Feel free to delight in an amazing murmuration of starlings along the cliff walk, where they swoop and dive and play as the sun sets.
A murmuration of starlings is a remarkable sight – Thousands of birds swooping and whirling in unison in the sky above Ballybunion.
Early evening just before dusk, they gather on rooftops and telephone wires in Doon Road, chattering and gossiping before they take off, racing and dancing at sunset. The Nine Daughters Hole on the cliff walk is their favourite playground, where they dip and dive, disappearing through this natural blowhole, before appearing again as if by magic from one of the caves below the cliff walk. Spotting a starling murmuration and their startling displays of coordination would be an amazing addition to your time in Ballybunion.
Starlings are not the only birds to be found in the environs of Ballybunion. The Cashen estuary, a Special Area of Conservation, is the tidal section of the river Feale. At low tide the mudflats exposed are very important habitats for many birds, both local and migratory. These include Redshank, Godwits, Sanderling, Grey Plover and Lapwing. And of course, the Grey Heron, which is a delight to watch, all alone, as if meditating the mysteries of life!
