Ten reasons to get outdoors on Iveragh in Spring
The fresh green of new leaves and the misty blue of native bluebells in Carhan Woods.
When is spring?
Spring can be a contentious time in Ireland. Traditionally, St Brigid’s Day on the 1st February marked the beginning of spring. This arose from the Gaelic celebration of Imbolc, which was roughly half way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. There are certainly signs of spring visible in February. However, according to meteorology, the spring months are March, April and May.
Regardless of the date, there’s always a little flash of joy when the first flowers burst into bloom, the sounds of nature start to buzz with activity again, mild temperates add that ‘spring’ feeling to the air, and, of course, there’s a grand stretch in the evenings!
It’s always worthwhile exploring Iveragh, but here are some spring-specific reasons for getting out on foot, on wheels, or on the water.
Early spring sun near Cahersiveen
1. Longer days
When the evenings start to lengthen and the alarm clock sounds during daylight hours, the urge to get outside strengthens. As the desire to hibernate indoors disappears, and with all those daylight hours to play with, it’s possible (and safe) to go on longer adventures. Once you are out and about, there’s no need to rush home, either – the long days allow more time to slow down, take a break, and absorb the beautiful surroundings of Iveragh.
A willow warbler and the spring flowers of a willow tree
2. The dawn chorus
There is birdsong on Iveragh all year round, but in spring the volume, diversity, and passion of that song increases, especially around dawn. There is still some debate about why dawn is such a song-filled time. Some say it’s the quality of the air at that time that allows the song to travel further. Another theory is that many birds don’t survive the nighttime, so dawn is a good time to grab new territory or mates. Whatever the reason, to our human ears, it is a wonder of nature. Our suggestion is to get out early to a patch of native woodland like Derrynane, Carhan Woods, Parknasilla, or somewhere else away from traffic. The first birds to sing will usually be the blackbirds, whose big eyes allow them to be active in the semi-dark. It can be exciting to try to identify each bird as it joins the chorus, but perhaps it’s enough to just sit and let the song surround you.
Sea pinks, thrift, or rabhán, starts to flower in spring and continues into early summer.
3. Spring flowers
The first flowers to emerge are like the lights coming back on in the landscape – bursts of colour appear in the willow trees, on the blackthorn, and in the hedgerows. Lesser celandine, St Patrick’s Cabbage, wild garlic, and native bluebells are some of the first to emerge. As well as being beautiful, they are also a very necessary source of food for the wildlife that times its own lifecycle perfectly around these species. Take a walk down some of Iveragh’s narrow roads, such as Lamb’s Head, Loher or alongside Lough Currane and see what flowers are emerging into the spring sunshine. Look along coasts for sea pinks coming into bloom as well.
A small tortoiseshell butterfly enjoying a drink from a dandelion
4. Eye catching insects
As soon as you start to notice the buzzing of insects again, you realise what you’ve been missing all winter. Butterflies, bees, hoverflies, beetles, and damselfies all start to emerge, letting their dazzling colours shine in the brighter light. Many of them are buzzing around seeking out flowers for a drink of nectar. With its mixture of farmland, bog, coast, and woodland, Iveragh is home to a good range of insects of all shapes and colours.
Common frogs emerge in spring and move towards lakes and ponds to spawn.
5. Hibernation ends
It’s not just the bees and the butterflies that start to emerge, dozy and hungry, from a long winter of dormancy; bats, hedgehogs, lizards, badgers, frogs, and other animals hide away for the winter. Some of them enter a true hibernation where they are completely dormant, others just slow down their metabolism and while the winter away. For these animals, if there is a warm period over the winter, they can wake up for a quick snack or a drink before returning to safety and their long winter snooze. As they emerge in spring, regardless of exactly how they have hibernated, they are hungry and thirsty and need to warm up. Keep an eye out for the first sunbathing lizards of spring on dry stone walls, sand dunes, ruined building and earth banks. Although we might curse the midges that start to appear on mild evenings, they might be a welcome food source for local bats who will come and snack on them as darkness falls. See if you can catch a glimpse of the darting movements of bats in the twilight – don't worry, they are experts at flying and have good eyesight as well as being able to echolocate, so it’s very unlikely that they will get stuck in your hair!
Bog pools like this one often fill with frogspawn in spring.
6. New life
With all this waking and eating, of course the next most important thing is breeding! Look for the first tadpoles in blanket bogs and streams, and keep an eye out for little leverets (young hares) as they start to emerge from their grassy nests on scrubby hillsides. In the first few weeks of spring, birds will be busy building nests and incubating eggs, but before long you might notice awkward-looking fledgling birds testing out their new feathers and calling to be fed. If you’re near a river, you may hear the screeching sounds of young otters arguing over food. Iveragh’s coast is home to two species of seal – Common seals and Grey seals. They are here all year round, but in late spring, common seal pups are born with their waterproof grey coats on.
A group of walkers gathering near Cahersiveen in spring sunshine
7. Perfect hiking weather
It isn’t just the long hours of daylight that will tempt you outdoors; spring on Iveragh is mild, which is perfect for hiking, biking, or for any outdoor activity. You will probably still need a jacket and good footwear, but it’s unlikely to be freezing. Be careful, though, the weather is extremely unpredictable on this little peninsula sticking out into the wild Atlantic!
Fionnán grass covers much of Iveragh, turning the landscape green in spring.
8. Greening landscapes
While the golden hillsides of autumn and winter are spectacular in their own way, it’s a joy to watch the landscape turn green again. There is a vibrancy as the grass starts to grow, trees come into leaf, and the abundance and diversity of plant life on Iveragh springs into action. The same plant that turns the bogs and hills gold – Fionnán grass – also creates the green. Watch the willows, birches, hazels and ash to see which are the first and last to open their fresh green leaves. On the shore as well, watch as rock pools fill with new growth of seaweed.
The return of sand martins (Gabhlán Gainimh) to their nest sites in sandy coastal cliffs around Iveragh is a sure sign of spring.
9. Spring migrations
The first swallow, the first tern, the return of the sand martins to sandy cliffs, and of course, the first sightings of some of the offshore seabirds like fulmars, puffins, guillemots, razorbills and shearwaters are all clear signs that spring has arrived. Some of them have travelled incomprehensible distances to return to Iveragh. It’s hard not to imagine that it must be a relief for a tiny puffin to get back to the Skelligs after a winter of battling Atlantic storms. Look out for whales and basking sharks stopping off for a quick snack near to the shore in Iveragh on their way to breeding grounds. Some smaller marine animals are also easier to see as they come into shallower waters in the springtime to breed and spawn.
Calm spring days are perfect for exploring Iveragh’s coastline from the water.
10. Calm water
On this rocky peninsula that juts far out into the Atlantic, the winter is often a series of wild storms. While there are perfectly calm, golden winter days, the gentler seas and warming water that comes with the spring is very welcome. The temptation to get out on the water returns and, as the temperatures slowly rise, you might even feel the urge to take a dip in some of our beautiful, sheltered coves. Be careful, though, the sea is at its coldest in the early spring.
Whether you get out into the garden, down the road, or onto one of the longer trails on Iveragh, spring is a time filled with the joy of first sightings and anticipation of the summer to come. It’s a great time to visit because you have a good chance of getting some glorious, long sunny days before the crowds arrive. Locals will still have time to stop and chat, and whether it’s hearing the first cuckoo or spotting the first butterfly – there’s always something to chat about!
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