THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS and ADVISERS DURING MAY

THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS and ADVISERS DURING MAY, JUNE 2007

Eric Dempsey, John Fox, Gerald Frank, Sean Geraty, Brian M Gormley, Kieran Grace, John Hammond, Sean Hogan, Noel Keogh, Niall T Keogh, Aidan Kelly, Pat Lenihan, Oscar Merne, Pirmin Nietlisbach, Dermot O Mahony, Heather Quinn, Adrian Rooney, Moray Souter, Robert Vaughan, David Walsh.

Saturday 30 June 2007
A first year Little Gull was again seen off Balbriggan. AK 5 first summer Mediterranean Gull was at Scotsman Bay, Dun Laoghaire. Two
more 1st summers and a 2nd summer bird were at Merrion Gates.ED At Rogerstown there were 15 Greenshank and 5 Stock Doves. GF

29 June, 2007
At Malahide Estuary there was one Adult Little Gull and one Common Sandpiper. GFOffshore at the Poolbeg a minimum of 7 Bottlenose Dolphins and a pale adult Arctic Skua were seen. A Little Tern was seen with some roosting terns off Shelly Beach. (NK)

28 June, 2007
20 Sandmartins and 4 Housemartins were at Booterstown Marsh this morning.SH 2 Bottlenose Dolphins were seen off the Poolbeg. (NK)

27 June, 2007
A 1st. Yr. Little Gull was seen this morning at Bremore, Balbriggan. AK

26 June, 2007
At the Poolbeg there were 2 Arctic Skuas (a dark phase adult and a light phase sub-adult) offshore harassing terns. Also : 1 Common Scoter was seen in Dublin Bay, 2 juvenile Peregrines were on the Pigeon House chimneys (with 2 adults seen there the previous day), and 2 hybrid Carrion X Hooded Crows were at Shelly Beach. (NK)

Saturday 23 June, 2007
Highlights from today's Tolka Branch outing to Ireland's Eye included 12 Puffins on the water with 7 more visible in their burrows, a pair of Peregrine Falcons and hunderds of other breeding seabirds. A separate trip report with photos will be posted on the Trip Report section later.LB At Kilcoole there were 2 Common Sandpipers in The Breaches, 11 Common Scoter flying north at sea, 2 male Wigeon in the channels and a juvenile Peregrine. At Newcastle Sea Road there was a hepatic female Cuckoo. (NK)

20 June, 2007
At Kilcoole the sub-adult Spoonbill is still present and showing well in Webb's field. This is the same bird as that seen in North Dublin over the weekend and looks like a 2nd summer bird. The south-easterly wind, accompanied by a heavy shower of rain blew a sub-adult Pomarine Skua into Webb's field where it rested in the grass for c.20 minutes up until 09:10am when it got up and flew north over the BWI reserve and out to sea. A female Wigeon, 2 Little Egrets and 18 Cormorants were also present. At the north end of Broadlough there were 12 Little Egrets, a pair of Bullfinches and several singing Whitethroats. NTK et al

19 June, 2007
A Black Guillemot was seen in front of the IFSC at lunchtime today. In the afternoon there was a family of 5 Grey Wagtails on the Dodder behind Rathfarnham shopping centre - no sign of the Rathfarnham Dippers - wonder where they are breeding??? In Bushy Park there were a pair of Little Grebes, 5 pairs of Tufted Duck and at least 4 singing Blackcaps. RV

Sunday 17 June, 2007
1 Red-throated Diver in non-breeding plumage was seen offshore at Balbriggan also 1 Arctic Skua. AK

Saturday 16 June, 2007
The Spoonbill was refound this evening at Corballis, northside of the outer Malahide estuary and was present until Sunday morning 17 June. AK An Adult Glaucous Gull was seen on the beach and offshore just south of 6 mile point at Newcastle, Co Wicklow.MS At Balbriggan 24 Common Scoter were seen flying south and there was 1 Arctic Skua offshore.AK Little Grebes, both parents and two chicks were seen today at the Phoenix Park. Also on the same pond, 4 Moor Hens, 4 Coots and 2 Chicks. JF

14 June, 2007
A Spoonbill was seen flying south at Balbriggan this evening. AK We haven't consulted him yet but we feel that the next branch meeting should be held in AKs apartment!!!

