Birding On Wheels

Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
There was not much wildlife to see, so I focussed on these pictures instead.
A few years ago, Cork county council built a walkway from the harbour in Bantry town, to Newtown, a newer part of the town. It passes around the headland at the beach, further eastwards. The last bit, where it should connect to the council estate in Newtown, is still not finished, but it is used quite a lot already. In this climate of healthy living and fears of an obese nation, creating more interesting (dog) walks. The other plan was to connect Bantry harbour with the Bantry airstrip, about 1/2 mile from the Abbey at Bantry's cemetry. This walkway was started but itdoes just hug the corner, where they built a new slipway. I understood that there are disagreements with the landowner(s) of the land in-between. Whenever I am in respite in Bantry, I often go to the airstrip, to brave the strong winds in the hope of spotting those animals which like it there. I just pray that one day these walkways can be finished. I'm a bit sick of having to turn around when I cannot go any further.

Anyway, here's just a few pictures from the Abbey.


View over to Harbour View from the Abbey.




Harbour View.
We first lived in the white building on the right, (middle floor, 2 windows on the right) with Earthwatch on the ground floor, in those days. We also lived in the last (tall) building on the left, (groundfloor-2 windows on the right, which you cannot see) This used to be Hotel Terminus. The name came from the railway terminal which was at the pier about 200 metre from the Hotel. The low building is now a hostel.
There are still bits visible from the old terminal, The bottle banks are now housed among these old walls. It is a bit of a dead zone of the town.

These are taken at Lough Hyne, near Skibbereen, Lough Hyne is Europe's 1st marine nature reserve.
It is sad to know that it is also Ireland's only Marine nature reserve.









Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum.