Winter sun on the Wicklow wetlands / Soleil d’hiver sur le marais de Wicklow

On Friday after school, my friend Anita and I took our six children for a gentle stroll around the East Coast Nature Reserve, Newcastle, Co Wicklow. 

Also known as the Blackditch & Murrough Wetlands, this little known gem of the east coast of Ireland is a wintering haven for many migratory birds.

From a birdwatching hide, we spotted a couple of swans gliding gracefully on the mirror-like marsh. Later, as the sun was setting behind the Wicklow Mountains, a gaggle of geese took flight against the dusky sky.

At the end of a dull week of low cloud and overcast skies, the winter light bathed the place in a magical glow.


Vendredi après-midi après l’école, mon amie Anita et moi avons emmené nos six enfants pour une douce balade hivernale à la Réserve naturelle de la côte Est, près de Newcastle, Co Wicklow.

Egalement dénommé zone humide de Blackditch & Murrough, cette réserve méconnue de la côte Est de l’Irlande accueille des centaines d’oiseaux migrateurs en hivernage.

D’une des cabanes d’observation, nous avons repéré deux cygnes glissant élégamment sur les eaux immobiles du marais. Plus tard, comme le soleil se couchait derrière les monts de Wicklow, une volée d’oies décolla soudain contre le ciel orangé.

Au terme d’une semaine de nuages bas et de ciel couvert, le soleil hivernal baignait les lieux d’une lumière féérique.

East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland

birdwatching, Wicklow, Ireland

Jedi

East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland, birdwatching, reeds

birdwatching, Wicklow, Ireland, Living Arrows, #MummyShot

Mermaid / Sirène

East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland

child play, Wicklow, Ireland, outdoor play, Living Arrows

Pebbles / Caillou

East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland

Wicklow, Ireland, Living Arrows, child play, rushes, reeds, observation

Squirrel / Ecureuil

East Coast Nature Reserve, Wicklow, Ireland

Getting there

East Coast Nature Reserve logoBird Watch Ireland‘s East Coast Nature Reserve is located 2km east of Newcastle, Co Wicklow. While driving on the R761 through Newcastle, turn onto the Sea Road. Parking is available on the roadside, across the road from the Newcastle Aerodrome (EINC). Please note that dogs are not allowed in the bird sanctuary.


S’y rendre

La Réserve naturelle de côte Est, gérée par Bird WatchIreland, se trouve à 2 km à l’est de Newcastle, Co Wicklow. De la route R761 qui traverse Newcastle, tournez sur Sea Road, en direction de la mer. Stationnement à l’entrée de la réserve, en face de l’aérodrome de Newcastle (EINC). A noter que les chiens sont interdits sur l’ensemble de la réserve ornithologique.

 

Linking up with Darren of Photalife
Photalife
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