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

Louth Birds 2009

Hi all

As we are now 3/4's through the year I am putting the draft list of Louth birds recorded in 2009 here for your attention.
These are based on records I have received, so if anyone has amendments, additions, etc to make,please let me know asap.
Notes: - There may be questions over the bittern (was it in Co Louth?). Also I do not know who reported the osprey in Baltray - is it reliable? (ps I am not suggesting it is not reliable:eek!:) Finally, I am assuming that there are no objections to including the great shearwater and pom skua - what is the norm for birds recorded on palegics??
The 7 birds marked orange are new to the list in 2009 (not seen in 2008).
To help jog some memories I have also attached list of 28 birds recorded in 2008 but as yet reported to me for 2009. These include some examples that have probably already been seen / heard - eg jay, water rail and scaup.

Thanks
Derek
 

Attachments

  • Louth Birds List 2009 Provisional Sept.pdf
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  • Louth Birds List 2009 missing list.pdf
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I don't know if anybody has been up at Soldier's Point recently but I was surprised to see that an earthmover has dug up and flattened the area behind the houses. Presume they are going to develop something there.
 
Is it just me or has anyone noticed a big jump in buzzard numbers in the last year or two. Great to see I suppose.
Where I live(between termonfeckin&clogherhead) they're getting really common. The minute I step out the back door each morning I hear them before I see them. Always 5 or 6 circling around playing and screaming at eachother.Today I saw one tuck in its wings before going into a big dive at a perched pigeon on a esb pole. It wasn't successful though. Crazy sight. Didn't know they did this. Almost peregrine like traits!
 
Hi
I pretty much always see one or two on the drive from Dublin to Drogheda in the last few years and most times I'm staying with family in Fieldstown. Even five years ago I hardly saw any.
Paul
 
Louth Bird List 2009

With the addition of jay and long tailed duck the total should be 163, however I note that I included spotted sandpiper in the 2009 list when in fact it was seen in Nov 2008 :eek!:
So 162 is the reported total to date, just 8 down on the 170 total at end of September 2008.
PS Fosters Tern due at Cruisetown any day now!!
 
I don't know if anybody has been up at Soldier's Point recently but I was surprised to see that an earthmover has dug up and flattened the area behind the houses. Presume they are going to develop something there.

Not without Appropriate Assessment they're not!
 
Not without Appropriate Assessment they're not!

The entire area behind the houses which had the weedy growth which used to attract the finch flocks has been dug up and levelled. There is a red porta-cabin there so I thought maybe somebody was building something.

The removal of the weeds and cover has probably made it a lot less attractive for wintering twites.
 
With the addition of jay and long tailed duck the total should be 163, however I note that I included spotted sandpiper in the 2009 list when in fact it was seen in Nov 2008 :eek!:
So 162 is the reported total to date, just 8 down on the 170 total at end of September 2008.
PS Fosters Tern due at Cruisetown any day now!!




FORSTERS FOUND TODAY AT CRUIESTOWN ....
 
Hi all

As we are now 3/4's through the year I am putting the draft list of Louth birds recorded in 2009 here for your attention.
These are based on records I have received, so if anyone has amendments, additions, etc to make,please let me know asap.
Notes: - There may be questions over the bittern (was it in Co Louth?). Also I do not know who reported the osprey in Baltray - is it reliable? (ps I am not suggesting it is not reliable:eek!:) Finally, I am assuming that there are no objections to including the great shearwater and pom skua - what is the norm for birds recorded on palegics??
The 7 birds marked orange are new to the list in 2009 (not seen in 2008).
To help jog some memories I have also attached list of 28 birds recorded in 2008 but as yet reported to me for 2009. These include some examples that have probably already been seen / heard - eg jay, water rail and scaup.

Thanks
Derek

At least one osprey record was definately good, probably both.
 
Took a quick buzz around the bay yesterday afternoon while the rest of the family went shopping in Dundalk. Could not pick up on the Forsters Tern at Cruisetown. A half hour stint at Lurgangreen produced a single Whooper Swan, plenty of waders and a juvenile female Peregrine with a blue ring on its left leg which spent much of its time making the waders nervous rather than actually hunting them.
 
When I was at cruisetown late in the day I flushed a tern from the stream but apparently there are a few commons still hanging around so it might have been that. later I had a small squat grebe with the 400 odd scoter (i could onl find 15 females in that flock!) Iwebs totals for the bay were in the range of 30,000+ birds with 12000 oycas, 1000 brent, 15 greylags at lurgangreen and oscar had 3 pink foot there...
 
BIG movement of redwings tonight. Heard first ones on Monday and Tuesday nights - only a handful. Tonight almost non stop - certainly a call every 5 sec or so. Difficult to pin point direction of travel but I'd guess SSW.
 
I see a flock of birds of about 20 often returning to work around 5pm flying back and forth changing direction together almost like synchronized flying. A beautiful sight as the dark birds (not that big) seem to float or glide flying at times usually around Paupers graveyard near hospital so I am querying some type of sea bird as close to lough here and many sea birds constantly about. They keep changing direction so gracefully in the same circular area chosen for ages. The other evening I was amazed around 6 pm to see them doing their display but very low this time around roofs of houses and then suddenly all landed on a roof and then down onto grass but I have never seen them land before. I could see some white on birds around their centre perhaps but do not think Swallows. I have looked in books but not getting anywhere. Anyone any idea what they might be as I couldnt get close enough for any better discription.
Same evening I saw about 7 beautiful small birds black with white tails in park (think some kind of wagtails as a lot about here) making low flying display too but not certain as I never noticed a display such as this from them before. I also heard some kind of tweeting above my roof actually from one of them. It was the evening for displays. Still plenty of Swallows about.
 
Dolce
Probably starlings - sometimes they look alot duller than shown in books.
Pied Wagtails seem right - quite a large winter roost just down from you in the trees at Dunnes Stores on Monaghan Street.
No swallows left round here - seen my last ones almost 2 weeks ago.
Derek
 
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