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On the way |
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Pauline, Mona &Teresa at Drumcliff |
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Click thumbnails for bigger
photo

Cookstown Wildlife Trust
outing to
Sligo
Saturday 21 May, 2011
Cookstown Wildlife Trust annual bus trip took
place on Saturday 21st May. A full bus
(22 members and friends) set off from Cookstown at
9:00AM to visit Mullaghmore and other parts of
Sligo. Organizer / guide
for the day was Ian McNeill and
even before leaving Cookstown, Ian was well aware that our biggest hurdle on
the day would be poor weather. No matter,
the group set happily and quite optimistic that the weather would change.
A
welcome coffee break was taken in Belleek before
heading towards Classie Bawn Castle
and into Mullaghmore. Raincoats
were donned and umbrellas raised in preparation for a
wet and windy walk around the harbour.
The pattern for the day was set-the weather was
not going to improve.
After
Cake and coffee at
Drumcliff, only a short drive was necessary to
reach Streedagh Strand and view
fossils in carboniferous limestone rocks.
This site is famous for an abundance of fossilized
corals and crinoids.
Umbrellas were once again raised, followed by a wet windy
scurry to examine fossils on the
rocky shore.
Quickly back
on the bus, we drove
towards Bundoran, then Ballyshannon and
east towards Cookstown. The rain didn’t ease,
it got heavier.
When I arrived home my wife said “ The rain was
torrential here ”.
I spent fifteen minutes clearing blocked drains
and thought - well, the day was worse in Cookstown.Thanks
are due to Ian McNeill for organizing the trip, for
keeping our interest up and improvising so well
on an almost impossible day.
The next
Wildlife Trust outing will be on
Saturday 25th June, not Saturday 11th June,
as mentioned previously. This will be a
visit to Seaforde Butterfly House, which has a
roof, so rain won’t bother us! There are gardens
and a small restaurant. The
tropical butterflies are spectacular. Entry to
the Butterfly House costs £5.00, Butterfly
House plus gardens costs
£7.00.
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Cookstown Wildlife Trust
outing to Seaforde Butterfly House.
Saturday 25th June 2011.
A small but enthusiastic group went to
Seaforde Butterfly House on Saturday 25 June and were enthralled with
the wonderful display of colourful tropical butterflies.
Due to our early arrival we were fortunate to have an introduction to the
butterflies by the owner Mrs. Forde who has travelled widely looking
for tropical species.
After lunch in the Butterfly House Restaurant the group strolled around the
well laid out gardens and admired the many rare and interesting plants.
We also tried the maze and some of us even managed to get lost !
A few of the large and colourful creatures are shown below .
Click for larger picture.
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Cookstown Wildlife Trust visit to Ballinderry River Enhancement Association
1st September 2011
Click for details

Outing to Castle Espie
Saturday 22nd October 2011
The last outing of the season took place
in October to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Castle Espie on the shore
of Strangford Lough. The lough is one of Europe’s most important wildlife
sites. About three quarters of the world population of light-bellied brent
geese over-winter there after making a 4,000 mile trip from north eastern
Canada to feed on the lough’s succulent eel-grass. The best time to see
them is at low tide. On the week of our visit 38.000 birds had arrived.
Two guides brought us to The Brent Hide which provided a fantastic view of
the geese and many other species including whooper swans, shelduck, ringed
plover, curlews and a couple of egrets.
There were lots of other ducks, waders, swans, geese and water fowl to be
seen in contrived ponds nearer the Visitor Centre. All of these were
clearly pictured and described on information stands at each vantage point.
We saw a flock of Hawaiian Geese which had been saved from near extinction.
At Castle Espie there is entertainment for all age groups all year round.
Apart from the wildlife there were many other interesting things to see.
There is a Sustainability Trail with an excellent explanatory leaflet. They
have a very good restaurant which serves freshly cooked food, sandwiches to
order and scones straight from the oven.
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