Bird Watching Rogerstown Estuary

Rogerstown Estuary is designated as a Special Protection Area by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Ireland. The estuary is recognised internationally as an important location for wildfowl in Winter as well as a stop off point for birds on passage. You can view the estuary from the bird hide in Turvey Nature Reserve. This page gives you an alternative way to view the estuary from the sea shore.

Rogerstown Estuary has a very narrow channel where the water enters and leaves the estuary at high and low tide. You start from Portrane Beach and walk North for 15 to 20 minutes to the end of the beach where it meets the channel. It is worth spending some time here as birds regularly use this narrow channel to fly up and down the estuary. When you reach the channel, you turn to your left and walk along the beach heading inland for at least a couple of kilometres.

The area at the back of the beach is used regularly by walkers. However if you want to move closer the water, especially at low tide, you will need heavy shoes or boots as a lot of the area consists of mud flats. At full tide there there are very few birds, so plan to visit as the tide is going out of coming in. Also take note that the walk from Portrane and exploring the estuary is 4 to 5 kilometres round trip!

There is Parking available at Portrane Park in the village of Portrane and this is located right beside the beach. When you go onto the beach, turn left and walk (with the sea on your right) to the channel at Rogerstown.

Sat-Nav co-ordinates for parking are 53.493801, -6.109443

Visit the Portrane Beach page!