13 June, 2007
Pale phase Pomarine Skua with full tail seen at a distance flying south from Bremore, Balbriggan this evening. AK In the Newcastle-Kilcoole area today the drake Garganey is still present and showing well in the channels south of the Breaches. This bird has been present for over a month now, and is starting to moult into eclipse plumage. A drake Wigeon, a pair of Gadwall and a Coot with 2 chicks were also seen in the channels. c.80 Little Terns are present at the colony. Breeding pairs of Skylarks and Ringed Plover are also availing of the protection afforded to the Terns, with young of both species seen on the beach. On the marsh, 10 Little Egrets and c.20 Dunlin were seen, along with 4 pairs of Shelduck with 9, 7, 5 and 11 chicks respectively.NTK A Stock Dove was seen yesterday evening at the national basketball arena in Tallaght. RV

12 June, 2007
At Merrion Strand, 7 Manx Shearwaters seen flying south towards Dun Laoire at 8.30 this evening. SH

Sunday 10 June, 2007
Its all happening on the East Cost but the star bird of the day within the commuter belt was a gorgeous female Red-Necked Phalarope at Boora Parkland (formerly known as Boora Bog). Also noted in the area was 1 Snipe, 1 Hen Harrier, 3 Ravens, 2 Sand Martins, 1 Mistle Thrush. Sedge Warblers, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Reed Buntings, Skylarks, Lapwing, Tufted Duck were all plentiful this morning in sun-drenched Co Offaly. HQ

Meanwhile in Swords today 4 Avocets were observed. KG And on Ireland's Eye today 20+ pairs of Puffins were seen at their nesting burrows. OM

8 June, 2007
1st. Sm. Little Gull feeding offshore around the Cardy Rocks, Bremore, Balbriggan at 18.45. AK
2 Sparrowhawks seen on the main road in Phoenix Park this morning.AR

7 June, 2007
27 species and nearly 300 individual birds were seen in the Phoenix Park between 6 and 9 am this morning. Blackcaps, Jays, Long-tailed Tits, Treecreepers, among the highlights. OM

See what's in store for you on the next Tolka Branch outing to Ireland's Eye on 23 June 2007!

The Gannet Stack, Ireland's Eye. Photo Oscar Merne

Monday 4 June, 2007
What appears to be an albino Shag was seen on the cliffs at Bray Head on 4 June. The bird was totally cream coloured with some very light streaking of brown.MS
On Ireland's Eye today there were very good numbers of breeding seabirds including circa 350 apparently occupied Gannet nests - see photo above. Also present were a pair of Peregrine Falcons over the main Gannet stack, 12 Linnets, 6 Swallows, 3 Sedge Warblers, 1 Brent Goose (this flightless individual has been present for a few years), 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Blackbird,1 Wheatear. OM LB

31 May, 2007
In this otherwise very quiet week......city centre workers, visitors and readers of our nest news page may be interested to know that three pairs of Herring Gulls have built nests on the rooftops around Kildare Street, Molesworth Street and Schoolhouse Lane in Dublin 2 and we have in the last week seen fledged young gulls in the area. LB

Sunday 27 May 2007
4 Lesser Black- backed Gulls, two adults and two sub-adults have been seen around the Ha'penny Bridge area in the city centre area all week. LB

Saturday 26 May 2007
12 Tufted Ducks on the Dodder this evening in Ballsbridge. LB

23 May 2007
2 Great Northern Divers in full summer plumage seen off Bremore, Balbriggan this evening. AK

22 May 2007
At Knock Lake this evening there was a single male Garganey. This rare summer visitor is an excellent record for Dublin. DOM

Saturday 19 May 2007
At this morning's Tolka Branch outing to Glendalough the early birders got good views of the Redstart before the rain started. Good numbers of Treecreepers coming and going from their nests. Willow Warblers were also
present lower down the valley. There were several Whinchats at Coronation Wood, also a hyperactive Raven. No luck with Crossbills and Raptors although we did get a brief glimpse of a Sparrowhawk. The weather really kept everything sitting tight.JH

