31 January, 2011
Redpoll in Dublin garden (Photo by
Tom Gregan)
Black-tailed Godwit at Bull
Island, Dublin (Photo by Ger Franck)
30 January 2011
Bull Island: the Blue-winged Teal was still present, south of the Causeway on the Bull. Also along the causeway was the hybrid Carrion x Hooded Crow. Note the grey areas around the legs.AK
Carrion x Hooded Crow
(hybrid) Bull Island, Dublin (Photo by Aidan Kelly)
Sandycove: Total of 41 Mediterranean Gulls on rocks at low tide between East Pier and Fortyfoot, two colour-banded in NE France and Belgium.OJM
Bray Harbour: 1 Ring-billed and 1 Mediterranean Gull, with high count of 87 Turnstones.OJM
Thrush in Phoenix Park (Photo by
Brian McDonnell)
29 January 2011
Swords Estuary (west of viaduct),: 4 Whooper Swan and 88
Mute Swan, with 1 Pink-footed and 1 Bar-headed
Goose, 765 Golden Plover, 700 Lapwing, 115 Bar-tailed
Godwits, 75 Goldeneye, 35 Great Crested Grebe, 310
Black-headed Gulls (including one colour-banded bird from Gloucester), plus 20 other waterbird species.OJM
28 January 2011
North Strand Road: I had the pleasure of watching 2 Redpolls feeding on
nyjer seed in my garden at 8am this morning.JB
Siskin and Chaffinch in
Raheny (Photo by Deirdre Ní Mhórdha)
27 January 2011
Bray: One Treecreeper feeding on bird table! Also 8-10
Siskins, 2 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Blackcaps, 8 Goldfinches. Also 1
Pheasant, 8 Woodpigeons, 2 Collared Doves, Wren,
Robins, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Song
Thrushes, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, House
Sparrows, Starlings, Jackdaws, Magpies, Rooks,
Long-tailed, Coal, Blue and Great Tits feeding daily.OJM
26 January 2011
A Kingfisher was being mobbed by a Black-headed gull near the Millennium Bridge this morning. A pair of
Dippers on the Dodder near the bridge at Ballsbridge also. Minimum of 4
Blackcaps along Leeson Park in Ranelagh today.MC
Two female Brambling were at a private garden near Cabinteely. NTK & NK
Red Arches, Baldoyle: 820 Brent Geese grazing in middle of park.OJM
25 January 2011
The Red-necked Grebe was again present off the bandstands inside the harbour at the East Pier, Dun Laoghaire at high tide. NK
24 January 2011
At 09:45 this morning: 250+ Brent Geese on Erins
Isle pitch+putt course.BC
23 January 2011
Today at 3.00pm on Bull Island: 100's of Brent Geese, 9
Pintail, 50+ Teal, 30 Redshank, 50+ Shelduck,
Oystercatcher, 7 Mallard, 10 Curlew, 20 Ringed
Plover, 4 Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit,1 Yellowhammer and later on I spotted a
Wigeon.RW & GW
22 January 2011
The male Great-spotted Woodpecker was seen again at Cabinteely Park, calling frequently although quite mobile. NTK, Andrew Power & Peter Cutler
You can take the camera away from the man but...not for long...
Female Blackcap at Drogheda (Photo by
Eric Dempsey)
Lessor Whitethroat at Drogheda (Photo by Eric Dempsey)
22 January 2011
Tolka Branch January Outing - Dun Laoghaire to Bullock Harbour
West Pier, Dun Laoghaire: 15 Red-breasted Mergansers,
7 Common Scoter, a Red-throated Diver, Great-crested
Grebe, Little Grebe, a Grey Heron, 14 Turnstone,
and several Razorbill, Guillemot and a few Black
Guillemot. Over at Windsor Terrace were 3 Mediterranean
Gulls, 2 Rock Pipits, more Turnstone and 2 Collared
Dove. We finished our viewing at Bullock Harbour where
we were treated to a fly-past by 10 Brent Geese.
Other species seen on the day were Redshank, Black-headed
Gulls, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Cormorants,
Shags, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Hooded Crow,
Starlings and Magpie.
Mediterranean Gull at
Dun Laoghaire (Photo by
Ger Franck)
Swords Estuary: Teal,
Robin, Blackbird, Mute Swans, Cheeky Feral Bar-headed
Goose, Lapwings, Golden Plovers, flock of at least 15
Little Grebes, Mallards, 2 Snipe, Heron,
Brent Geese, approx 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, small flock of sleepy
Pochard and Tufted Duck, medium flock of Goldeneye,
Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Greater Black-backed
Gull, 1 Pink-footed Goose and 4 Whooper Swans.RB
Meanwhile over in Baldoyle: >200 Brent Geese were
seen feeding in the Parkvale Park, Baldoyle.RB
19 January 2011
One Pink-footed Goose with 4 Whooper Swans at the Swords Estuary all day today.BK
Pink-footed Goose with Whooper Swans at
Swords Estuary (Photo by Brian Keogh)
14 January 2011
One second winter Iceland Gull at Arklow Pond.OJM
Below is a photo of a Lesser Whitethroat seen at Drogheda today.
