30 September 2011
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is still present at the
Salt Marsh on the Bull Island. Lots of Skylarks, Reed
Buntings and Wheatears also.EK
Buff-breasted
Sandpiper at Bull Island
(Photo by Edd Kealy)
29 September 2011
Old Racecourse in Baldoyle: Great views of three Buzzards
hunting over stubble fields; 4 Stonechats, 2 adults
and 2 juveniles; 1 Robin; 2 Dunnock; 8 Reed
Buntings; and 50+ Goldfinches. Also 1 Snipe
which I almost trod on. Still plenty of Swallows around as
well.EK
Buzzard calling at Baldoyle (Photo by
Edd Kealy)
Stonechat and Dunnock at Baldoyle (Photo by Edd Kealy)
28 September 2011
Grand Canal Dock: A Juvenile Scaup in the
Grand Canal dock giving great views.IS
North Bull Island: 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, 20+
Wheatear, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Sandwich Tern, 7 Brent
Geese incl 3 Juvs. Good numbers of Dunlin, Ringed
Plover, Grey plover, Redshank, Black-tailed
Godwit, Curlew, Little Egrets and Grey Herons.
A few Teal, Pintail, Widgeon and Shoveler
also present. All seen towards the Northern end of the island.JF
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at North
Bull Island (Photo by John Fox)
26 September 2011
Bull Island: 9 Brent Geese and 1 Wheatear
on Bull Island today.CD
Heuston Station: This morning by Heuston Station there
was a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail.IS
Kilcoole: A juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper
(reported since Saturday) was at Kilcoole this morning, showing
well on the beach opposite the BirdWatch Ireland reserve. This
bird is very confiding when approached slowly & is best looked
for amongst maritime vegetation on the upper section of the beach,
where it feeds. Numbers of Wigeon, Teal,
Lapwing & Curlew are starting to build up on the
marsh with 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 15 Shoveler, 1 Tufted
Duck, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Knot & 1 Mediterranean
Gull providing further interest there. At sea, 3 Common
Scoter flew north & a total of 11 Red-throated Divers
were noted. Plenty of non-waterbirds about today also. A Lapland
Bunting, good numbers of Skylarks, 2 Stock Doves,
a migrating Grey Wagtail & a juv. male Sparrowhawk
were in Webb's field whilst 13 Wheatears, c.300 Goldfinches
in Stringer's fields & several Lesser Redpolls along
Kilcoole Sea Road were also noteworthy.NTK
Phoenix Park: 3 Mandarin Ducks in the Quarry Pond in
Phoenix Park today, two males and a female. The first male has
been there for a couple of weeks and was joined by a second last
week and there was three today. Tolka
River: Over the past two months I have seen the
following on the Tolka, a Kingfisher, Dipper, Heron
and a Grey Wagtail. Each sighting was of a single
individual.PF
25 September 2011
Baldoyle Bay: 4 Curlew Sandpipers; 2 Little Stints.
Portmarnock Marsh: 2 Wood Sandpipers; 4 Snipe.DD
North Bull Island: 3 Wheatear, 10 Curlew
Sandpiper, juvenile Little Stint and female Blue-winged
Teal - all from the causeway.MC
Wexford: Tacumshin Lake: 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper,
2 White-rumped Sandpiper,10 Buff-breasted Sandpiper,
2 Little Stint along with several Curlew Sandpiper, Knot,
Dunlin and Redshank.
Ladys Island: 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, Curlew
Sandpiper and small flock of White Wagtail, Wheatear.BS
Semipalmated Sandpiper at
Tacumshin, Wexford (Photo by Brendan Sheils)
White-rumped Sandpiper at Lady's
Island, Wexford (Photo by Brendan Sheils)
24 September 2011
Ringed Birds Report
Howth Harbour: 2 colour ringed juvenile Herring
Gulls from the Isle of Man were seen on the roof of the
fish market at Howth Harbour. Both gulls had black rings with
yellow lettering. It is interesting to note that the 2
Gulls came from the extreme North and South of the Isle of Man but
were seen together in Howth: T8XP was
ringed at the Point of Ayre Sand Quarry on 5th July this year and T5UA
was ringed on the Calf of Man on the 27th June this year.
Additional details including photographs are available at www.manxringer.blogspot.
com/ SK&CH
A Buzzard over rough ground at the bottom of St.
Laurence's Road in Chapelizod at 11:30 this morning beside the
Liffey. Seen in exact same spot on June 13th also.AR
Dunnock in Rathgar Garden (Photo by
Tom Gregan)
23 September 2011
At Sigginstown in Tacumshin: 1 male Marsh Harrier: 1 Peregrine:
1 ringtail Harrier: & numerous Kestrels.
Journey to Tacumshin: 3 Buzzards together just north
of Gorey beside N11; 1 Buzzard standing in a field
outside Enniscorthy; 1 Buzzard over N25 south of
Wexford Town; and 1 Red Kite over N11 at Beehive
pub.AR
Buzzard enjoying Solheim Cup in Co. Meath: 1 Buzzard
flying over the first tee at Killeen Castle.BQ
22 September 2011
Connemara: Juv Dotterel
found on the machair at Ballyconneely to day. It had been with
a bunch of golden plover.
