County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (2 Viewers)

Pluvius · Mar 28, 2006

Sand Martin at Castle Island Hide on the quoile today. Spring must be coming

breffni · Mar 30, 2006

Harbour Porpoise washed up on templetown beach today. Probably full adult at 145 cm in length. Probably caught on salmon drift nets in carlingford lough or dundalk bay. According to my collins mammals, this species is under threat in Europe where there have been serious declines in recent decades...there was another washed up at lurgangreen a few months back...

sav · Mar 30, 2006

breffni said:
Harbour Porpoise washed up on templetown beach today. Probably full adult at 145 cm in length. Probably caught on salmon drift nets in carlingford lough or dundalk bay. According to my collins mammals, this species is under threat in Europe where there have been serious declines in recent decades...there was another washed up at lurgangreen a few months back...

A real shame! I was lucky enough to see 2 porpoises at the mouth of Carlingford Bay at new year, from Greenore - first time I'd seen them along that coast.

Enda · Mar 30, 2006

breffni said:
Harbour Porpoise washed up on templetown beach today. Probably full adult at 145 cm in length. Probably caught on salmon drift nets in carlingford lough or dundalk bay. According to my collins mammals, this species is under threat in Europe where there have been serious declines in recent decades...there was another washed up at lurgangreen a few months back...

keep an eye on it for co. Louths first ivory gull?

Pluvius · Mar 30, 2006

I am driving tommorrow to Wicklow for Bird Conservation Conference and wondered if you could suggest any stopping of points on the way down for quick observations.

www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com

ardnasx1 · Mar 31, 2006

Pluvius said:
I am driving tommorrow to Wicklow for Bird Conservation Conference and wondered if you could suggest any stopping of points on the way down for quick observations.

www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com

Mell quarry would be worth stopping off for, the ring necked duck is usually there and there tends to be a good selection even without it. It's not far from the motorway so it could be a convenient stop for you.

Pluvius · Mar 31, 2006

Where exactly is Mell quarry, where would I come off motorway. Thanks

www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com

breffni · Mar 31, 2006

Pluvius said:
Where exactly is Mell quarry, where would I come off motorway. Thanks

www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com

its probably a bit late but if you follow the lower (relief) road through dundalk you can stop at dundalk harbour and observe from the quay wall, next follow the shore road south and check out red barns road for twite, next go through blackrock (numerous stopping points along the shore road), next you come to lurgangreen where the fane river enters dundalk bay (here you can observe fromt he cul de sac just over the fane), next go to castlebellingham and again follow the coast road along annagassan, salterstown...if still time hermitage, dunaney and cruisetown (though all that takes me about a day) - ill put up an annotated map one of these days...

3 sambos and one swallow over carlingford lough today at noon.

for mell turn off the M1 at drogheda north and head into drogheda, ignore the sign for Mell, take the second roundabout into drogheda and about 100 yards down the road the quarry is on the right - enter through a gap in the wire.

Enda · Apr 1, 2006

good numbers of sandwich terns this morning with a single swallow seen . also big numbers of gannets feeding offshore. Salterstown - Cruisetown area

Enda · Apr 2, 2006

a male merlin flew in of the sea this morning at hermitage & posed for about an hour(see attached pics) we usually only see female types on our coast so it was a nice surprise also present on the pond was a little egret. at least 1 of the mealy redpolls is still at cruisetown. Wheatears,white wagtail & slavanion grebe were also noted (by other birders) between seabank & salterstown

ardnasx1 · Apr 3, 2006

Saw 2 swallows at Beaulieu today.

Enda · Apr 4, 2006

anybody seen any sandmartins this year yet or is it just me

Pluvius · Apr 4, 2006

Sadly just you;saw one on Quoile, Co. Down on 29th March(see blog) but yet to see swallow of which there were 12 on Quoile yesterday.

www.peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com

sav · Apr 5, 2006

Enda said:
anybody seen any sandmartins this year yet or is it just me

How come sand martins are so late in arriving in NE Ireland this spring? They've been in Nw England in good numbers for over a week now.

breffni · Apr 5, 2006

sav said:
How come sand martins are so late in arriving in NE Ireland this spring? They've been in Nw England in good numbers for over a week now.

went looking for sandmartins (and alpine/pallid swifts etc) today - no sign - last year 6 arrived 2nd April and immediately started excavating holes at rathcor. By 6th of april there were dozens in the quarries at eggleston point and the bush (cooley area) and a few at templetown beach...one (northern) wheatear at templetown beach the best.

Enda · Apr 5, 2006

breffni said:
went looking for sandmartins (and alpine/pallid swifts etc) today - no sign - last year 6 arrived 2nd April and immediately started excavating holes at rathcor. By 6th of april there were dozens in the quarries at eggleston point and the bush (cooley area) and a few at templetown beach...one (northern) wheatear at templetown beach the best.

apart from sandwich terns everything else seems to be trickling in maybe if the weather turns more favourable we will get a big fall overnight (hopefully a weekend)

Enda · Apr 9, 2006

a few more migrants about this weekend swallows,house martins,sandmartins,with quite a few wheatears(4 together at hermitage)
2 dark bellied brent where also seen today one at annagassan & one at ballagan
red throated divers,razorbills & guillemots were feeding quite close to the shore at hermitage and a couple of stock doves were showing well on the farm buildings behind the pond

fredbern · Apr 9, 2006

In addition to Enda's details, I had a quick view of a very pale buzzard on the link road at the end of Salterstown which brings you out at the thatched cottage. By far, this is the palest one I have seen. Saw this bird a couple of weeks ago. Just wondering if anyone else has picked up this individual.

Freddie.

gareth2005 · Apr 10, 2006

Have missed this thread over the past few months ( No broadband - Moving house etc )
Good to see its still growing.
Plenty of Swallows/Martins around Stephenstown Pond on Sunday, I dont think this cold weather will do them any good though.
Have also spotted a sparrow hawk hunting around the estates on the avenue road. Havent seen one here before, I spotted it twice aound the ESB building over the weekend.

breffni · Apr 10, 2006

best i had was four male yellowhammers together at lurgangreen...
nice photo of the db brent here http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/april_photos.html - db brent (presumably the same bird) apparently later seen carlingford lough so on the move...

the brent are gathering around balaggan, greenore and carlingford bay - 5 colour ringed birds seen one apparently with a radio transmitter...

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