The bird was ringed on the 13th January 2011 by Chris Honan in the company of Alyn Walsh and Killian
Mullarney.
Killian has stated on the IBN that some of the features seen, the call and wing formula measured while the bird was in the hand suggest that the bird may be one of the
Asian forms of Lesser
Whitethroat, most probably halimodendri or minula.
DNA collected may prove its race in time. Either way a very interesting bird particularly for the time of year.JF
Lessor Whitethroat at Drogheda (Photo by
John Fox)
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12 January 2011
Santry Demense: 2 male Pochard on the lake.
Also I spotted a Long-eared Owl sitting on the fence opposite the
NCT centre on the Ballymun M50 roundabout from 8.30pm till 10.00pm last
night. This is a great area for raptors, Kestrel, Buzzard, Merlin,
Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and now Long-eared Owl.MK
Inchicore garden: 5 Blackcaps (4 male + 1 female), 2 Redpoll as well as good numbers of
Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Great
Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits and Long-tailed
Tits. There were also a few Redwing and Blackbirds about as well.IS
11 January 2011
475 Brent Geese at Red Arches, Baldoyle, at least 24 of which were colour-ringed. OJM
Ballymun: 2 Redwings in Balcurris Park, Ballymun this afternoon.AMcB
Along The Murrough, Co. Wicklow today: A flock of c.120 Greylag Geese & 1
Barnacle Goose flew north out of Blackditch ECNR first thing in the morning. A male
Gadwall, good numbers of Shoveler, a Siskin & a
Redpoll were also present on the reserve. The regular orange wing-tagged ringtail
Hen Harrier flew north through Newcastle Airfield & was later seen hunting Webb's field, Kilcoole. A
Buzzard was seen perched on a post in Stringer's fields whilst in Webb's field an eclipse/2nd cal-year type drake
Green-winged Teal, c.800 Lapwing, 105 Light-bellied Brent
Geese, c.45 Black-tailed Godwits & 3 Coot were present. A lone
Otter was seen running across the landing strip at Newcastle Airfield and a female Otter with 2 well grown cubs gave fantastic views as they fed on eels & flatfish in Webb's field at close range in broad daylight. NTK
At Swords Estuary: 30 Snipe, 7 Coot and a Kingfisher. In surrounding hedgerows 8
Yellowhammer, 6 Tree Sparrows and a Brambling.GF
Mandarin Duck at Carysfort Park,
Blackrock 11th January 2011 (Photo by Bill Quinn)
Bullfinch at Clonsilla (Photo by
John Fox)
10 January 2011
A total of 29 Mediterranean Gulls were resting on the rocks at Sandycove at 10:00 this morning (17 adults, 2 3rd cal-years & 10 2nd cal-years).
A Waxwing was heard calling, flying over Glenageary Road, Dun Laoghaire at 12:00.
At Cabinteely Park, a female Brambling was at the feeders, a 2nd cal-year type
Peregrine flew overhead carrying prey, a Dipper & a
Little Egret were on the river and c.100 Redwing were out feeding on the greens.
A large flock of feeding gulls on the pitches at Kilbogget Park at 16:00 contained 16
Mediterranean Gulls (15 adults & a 3rd cal-year) whilst 25
Curlew flew north overhead. NTK
9 January 2011
Dundalk Bay: Total of 34,248 waterbirds, of 37 species, counted by OJM and Breffni Martin. Top ten species were 10,012
Knot, 6,992 Oystercatchers, 4,364 Black-headed
Gulls, 2,592 Black-tailed Godwits, 1,507 Bar-tailed
Godwits, 1,090 Dunlins, 1,016 Wigeon, 891 Redshanks, 889
Herring Gulls, 795 Common Gulls. Usually in mid-winter there are >5,000 each of
Golden Plovers and Lapwings, but the severe cold this winter seems to have displaced most of them.OJM
& BM
Broadmeadow Estuary: 4 adult Whooper Swans with 1 Pink-footed
Goose. Also 1 Ruff. Bar-headed Goose still present. OJM
Nimmo's Pier: 8 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 6 Mallard, Estimated 60
Common Gull (10 1st. winter, 3 2nd. winter), 200 Black-headed
Gulls (12 1st. winter, 2 adult winter to summer), Herring
Gulls (30 immature, 5 Adult winter), 1 Ring-billed Gull adult, 20
Mute Swan, 8 Shag, 2 Rock Pipits, 1 Linnet, 1
Song Thrush, 2 Cormorant.SL
Belmullet Peninsula: 50 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrush, 2
Blackbird, 2 Rock Dove, 300 (approx.) Barnacle
Geese, 15 Brent Geese, 4 Greylag Geese, 2 Pink-footed
Geese, 1 Snow Goose, 10 Whooper Swan, 6 Mute
Swan, 8 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard, 4 Teal, 6
Wigeon, 1 Scaup, 4 Coot, 20 Starling, 4
Shag, 1 Cormorant, 20 Black-backed Gull, 20 Black-headed
Gull, 10 Common Gull, 30 Curlew, 3 Common
Snipe, 2 Rock Pipit, 2 Meadow Pipit, 50 Lapwing, 80
Golden Plover, 15 Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank.SL
Snow Goose flying with two Greylag
Geese and a Pink-footed Goose at Termoncarragh,
Belmullet Peninsula (Photo by Stephen Lawlor)
Little Grebe at Dun
Laoghaire (Photo by Shay Connolly)
Goldcrest at Carysfort Park,
Blackrock (Photo by Bill Quinn)
8 January 2011
Bull Island: 4 Greenshank,100's of Redshank, Black-tailed
Godwit, Shelduck & Black-headed Gulls, 5 Bar-tailed
Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 35 Knot, 12 Golden Plover,
3 Grey Plover. Teal, Wigeon, Mallard,
Shoveler all abundant. 1 Merlin on the Alder
Marsh flushed 2 Snipe near causeway and the Carrion Crow was present along the causeway.
