Birdwatching at Fruit Hill

I just read this in the Irish Times about bird-watching in Wexford :

"See Ireland’s biggest avian tourist influx They often say that Wexford is the ideal place for the opera-loving ornithologist with a penchant for seafood. Certainly, Wexford Festival Opera is world famous, and the town’s seafood restaurants are among the finest you’ll come across anywhere. But it is the presence of thousands of wildfowl that really marks out the southeast as an essential destination. A particular avian A-lister – the Greenland race of the white-fronted goose, one of Europe’s rarest – chooses to winter on the Wexford Slobs and harbour. Many of the 10,000 that choose Wexford as their winter home will have just arrived. And you won’t even need your binoculars. Just stand by the side of the road and open your eyes."

On the farm here ( apart from the peacocks ), we have a pair of Buzzards, and a pair of Jays - I'd never seen either bird before this year. The buzzards are an amazing sight. We've also seen Egrets in recent years, along with our resident Ravens, Goldcrests, Treecreepers, Goldfinches, Yellowhammers, Bullfinches etc etc.
Sometimes we see flocks of Lapwing, Oystercatchers, Geese and other coastal birds. i reckon it's quite a good spot for bird watching, so pack your binoculars if you are heading our way.

We've had a fair few migrating human visitors this year too, with guests from Italy, France, Canada, Isreal, Germany, Poland, USA, Czeck Republic, South Africa and Australia as well as a somewhat reduced majority from the UK, and an increase in Irish people staying at home for summer holidays and weekend breaks. It's been a busy and enjoyable year.

Thanks for looking in on the blog. I hope to do a bit more with it now Ed has got me set up with a new laptop.

Susan

Happy New Year !

2009

Welcome to my new blog, and New Year greetings to all our friends. I've been really bad about keeping in touch with the many people who have been part of our lives here at Fruit Hill, maybe just for a week at a time. My New Year's Resolution is to keep you up to date with what is happening.
Right now I am recovering from the 'flu, and wondering if this blog idea will work.
Dick is about to dig up the yard - again: this time it's water pipes. The children are well and had a great Christmas holiday.
Maybe next week I'll get the hang of adding some photos.

xx

Susan