Saturday 14 April: Visit to Lough Boora Parklands. We may avail of the bike hire facility to see outer parts of the park.) Meet at B&Q car park, Naas, at 9.00am.

Encounter some of Ireland’s threatened wildlife species at Lough Boora Discovery Park, including the native Grey Partridge and impressive numbers of migrant birds who make their home in the park.

The Grey Partridge has gone from being an ever-present game bird, found throughout the country to one of our most endangered bird species. The last remaining population is now found around Lough Boora. The National Parks and Wildlife Service and Bord na Móna are invloved in a programme to conserve this population and expand its numbers again throughout the area.

Thursday 12 April: Preserving and expanding nesting sites for Swifts in Kildare, by Brian Caffrey (BirdWatch Ireland). Townhouse Hotel, Naas, 8.00pm.

Saturday 10 March: Outing to Cabragh Wetlands Centre, Thurles. Meet at B&Q car park, Naas, at 9.00am for car-pooling.

The Cabragh Wetlands Trust was registered in 1993 in an effort to save a vast area of wetland habitats from destruction after the filling-in of the settling pools by the Thurles Sugar Factory during its closure. These lagoons used to be an oasis of wildlife, particularly birds. The Trust was formed and acquired the land adjacent to the filled-in lagoons to ensure the continuation of this resting place for migratory birds.

Thursday 8 March: Birding in Spain and the Canaries, by Dermot McCabe. Townhouse Hotel, Naas, 8.00pm.

Saturday 10 February: Outing to West Pier, Dún Laoghaire, and Sandycove, Co Dublin. Meet at the base of the pier at 10.00am. (Directions will be included in branch mail later.)

The 12 Month breeding cycle of the White Tailed Sea Eagles at
Portumna, Co Galway, by Bob Foyle