17 May, 2007
A flock of 9 Little Terns flew south at Bremore, Balbriggan this evening. AK

16 May 2007
On Rockabill Island from 10th to 16th May there were very few migrants -- just Willow Warblers (up to 6 per day), a few Swallows, a Sand Martin, a Sedge Warbler, a Wheatear. By yesterday, 15 May, Tern numbers were up to 2,700, and there was a peak of 188 Black Guillemots. 96 Mute Swans at Swords Estuary but very little else. Along 8km of the Tolka River Valley from the Meath border towards Dublin there was a nice variety of birds seen - 52 species and good numbers, including 20 singing male Blackcaps.OM A 1st. Winter Mediterranean Gull was seen offshore at Bremore, Balbriggan.AK A lonely Brent Goose was at Sandymount this morning - seen from the Dart. 6 Tufted Ducks were below the bridge at Lansdowne Dart station which was an unusual place for them.RV

14 May 2007
A 1st summer Mediterranean Gull was seen at Swords today. Also there was an beautiful adult Yellow-legged Gull. At Rogerstown there were 3 Little Egrets and a Whimbrel. Wonderful Kingfisher also at Swords. ED

Saturday 12 May, 2007
There was 1 Arctic Skua, 5 Red-throated Divers and a winter plumaged Great Northern Diver off Bremore, Balbriggan.AK The Spotted Sandpiper was still in the channels at Blackditch this evening.LB

11 May, 2007
Marsh Harrier seen leaving Colt Island, Skerries very early this morning. AK

10 May, 2007
Marsh Harrier seen going to roost on Colt Island off Skerries this evening. 2 Arctic Skuas offshore at Bremore, Balbriggan this morning.This evening a few distant divers present incl. 3 Red-throated Divers and 2 Summer plumaged Great Northern Divers. AK The adult summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper was present all day at Blackditch East Coast Nature Reserve. A pair of Buzzards, a Stock Dove, 2 Little Egrets, singing Blackcap and Whitethroat were also at the reserve. A female White Wagtail, 2 Wheatears and c.60 Little Terns were on the beach at Six-mile-point. At Kilcoole a drake Garganey was seen in the first section of channels just south of The Breaches. A pale phase Arctic Skua flew north offshore, a 1st-summer Mediterranean Gull was in The Breaches and a Grasshopper Warbler was flushed from some scrub at the railway bridge. A Yellowhammer was heard singing along Kilcoole Sea Road. NTK, PN

9 May, 2007
A Cuckoo was seen along the Newcastle Sea Road this morning. At Kilcoole, a dark phase Arctic Skua flew south at sea off The Breaches. Plenty of Little Terns were present on the beach. A male Wheatear, 30+ Whimbrel, a male Gadwall and a male Wigeon were also seen. NTK , PN

7 May, 2007
At Kilcoole today one Wigeon still present, 23 Little Tern and 1 Red-Throated Diver, with a Whitethroat and nine Sedge Warblers singing in the shrub.BMG

5 May 2007
At Glen Mallure a single Spotted Flycatcher was noted to the west of the Youth Hostel.MS

4 May 2007
At Kilcoole in addition to the arriving migrants (Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Barn Swallow, House and Sand Martin) a Tree Sparrow was seen at the station. MS Along the Featherbeds near Killakee, Co.Dublin, a Red Grouse was observed near the road.Photo below.DW

3 May, 2007
On Bull Island 6 Little Egrets, 30 Grey Herons, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 20 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns and 1 Kestrel flying around inside the forest in in the neighbouring park.In Howth 1 Puffin and 1 Bottle-nosed Dolphin among the common seabirds.PN

1 May, 2007
At Kilcoole this morning still one Brent and one Wigeon present and 44 Dunlin -- most in summer plumage. Nine Whimbrels flew north, and also a total of 24 Swallows. 13 Sandwich Terns were feeding along the shore, and 9 Little Terns excitedly flying about, courting, etc. over the usual colony site. At Kilcoole village 10 House Martins were exploring the eaves of the buildings.OM

Sedge Warbler.Wintering in Senegal this long haul tiny 12 gram migrant flies fast, direct to Ireland in April. The males tend to be site faithful but not the females!

A Kilcoole Sedge Warbler, Sean Geraty