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County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter breffni
- Start date
Hedgehogs have not been a problem in Baltray so far, but good to know of a potential new home in case we come across any Gareth.If anyone find some Hedgehogs in Baltray that need relocating, I could do with some in my garden to protect out Veg patch?
Our regular hedgehog over the last few years was found dead on the avenue road recently
Gareth
Gerry, Don and myself were priveleged to hear a corncrake near cruisetown beach last night about 10:30pm following a report from a local resident. Bird has apparently been calling since Sunday. It was a cold drizzly night and the bird only called once for about a minute up to 11 or so. Not sure when the last record of a corncrake calling in county louth is?
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
I also had a fascinating conversation with a Laboratory Technician in the hospital lab late this evening whilst waiting on results about the increased number of Swallows and small Swifts this year flying around the very Old Doctors quarters boarded up building just beside new lab. I told him I could see dozens of Swallows and juveniles flying in and out of the eaves of old building late evenings and he immediately said that there were lots of small Swifts this year too. I am pleased to have that confirmed as he is obviously a man who know his Swallows and Swifts for certain and told me about his father in Warenpoint showing him the difference between their nests and about the mud they need too (coudnt help thinking about the caked mud along drains and gutters on top of garage that I cleaned away).
I asked him did he think it at all possible that these small Swifts had or would ever begin to nest inside the old building as well as the Swallows. He wasnt sure but knows they are certainly swooping fast along there every evening with the Swallows and interesting to watch that. I couldnt help looking up to see could they enter the old high building and noticed quite a few gaps at top of boarded wood with clearly no longer glass behind long time and thought how nice if Swifts are in there too or at least if some of those hanging around are even considering it. The old chapel was once there too and Swallows were actually named from having hovered over Christ on the cross repeatedly squeking "svala!" ("be comforted!") and I guess that is probably why it is still considered good luck for a Swallow nesting on your property or to fly into your house. Hospitals welcome good luck and I imagine they have a home for a long time to come there as neither reason nor money to knock down old building.
I asked him did he think it at all possible that these small Swifts had or would ever begin to nest inside the old building as well as the Swallows. He wasnt sure but knows they are certainly swooping fast along there every evening with the Swallows and interesting to watch that. I couldnt help looking up to see could they enter the old high building and noticed quite a few gaps at top of boarded wood with clearly no longer glass behind long time and thought how nice if Swifts are in there too or at least if some of those hanging around are even considering it. The old chapel was once there too and Swallows were actually named from having hovered over Christ on the cross repeatedly squeking "svala!" ("be comforted!") and I guess that is probably why it is still considered good luck for a Swallow nesting on your property or to fly into your house. Hospitals welcome good luck and I imagine they have a home for a long time to come there as neither reason nor money to knock down old building.
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Dony
Active member
House martins evicted.
A few weeks ago I was delighted to see housemartins returning to the apex of my house and repairing/rebuilding their nest from last year -and a fine job they did of it too.
All was going well and the female had moved in and I presume she was sitting on the eggs. Then something started to happen in the next few days which I thought rather odd! Some house sparrows started to persistently attack the nest and gradually pulled away at it bit by bit untill there was a large section of it removed so they could gain entry, and what seemed to me, they evicted the housemartins and anything else that was in the nest! The housemartins have now dissappeared altogether and are showing no signs of returning which seems a bit unfair!
I should add to this that there are a lot of pairs of sparrows nesting in the very near vacinity.
I suppose I'm just wondering if this practice is common? I'm just a casual birder so wouldn't really know.
A few weeks ago I was delighted to see housemartins returning to the apex of my house and repairing/rebuilding their nest from last year -and a fine job they did of it too.
All was going well and the female had moved in and I presume she was sitting on the eggs. Then something started to happen in the next few days which I thought rather odd! Some house sparrows started to persistently attack the nest and gradually pulled away at it bit by bit untill there was a large section of it removed so they could gain entry, and what seemed to me, they evicted the housemartins and anything else that was in the nest! The housemartins have now dissappeared altogether and are showing no signs of returning which seems a bit unfair!
I should add to this that there are a lot of pairs of sparrows nesting in the very near vacinity.
I suppose I'm just wondering if this practice is common? I'm just a casual birder so wouldn't really know.
We heard and saw one at Nunneryland in Termonfeckin many years ago. It was in my sister's garden and we heard and saw it one foggy night. The fog was at about knee height, so we could see below it. We heard a noise like someone turning the key in an ignition that wouldn't start and when we investigated, we saw the corncrake. As she had a car at that time, it would have been about 14 years ago. Unfortunately we cannot put a more precise date on it.
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Recording made on my mobile phone attached.
hpux
Active member
wow - just had a look at the blog.
