THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS  and ADVISERS DURING   March 2011...

 Harry Bailey, Rhona Byrne, Mark Carmody, Philip Clancy, Shay Connolly, Joe Curtis, Gerry Donnelly, Rosemary Doyle, 
Ger Franck, Donal Glackin, Tom Gregan, Vincent Hall, Mir Harris, Stewart Holohan, E
dd Kealy, Aidan Kelly, Cóilín MacLochlainn, 
Dermot McCabe, Rose McDonald, Brian McDonnell, Oscar Merne, Francois Mullan, Conor Nolan, Neil O'Reilly, 
Adrian Rooney, Eric Sexton, Brendan Sheils, Marie Sinnott, Ian Stevenson, Frank Turpin, Robert Wall, Ciaran Walsh

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.

 
 



31 March 2011
Two Buzzards close to Barberstown roundabout between Celbridge & Clane.  Single Buzzard & male Kestrel at Ballinafagh Lake.
Single Buzzard, male Kestrel & male Sparrowhawk between Carton Demesne & Leixlip.AR



30 March 2011
South Wall at noon. Close to the wall a Continental "Sinensis" Cormorant in full breeding plumage was showing well. Further south a Red-throated Diver was riding the waves with 4 Great Crested Grebes. FT

Two Buzzards at Rogerstown this morning. Also, one over N2 at Blanchardstown exit & one between Hollystown & Tyrellstown.AR

Sandycove: 6 Mediterranean Gulls, all first winter birds. Also 2 Sandwich Terns. OM

Bray In my garden: - 3 Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs and 1 Willow Warbler -- all singing males. OM



29 March 2011

Sandycove: 13 Mediterranean Gulls (4 adults, rest immatures).SH

Two Black Guillemots in Summer plumage on the River Liffey opposite the Four Courts.IS

At Blackditch between 11:45am & 1:15pm today:   2 Mute Swan,  2 Little Egrets, 1 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Heron.  Good numbers of Teal & Little Grebe and a few Garganey present also. AR


28  March 2011

"One Swallow does not a summer make" - but it's a start!

Dollymount Causeway:  1 Swallow flew past from the Wooden Bridge over to the Golf Club.DG
Later in the evening on the Causeway, a "beautiful male Wheatear", was spotted by RB

A Buzzard over the old N2 at Ashbourne 2:30pm.  Two more Buzzards circling & calling over Blanchardstown main street at 4pm.AR

Shag at Poolbeg (Photo by John Fox)


Cormorant in breeding plumage at Poolbeg (Photo by John Fox)



27 March 2011
A male Kestrel & a male Sparrowhawk hunting between Newcastle & Five Mile Point this morning.  Also some Reed Buntings present.AR

Phoenix Park: between 1.30 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. -  4 Little Grebe, several Tufted Ducks, 4 Mandarin Duck (2 Males+2 Females), a single Jay and a Turtle. RW

Mandarin Duck, male, at Phoenix Park (Photo by Robert Wall)


Kestrel at Rogerstown (Photo by Harry Bailey)





26 March 2011
Broadmeadows:  2 Buzzards, Juvenile and Adult Red-breasted Mergansers, Brent Geese, Pink-footed Goose, Great Crested Grebes, Mallard, Mute Swans,Teal, Black-tailed Godwits (alot in breeding plumage), Greenshank, Lapwing, Moorhen, Redshank, Blue Tit, Blackbirds, Grey Heron, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Lesser black-backed Gull, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and a Little Gull.RB & RMcD


26 March 2011

Phoenix Park:  15 Tufted Ducks, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 7 Little Grebes, 1 Treecreeper,1 Stock Dove and 2 Mediterranean Gulls.BS

Tufted Duck at The Phoenix Park (Photo by Brendan Sheils)


Lesser Black-backed Gull at The Phoenix Park (Photo by Brendan Sheils)




25 March 2011

Numerous Jays in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, County Laois.  Also good numbers of Goldfinch & Bullfinch.  1 female Sparrowhawk & 4 Kestrels. A pair of harriers at noon circling over established terrain.AR

