County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (25 Viewers)

[nialltkeogh]

Found the first little tern egg at Baltray yesterday evening. They seem to be a bit behind other colonies, in Kilcoole and in the UK, but hopefully now that things have started they'll catch up quickly.

The Kilcoole colony lost 3 nests in recent days due to the strong NE winds washing across the beach. Minor losses and still early enough for the birds to re-lay.

No predation by corvids or foxes yet. There is a pest-controller on site with the wardens who is busy keeping the Rooks at bay!!

c.120 adults Terns yesterday, 30 nests with 63 eggs.

Regards,
Niall

 

[mairon]

4 little Tern feeding at Laytown this morning(7ish) at car park opp.O`Reillys shop.

 

[breffni]

Don Hodgers found green hairstreaks (butterflies) near the Windy Gap last week - a first record for County Louth!

 

[yew]

I saw lovely Song Thrushes in Daisyhill hospital grounds and one of them was beating a snail on a stone as I walked past oblivious of me. I remember asking here about hearing exquisite singing often in the grounds and someone mentioned Song Thrushes here, indeed they were correct. They have been in my garden too checking my blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes. Last summer I watched either them or Mistle thrushes (as I definitely have the larger ones as well with darker larger spots) walking several times around my small Yew tree checking for berries and I am wondering does anyone know would they actually eat the red Yew berries. I know that they are poisonous for some animals but perhaps not birds. I have had no berries as yet but hopefully this year. I also saw two brown headed Tree sparrows very early on route to work.

 

[Brosnabirder]

Hi Dolce.
Yew berries are a good food source for thrushes. Here is a link to a BBC article on the subject.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/birds/weeklyfeature/berrywars/
Incidentally Mistle Thrushes are named after mistletoe and also often eat the berries of this plant which is also poisonous to humans.
Hope this helps.
Tom

The last paragraph estimates a flock of 500 Waxwing ate approximately 25 million cotoneaster berries during a period of 100 days in Belfast a few years back. Mind boggling stuff

 

[Peter Phillips]

Yes they love Yew berries. I have seen up to 70 thrushes (mainly Mistle Thrush) on a single tree devouring the berries.I think just the leaves are poisonous.
On another note, while checking the River Dee for the Bird Atlas this evening I came across a Lapwing with at least one chick (about 5 days old). Surely one of the few remaining breeding pairs left in County Louth.

 

[ardnasx1]

The little tern nest count was 7 as of yesterday. For whatever reason they have been a lot slower than expected, but the full 40+ birds (same number as last year) are all around, digging away at scrapes etc. They're getting there slowly but surely!

 

[breffni]

Black guillemots now have at least nine active nests with two on second egg at Giles Quay. They are also a bit late...

 

[yew]

Thanks Tom and Peter, so delighted to read that article on berries. I missed a photo by seconds of large think Mistle Thrush in front garden today but will get it again. I was reading in article about the Mistle Thrush guarding fruit bush and I actually watched my large Thrushes so many times last year chasing the dozens of little Wagtails that come into front garden fiercely out of garden so probably are the Mistle Thrushes. Its quite funny to watch them. (Only obout one of the Wagtails occasionally ventures around to back garden). I saw two huge gorgeous really long necked colourful think Woodpigeons in Daisyhill woods and two amazingly graceful almost gliding large birds with brown across white tail very high up in trees and no idea what might be. (looks like Buzzards in book but not sure). By the way this was just whilst taking shortcut narrow road past woods as I havent had the courage to return walking alone there yet in case that Stoat or whatever lives there and passes by me so close again...........I will take my niece and nephew soon who will be in his glory to look out for it. I have also seen squirrels there with orange and grey on their bodies very close. Does that mean both sorts of squirrels might be there still or are there lots about with both colours? I believe I saw lots and lots of small Dunnocks in hedgerows there deep in the woods and also saw my first ever Bullfinch minutes after walking into woods few months past.

 

[breffni]

What is the status of reed warbler in county louth? Any chance of breeding bird - ardee bog somewhere?

Also what about quail? I remember one calling near dundalk a few years ago...any "traditional" sites?

 

[gareth2005]

Cortial Bog used to have some, I wouldnt rule out Drumcath either

 

[MargaretM]

The Little Tern nest count is up to 22. Lots of activity. We have had to extend the enclosure as they have nested further South than we hoped. It's an area that may flood if we have spring tides with windy conditions.
Still looking for Volunteers, so if you know anyone who is interested please let Sandra know.

www.louthnaturetrust.org

 

[MargaretM]

Re Little Terns
There are a lot of Hooded Crows and Rooks hanging around the Haven in Baltray. The Volunteers who are so vital to this project are on high alert as these birds are serious predators. Fortunately the Spring Tides just gone have not been high enough to cause damage to the Little Tern nests.

 

[breffni]

Spent an hour or two looking for green hairstreaks at the pondage below the windy gap yesterday - found a common blue damsel, a common heath and a very uncommon otter, which flushed from below a bank on the waterfilled cutaway bog and disappeared. I have been told that irish arctic char live there, if so a vestige from the ice age 10,000 years ago - seems incredible that they could survive there. In other news a rare narrow leaf marsh orchid has been found in the Cooley area...

 

[Peter Phillips]

What is the status of reed warbler in county louth? Any chance of breeding bird - ardee bog somewhere?

Also what about quail? I remember one calling near dundalk a few years ago...any "traditional" sites?

I would have thought Cortial or Balmers Bog might be the best bet for Reed Warbler.I have never been to Balmers Bog. Is there standing water there?
I have not made it to Cortial this year yet. There is nowhere suitable around Ardee Bog.I think Quail were regular in Stabannon (along the Dee I think). Gerry, Don or Freddie might know. I might take a walk along there some night next week. There is a nice walk opposite the sheds on the southern side of the Ardee link road(about half way down the link road) which brings you through this valley and over a bridge at the Dee. Two gates visible from the road are the best starting point.Just follow the one with the track.

 

[breffni]

Thanks - never been to Cortail. Tried Balmers last year and before but only sedge warblers. I always fancied some of the reedbeds along the ballymascanlon esturay but the reedbeds are vast and hard to access...

 

[breffni]

I see that there are now 22 nests at Baltray with at least 40 eggs. Given that some birds will lay three eggs we can probably expect up to 60 eggs - a 50% increase on last year and much earlier. The first birds should hatch in the next 10 days or so and there will follow the critical period when chicks are on the ground but not very mobile...

I wonder how things are at Kilkool?

 

[Peter Phillips]

I had what I think was probably a Gull billed Tern at Baltray today. I heard a strange call and looked up to see a thick set, black billed tern flying about 20 metres above me and out to sea. It only called once and headed out in a south east direction directly away from me. I have listened to some calls on the net and I am almost certain it was one.

If it turns up tomorrow in Dublin or Wexford I am ticking it!

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Hi Peter,

Sounds interesting.
Gull billeds have a very distinctive gizz. A very laid back marsh tern like flight and the call is very distinctive also.

Have you checked the stagrennan polder? (on the south side of the river?)
Good roost of gulls there usually. Could be a magnet for this species.

Regards

Owen

 

[breffni]

Saw one in the presence of least terns at Cape May - they look gigantic in comparison...

A few recent shots - i assume that the blue tail is a blue tail and not a scarce blue tail? The juv tree sparrow is from my garden...

Anyone know what the bug and moth are?

The shelduckling is from an evening spent rescuing a clutch of them last week.