Well done guys, looks like you're doing sterling work
hpux
Active member
wasn't the Kilcoole colony pretty much wiped out by a similar storm on around the same date in the late nineties ( 1998 I think ).
Strange how history repeats itself
nialltkeogh
Well-known member
There have been many heavy losses as a result of storms several times in the past so you may well be right with the year. Unfortunately the frequency & strength of these storms have been increasing over the past few years (climate change?).
A lot can be done to stop disturbance from humans & predation by foxes, corvids, hedgehogs etc. but the wardens are powerless to stop the weather!
Thankfully this years storm hit early enough for most terns to re-lay and when I was last at Kilcoole on Sunday there were 13 chicks hatched so far from 32 nests which is a very good recovery. The great weather we're having at the moment will increase their chances of survival.
All the best,
Niall
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Just back from 2 weeks in the Algarve, Southern Portugal.
Got a good few hours birding in despite the extremely high temperatures (mid 30's by day and even worse were the high 20's at night).
Before I left, I put together a "hit list" of birds that I wanted to tick off and am glad to say that I managed to have relatively few dips (rock bunting, nuthatch, a few peckers, little bittern, purple swamphen and surprisingly spoonbill). I did manage at least 15 lifers and at least 30 birds not regular in Ireland, so Collins got a good workout!
Timing is essential in the Algarve, a week or so can have a big bearing on what's about. Time of day counts too, with many birds dissapearing in the hottest part of the day. Also, some birds, notibaly the raptors and turtle dove become quite elusive during the breeding season.
Biggest surprise were 3 Northern Bald Ibis that flew in to Pera Marsh just after sunset one evening. I instantly recognised them and also knew they are an extremely rare bird (on the critically endangered list with less than 500 birds left in the wild). I was very excited at this find, however on getting my hands on an internet connection I learned they were reintroduced into Spain in 2006 and these birds were obviously from this scheme, though this is as far away as they have been recorded.
Biggest upset has to be the loss of c. 250 photos (including some good shots of red legged partridge with newborn chicks, montys harrier, and some hard sought close ups of hoopoes and fan tailed warblers that I set my alarm at 6am for! Having run out of storage, I acquired a new xd card, which still had the photos when I got home. Somehow however, either in transfering to pc??? I lost them all :C :C :C
All and all a good trip and a great spot for birding.
Got a good few hours birding in despite the extremely high temperatures (mid 30's by day and even worse were the high 20's at night).
Before I left, I put together a "hit list" of birds that I wanted to tick off and am glad to say that I managed to have relatively few dips (rock bunting, nuthatch, a few peckers, little bittern, purple swamphen and surprisingly spoonbill). I did manage at least 15 lifers and at least 30 birds not regular in Ireland, so Collins got a good workout!
Timing is essential in the Algarve, a week or so can have a big bearing on what's about. Time of day counts too, with many birds dissapearing in the hottest part of the day. Also, some birds, notibaly the raptors and turtle dove become quite elusive during the breeding season.
Biggest surprise were 3 Northern Bald Ibis that flew in to Pera Marsh just after sunset one evening. I instantly recognised them and also knew they are an extremely rare bird (on the critically endangered list with less than 500 birds left in the wild). I was very excited at this find, however on getting my hands on an internet connection I learned they were reintroduced into Spain in 2006 and these birds were obviously from this scheme, though this is as far away as they have been recorded.
Biggest upset has to be the loss of c. 250 photos (including some good shots of red legged partridge with newborn chicks, montys harrier, and some hard sought close ups of hoopoes and fan tailed warblers that I set my alarm at 6am for! Having run out of storage, I acquired a new xd card, which still had the photos when I got home. Somehow however, either in transfering to pc??? I lost them all :C :C :C
All and all a good trip and a great spot for birding.
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Derek Watters
Well-known member
A few more! The purple heron is one I dipped on for over a week (large but very secretive bird unlike our grey heron) and then I had a chance flyover one afternoon. Red rumped swallows not as common as I was expecting - had to travel to get them (note black vent area). Kentish plovers often hard to find as they blend in well with the brightly coloured sands.
Attachments
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Final few for today! I assume the third photo are common waxbill (adult and juv) judging by red on face/beak and flat run of forehead into beak. I didn't get a chance to view them other than this photo, so any id opinions are welcome.
Attachments
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Hi Sean
No trip report yet, but there will be one when I get a chance. I will put a link to it here when I get it finished. Unfortunately Alvor was quite the day I visited, some little terns, spotless starlings, spanish sparrows, white storks, YL Gulls and lots of house martin were all I really got there. The tide was out and the estuary was full of cockle pickers, so birds were few and far between. As I said previously, timing is so important. Several alpine swift were nesting in the cliffs about a mile east of Alvor.
