THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS  and ADVISERS DURING   February 2007...

Lorraine Benson, Eric Dempsey, Gerry Donnelly, Tom Doyle, Geraldine Fisk,  Gerald Frank, Sean Geraty, Brian Gormley, Kieran Grace,  
Miryam Harris, Aidan Kelly, Paul Kelly, Nial Keogh, Noel Keogh, Pat Lenihan, Dermot Mac Cabe, Dermot O Mahony, 
Oscar Merne, Bill Quinn,  Heather Quinn,  Tom Shevlin, 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.

 
 

28 February 2007
Redwings and Fieldfares still at Newbridge House, Donabate beside the animal paddocks.  Also today there was a Ruff feeding with Oystercatchers, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks on the grassy open space at Seatown East,  Swords/Malahide inner estuary.GF A first winter Glaucous Gull in the Tolka Basin at dusk.OM 


27 February 2007
1 adult Iceland Gull at the Shanganagh outflow, later seen flying north through Dalkey Sound. c.20-25 Mediterranean Gulls at Sandycove (incl.11 1st winters together). NK
Exciting news just in, of an Owl seen last night at 9pm, possibly a Long-eared Owl in the Murville Estate at UCD.RV

26 February 2007
A Spotted Redshank
was seen early this morning at Booterstown Marsh and at Howth Harbour there were 5 Black Guillemots and one Great Crested Grebe. RV,HQ

25 February 2007
At Swords this morning there were 30 Great Crested Grebes, 27 Goldeneye, 8 Pochard. There was one Dark-bellied Brent in a small Brent Goose flock and a Little Gull flying with Black-headed Gulls above.PK,OM Also today 3 Velvet Scoters seen flying north off the coast of Balbriggan.  3 Ruff with a flock of Curlew, Black-tailed Godwits and Golden Plover in the fields between Balbriggan and Gormanston.AK

24 February 2007
A Chiffchaff was seen today in a garden in Bray.  And in Shankill there was a Carrion Crow. OM,KG

Welcome news on the returning adult Ring-billed Gull with an injured right leg present today on the playing fields along Springdale Rd. between Coolock and Raheny.AK It regularly commutes down to the channel just north of the causeway on the Bull. Pat Lenihan took this photo of an adult Ring-billed Gull on 18 February on the north side of the causeway. The same bird??


 

 

 

23 February 2007
1 adult Little Gull at Poolbeg.NK

Special Gambia Trip update
Thanks to Bill and Heather, the indefatigable Tolka Two, who remained in the Gambia and Senegal for a third week we now have a trip total of 296 species over the three week period. Bill took this picture of the very rare Saddle-Billed Stork . See also 9 February below. Full trip report with more of Bill's amazing photos will follow soon in the Foreign Trip report section of this website.

NOT AN IRISH BIRD!

22 February 2007
A pair of Dippers were seen behind the Rathfarnham shopping centre earlier this afternoon showing well. Also several Longtailed Tits and a flyby Kingfisher.RV At Poolbeg 1 adult Ring-billed Gull.NK  

21 February 2007
13 Tufted ducks and 6 Redwing the best at Tymon Park today. No sign of the Iceland Gull! RV 
Also a 1st winter Iceland Gull seen at Poolbeg NK 

20 February 2007
A spectacular total of 40,800 gulls counted roosting in Dublin Bay this evening. Most birds seen in the Tolka basin from Fairview.OM 

Iceland Gull was found this morning at the Aldi carpark in Tallaght and later seen at Tymon Park off Limekiln Rd. Also at Tymon Park was  a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull, 3 Bulffinches and 11 Tufted Duck. Robert 

Two Black Guillemots present at dawn today at the sluice gates beside the Sean O Casey Bridge at the IFSC. Siskins have been reported at feeders on South Dublin gardens since the weekend.

