31 December 2011
Bullfinch at Rogerstown,
County Dublin (Photo by Brian McDonnell)
29 December 2011
On a very slow bird news day....
Connemara: We had 40 ft long male Sperm Whale washed
up on the beach in Omey Island here in Connemara. OMG he was
massive. Some of his teeth were the size of a child's hand...his
tail fin alone was about 10 ft in diameter.!! MH
Sperm Whale on Omey Island,
Connemara (Photo by Michael Harris)
..."teeth were the size of a
child's hand"...Mir Harris
Some Louth sightings
from the 29th Dec
Salterstown: 1 Black-throated Diver.
Hermitage/Dunany Point: 1 female Velvet Scoter, 2 Snow
Bunting, 5 Twite.
Clogherhead: 500+ Brent Geese, 1 Dark-bellied Brent.
Lurgangreen: Lots of White-fonted Geese, Pink-foots
and Greylags and 1 Canada Goose,1 Barnacle Goose
are present the past week.BS
28 December 2011
M50 at Dunsink: 1 Buzzard.
Rogerstown: A Peregrine, a Merlin, small
numbers of Yellowhammer & a Hare.AR
Bull Island: 30 Turnstone, 5 Pintail, 1 Little
Egret, 1 Heron.MS
Turnstones busy foraging at
Bull Island (Photo by Mark Swords)
Skylark at North Bull Island
(Photo by Brian McDonnell)
Brent Geese at North Bull
Island (Photo by Brian McDonnell)
27 December 2011
Lucan: Kestrel flew across Adamstown road.
Leixlip: Kingfisher over the River Rye seen from Kellystown
Lane bridge.
Palmerstown: Buzzard at rear of Stewart's Hospital.AR
26 December 2011
Oldbridge and Townley woods, Drogheda: A large flock of
approx 200 Fieldfare feeding in fields along with 2 Redwing.BS
Wicklow: 2 Buzzards in Dunlavin Co. Wicklow.MH
Wicklow: 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel & 4 Ravens
at Church Mountain, west Wicklow.AR&GdeL
Blackcap in Coolock garden
(Photo by Brian McDonnell)
Lapwing taking a stretch at
Malahide Estuary (Photo by Cian Merne)
Merganser at Malahide
Estuary (Photo by Cian Merne)
25 December 2011
Termonfeckin: Saw 20 Sanderling, 6 Turnstone,
2 Grey Plover, 5 Oyestercatcher, 16 Ringed Plover
along Seapoint Beach. Also 30 Black-headed Gull,4 Great
Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and 1 Mediteranean
Gull present.BS
Sanderling at Seapoint Beach
Termonfeckin (Photo by Brendan Sheils)
24 December 2011
North Bull Island: Short eared Owl at 11:45am at alder
marsh.AR
Rogerstown: 3 Kestrels, 1 Buzzard, 1 Merlin
& ringtail Hen Harrier between 13:30 & 14:30pm.AR
22 December 2011
Bull Island: 3 Peregrine & 2 Merlin
seen from the causeway at 14:00 today.AR
21 December 2011
City Centre: I spied 2 Little Grebes at the Halfpenny
Bridge today.MH
Chapelizod: A Buzzard over the Liffey west of
Chapelizod bridge.AR
20 December 2011
Blackcap in Rathgar garden (Photo by
Tom Gregan)
19 December 2011
Blessington St. Basin: at 10.45 1 Smew
male and ringed (female prev this autumn), 2 Hooded Mergansers
(male and female), approx 60 Tufted Ducks, 3 Mute Swans
plus usuals.CD
18 December 2011
The Old Racecourse in Baldoyle: 4 Common Gulls, 2 Buzzards,
1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Yellowhammer and
20+ Tree Sparrows.EK
One Peregrine Falcon flew over Blessington Basin at
4pm.PV
Meanwhile out at Rogerstown, the female Hen Harrier gave
great views hunting near the car park, also present were Kestrel,
Merlin and Sparrowhawk. Great to see big flocks of Finches
and lots of Yellowhammer about too. At Knock Lake
(partially frozen) were Yellowhammer and a single Tree
Sparrow, only ducks present were Teal, Tufted Duck,
Mallard and Moorhen. At Balbriggan, lots of close in
Scoter and for me at least, the first time to see Mallards
at sea. Brrrr, lovely frosty winter weather. Still haven’t seen
any Dublin Redwings!(PV & IS)
15 December 2011
Sanderling at Dollymount
(Photo by Dave MacPherson)
14 December 2011
Ranelagh: A female Brambling joined the 20 Redpolls
and a dozen Chaffinch on my bird table this morning.