It hung around for ages and seemed to be the tamest creature I
have ever encountered.MHs
Dottrel, Juvenile at Ballyconneely,
Connemara (Photos by Michael Harris)
21 September 2011
A total of 22 Mediterranean Gulls were on the playing
fields at Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely at 08:30. 13 juvenile Curlew
Sandpipers were also at Rogerstown Estuary (NTK).
20 September 2011
A total of 43 Mediterranean Gulls were on the playing
fields at Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely at 07:45. 4 juvenile Curlew
Sandpipers, a juvenile male Ruff, a Buzzard,
c.300 Golden Plover & a Grey Plover still in
summer plumage were at the Boyne Estuary (NTK).
A Black Redstart was at Laytown, Co. Meath.OO'S
So, have you ever wondered what a bird uses his tongue
for? To taste spiders, of course...
Jackdaw has this spider
licked, at Howth (Photo by Bill Quinn)
19 September 2011
Gull 1KP,
Juvenile at Howth Harbour (Photo by Bill Quinn)
There were plenty of ducks at Bull Island today, 100+ Teal,
10 Shelduck, 30+ Widgeon, 40 Mallard, 25 Shoveler.
Also 1 Great-crested Grebe. At the Alder Marsh 1 juvenile Cuckoo
and 2 Peregrine hunting over the Salt Marsh.EK
Kestrel at Bull Island (Photo by
Edd Kealy)
Kestrel ready to take off at
Bull Island (Photo by Edd Kealy)
18 September 2011
South Dublin Bay 18.30-19.45 hrs. 50 Light-bellied Brents
feeding on the Zostera bed at Merrion Gates. Total of 905 terns
roosting on Sandymount strand at dusk -- all Common except c.10 Roseates.
At least 9 Mediterranean Gulls present with c.3,000 Black-headed
Gulls.OM
17 September 2011
The Royal Canal, Phibsboro: Early afternoon. 50 Swallows
moving east and south in ones and twos over a 30 minute period.CE
Rogerstown: 2 Stock Doves and 1 female Sparrowhawk.EK&GF
Stonechat juvenile at Swords (Photo by
Edd Kealy)
Starling depositing a pellet at Swords (Photo by John Fox)
Ruddy Turnstone at Skerries (Photo by Francois
Mullan)
Black-tailed Godwit at Swords (Photo by Francois Mullan)
Dunlin at Gormanstown (Photo by Francois Mullan)
Meadow Pipit at Skerries (Photo by Francois
Mullan)
Rock Pipit at Skerries (Photo by Francois Mullan)
15 September 2011
Ballsbridge: Wood Duck on River Dodder.ED
Wood Duck on River Dodder
Ballsbridge (Photo by Eugene Dolan)
Bull Island: I spotted 5 Brent Geese at the
Wooden Bridge this evening, inc. 1 juvenile.CM
Sutton: 11 Brent Geese at Sutton, inc 1 colour ringed
bird. PW
Plenty of raptors around the Old Racecourse in Baldoyle today. 4 Buzzards,
1 Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk. Also 2 Common
Gulls, 100+ Wood Pigeons and 50+ Goldfinches.ED
Buzzard at Baldoyle (Photo
by Edd Kealy)
14 September 2011
Sandymount Strand: 4 Brent Geese this evening Merrion
Gates area. A family of 2 adults and 1 juvenile and 1 other
Adult.SMcN
Brent Geese - 2 adult 1 juvenile - at Merrion Gates (Photo
by Siobhan McNamara)
12 September 2011
At Rogerstown: 5 Curlew Sandpipers among the 200 Dunlin,
2 Green Sandpipers in the small pools. Peregrine, Buzzard,
Sparrowhawk and Kestrel all put in an appearance,
but no sign of the Red Kites. It seems that they have moved away
from the release site, and there have been reports of them from
Co. Meath.GF
11 September 2011
Kilcoole: Kestrel, 1 Stock Dove in
stubble field feeding with Woodpigeons, Teal, Wigeon,
Razorbill, Guillemot, Housemartins and Swallows.
