Cape Clear (Oileán Chléire) lies 12 km off the southwest coast of Ireland, in the mouth of Roaringwater Bay. Irish is spoken on Chléire, and it is the most southerly Gaeltacht area. Indeed, Cape Clear is the most southerly inhabited part of Ireland.
About 120 people live on the island year round. The island is 4.5 km long and, at its broadest, less than 2 km wide. The island has a long association with birdwatching, for its location at the extreme south-west of Ireland makes it an ideal location for watching and studying bird migration. Spring and autumn sometimes see large influxes of songbirds moving to and from their breeding ground, and most years rare vagrants from Siberia and America are seen. In addition, Cape Clear is one of the best places in Europe to watch seabird migration in late summer. A bird observatory has operated on Cape Clear since 1959. Cetaceans, basking sharks, sunfish and leather back turtles are all to be seen, sometimes in good numbers. Cape Clear is the kind of place that anything could turn up! The island is predominately peat and heath vegetation with rocky outcrops and improved grassland. But it is also regarded as a “botanical hotspot” due to the large number of plants found in such a small area, including several rare species. The largest freshwater body is the 4.5 ha Lough Errul, and there are also low-lying marshy areas.
Already there are 598 species included in the national biodiversity database from Cape Clear. Download a list of the species here: Cape Clear species list
If you would like to help with recording on Cape Clear contact [email protected] or [email protected]
For further information and to book accommodation see http://www.capeclearisland.ie/index
Island Wildlife Festival programme
Tuesday 7th June
08:00 – 09:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10:00 – 12:00hrs Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12:00 – 16:00hrs Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
13:00 – 15:00hrs Fastnet Trip (low tide 14:19hrs) – M.J. Cadogan
13:00 – 15:00hrs Rocky Shore as Gaeilge – Paula Ní Ríogáin
19:00 – 21:00hrs Photographs from Peter Cox, Chuck Kruger & Mary Cadogan
21:00hrs Meals in Cotter’s Bar and Sean Rua’s Restaurant
21:00 – 22:00hrs Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
Wednesday 8th June
08:00 – 09:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10:00 – 12:00hrs Dry-stone walling demonstration – Áine Ní Ríogáin
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12:00 – 14:00hrs Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
12:00 – 16:00hrs Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
14:00 – 16:00hrs Fastnet Trip – M. J. Cadogan
14:00 – 16:00hrs Net mending demonstration – (to be confirmed)
21:00hrs Meals in Cotter’s Bar and Sean Rua’s Restaurant
21:00 – 22:00hrs Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
Evening Traditional music/dance/poetry in pubs
Thursday 9th June
08:00 – 09:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10:00 – 12:00hrs Dry-stone walling demonstration – Áine Ní Ríogáin
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12:00 – 14:00hrs Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
12:00 – 16:00hrs Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
12:00 – 14:00hrs Seaweed buffet – Suzy Brown
14:00 – 16:00hrs Net mending demonstration – (to be confirmed)
15:00 – 18:00hrs Fastnet Trip – M. J. Cadogan
21:00hrs Meals in Cotter’s Bar and Sean Rua’s Restaurant
21:00 – 22:00hrs Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
Evening Traditional music/dance/poetry in pubs
Friday 10th June
08:00 – 09:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12:00 – 16:00hrs Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
14:00 – 16:00hrs Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
16:00 – 18:00hrs Fastnet Trip – M. J. Cadogan
21:00hrs Traditional meal in Sean Rua’s Restaurant
21:00 – 22:00hrs Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
22:00 – 23:00hrs Bat walk & Stargazing – Paddy Sleeman
Evening Traditional music/dance/poetry in pubs
Saturday 11th June
08:00 – 09:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10:00 – 12:00hrs Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12:00 – 16:00hrs Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
12:00hrs Launch of Island BioBlitz 2016
12:00 – 15:30hrs Sea watch from the cliffs – Padraig Whooley (IWDG)
14:00 – 18:00hrs Pelagic boat trip – Paul Connaughton (Shearwater Wildlife Tours)
16:30 – 18:30hrs Fastnet Trip – M.J. Cadogan
21:00 – 22:00hrs Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
22:00 – 23:00hrs Bat walk & Stargazing – Andrew Harrington (Bat Conservation Ireland)
Evening Traditional music/dance in pubs
Sunday 12th June
08:00 – 10:00hrs Bird walk & ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
09:00 – 11:00hrs Opening of moth traps – Eamonn O’Donnell
10:30 – 12:30hrs Goat milking & husbandry – Ed Harper
11:00 – 18:00hrs Maritime Photographs – Pat Con Driscoll
12:00hrs Island BioBlitz – finishes
12:30hrs Island BioBlitz – winners annouced
14:00h – 16:00hrs Heritage Walk (local history and archaeology) – Diarmuid Ó Drisceoil
For more information see:
capeclearbioblitz.wordpress.com
facebook.com/CapeClearBioBlitz