Wexford birding (1 Viewer)

9th June

I had my first visit to Tacumshin during the week when a family holiday brought us to Kelly’s Hotel in Rosslare.

I decided to do a tour of the hotspots and started at Tacumshin at 6.30 in the morning. It was difficult to find and an hour later (should have taken 20 minutes), I found myself at the white hole at the west end. I had checked the web the night before and was delighted to see that a White-winged Black Tern (east end pool) and Turtle Dove (Tomhaggard) had been seen in the area. The wetland looked fantastic and after Grey Heron at the car park the next birds was a calling Water Rail, two singing Reed Warbler (and a female type Marsh Harrier. It was a great start to the day. The west end reed bed was quiet and after getting lost again (checking every Collard Dove along the way) I eventually found the forgotten corner and the high car park over looking the east end pool. It was still early and the pool was very quiet. No sign of the White-winged Black Tern, Forster’s Tern, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Little Gulls or any of the 5 Garganey reported. I left after an hour or so a bit disappointed and headed back for breakfast. I had planned to go to Lady’s Island lake and on to Carnsore but decided to give the east end another go. On arrival I bumped into Dick Coombes who had the White-winged black Tern on the sand. After a few minutes the bird moved out over the pool and spend a half an hour or so at a time picking up insects off the blanket weed and would then go back and rest on the sand before continuing the routine for the entire day. We got fantastic views of the bird from the island for the next few hours. Three Garganey eventually swam into view and three Little Gulls where also feeding over the pond and a female type Marsh Harrier started hunting over the reeds. At one time I had all these species plus the White winged black Tern on view through my bins! It felt more like a wetland in southern Europe than Ireland. A fly over 2cy Med Gull and a calling Cuckoo added to scene.

The Forster’s Tern made two brief visits to the pool at about 16.30 and 18.00. As the evening started to close in we were joined by Paul Hillis and Sean Farrell and the White winged Black Tern was soaking up the last of the sun on the sand with up to eight first summer Little Gulls. At this point I had to leave.

10th/11th June

Having heard about a Hobby at tacumshin found shortly after I left the evening before I made an early morning dash for the east end.. The Collared Dove scrutiny paid off as I was driving down the lane to the east end when I noticed a dark dove on the wire. Sure enough it was a Turtle Dove! Maybe the same one from Tomhaggard a couple of days earlier. When I arrived at the high car park there was a nice 2cy Hobby hunting the marsh behind the pool. Returning later that day I met Shay Connolly and Paul Hillis. A few Little Gulls were all that was present

I managed to get out again the morning of the 11th. The pond was quiet so I had a wander aroud towards the forgotten corner. I got a glimse of a small falcon landing on the sand and sure enough it was a Hobby.This bird although not an adult had terracotta coloured britches and was different from the bird I had seen the day before. I believe Shay Connolly had two Hobby over the patches the night before. When I arrived back at the car I met Pat Brennan.He went searching for the Hobby.

All in all great few days.And now I know where it is...I will be back.The High car park at Tacumshin must rank along withe Bridges of Ross,Nimmos Pier and Cotters garden on Cape Clear as one of the best places observation points in the country.

Peter Phillips said:

The High car park at Tacumshin must rank along withe Bridges of Ross,Nimmos Pier and Cotters garden on Cape Clear as one of the best places observation points in the country.

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Hear Hear!!!

Come mid-September there'll be more yank waders than you can shake an over-priced Austrian scope at!!!

Dipidy Dip

Hi,

Made it down to Tac by 13:30 on Saturday hoping to see the Stilt Sandpiper...and there it was, gone!

Nor was there any sign of the female Little Ringed Plover or the 2 Marsh Harriers.

The ever present Forster's Tern was on show over the east end pool at 16:00 along with a 2cy Little Gull, an adult Med Gull & a singing Reed Warbler.

Checked the original Stilt Sand site at Seafield/Blackstone, The Cull but no luck there either.

C'mon September...

Niall

morning at Tacumshin Friday 7th

Hi
Just in case anyone plans a visit this weekend, the water level at Tacumshin is very high. Very little shoreline exposed and pretty deep at the inlet near the high car park. I didn't fancy trying to cross it with knee high wellies! Nothing exposed round from the east end to the forgotten corner. Best bet might be to walk the shore from the white hole end?
Saw marsh harrier (over forgotten corner), heard water rail and saw a couple of med gulls and a 1st summer little gull.
regards
Paul

Looks like you left a little early paul!

Friday saw an Adult bairds turn up at Tac.
The marsh harrier, 2 little gulls (a first and second summer) and a juvenile med gull were also present.

A summer adult little stint was at rosslare with about a thousand smalls.

Saturday once again saw the adult bairds giving amazing views at the sluice.
2 summer adult curlew sandpipers were also present.
A lesser golden plover flying over the east end car park sounded better for AGP than PGP.
One other birder saw the individual and reckons the toes definitely dont project beyond the tail.

Likely the same bird hanging around a week now.