Howth Harbour. 1 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated
Diver, 1 Black Guillemot and Little Grebe. 1 Yellow-legged Gull on west Pier and an adult
Little Gull at harbour mouth.BS
Pintail at Bull Island (Photo by
Brendan Sheils)
7 January 2011
Today at 1.00 a single Lapwing feeding with a number of Curlew also a
Kestrel being chased by a Rook on golfcourse in Howth.RW
At Clonkeen Park, Deansgrange, a Little Egret, an adult Mediterranean
Gull, a small flock of Siskins, 2 Blackcaps, Bullfinch, 10
Redshank, 3 Grey Wagtails & 4 Teal (2 males & 2 females) were seen. A
Great Northern Diver was present in Dublin Port, viewable from The Bull Wall. The returning female
Blue-winged Teal & a pair of Gadwall were at the North Bull, on the small section of salt marsh directly opposite the St. Anne's Park car park with the hybrid
Carrion X Hooded Crow still present along the causeway near here also.
At Howth, a Peregrine was seen resting on top of Ireland's Eye whilst a 3rd calendar-year Scandinavian
Herring Gull (race argentatus) & an adult 'yellow legged'
Herring Gull resembling the taxon 'omissus' were present on the roof of the fish processing plant on the west pier. A
Black-necked Grebe was a nice surprise at Baldoyle. A Bar-headed Goose (presumed escape) was with the
Mute Swans at Broadmeadows Estuary whilst some Tree Sparrows &
Yellowhammers were seen in a garden nearby. A flock of Yellowhammers,
Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches & Reed Buntings was present in the fields north of
Rogerstown. 14 Purple Sandpipers were at Skerries & 3 male
Gadwall were at Knock Lake. NTK & NK
Coot (On Thin Ice) Knock Lake (Photo by
John Fox)
%20Knock%20Lake%20JF.jpg)
6 January 2011
Dublin Bay: >500 Great Crested Grebes in Dublin Bay.SH
An apparent hybrid adult Ring-billed X Common Gull was displaying to an adult
Common Gull at the baths near the East Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour. NTK
Great-spotted Woodpecker
in Phoenix Park (Photo by
Stephen Lawlor)
Buzzard at Barberstown, County
Kildare (Photo by
Stephen Lawlor)
5 January 2011
Long-tailed Tit in the reeds at Tacumshin
(Photo by
Stephen Lawlor)
Goldeneye at Swords Estuary (Photo
by John Fox)
4 January 2011
Dun Laoghaire East Pier: 2 Cormorants, 3 Shags,
2 Guillemots.
Baths area: 48 Turnstone, 2 Redshank, 6 Purple
Sandpiper, 100's of Black-headed Gulls, 6 Great Black-backed
Gulls, 40 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Ring-billed Gull (adult),
1 Iceland Gull (adult), 17 Common Gull and plenty of
Herring Gulls. Also 5 Meadow Pipits, 2 Pied
Wagtails, 1 Robin, 1 Blackbird, 40 Linnets with a
possible Snow Bunting feeding on the seaweed.
Cabinteely Park: 3 Brambling (1 male, 2 female at feeders),1
Great-spotted Woodpecker, 18 Redwing, 3 Siskin,
Sparrowhawk and lots of other common species.BS
Purple Sandpiper at Dun Laoghaire
baths (Photo by Brendan Sheils)
3 January 2011
Killester: Partial leucistic Blackbird visting
Killester garden today.MH
Bray Harbour: I estimated there to be 200 - 300 Black-headed
Gulls, 80 Herring Gulls, 30 Common Gulls, 8 Great Black-backed
Gulls.SL
Common Gull at Bray Harbour
(Photo by
Stephen Lawlor)
2 January 2011
Dun Laoghaire East Pier inside: 2 Black Guillemots, 4 Cormorants, 1
Little Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Great-crested
Grebe, 3 Brent Geese (Flying).
Dun Laoghaire East Pier outside: 30 Starling, 2 Pied
Wagtails, 2 Rock Pipits, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Mediterranean Gull
adult, 35 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Herring Gulls, 12 Turnstone, 2
Redshank, 5 Linnet, 5 Shags, 3 Cormorant.SL
Red-necked Grebe at Dun Laoghaire (Photo by
Stephen Lawlor)
