THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS  and ADVISERS DURING   January 2010

Jose Campos, Mark Carmody, Philip Clancy, Shay Connolly, Rosemary Doyle, Tom Doyle, Chris Evans, Kieran Grace, Noel Keogh, Mir Harris, Sean Kingston, Coilin MacLochlainn, Dermot McCabe, Cian Merne, Liam O Brien, Dermot O Mahony, Noel O Reilly, Gerry Power, Bill Quinn, Heather Quinn, Brendan Sheils, Frank Turpin

The named authors hold the copyright for all photographs published on this website. Authors permission must be sought for copying, publishing or reproduction for any purpose other than for personal archives.

 Be sure to enter your sightings data to the Atlas on the link below. You will find very useful information here about the area you visit. Well worth a few extra minutes at your computer! http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/index.htm  

Brent Geese now heading further west. Let us know if you see them in Ronanstown or Palmerstown!


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
M
ale 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. MH
1 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