1 Buzzard at Baldonnell at St. Francis football club 3pm.   1 Buzzard over Lucan village at 3:15pm.AR

A Swallow flew over Glasnevin today.FM

I observed 2 Blackcaps in my Garden In Raheny this morning and several Bullfinches.GD

Lurgangreen, Dundalk:  5 Tundra Bean Geese with 80 Pink-footed Geese, Greylag Geese and 1 White-fronted Goose at Lurgangreen this evening giving great views.BS

Tundra Bean Geese (3 in foreground - 2 in background) at Lurgangreen (Photo by Brendan Sheils)



24 March 2011

House Martins spotted fly-catching in the beautiful blue sky yesterday over houses in Sutton.RB

Four Sand Martins have returned to the Camac River, Kilmainham. Observed at lunchtime today checking out nest sites in the wall off the river bank. Seen last year also.MS

Drogheda:  A pair of Blackbirds are undergoing nest building in my School garden,  St Joseph's CBS. Giving great views today.BS

Between Portmarnock and Malahide: 12 Razorbills, 20+ Turnstones, 1 Great-crested Grebe and Herring Gulls, Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls.EK

Razorbill at Portmarnock (Photo by Edd Kealy)


Dunlin at Portmarnock (Photo by John Fox)


23 March 2011
Swords Estuary (upper). 1 Pink-footed Goose, 375 Brent Geese, 31 Teal, 18 Shelduck, 33 Golden Plover, 25 Knot, 10 Dunlin, 276 Black-tailed Godwits, 38 Bar-tailed Godwits, 77 Redshank, 2 Buzzards soaring overhead.OM

Sandycove. 23 Mediterranean Gulls, 15 of which were adults in full summer plumage, some of them in obvious pairs.OM

Bray. Up to three Chiffchaffs singing each day, since the 18th March.OM



22 March 2011

Chiffchaff singing and sighted in woodland/scrub next to Glasson bog: Glasson, Co. Westmeath. Sunny patches of the understory graced by patrolling male Brimstone butterflies.CN


Mulhuddart:  A single Buzzard & a single Sparrowhawk circling over Church Road in Mulhuddart at 3:30pm today.  Very high - Buzzard at about 600 feet & Sparrowhawk at about 800 feet.AR


Howth:   20 Chiffchaffs at Red Rock, Howth this morning.GF

One of 20 Chiffchaffs at Howth (Photo by Ger Franck)




20 March 2011

Spring has arrived......A Swallow at Killoughter, County Wicklow. Also at the lower end of Vartry Reservoir were 4 Goosanders ( a male and 3 females).AK

Spring has also arrived in Connemara......by way of seeing a male and female Wheatear at Ballyconneely.MH


A male Sparrowhawk flying over the N3 at the Quinn Direct building in Blanchardstown this morning.AR

Dalkey:  a Kestrel hunting around Vico Road, Dalkey.ES 

Kestrel at Dalkey (Photos by Eric Sexton)




19 March 2011

Donegal:  Male Wheatear: Malin Beg, W.Donegal.CN

Rogerstown:  Eight Yellowhammer at Rogerstown today.SC

Wexford Wildfowl Reserve:  One Tundra Bean Goose feeding amongst a large flock of Greenland White-fronted Geese.RD


18 March 2011
County Wicklow:  4 Red Kites and a Buzzard, Redcross area today.NO'R

Red Kite at Redcross, County Wicklow (Photo by Neil O'Reilly)



All Friday afternoon during the sunny spell:   A single Buzzard soaring over Clonsilla train station, another single Buzzard soaring over St. Catherine's park in Lucan.   Two Buzzards & a female Sparrowhawk soaring between Clonee & Westmanstown.AR 


Greenfinch in a garden at Naul, Co. Dublin  (Photo by Joe Curtis)





17 March 2011
Pair of Kestrels perched together on a telegraph pole in Pollardstown Fen.AR

Dublin Zoo:  Little Grebe spotted on the main lake at Dublin Zoo today.CW

Little Grebe at Dublin Zoo (Photo by Ciaran Walsh)




16 March 2011

Black Guillemots at Howth (Photo by Ger Franck)



15 March 2011
A Chiffchaff was singing in Merrion Square park at lunchtime today.AK

A adult summer plumaged Black Guillemot has been prospecting along the quay wall near Millennium Bridge on the Liffey. Upwards of 7 Blackcap (4 male and 3 female) along Leeson Park, with one or two males beginning to sing.MC 