The Cull had literally thousands of smalls present but sadly nothing amongst them despite hours of searching..there was only a hundred dunlin at Tac....theres no justice in the world.

Owen

I had 2 hours before picking up the family and started at the East End. Could see the only place for waders was the walk along the lake shore to the patches, but just didn't have the time...
It is the curse of the family/birder conflict, and having the daily info site to mock me when I got home to Dublin was an extra treat.
ah well, next time
Paul

8 glossy ibis were at the forgotten corner of tacumshin yesterday. With a juv spotted sandpiper at nethertown.

A probable tawny pipit was seen and heard over the end of the sub alp lane on carnsore.

Owen

Pariah said:

8 glossy ibis were at the forgotten corner of tacumshin yesterday. With a juv spotted sandpiper at nethertown.

A probable tawny pipit was seen and heard over the end of the sub alp lane on carnsore.

Owen

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Nice selection there...I am hoping to get down on Thursday to spend the day in wexford. I hear its a bit watery at Tacumshin...will wellies do or do I need waders?
Easterlies forcast on thursday and friday so if Tac is a wash out I might spend some time at carnsore..we are due a fall of passerines..
Is the sub alp lane marked in Erics book?

Hi peter,

Tac needs waders. Hell a canoe would be better suited. Best chance is to go out
through lingstown.

The sub alp lane is the last left turn before you hit the south east corner of ladies island. At the very end of it are 2 pools just before the dunes. This is were the pipit went over.

Owen

Thanks for that . I dont have waders so thats out. I have about 10 hours so will give carnsore a good look round.

Day trip

I had a reasonable day on thursday. I got to Nethertown at half seven. Only a little over 3 hours from Ardee,not bad...I met Pat King here and we set about looking for one of the 2 Citrine Wagtails that had been seen on the 8th and 9th. Despite giving it 4 hours neither bird showed. Several hundred Swallows and Martins were flying around.There were about 20 White Wagtails on the beach and a couple of Wheatear. There had been 50 alba wags the day before so there was a bit of a clear out.It was my first trip here and was impressed with the cover and searchability of Churchtown. There were quite a few migrants around. 5 Sedge Warbler at the pool beside the path about 8 each Willow/chiffers and 6 Blackcap and a Spotted Flycatcher. I had a very breif view of what I put down as a Grasshopper Warbler in one of the fields beside the track. Even having spent 4 hours I felt I did not do the area justice...you could easily spend the entire day here...The best at Carnsore were a white wag a wheatear and a couple of Whitethroat. I skipped Ladys Island and went on to Tacumshin. I could just make out 2 Marsh Harrier at the far end of the lake. I met Paul Archer here and we ventured out across the channel (just about doable in wellies) The numbers of waders on the far side were poor with no smalls 3 ruff and a couple of Redshank enjoying the sun but missing the mud! A plover flew low in front of us and landed behind some long grass. It was difficult to make out what it was but then it popped out and and showed itself to be a nice juv Buff-breasted Sandpipier.Worth pulling on the wellies after all.
A worthwhile trip I will be back...............

Wexford weekend 26/27 Sept

Hi
Managed 3 hours at Tacumshin round the east end and up the shore a bit towards the forgotten corner on saturday morning, and a couple of hours at Hook head on Sunday morning.
Tacumshin was a treat, worth it just to take in the scene and listen to the ducks and swans moving about. Thousands of house martins and swallows too. Loads of birders about this time- some not terribly quiet either, though noise travelled easily over the water probably...
Managed to see the glossy ibis as it moved from the Forgotten Corner to the East End. Missed out on b.b. sand and pec. sand but 3 curlew sand, 2 juv. ruff and lots of dunlin. First year hen harrier flushing curlew on the cut fields beyond the east end and 2 white wags with pied wags near the channel.
At Hook Head there was again lots of swallows and house martins near Slade Harbour. Most of the martins were over the sea and most swallows over the fields, oddly enough. There was 100+ skylarks in a newly cut field on the walk from Slade to the lighthouse. Lots of meadow pipets, goldfinches and linnets plus one female wheatear.
Must make a day of it at Tacumshin next time - you hardly get started in 2-3 hours.
Nearly forgot - a spotted redshank at the Fethard On Sea inlet mouth plus 4 moulting sandwich terns.
regards
Paul

Howiya,

27th Sept:

Great Saltee: [09:30-12:30, Jimmy Dowdall, Kieran Grace, Niall T. Keogh, Noel Keogh, Tom Shevlin, Alyn Walsh & Denis Weir]

1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
c.50 Chiffchaffs
2 Willow Warblers
1 female Blackcap
2 Goldcrest
1 Spotted Flycatcher
1 Whinchat
1 Wheatear
c.500 Meadow Pipits
c.100 Linnets
4 Siskin
c.400 House Martins
c.150 Swallows
2 Sand Martins
3 Song Thrush
2 Snipe
2 Whimbrel

Tacumshin Lake:
The 1cy Glossy Ibis was showing well, although moving regularly between the east end & the Forgotten Corner due to disturbance from aircraft, quads & a Peregrine. Five 1cy Curlew Sandpipers, one 1cy Little Stint, three 1cy Ruff, 25+ Little Egrets, 3 "brown" Garganey, 4 Buzzards, a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier, an adult & 1cy Peregrine, Kestrel, a White Wagtail, a Stock Dove & a Water Rail were also seen.

