1 February, 2010
8 Yellowhammers seen feeding on fresh grass seed in Daristown
cemetary on the old airport road
this morning. also 4 Comorants on the pond in Santry Demense..MK
31 January, 2010
4 Buzzards on stubble next to the M7 2 miles
NE of Kill Village . SO'B
30 January, 2010
Male Scaup with the Pochard flock south side of
broadmeadows.DO'M
Male and female Blackcap Mir's garden at Killester.
Three Redpols, four Siskins and one male Blackcap and a Gold
Crest today at Cushawn Park Tallaght where they have been for
the for the past 3 weeks consorting with with
8 Chaffinches, 2 Blackbirds, 8 Greenfinches, 2 Blue Tits, a pair of
Robins, an occasional pair of Great Tits and some
Starlings. Coal Tits being more infrequent visitors.
There were 126 Greylag Geese in Three Castles just over the border
in Wicklow this afternoon. One of them had a silver neck
ring. They were in the company of 22 Whooper Swans - a
few of them juveniles. There were two adult Whooper Swans at
Mount Seskin, near Brittas, Co. Dublin also. The geese and
swans alternate between the Mount Seskin site and the Three Castle Site.L
O'B
29 January, 2010
At the base of the East Pier, Dun Laoghaire today : 2
Black Redstarts, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Grey Wagtails and a few each of
Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail were actively
catching insects on a large pile of seaweed. NK.
28 January, 2010
2 Blackcaps
in Chris's garden in Phibsboro.CE
26 January, 2010
6 Siskin near Newlands Park cemetry, Tallaght. SK
25 January, 2010
Little Egret
at Santry Demense.MK. Female Blackcap at St James Hospital. MH1
Little Egret feeding in dyke on Naas race courseSO'B
24 January, 2010
4 Redpolls
in Maynooth. JC
Scaup at the Poolbeg. John Fox
Saturday 23 January - Tolka
Branch Outing and Dublin Bird race day
Red- necked Grebe and Black Redstart
still at Dun Laoghaire and a Green- winged Teal
at Rogerstown.2 new sites for Brent Geese - 100 at Blackrock College ( MH)
and 300 at California Hills Park ( RD).
Niall Keogh brings us this
special extended report of the Dublin Bird race
The 20th annual Dublin County
Bird Race went ahead today at a later date than usual as a result of
inclement weather at the start of the month. 6 teams took part recording a
total of 115 species. The winning 'Category A' team, The Southside Swifts,
scored 102 ½ points (the half being a calling Water Rail).The winning
'Category B' team, The Shady Maples, scored 88 points.
The Red-necked Grebe was at the
marina in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the two Black Redstarts were at the base
of the East Pier along with a Purple Sandpiper whilst another Black
Redstart was seen at the end of Sandycove East Lane.
A big surprise was the noticeable
lack of Red-throated Divers which seemed to be absent from Dublin Bay
& Killiney Bay. Small numbers were seen off Skerries. Great Northern
Divers are quite plentiful at the moment and were noted all along the
coast. The three auk species proved somewhat difficult to find. Fulmars
are already back at breeding sites such as Shenick Island & Killiney,
one Gannet was seen flying north behind Dalkey Island and the only
Kittiwakes of the day were at Killiney Bay.
Little Egrets have been quite scarce
lately due to the cold weather. Singles were noted at Deansgrange,
Booterstown Marsh, the North Bull & Rogerstown.
Rare & scarce duck included the female
Blue-winged Teal on the North Bull, a drake Green-winged Teal at
Beaverstown (Outer Rogerstown Estuary), a female Gadwall at Broadmeadows,
a 2nd cal-year male Scaup at Knock Lake and a male & female
Scaup also seen at the Poolbeg. The only Greylag Geese recorded were two
flying over the north side of Rogerstown. There are currently good numbers
of Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers &
Great-crested Grebes at Swords estuary. Small numbers of Common Scoter
were seen in Dublin Bay & off Skerries.
A Hen Harrier at Rogerstown was a
nice find whilst other raptors seen included 2 Peregrines & a Merlin
on the North Bull, Buzzards at Swords, Rogerstown and Knock Lake, Kestrel
& Sparrowhawk.
A presumed 4th cal-year
Ring-billed Gull was seen Merrion Gates (bring a bag of bread for
excellent views of this bird). An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was also
at Merrion Gates and another was seen at Broadmeadows.
Singles of Treecreeper, Jay, Stock
Dove & Chiffchaff were at Cabinteely Park whilst another Chiffchaff
was at Deansgrange along with a Kingfisher and one of the few Fieldfares
seen during the day. Dippers were found at their usual haunts along the
Shanganagh River, a hybrid Carrion X Hooded Crow was at the outflow, north
of the causeway on the North Bull and nice flock of c.80 Yellowhammers
accompanied by plenty of Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches & Reed Buntings
was in a stubble field on the north side of Rogerstown. Redpoll were very
scarce and only small numbers of Siskin were noted.
22 January, 2010
At Broadmeadows, Swords Estuary 25 Snipe on 21 January and 45
today . There were also, 70 Golden Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 1
Turnstone, 145 Lapwing, 11 Greenshank and some Black-tailed Godwits,
Redshank etc.BK
20 January, 2010
3 male and 2 female Blackcaps and a single Chiffchaff at
Dartmouth Square park in Ranelagh . They have been around for a while now.
