We had originally encountered Seabank in Dundalk Bay in early autumn 2022. Rosemary and I had just visited the small viking township of Annagassan for the first time and we decided to take the coastal route home.
The tide was almost full as we drove along the coastal road home and we could see hundreds of wading birds being forced closer up the beach alongside the road by the incoming tide.
Seabank obviously held heaps of potential for us and we made plans to return in the third quarter of winter when there would be the maximum number of over-wintering migratory waders present both in numbers and species. It was decided we would return early February and so it proved to be the case.
We arrived at Seabank early on a cold mid winter’s morning and we could see large numbers of waders, mainly Black-tailed Godwits and Light-bellied Brent Geese and once again being forced closer up the beach by a rising tide.
However, the light was not good for bird photography so we made our way down to the shoreline and waited for the light to improve.
We could see hundreds of birds while we waited patiently for the light to improve.
The worst mistake one can make in a situation like this would be to try and get close to the birds and scare them.
The tide was moving the birds closer to us and the light was improving by the minute.
All we had to do was sit tight, let the tide bring the birds closer to us and hope that no dog walkers came along the beach.
Boney Whitefoot Nature Photography 