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County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)

Reminder

Friday 14th March, 8:00PM: Talk entitled "South Africa- a beat about the bush" by John Carey, Anno Santo Hotel, Threadneedle Road, Salthill.
 
I am heading down you way lads, on sunday for a couple of days. I hope to see those American Herring Gulls. Are the Surf Scotor still about? I take it that there has been no sign of the Snowy Owl or Water Pipit reported a few weeks ago?
 
Peter
No updates for today however both American Herring Gulls seen yesterday Thursday including a single Surf Scoter seen between Hare Island and Mutton Island. The Forster's Tern seen along Claddagh Beach best on a rising tide on Wednesday. Negative news on the Snowy Owl and the Water Pipit. No further updates on the Cattle Egret.

Any one else with updates.

Troakie any chance you might post map ref for Green Sandpiper.

Tom
 
Tom

As promised, here are the green sand refs: the Shiven River bird (possibly 2) in December was at Eskermurry M732489. I returned in January and didn't see any. The river nearby at M7250 also looked suitable, though I didn't stop to look.
The recent sighting was on the north bank of the Abbert River just west of Cloonkeen Bridge M552431. Probably worth checking any similar sized rivers in that general area.
Good luck if you head out that way. If you do, make sure you check out the starling roost at dusk - there were still huge numbers there at the end of Feb, using conifer plantations at M5439 (Parkacurry), having moved from a spruce plantation two km to the ENE that they were using earlier in the winter. I've got some poor shots/footage, but would be good if you can get something better - really is an awesome spectacle.

Troakie
 
Went looking for the Cattle Egrets today in Corundulla and was talking to the farmer they were not seen for 2 weeks. There was a recent clay-pigeon shoot locally and they took flight. Then went looking for a Green Sandpiper thanks Troakie for the refs on the Abbert river no luck there only a Kingfisher. Went back to Nimmo's late this evening a got talking to Noel Lenehan from Cork. He said there was Kumliens and I asked had it got two legs and yes it had. I assume this is a new bird to Nimmo's. Also had the Glaucous + Herring Hybrid on Claddagh Beach and the two Surf Scoters out in the bay and the Juv AHG at the slip way.
Yesterday the the Adult AHG was at the docks and an Adult Glaucous Gull at the Slipway.
 

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Spring's here! Saw two or three male wheatears today on the west coast, west of Cleggan and at Omey Strand. Also peregrine and a fine summer-plumaged red-throated diver.

Troakie
 
Galway List 2008

1. Red-throated Diver
2. Great Northern Diver
3. Little Grebe
4. Great-crested Grebe
5. Gannet
6. Cormorant
7. Shag
8. Cattle Egret
9. Little Egret
10. Grey Heron
11. Mute Swan
12. Whooper Swan
13. White fronted Geese
14. Brent Geese
15. Shelduck
16. Wigeon
17. Gadwall
18. Teal
19. Mallard
20. Pintail
21. Shoveler
22. Pochard
23. Tufted Duck
24. Scaup
25. Lesser Scaup
26. Common Scoter
27. Surf Scoter
28. Goldeneye
29. Merganser
30. Hen Harrier
31. Sparrowhawk
32. Kestrel
33. Merlin
34. Peregrine
35. Red Grouse
36. Pheasant
37. Moorhen
38. Coot
39. Oystercatcher
40. Ringed Plover
41. Golden Plover
42. Grey Plover
43. Lapwing
44. Knot
45. Purple Sandpiper
46. Dunlin
47. Woodcock
48. Black-tailed Godwit
49. Bar-tailed Godwit
50. Curlew
51. Redshank
52. Greenshank
53. Green Sandpiper
54. Common Sandpiper
55. Turnstone
56. Mediterranean Gull
57. Little Gull
58. Black-headed Gull
59. Ring-billed Gull
60. Common Gull
61. Lesser-black-backed Gull
62. Herring Gull
63. American Herring Gull
64. Iceland Gull
65. Kumlien's Gull
66. Glaucous Gull
67. Great Black-backed Gull
68. Kittiwake
69. Sandwich Tern
70. Forster’s Tern
71. Guillimot
72. Razorbill
73. Wood Pigeon
74. Feral Pigeon
75. Collared Dove
76. Snowy Owl
77. Long-eared Owl
78. Skylark
79. Meadow Pipit
80. Rock Pipit
81. Water Pipit
82. Grey Wagtail
83. Pied Wagtail
84. Dipper
85. Wren
86. Dunnock
87. Robin
88. Black Redstart
89. Stonechat
90. Blackbird
91. Fieldfare
92. Song Thrush
93. Redwing
94. Mistle Thrush
95. Blackcap
96. Goldcrest
97. Long tailed Tit
98. Coal Tit
99. Blue Tit
100. Great Tit
101. Magpie
102. Jackdaw
103. Rook
104. Hooded Crow
105. Starling
106. Sparrow
107. Chaffinch
108. Greenfinch
109. Goldfinch
110. Linnet
111. Twite
112. Redpoll
113. Crossbill
16-03-08
114. Kingfisher
115. Wheatear