Also a male Sparrowhawk in the area. Numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare
have all been reduced to mere flyovers groups. MC
18 January, 2010
30 Tree Sparrows, 2 Brambling, 8 Yellowhammer at Porchavodda,
Hacketstown, Co Carlow. PC
Sunday 17 January, 2010
4 Whitefronts with 800 Greylag geese in a stubble field south of
Lurgangreen, Co Louth. LB, CE, SK Also in Co Louth a Snowbunting
at Annagassen. SC 4 Red Kites at Avoca today. NOR
Snowbunting today at Annagassen. Shay Connolly
Red Kite at Avoca. Noel O Reilly
Saturday 16 January, 2010
On the I-WEBs count on the Bull this morning there were just over 3000
Knot, 394 Grey Plover, 34 Red- Breasted Mergansers. 1 Merlin with prey
robbed in aerial pursuit by 2 chasing Hoodies. Only 1 Little Egret.
LB Black Redstart and Grey Wagtail at Balscadden, Howth, this morning.
BQ 2 Snipe flushed at the Bull causeway. CM Female Blackcap still coming to fruit in Phibsboro.
Sparrowhawk at the Strawberry Beds CE
Nicely coiffed female and male Red Breasted
Mergansers on the Bull this morning. Cian Merne
14 January, 2010
At the South Bull wall today of a pair of Scaup, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Great Northern Divers, several Shags with crests up,
Black and Common Guillemots and a male Red Brested Merganser, all inside the wall at the Poolbeg end.A
Purple Sandpiper also on the wall. FT
On the beach at Donabate there were 1500+
Black-headedgulls,200+ Lesser black-b gulls,100+Great black-b gulls,30+
Common gulls. The were all together on a retreating tide-line about 30yrds from the dunes.
Aa lot of the golfers playing Corbalis were having a good look, the noise was that loud.
It was a very calm sea with little or no wind around. A reader asks if any
birdwatchers have seen this before or now why there was so many gulls together?
12 January, 2010
Kingfsher, at the Santry river outflow to the north lagoon, Bull
Island Causeway. Donal Glacken
11 January, 2010
Meadow Pipit on the grass at the side of Oliver Bond Flats in Ussher St. this morning.
DmcC
Sunday, 10 January
60 Fieldfares were on the same little Rowan tree on Kinvara Road this
afternoon DMcC Fieldfares and Redwings continue
to to be reported in gardens, parks and streets all over Dublin. Be sure to feed
the birds!! We can't publish all the wonderfull photos but we thank you
for sending them to us.
7 January, 2010
6 Yellowhammers
in NUIM ( Maynooth) North Campus.JC
6 January, 2010
2 Woodcock
over the Iveagh Gardens in the city centre this evening being chased
by a Perigrine Falcon. KG
Blackcap in Howth. BQ, HQ
5 January, 2010
In Porchavodda Co. Carlow 16 Bullfinches, 7 Redpolls, 1
Yellowhammer on a nut feeder.
2 Jack Snipe and lots of common Snipe in the short grass fields were they are normally never seen. Geese and
Lapwings also seen flying over.PC female Blackcap still in
Phibsboro. CE
4 January, 2010
Two Black Redstarts
at Dun Laoghaire. Lots of Redwings and Song Thrushes
at the old baths too.
14 Med Gulls at Sandycove. Male Blackcap at Kilcross (Sandyford) today and every day since 1 Jan.
Female also present on 2 Jan.CMacL
Sunday 3 January, 2010
Over 30 Little Grebes at the Broad Meadow River mouth in Malahide Estuary today.
25 Pochard and 6 Goldeneye seen from the kennels. CM A pair of Gadwall
on the North Bull, at the fence enclosing Royal Dublin Golf Club very high spring tide.GP
1 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Red- breasted Mergansers, 2 Little Grebes
at the wooden Bridge on the Bull this morning.MH More winter thrushes reported from Kildare and all over Dublin today.
See Redwings below. At Maynooth today in addition to the winter thrushes
there were Bullfinches, Goldfinches, one female Blackcap and 5 Redpolls
in one garden. Also, a female Stonechat in Carton House, some Skylarks, and several
Tufted ducks. JC
Saturday 2 January, 2010
100s of Redwings and Fieldfare all over the east coast right
now. Reports from Drogheda, Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin city centre. Look
out for these great winter visitors. They like berries but leave out food
including apples at ground level and on bird tables as well as your nut feeders. Female Blackcap
around Connaught Parade all week. CE
1 January, 2010
Redpoll
at Lucan.
29 December, 2009
Water Pipit
at Knock Lake. PK Chiffchaff feeding on Ivy fruits at Strandville Avenue,
Dublin 3.JB Buzzard giving great views all week sitting on the for lease sign just inside the corn-field
opposite the entrance to the NCT centre on the m50 Ballymun roundabout. MK
28 December, 2009
Two Siskins and three Redpolls in the garden at Whitworth
Road. JH A new Black Redstart
feeding on white berries at the security fence around the ESB, Poolbeg
this morning. LB The Dun Laoghaire Black Red was
also seen during the day. NH
Sunday 27 December, 2009
Reports of plenty of winter thrushes, Fieldfares and Redwings all over
Dublin and Wicklow. 12 Common Crossbills at Poulaphouca dam Blessington.
3 Woodcock in woods around the lake. 1 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 8
Goldeneye. 1 Ravon
and about 20 Little Grebe also at the lake. PC
Red-necked Grebe still at Dun Laoghaire
Harbour. Also great views of Black Redstart, east pier near cannon ( old baths area)
- see photo below. SC