14 March 2011
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin:  at 4 p.m. in the Botanic Gardens I spotted a Treecreeper and a Dipper and then overhead I saw a Sparrowhawk.RW

Lesser Whitethroat at Westcourt, Dundalk (Photo by Shay Connolly)





13 March 2011
Single Buzzard over Mulhuddart.AR

Hybrid Blue-winged Teal-Shoveller at Our Lady's Island, Wexford (Photo by Vincent Hall)




12 March 2011
Tolka Trip to Lissadell, Sligo:  Full trip report click here

Killester:  A pair of Goldcrest in the Garden this morning.MH

Rathgar: 20-30 Waxwings in Rathgar Village today.TG 

Sandycove: 26 Mediterranean Gulls still present, at least two with colour bands from NE France.OM


Waxwings in Rathgar, Dublin (Photo by Tom Gregan)

 


11 March 2011
Dundalk Bay:  I-WeBS counts. Still 18,725 waterbirds (32 species) present between Marsh South and Dunany Point.  Top 10 were 8582 Knot, 3324 Oystercatchers, 914 Dunlin, 870 Black-tailed Godwits, 794 Redshanks, 718 Bar-tailed Godwits, 621 Common Scoters, 492 Curlews, 432 Greylag Geese, 441 Black-headed Gulls.OM



10 March 2011

This Sparrowhawk is reducing the small bird population by the day; photographed in our back garden at Naul this morning.JC

Sparrowhawk at Naul, County Dublin (Photo by Joe Curtis)







9 March 2011
Two full breeding plumage male Mandarin Duck in Quarry Lake, Phoenix Park this lunchtime.DMcC


8 March 2011
Blackcap (male) in Sandyford Garden (Photo by Cóilín MacLochlainn)





7 March 2011


Bullfinch, Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit at Cabinteely Park (Photos by Vinscent Hall)
    





Sparrowhawk near Clareens Co.Offaly (Photo by Ciaran Walsh)



Blackcap (female) in Coolock garden (Photo by Brian McDonnell)



6 March 2011
News on a ringed Bar-tailed Godwit:  A colour ringed Bar-tailed Godwit, code - R6WYBB spotted on Bull Island (Wooden bridge side) on the 6th March 2011 is well travelled.  After reporting the sighting I received an email from the study group informing me that this bird was caught on 13-Sep-10 at Strieper polder in Terschelling, Netherlands.  It has also been spotted in Booterstown on the 22nd Feb 2011. Before then it was in Newport, Wales since December.RB


Sandycove: 1 Sandwich Tern (winter plumaged), 26 Mediteranean Gull (2 Ringed birds), 4 Purple Sandpiper, 6 Turnstone, 2 Summer plumaged Black Guillemot, 1 Shag, 2 Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great-crested Grebe and 1 Grey Wagtail and 15 Brent Geese.BS

Kestrel at Rogerstown (Photo by Shay Connolly)




5 March 2011
South Bull Wall full tide. First Sandwich Tern still in Winter plumage was fishing over towards Wooden Bridge. 16 Black Guillemots all in full summer gear were paired off in the harbour. South of the wall large numbers of Great-crested Grebes were mostly in full Summer regalia. One pair was busy with their mating dance featuring erotic head feints and synchronised diving. Also in this direction Razorbills and Guillemots in a mixture of Winter and Summer plumage were lining up two by two, while to the annoyance of the gulls a Gannet was diving in their midst. Spring has sprung! FT



4 March 2011
Glasnevin:  2 Kingfisher seen on Tolka River.HB

Kingfisher at Glasnevin (Photo by Harry Bailey)




1 March 2011 

Yellowhammer in Wicklow (Photo by Philip Clancy)


Brambling in Wicklow garden (Photo by Philip Clancy)


Tree Sparrows in Wicklow Garden (Photos by Philp Clancy)
                                
 



28 February 2011
Lambay:   I-WeBS counts, Winter Atlas survey, etc. produced 70 species, including two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Long-eared Owls and a record 735 Brent Geese (18 with colour bands).OM

 
 


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