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County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter breffni
- Start date
Yesterday: checked out ballymascanlon bay for green sandpipers - saw none. Best was a common sandpiper, snipe, summer plumage knot + godwits (this one has a slight deformity of the bill, not that uncommon i think). At the mouth of carlingford lough storm petrels were coming within 30 yards of the shore. The little egrets are well fledged, were feeding in the estuary, flying about. Mute swans doing well - male raising five juvs. At Baltry one juv roseate tern, two juv little terns, kittiwake, great and lesser black backed gulls, common, black headed, herring in all ages. Also common + sandwich terns. About 50 sanderling, sundry dunlin and counted 20+ juv ringed plover. At mell famalies of tufted and pochard + little grebe. Great crested grebe family seems to have departed...
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Been out to Hermitage a fair few evenings over the past week, lots of gannets and shearwaters sometimes coming in nice and close, only managed to see storm petrels once. Had a large flock of knots and sanderlings one evening. High numbers of RB mergansers there in eclipse plumage.
weekend
Finally had 4 green sandpipers at dundalk harbour (#174) but attached gull, which i first thought to be a ylg (#175), is probably just a weird hg. Stormies still coming in very close, esp on a rising tide at the mouth of carlingford lough (fluttering arund an anchored trawler called the lady fiona - the anchor rope in the pic gives an idea of scale). Many manxies further out, possible med shearwaters also + two arctic skua during the week and a bonxie (the real #175). Also an influx of whimbrel, dunlin, sanderling. The black guillemots have all fledged from giles and greenore now. In August will be looking out for small american sandpipers on the mudflats (this time last year a pectoral sandpiper and a white rumbed sandpiper were found), and terns (maybe the sooty will come back?)...
I am being asked to organise something for "Heritage Week", which is Saturday 26th August to Sunday 3rd September...if anybody has any ideas pls email me.
Finally had 4 green sandpipers at dundalk harbour (#174) but attached gull, which i first thought to be a ylg (#175), is probably just a weird hg. Stormies still coming in very close, esp on a rising tide at the mouth of carlingford lough (fluttering arund an anchored trawler called the lady fiona - the anchor rope in the pic gives an idea of scale). Many manxies further out, possible med shearwaters also + two arctic skua during the week and a bonxie (the real #175). Also an influx of whimbrel, dunlin, sanderling. The black guillemots have all fledged from giles and greenore now. In August will be looking out for small american sandpipers on the mudflats (this time last year a pectoral sandpiper and a white rumbed sandpiper were found), and terns (maybe the sooty will come back?)...
I am being asked to organise something for "Heritage Week", which is Saturday 26th August to Sunday 3rd September...if anybody has any ideas pls email me.
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Went out to Baltray yesterday, there was a little tern still sitting on eggs which should surely have hatched by now, she is still being fed by her mate. The tide was in so there were good views of cormorants, dunlins, sanderlings and lots of ringed pluvers plus young. Also sandwich and common terns and plenty of gulls. Didn't see any little tern chicks and not so many adults either, hard to know if they have started leaving or if they were simply hidden by the sand banks.
Also saw 7 little egrets feeding together on the Boyne on Saturday - a sign of things to come, I hope.
Also saw 7 little egrets feeding together on the Boyne on Saturday - a sign of things to come, I hope.
Today at giles quay the black guilleomots were back in - the young have now fledged and are presumably out at sea - the birds resting on the quay wall were all adults, mostly just starting moult; also picking along the quay wall was an inquisitive rock pipit, also moulting, and in the mid-afternoon three juv eider showed up, moving westwards towards bellurgan, diving the rocky shoreline. Also a good few whimbrel passing through, often hanging with the greenshank...
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Derek Watters
Well-known member
Bargain Bird Books
As with most people interested in birds I have built up a collection of bird books over the years. While in Newry yesterday I visited a shop called Boyds which has a bargain books section upstairs. They have a very good selection of books on birds including some specific titles on Migration, Snipe & woodcock, world waders, etc. And all from £3 to £8 sterling!!