Please post any additions
 
116. Water Rail
117. Reed Bunting
118. Common Snipe

All in Dangan a few times already this year. Just inside city boundary.
Will probably think of more later. Will it be a County list?
Did someone have Black-throated Diver recently?
Good idea Tom
 
Last edited:
Hi All,

Pete Capsey and I had Bull Finch and Greylag Goose at the Week-end in Rahasane, amomg others mentioned. Water Table still very high- even higher than 3-4 weeks ago.
 
Holidays

I am just back from a few days out west. I managed to squeeze 3 hours at Nimmos yesterday. Fantastic array of birds including 14 Iceland Gulls 1 Ring bill Gull 1 first winter American Herring Gull, Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid, 7 Sandwich Terns 1 Forsters Tern and 2 Surf Scotor-all within a 500m radius!

Thanks a million Tom Cuffe for showing me where "the docks" are. It was nice to see yourself and Tim again.

I checked my photos and am sure that what I though was a sub adult Kumliens was in fact the hybrid GluacousxHerring Gull see the photos attached. It was just the sun "burning out" the grey primary tips.
 

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Thanks for the updates on the sightings lads and it is a County List.

Peter good to meet up with you and yes it is the Glaucous + Herring hybrid.

Attach is a photo of the Kumlien's taken on Sunday.
 

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GlaucousxHerring Gull Hybrid

A few more shots of the Hybrid;
 

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Spring's here! Saw two or three male wheatears today on the west coast, west of Cleggan and at Omey Strand. Also peregrine and a fine summer-plumaged red-throated diver.

Troakie

The first Clare Wheatears of spring were reported Sunday (BWI Clare website). Also Wheatears reported in Cork and Wexford at the weekend too per the Cork Local Patch thread. Looks like you got some very early ones indeed yesterday Paul.
 
News

Anyone heading to Galway for the Long weekend here's a news update
@ Nimmo's, Docks, Mutton Island and Claddagh Beach
1st winter American Herring Gull
2 adult Ring billed gull
15 Iceland Gulls
2 Kumlien's Gulls (including stumpy)
2 Surf Scoters
Forsters Tern
Glaucous + Herring Hybrid Gull
7 Sandwich Terns

During the week but not as reliable as the above list
Adult American Herring Gull
Glaucous Gull
Little Gull

Anyone one else with recent sightings?
 

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Thanks for the update, Tom! I may just get over there next week with the family for a few days, send them off shopping while I go down to Nimmo's!
 
A few to add Tom....

124 Fulmar
125 Black guillemot
126 Stock dove
127 Treecreeper
128 Raven
129 Siskin
130 Yellowhammer
131 Sand martin

Sand martin and wheatear were seen by Brian Caffrey at Tower Callow, just NW of Banagher two days ago.
The recent record of 7 Sandwich terns at Nimmos perhaps includes the first returning migrants - I'm not sure if more than 5 have been seen throughout the winter??

Troakie
 
I went over to Rinville this evening to check out an egret roost where I'd seen a few birds dropping in one evening earlier in the winter. It seemed nothing was going to happen as the light dimmed, a full moon rising to my left, and hundreds of noisy jackdaws swirling in the sky to my right. Then, at 7.27pm a flock of 16 egrets arrived and settled, followed by another group of 4 ten minutes later. This roost must be pulling in birds from a large area, though I suspect there's another roost somewhere in the SE part of the bay. Single woodcock also seen.

Troakie
 
Troakie
Well done a count of 20 Little Egrets is an improvement on the highest I have heard of which is 15.

The max number of over wintering Sandwich Terns was 5 so I would agree that some of the increase in numbers are returning migrants.

Where did you see the Yellowhammer?

No sign of the American Herring Gulls or the Forster's Tern today all other birds were present.
 

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