Newcastle/ ECNR: 1 juvenile Stonechat (very exciting
as we saw no adult Stonechats in the morning) and several Wheatear
along the Kilcoole/Newcastle beach.SMcN
Wheatear at Kilcoole (Photo by
Siobhan McNamara)
Stonechat (juvenile) at Kilcoole
(Photo by Siobhan McNamara)
FOLLOW UP BY MARK CARMODY TO
RINGED GODWIT REPORT OF 10 SEPTEMBER 2011 BELOW:
I noticed from the website that
Siobhan MacNamara had a ringed Black-tailed Godwit on the Bull
island on the 10th September. The combination rang a bell with me
so I checked my photographs. I
was delighted that I did. I took a photograph of the bird just
after it was ringed in Siglufjörður in northern Iceland on 11th
July 2009!! The photograph is attached. Jim Wilson and I were in
Iceland for 6 days taking photographs for the Shorebirds of
Ireland book and we were helping Pete Potts and his crew ring some
godwits while we were there.MC
Update from Pete Potts: "RN YX is a bird we
ringed in Siglufjordur on 11th July 2009 as an adult female an was
seen on Tiree (a small island in the inner Hebrides) on 1st
Aug 09 and then in Dublin 08/10/09 and again there Aug & Sept
2010." PP
Since Pete has no recorded sightings of this Godwit over the
winter period it would be marvellous if we could all keep an eye
out for it from now until January. The Icelandic bred
Godwits are known to travel as far as western Portugal and Spain
for winter - with a stray making it's way to Morocco.RD
10 September 2011
Glasnevin: 1 Dipper at Tolka Valley Park
(rear of Glasnevin cemetry).CD
Sandycove/Kilbogget: Total of 103 Mediterranean
Gulls... 22 Meds at Kilbogget and 81 Meds
in the vicinity of Sandycove. All 21 juveniles in the flock were
recorded at Sandycove.SK
North Bull - of note - approx 300 Black and Bar-tailed
Godwits (mostly black tailed) - including a tagged Black-tailed
Godwit - Left leg Red, Black - Right leg Yellow and X on pale
yellow. 20ish Knots (some still in their summer
season colours), 3 Shoveller, 1 Peregrine Falcon. 5 Wheatear.
Swords Estuary: several Sandwich Terns.
Portmarnock: 4 Wheatear, 10 Knot, 10 Dunlin,
Ringed Plover, Turnstones and Jackdaws.
Hooded Crows dropping shells onto the rocks, great to
watch.SMcN
Godwits on the Bull, one ringed
(Photo by Siobhan McNamara)
Peregrine Falcon at Bull Island
(Photo by Siobhan McNamara)
Jackdaw at Portmarnock (Photo by
Siobhan McNamara)
9 September 2011
Dundalk Bay (Castletown River Estuary to Dunany Point). Total
of 19,117 waterbirds of 35 species counted. Main species were 6288
Oystercatchers, 4708 Black-headed Gulls, 2433 Black-tailed
Godwits, 1445 Knot, 1024 Redshanks, 886 Herring
Gulls, 508 Mallard and 227 Red-breasted Mergansers.
Also the first nine Light-bellied Brents and a total of 31 Little
Egrets.OM
8 September 2011
Counted a definite 42 Mistle Thrushes in Phoenix Park
tonight (Furze Rd area), with more going uncounted - a phenomenal
amount - Autumn is officially here. At least 20 Swallows
flying across the 15 acres in Phoenix Park too.SMcN
7 September 2011
At Howth Harbour there were 8 Great Cormorants,
2 European Shags, 7 Ruddy Turnstones, 3 Northern
Wheatears, a single Rock Pipit, and many Pied
Wagtails. Seabirds included 3 Northern Gannets, at
least four Common Terns. and the various gulls, including a
few Common Gulls. FM & MM
6 September 2011
Six Wheatears on the saltmarsh, Bull Island.GF
Wheatear at Bull Island (Photo
taken by Ger Franck)
4 September 2011
Three Swifts at Howth Castle.GF
At Tacumshin today there were 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers,
1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper, 1 American
Golden Plover, 1 Citrine Wagtail, 1 Black Tern,
1 White-winged Black Tern and a Marsh Harrier. Pallid
Harrier was also seen by some.PC
Citrine Wagtail at Tacumshin (Photo
by Philip Clancy)
Knot at Tacumshin (Photo by Philip
Clancy)
3 September 2011
Rogerstown: 5 Curlew Sandpipers present. Also
sighted were Grey Plover in full Summer plummage.IS &
PV
2 September 2011
In south Dublin Bay, 19.10-20.10 hrs (sunset/dusk) a total of
10,600 terns were roosting on the sand along a c.2 km stretch of
the low tide line directly out from Booterstown DART Station.
Almost all (>95%) were Common Terns, but Roseate,
Arctic and Sandwich were also present. This total is
close to the peaks recorded in the July-September periods of 2006,
2007 and 2010, when post-breeding/pre-migration roosting in south
Dublin Bay occurs.OM
1 September 2011
Tacumshin: The Pallid Harrier
(3rd Irish record, all in this year) is still present at Tacumshin
although it can be elusive. Also present were Green Sandpiper,
Wood Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, 5 Little
Stints, Spotted Redshank, and a good few Curlew
Sandpipers and Ruff. Hundreds of White Wagtails
are around the lake and raptors seen included 2 Sparrowhawks,
5 Kestrels, 3 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 1 Buzzard
and a second year male Marsh Harrier.PC
Curlew Sandpiper at
Tacumshin, Wexford (Photo by Philip Clancy)
Little Stint at Tacumshin, Wexford (Photo by Philip Clancy)
Ruff at Tacumshin,
Wexford (Photo by Philip Clancy)
30 August 2011
Grey Heron at Grand Canal Naas (Photo by Marie O'Brien)