MC
13 December 2011
Dun Laoghaire: A total of 35 Mediterranean Gulls
were present between Sandycove & the East Pier, Dun Laoghaire
on a rising tide at 11:00. They were comprised of 2 1st-winters, 4
2nd-winters & 29 adults (including a stunning, full breeding
plumaged bird). A late 1st-winter Sandwich Tern was also
seen at Sandycove whilst & a female/immature type Black
Redstart was at the usual haunt at the base of the East Pier.
NTK
Shelduck at Dollymount
(Photo by Dave MacPherson)
12 December 2011
Black-tailed Godwits in
Poppintree Park, Ballymun (Photos by Mick Kelly)
11 December 2011
N7 Newlands Cross: A Kestrel.
Corkagh Park: Kingfisher at sludge pond, a Snipe
over the reedbed, male Bullfinch & small flocks of Goldfinch
& Long tailed tits. Also a Little Grebe & 5
of Tufted Ducks.AR & GdeL
Tufted Ducks at Corkagh Park
(Photo by Adrian Rooney)
Greylag
Geese at Rogerstown (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Greenshank and Redshank at
Rogerstown (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Grey Plover and Dunlin at
Rogerstown (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Pheasant (f) at Rogerstown
(Photo by Brian Carruthers)
%20BC.jpg)
10 December 2011
M1 Airport: 1 Kestrel. Rogerstown
north hide: 2 Buzzards, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk,
a Kingfisher & a Peregrine hunting in flooded
field. A Merlin perched on a post west of south hide.AR
North Bull Island: The BirdWatch Ireland Wicklow
Branch visited the The North Bull Island in the afternoon where
they recorded a total of 43 species. Highlights included the
female Blue-winged Teal & a pair of Gadwall
south of the causeway, a female Kingfisher, a hybrid
Carrion X Hooded Crow & a pair of Red-breasted
Mergansers north of the causeway & an adult Peregrine
hunting overhead, trying to catch a Teal in full flight! Some nice
pics from the outing by James Hayes can be found on the BirdWatch
Ireland Wicklow Branch Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/birdwatchwicklow
NTK
Pintail at North Bull
Island (Photo by Brian McDonnell)
9 December 2011
Rogerstown north hide: 2 Buzzards, a Kestrel, a Stonechat
& a Peregrine. M50 at Finglas exit: 1 Buzzard.AR
Stonechat at Rogerstown
(Photo by Adrian Rooney)
Peregrine at
Rogerstown (Photo by Adrian Rooney)
8 December 2011
Bull Island: Shoveler ducks - 3 male and 1
female at Dollymount causeway.MS
Shoveler at Dollymount
Causeway (Photo by Mark Swords)
6 December 2011
DCU playing fields of Ballymun Road: Approx 300 Brent Geese
and 20-30 Oystercatchers present today.PF
Rogerstown: Low tide counts from the Rogerstown
Estuary south hide this afternoon produced 50 Light-bellied
Brent Geese, 115 Shelduck, 330 Wigeon, 520+ Teal,
70 Mallard, 6 Shoveler, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers,
3 Little Egrets, 18 Little Grebes, a Buzzard,
a Sparrowhawk, a Water Rail, 650 Lapwing, 250
Golden Plover, 90 Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 180 Redshank,
110 Black-tailed Godwits, 275 Black-headed Gulls, 1
adult Mediterranean Gull, 16 Common Gulls, 385 Herring
Gulls & 55 Great Black-backed Gulls. Lots of
passerine activity on the walk down to the hide through Turvey,
most notably 2 Blackcaps & 2 Fieldfares along
with good numbers of finches & buntings (100+ Chaffinches,
100+ Greenfinches, 40+ Linnets and <10 of Yellowhammers,
Reed Buntings, Bullfinches, Goldfinches &
Lesser Redpolls). NTK
5 December 2011
An adult Ring-billed Gull was seen at Merrion Gates
(11:00) & a Spotted Redshank was roosting in
Booterstown Marsh (12:15). NTK
Drogheda: 2 Waxwing flew over my house calling at
8.30am.BS
4 December 2011
Sonairte, Laytown, Co.Meath: 1 Spotted Redshank,
15 Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Turnstone,
1 Snipe,1 Ringed Plover, 1 Sparrowhawk, 30 Teal,
18 Wigeon, 10 Mallard and 1 male Pintail
along the nature trail walk. There was no sign of the Spotted
Sandpiper.BS
Oystercatchers, Tolka River Valley Park Finglas
(Photo by Brian Carruthers)
3 December 2011
DCU playing fields of Ballymun Road: 50-60 Brent Geese
landed for a time at around 4 o'clock before being chased by a
dog.PF
1 December 2011
Red Kite, tagged blue&white,
at Lusk (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Red Kite, tagged blue&white,
at Lusk (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Oystercatcher at Dutton (Photo by
Dave MacPherson)