Well worth a visit.
As with most people interested in birds I have built up a collection of bird books over the years. While in Newry yesterday I visited a shop called Boyds which has a bargain books section upstairs. They have a very good selection of books on birds including some specific titles on Migration, Snipe & woodcock, world waders, etc. And all from £3 to £8 sterling!!
Well worth a visit.
That's good to know Derek, must check it out, you can never have too many books.....
Out and about today and yesterday between Hermitage and Carlingford Lough, got reasonable views of storm petrels even though the tide was out. Large numbers of manx shearwaters off Hermitage today. Plenty of waders to be seen. Stopped by Mulahattin, fairly quiet for birds but there were incredible numbers of butterflies around which made it well worth the visit.
Out and about today and yesterday between Hermitage and Carlingford Lough, got reasonable views of storm petrels even though the tide was out. Large numbers of manx shearwaters off Hermitage today. Plenty of waders to be seen. Stopped by Mulahattin, fairly quiet for birds but there were incredible numbers of butterflies around which made it well worth the visit.
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for those interested a number of clouded yellow butterflies were at rathcor today. they are a migrant and quite uncommon i would presume they are also at other nearby sites.a good variety of other species were also present included 2x walls,small copper,painted ladys,meadow browns,c.blues,peacocks & small & large whites.
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Was out around Dunany Point the last couple of days, plenty around there - common terns feeding their young, sandwich terns, little tern, black headed, herring, common and LBB gulls, kittiwakes, cormorants, curlews, oystercatchers, whimbrel, redshanks, greenshank, dunlin, sanderlings, turnstones, ringed plovers, grey plover, common sandpiper, RB merganser in on the stones, and then there were the frustrating juvenile waders that I haven't figured out yet! Out to sea there were guillemots, gannets, shearwaters.
At Baltray all the little terns have gone, the place is eerily silent after the constant noise that filled the air for the last few months.
At Baltray all the little terns have gone, the place is eerily silent after the constant noise that filled the air for the last few months.
gareth2005
Well-known member
Just a quick question, Where do you all buy your garden bird food peanuts etc.
Is there anywhere locally where you can buy in bulk to cut down on cost ??
Cheers
Gareth
Is there anywhere locally where you can buy in bulk to cut down on cost ??
Cheers
Gareth
I'd imagine most of us have an interest in butterflies and other wildlife so this sort of information is useful, especially if there are rarities around.Enda said:
Gareth, peanuts can be bought in bulk from agricultural shops and work out much better value. I get mine via Margaret so hopefully she will give more details.
Good to know about the butterflies Enda, good photo. I'll be scouring the bushes for this rarity.
Gareth, I buy my peanuts in 25kg bags and they sell at €38.50 from Lakeland Dairies, they have a store at Station Road, Castlebellingham and at Newgrange Business Park in Drogheda.
Gareth, I buy my peanuts in 25kg bags and they sell at €38.50 from Lakeland Dairies, they have a store at Station Road, Castlebellingham and at Newgrange Business Park in Drogheda.
Field outing
Sunday 3rd September is Water Heritage Day, part of Heritage week. To mark the occasion the North Louth Branch of Birdwatch Ireland is organising a field trip to observe birds in and around Lurgangreen and the Fane river estuary, just south of Dundalk. Anybody interested should meet at the end of the cul-de-sac just beside the Fane river along the old Dublin road at around 6:30pm. We would expect to see waders, ducks, gulls and a few songbird species, as well as to get to know the general area. All welcome.
Sunday 3rd September is Water Heritage Day, part of Heritage week. To mark the occasion the North Louth Branch of Birdwatch Ireland is organising a field trip to observe birds in and around Lurgangreen and the Fane river estuary, just south of Dundalk. Anybody interested should meet at the end of the cul-de-sac just beside the Fane river along the old Dublin road at around 6:30pm. We would expect to see waders, ducks, gulls and a few songbird species, as well as to get to know the general area. All welcome.