19 February 2007
Pale 1st winter Iceland Gull at Poolbeg NK.

18 February 2007
At Kilcoole, Co Wicklow this (morning 10.30) a few lucky birders saw the Lapland Bunting (found yesterday). This is an excellent bird coming into breeding plumage with a rich ginger facial pattern and very happily feeding with Skylarks in the field beside the railway track. See it while you can! LB

At Rogerstown the Green- winged Teal and  two Pink-footed Geese present with the Greylags. Also 1 Dark- Bellied Brent Goose. ( see photos below and in the newly archived January page)  DOM

17 February 2007
Today's Tolka Branch outing to the Louth coast proved once again that birding with Tolka is the best thing to do on the third Saturday every month! Not only did the Spring sunshine drench us but the birds were there with ticks for many of us! Highlights were Ruff and Reeve, Long-tailed Duck x 8, Common Scoters and........the Long-billed Dowitcher at the Dundalk docks .  See full trip report in the Trip report section of this website!

At Gormanston Co.Meath 2-3 Velvet Scoter with the Common Scoter flock off shore. A pair of Eider also seen flyng south from Gormanston. AK

14 February 2007
No sightings reports today! Not even love birds!!

12 February 2007
1st. winter Iceland Gull sitting on the pontoon at the Sean O'Casey Bridge near the IFSC. AK

11th February 2007
2 pairs of Red Breasted Mergansers under the  wooden bridge at Dollymount. MH
Stock Dove and 3 Bullfinches in UCD this morning at the entrance beside the dual carriageway. 5 Little Egrets by the stream in The Park housing estate at Glen Lawn Drive, beside Cabinteely Park. 2-3 Little Egrets present daily along the stream between Clonkeen College and Deansgrange.  Redpoll at bird-feeder just off the Old Cabra Rd.  At Swords were 6,100 Golden Plover, 1,160 Lapwing, 91 Goldeneye, and a Pochard. At Dundalk Bay big numbers of birds still there, including 210 Greylags and a Pink-footed Goose, 270 Brents, 9200 Golden Plover, 6300 Oystercatchers. At Rogerstown the Spotted Redshank still present also 1st winter Glaucous Gull and a  Barnacle Goose. No sign of the Pink- Footed Goose! S

10 February 2007
Long-tailed Duck still at Swords (see photo at 21 January 2007 in archive - excellent field photo from Robert Vaughan -  you may only see this bird at a distance)

9 February 2007
1 adult Iceland Gull at the Shanganagh Outflow. (NK)

News just in from Tolka Branch members in the Gambia, West Africa! (9 Feb) They have seen 290 bird species during their 2 week tour. This beats last years record of 267 during the same period.   11 February -  from Heather and Bill still in the Gambia  - 2 new species for this year's Gambia list   -  Green-headed Sunbird and Bar-breasted Firefinch. Total now 292. (update 11 Feb)

8 February 2007
3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 2nd winters and an adult winter) attracted to scraps left out in a sub-urban garden at Auburn Avenue, Cabinteely. One of the 2nd winters landed in the garden whilst the other two circled around low overhead. (NK and NTK)

7 February 2007
There was a Cormorant and a Grey Heron on the canal at Portobello. Over 80 Sanderling were on Sandymount strand at high tide this evening.

6 February 2007
In Dodder Valley Park today there were 2 Sparrowhawks and a small flock of Longtailed Tits. T

5 February 2007
A Chiffchaff, 4 Bullfinches and a Dipper were seen today in Dodder valley park.

4 February 2007
2 Great Northern Divers were seen off the base of the east pier with 6 Mediterranean gulls seen in nearby Sandycove.

3 February 2007
The pair of Dippers were again on show behind Rathfarnham shopping centre with a Kingfisher and a pair of Bullfinches seen nearby. Green Winged Teal with Common Teal at Rogerstown today. 

2 February 2007
A Pink Footed Goose was seen at Rogerstown today.4 Redpoll and 2 Siskin feeding on nut feeders at Stiles Rd, Clontarf.

 
 



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