THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS  and ADVISERS DURING   October 2009

  Philip Clancy,John Fox, Gerald Frank, Kieran Grace, Aidan Kelly, Niall Keogh, Oscar Merne, Gerry Power, Robert Vaughan

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.

           

2 November, 2009


Flock of Golden Plover filling the sky. A wonderful Autumn sight. Photo Eric Dempsey

Sunday 1 November, 2009
At Rogerstown  472 Brent , 7 Little Grebe , 1 Ruff , 1 Whimbrel , 1 Spotted Redshank , 2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk , 1 Peregrine , 1 Stock Dove. GF A Fosters Tern was around the Cardy Rocks at Bremore, Balbriggan. AK 110 White-fronted Geese flew over Shankill at 5.30 this evening. KG

Saturday 31 October, 2009
Kingfisher at the outflow North of causeway. Also 20ft away a young Fox, present for at least 30mins, alternately sunning himself, chewing one of the many footballs washed up and eyeing some feeding egret!GP.

27 October, 2009
Redwings heard flying over the city centre at 8.30 this evening. LB

23 October, 2009
 4 Redbreasted Mergansers less than 100m south of the causeway on the Bull. Great views. Also the Kingfisher was back at the outflow just north of the causeway. PC

Saturday 17 October, 2009 - Tolka branch Outing to Wexford
Seventeen birders and a fine day. We visited Our Lady's Island, Churchtown, Tacumshin and the North Slobs. Churchtown had lots of Wheatears and a Hen Harrier flying over the sea. At Tacumshin we had wildfowl galore including half a dozen Whooper swans. Highlight was a Glossy Ibis (see below) from the High car park and later at the Forgotten Corner, where a Water Rail also obliged.Several Hen Harriers put in an appearance and a Peregrine gave us a five minute show chasing and diving and scaring everything. No Geese at the North Slobs but Dave Daly had an exhibition of bird paintings in the Pumphouse. The Frying Irishman closed the day for us. DMcC


Glossy Ibis seen on the Tolka Branch outing to Wexford. Photo: Eugene O Brien

16 October, 2009
Arklow: six Swallows on wires near the main pond (getting quite late), and at Buckroney a pair of crows  one Hooded and one Carrion. OM Brent Geese numbers building on the Bull.

14 October, 2009
77 Redwings migrating south overhead at Auburn Avenue, near Cabinteely between 0745 & 0750 this morning. NTK. In Porchavodda, Hacketstown, Co. Carlow this morning there were 3 Whooper Swans flying S.W. 9 Tree Sparrows, 3 Siskins. 2 Redpolls, 3 Redwing and loads of Goldcrests. PC

Sunday 11 October, 2009
South Hide at Rogerstown , 7 Buzzard (all together in the air over the dump), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Blackcap, 2 Stonechat, 44 Brent (No Juvenile birds seen), 68 Teal, 32 Mallard, 4 Shelduck, 107 Widgeon, 244 Redshank, 12 Dunlin, 121 Curlew, 5 Bartailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 12 Oystercatchers, 120 Lapwing, 14 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe, 13 Little Egret, 5 Grey Heron, 10 Little Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 82 Herring Gull, 213 Black-headed Gull, 6 Great Black-backed Gulls. JF

 At Dundalk Bay there were 7,500 Oystercatchers, 2,500 Knot, 15 Greylag Geese, 3 Pinkfooted Geese. 2 late Wheatears at Dunaney Point, a Sandwich Tern and 2 Mediterranean Gulls at Swords and a Swallow at Bray. OM

8 October, 2009
10 Swallows trying to leave Bray today! OM


Teal. Bul Island. Carol Duffy

Saturday 3 October, 2009
At Bremore, Balbriggan today there was 1 juv Hen Harrier, 3 Arctic Skuas, 1  Mediterranean Gull,  1 White Wagtail. At Corballis, there was one adult Dark Bellied Brent Goose. AK


Skylark. Nicola Dunphy

29 September, 2009
In Santry demense at 11.15am, 4 Buzzards seen together being harassed by a flock of rooks over Mortom stadium heading west towards Silloge golf course. At 5.30 a single buzzard was seen being chased by 2 Rooks over Homebase across from the enterance to Ikea on the Ballymun road heading up to the m50 roundabout. MK


Turnstone. Cian Merne

Saturday 26 September, 2009
On the Bull the female Blue Winged Teal (see photos below) was still present as was the 2nd year Ring Billed Gull – both seen well from the Causeway. A juvenile Little Stint was at Swords and there were 3 juv. Curlew Sandpipers at Rogerstown. AK


Blue-winged Teal. Eric Dempsey


Blue-winged Teal with Shoveler. John Fox (the Blue-winged Teal associates with Shoveler so they are a good 
starting point when you are trying to find this bird .It is very difficult to pick her out but worth the effort!)

A hybrid Carrion X Hooded Crow & a White Wagtail were at Arklow ponds. NK At Malahide Estuary today:1 Ruff, 4 Buzzards,1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 15 Red Breasted Merganzers, 71 Brent (all adults) also present were  Swallows, Snipe, Golden Plover, Greenshanks, Grey Plover. CM

Tolka Branch members were at Tacumshin  today to see 1 Glossy Ibis, 5 Curlew Sandpiper. 2 Little Stint. 1 male Marsh Harrier. 1 Peregrine. 2 Water Rail. 2 Buzzards. 30 Gadwall. At Carnsore Point 2 White Wagtails also hundreds of Swallows & House Martins perched on a wind turbine and at Lady's Island 1 female Ruddy Duck. PC

 Other Tolka Branch members out of town for the weekend had a Pectoral Sandpiper at Ballyconeely,  Connemara and a Wheatear and 2 Chiffchaffs on Inishboffin. MH, HQ, ND, LB While up North in Belfast Lough, a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Little Gull, a Mediterranean Gull, Yellow Legged Gull and a  Ring-billed Gull showed well.SK 

25 September, 2009
At Arklow, Co. Wicklow, a Long-eared Owl was flushed from its daytime roost in the scrub just north of Arklow town ponds. A steady passage of Swallows was noted throughout the day with birds moving south at a rate of 800-1000 per hour. Good numbers of southward moving Goldfinches, a male & a juv. Bullfinch & 2 Coot on the ponds were the only birds of note. NK NTK
 
At Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, 7 Red Kites & 2 Buzzards were seen circling together overhead whilst 2 Hen Harriers & a Peregrine were also noted. (Michael Deveraux)