Tolka Branch Trip Report

 County Louth - 23rd February 2013

by Rosemary Doyle


Highlight of our trip and a first for almost all of our party of 25, was the Richard's Pipit which was incredibly busy foraging at Templetown / Shelling Hill Beach.  This is a rare visitor to Ireland from Siberia and all the more for visiting in the early Spring.  

Dundalk Docks:  Despite the snow flurries forecast, a group of 25 well-layered birders converged at Dundalk Docks to enjoy the great variety of waders, ducks and geese.  Goods views of a Buzzard patrolling the marshes and being mobbed by Rooks distracted our wader-watch for a while.  Species seen at the docks were, Lapwing, Curlew, 1 Great-crested Grebe, Golden Plover with a handful of Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, 1 Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Egret, Brent Geese, Shelduck, Teal, 3 Common Gull, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Cormorants took up all spaces on the wooden posts in the marshes. Several Woodpigeon slept in the trees, while a Kestrel hovered over them.  Before hypothermia set in, we decided to head to Cooley Point...

Cooley Point: on Shelling Hill Beach at Templetown we were delighted to find the Richard's Pipit (mentioned above); however, he was not dining alone.  At least 7 Pied Wagtail, a Song Thrush, Robin, Wren, male and female Stonechats, and a Meadow Pipit all feasted on the beach's smörgåsbord.  At the tideline, Turnstone, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover all flitted about for the best spot after the receding tide. A couple of Curlew arrived later.  Further out to sea, were male and female Red-breasted Mergansers, 1 Great Northern Diver and 1 Red-throated Diver, Black Guillemot and several Shags and Cormorants.  Further along the beach Hooded Crows rummaged in the drying seaweed amongst them a Hybrid Carrion Crow...

Giles Quay: From the car park at Giles Quay we had good views of approx. 20 Red-breasted Mergansers and a raft of Common Scoter, and from the Harbour we saw a Great Northern Diver in the distance...

Soldier's Point:  We were disappointed not to gain admittance to the new hide at Soldier's Point due to it's restricted opening hours of just 2 hours on a Saturday and therefore had no respite from the elements.  However, a Grey Heron which eyes bigger than its belly kept us fascinated for a long while (perhaps we too were hungry and envious it's huge catch).  Luckily when the pair of Goldeneye arrived we soon forgot about the greedy Heron.   Other species seen here were Red-breasted Mergansers, Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Redshank, Meadow Pipit and Rock Pipit...

Salterstown:  We ended our journey at Salterstown and were treated to extremely close views of Common Scoter in the low spring tide.  Golden Plover, Lapwing and about 50 Knot were all feeding at the tideline to the deafening chatter of the multitudinous Oystercatcher.   As the snow flurries turned into a snow shower, 25 satisfied, if slightly blue, birders jumped into their warm cars and headed back home...




  


Grey Heron tackling a mullet perhaps at Soldier's Point, County Louth (Photo by Vincent Hall)


Rock Pipit at Soldier's Point, County Louth (Photo by Vincent Hall)


Meadow Pipit at Shelling Hill Beach, County Louth (Photo by Vincent Hall)
 

 

 
     

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