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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (1 Viewer)

Sancho said:
Would I be right in assuming that the Twite have left Soldier's Point and Rockmarshall for the season?
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They normally hang around till March, I think.They could be anywhere in Dundalk Bay. I would be surprised if they were not reported again at Soldiers Point before the end of the winter.

Will keep you posted.
 
Peter Phillips said:
You did better than me Derek.
Maybe this quiet spell is the calm before the big one. Hopfully it turns up tomorrow at Baltray or Cruisetown.
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I take it you're hoping for something off the continent with the SE winds?
Are you heading to Baltray for the short eared? - it's about 6 years since I seen one - beautiful bird - will try for it myself over the weekend.
I have dipped the Cruisetown hen harrier on numerous occasions - today I thought it was following me around!
The Iceland's were at the stream just South of the toilets/car park - they seem to be here most of the time I've seen them.
PS I've been keeping a lookout for purple sandpiper myself Peter - they have to appear locally at some stage - unless we are missing them.
Derek
 
Derek Watters said:
Great light today, especially after the weekend mist - as seen by Breffni's excellent shots, but you're right Peter about it being quite - covered same coast as you this afternoon (Cruisetown to Seabank) and unusually quiet. Only a handful of gulls at Cruisetown - but this did include 2 Icelands. Seen Hen Harrier on several occasions in the fields at Cruisetown.
Otherwise nothing. :C
Derek
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What time of the day did you see the Hen Harrrier at Cruisetown Derek?
 
Peter Phillips said:
They normally hang around till March, I think.They could be anywhere in Dundalk Bay. I would be surprised if they were not reported again at Soldiers Point before the end of the winter.

Will keep you posted.
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Thanks Peter! Waiting yet another year for Twite might just drive me over the edge...;)
 
There are large mixed flocks of roving finches all over the place around here now. I checked rockmarshal and it was cleared out - even the dock was all eaten. Don't twite still breed somewhere in ireland? The Mullet?
 
breffni said:
There are large mixed flocks of roving finches all over the place around here now. I checked rockmarshal and it was cleared out - even the dock was all eaten. Don't twite still breed somewhere in ireland? The Mullet?
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Yes they still nest on the Mullet. I think Donegal as well, and probably still in small numbers in the south west.

The birds in Dundalk Bay are almost certainly from Northern England or Scotland. I think they might be regular but scarce on Copeland during passage and if memory serves me right a Scotish ringed bird was controlled there. Indicating there is movement between Ireland and the British mainland.

Today I did my usual route with Baltray thrown in for good measure.Still no Short eared Owl. All the peanuts were eaten at Clogher Head ,so at least thats working. Two Goldcrests in the youth Hostel garden were new (to me). Very quiet at Port Oriel. A few gulls at Cruisetown with just one Iceland Gull among them. A small flock of Tree Sparrow at the southern end of Cruisetown had me scurrying for the camara, when this female Blackcap popped up just in time. Hermitage and KCP quiet.
 

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Last edited:
Lovely shots, Peter. Thanks for the Twite info, guys....I tried a few years running in the breeding season, to no avail, in the times when they were still reputed to nest around the Cliffs of Moher. The Mullet...hmmm, big Peninsula, small bird.....maybe I'll wait till next year for the first report from Soldier's Point and zoom up for a twitch......
 
Evening News

Hi, its me again!

What with the evenings getting longer I am starting to get out twice a day now.
Anyway, this evening I managed 30 minutes at Lurgangreen where I met Derek Watters.Thousands of birds present and a beautiful sunset, its a pity I only had Derek to share it with!

Target bird this evening was Greenland White fronted Goose with the possibility of a pink foot or two. The (24)white fronts obliged as the sun was setting. The pink feet will have to wait.


113. White fronted Goose
 

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Sancho said:
Lovely shots, Peter. Thanks for the Twite info, guys....I tried a few years running in the breeding season, to no avail, in the times when they were still reputed to nest around the Cliffs of Moher. The Mullet...hmmm, big Peninsula, small bird.....maybe I'll wait till next year for the first report from Soldier's Point and zoom up for a twitch......
Click to expand...

Thanks Sancho. I would'nt bother with the mullet, just for Twite. I think they look their best in winter. We will keep you up to date.
 
Peter Phillips said:
The birds in Dundalk Bay are almost certainly from Northern England or Scotland. I think they might be regular but scarce on Copeland during passage and if memory serves me right a Scotish ringed bird was controlled there. Indicating there is movement between Ireland and the British mainland.
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Peter,

IIRC there's an amount of ringing recoveries to show that the northern England population winter on either side of the North Sea - east coast of England and Holland. In fact I seem to remember there was one recovery of a bird on this south-easterly bearing that was ultimately found in Switzerland or Italy direction.

Not sure about Copeland but there was a bird ringed in Skye that was contolled/found in Donegal subsequently. This would represent a movement from a British island, rather than the British mainland, to Ireland of course!

Dave
 
dfd said:
Peter,

IIRC there's an amount of ringing recoveries to show that the northern England population winter on either side of the North Sea - east coast of England and Holland. In fact I seem to remember there was one recovery of a bird on this south-easterly bearing that was ultimately found in Switzerland or Italy direction.

Not sure about Copeland but there was a bird ringed in Skye that was contolled/found in Donegal subsequently. This would represent a movement from a British island, rather than the British mainland, to Ireland of course!

Dave
Click to expand...

I stand corrected on both counts!

I will have a look at the BTO Migration Atlas later which shows all Twite records between both Islands and the real mainland (Europe).

I'll keep you posted.
 
At Salterstown yesterday late afternoon

Can anyone help me identify these , a flock flying low over the water between Annagassan and Salterstown , thanks , John
 

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Many thanks , it was a close up from a large flock (about 30) . Attached mallard over Lurgangreen during the week .
 

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