Rock of Cashel, formerly a wooden fort on a rock for Irish kings, and later transformed into an important Christian site protected with rock. Photo by guide Terry McEneaney.

The beautiful coastal town of Cobh with St. Coleman's Cathedral in the background. Most Irish emigrants who left Ireland for America departed from Cobh. Photo by guide Terry McEneaney.

On this tour participant Bob Meade, here with his wife, Carol, actually found his great great grandfather's Manor House (dating to the 1700s) not far from the pub in this picture. It made for a great celebration! Photo by guide Karen McEneaney.

We close with this photo to dedicate our tour to the late Gabriel McCague, pictured here during the trip with guides Terry and Karen McEneaney. When we returned home to the States we received word of the passing of this great friend and publican. He was so good to us every time we visited his venue. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten. As the proverb says, "Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but openings where the love of our loved ones shines down to let us know they are happy." We can still see Gabriel's smile. Hi Gabriel!

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 101 bird taxa and 8 mammal taxa