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Poolbeg is an industrial peninsula stretching from Irishtown, along the south bank of the Liffey and out along
the Great South Wall into
Dublin Bay.
The twin towers of the Poolbeg power station are a landmark visible across the city. The main
birding interest is provided by:
Irishtown Nature Park
This exposed site holds many common breeding passerines including Skylark, Linnet, Reed Bunting and Stonechat.
Kestrel can often be found hunting along the rough boundary land and bred successfully in 2006.
The channel to the south often has Cormorant, Merganser and
Goldeneye on in-coming and high tide over the winter. It is also a reliable spot for Grey Heron, Little Egret
and Greenshank.
The field
between the park and the sewage works was created in 2003 as a feeding area for Brent Geese displaced by
the construction of the new works. It is used by large numbers of Brent, some Oystercatchers, Black-tailed Godwit
and Curlew as a high tide roost.
The vegetation along the boundary fence of the ESB station has attracted the very occasional Twite among
the Linnet flocks. Raven have become common along this stretch recently.
The shoreline has the occasional Common Sandpiper on spring migration and always some Wheatears in spring
and autumn. It is a regular spot for Sanderling over the winter.
The Great South Wall
Not only is it a good walk with spectacular views back over the city, the South Wall
usually has some wintering Purple Sandpiper on the rocks out at the
Poolbeg lighthouse. Snow Buntings are occasionally found here too. In winter look for Great Crested Grebe,
Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Merganser,
Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Shag and Cormorant. The rock armour of the wall
is a high tide roost for Dunlin, Sanderling
and Turnstones. Less common visitors are Scaup and Whimbrel in spring.
In spring and summer the sky is filled with mainly Common and a few Arctic Tern, most of them from a
breeding colony on a "dolphin" in the
River Liffey behind the old red-bricked ESB power station. Gannets from the Ireland's Eye colony fish in-shore.
Black Guillemot nest in the side of the wall over the river, sometimes perching on the top oblivious to the
walkers.
DCC has plans for
Poolbeg Peninsula - February 2005.
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