North Slob:
An early Scaup with the Tufted Ducks & a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits from the Pat Walsh hide were the only birds of note.

All the best,
Niall

Glossy Ibis still showing at eastend of Tacumshin today , mixing with BH Gulls , there up to 4pm , also Marsh Harrier x 2 and Buzzard over forgotten corner , 4 x white wagtails + 2 Wheatear also at eastend , a few skylarks also. Tac.

Howiya,

4th October:

Tacumshin Lake (0815-1500)
Managed to find myself a nice 1st cal-yr/eclipse male Blue-winged Teal in the Forgotten Corner at 0850 this morning. It later moved out further onto the lake and was hanging around with the Wigeon/Shoveler flock up until 1100 when I last saw it.

At 1240 my father (Noel Keogh) found a 1st cal-yr Buff-breasted Sandpiper out on The Patches. It was quite distant, wary & associating with 2 Ruff & a Curlew Sandpiper. All the waders & duck were quite flighty today and it eventually broke away from this small flock and remained by itself on The Patches whilst everything else milled around.

An eclipse male Falcated Duck was also with the Wigeon out from Stoney Point. This is probably the same bird that was present last winter which had a nasty orange ring on it's leg (although I didn't see any legs on the bird today :t: maybe it didn't have any!!! )...by the way, the green highlight is ment to represent the colour of what spewed out my mouth after I saw this bird! Probably the most offensive duck I have ever seen!!! looks a lot like this http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?v=1&off=126252&r=1&st=1&q=0 ....check out the comment on it as well!

The 1st cal-yr Glossy Ibis was again moving frequently between the east end & the Forgotten Corner all day whilst other sightings included: six 1st cal-yr Curlew Sandpipers, two 1st cal-yr Little Stints, three 1st cal-yr Ruff, one 1st cal-yr Spotted Redshank, one adult Mediterranean Gull, one adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose, one ringtail Hen Harrier, an adult & 1st cal-yr Peregrine, two Sparrowhawks, 2-3 Kestrels & a Water Rail.

See ya,
Niall

Howiya,

11th October:

Churchtown (0815-1030)
Noticeable viz-mig of Swallows, House Martins & Skylarks overhead. 4 Chiffchaffs & 2 Goldcrests were the best of the flits in the graveyard/gardens/willows. Big flocks of Goldfinches & Linnets in the stubble fields being harried by a Merlin & a Sparrowhawk. Offshore, flocks of Gannets were busy fishing, attracting in 2 Manx Shearwaters. Plenty of Sandwich Terns on the move as well as a pale phase adult Arctic Skua heading south. Lots of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails & a few Rock Pipits were foraging in the seaweed along the coast whilst plenty of Bar-tailed Godwits, Turnstones & Oystercatchers were day-roosting on the secluded beach between here & Carne...A very enjoyable morning walk!

Nethertown
A single Whimbrel resting on the rocks & a Painted Lady were the only sightings of note here.

Carnsore Point
A nice feeding flock of Gannets, Sandwich Terns, Kittiwakes & other gulls was just offshore. 2 Common Terns & a pale phase sub-adult Arctic Skua were also in amongst these. A Kestrel flew over the car park here.

Tacumshin Lake
The regular 1cy Glossy Ibis was still present & actively feeding on aquatic snails in the east end channel in front of The High Car Park from 1240-1430. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was with the day-roosting gulls at the east end and later joined a feeding flock in the fields behind the east end pond. Other sightings on the lake included, a 2cy Mediterranean Gull, a 1cy Curlew Sandpiper, two 2cy Ruff, 10 Whooper Swans, a Merlin, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Peregrine & the escaped drake Falcated Duck still with the Wigeon flock out from Stoney Point. 2 male Migrant Hawkers were seen at The High Car Park. A Buzzard was seen over the cross-roads just out of Tacumshin before Broadway.

North Slob (Wexford Wildfowl Reserve)
A large flock of Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Ruff & 2 Scaup were out from the Pat Walsh Hide. A Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrests, 2 Migrant Hawkers and a Common Darter were at the PWHide car park.

South Slob
7 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a ringtail Hen Harrier & plenty of Great-crested Grebes offshore were the only sightings of note here.


Small numbers of Red Admirals were seen at all of the above sites throughout the day.

All the best,
Niall

Howiya,

18th October:

Churchtown (0810-1050)
Not much in the way of viz-mig compared to last week. No Chiffchaffs were seen and there was a noticeable decrease in the number of hirundines & finches overhead as well as fewer Blackbirds bombing around the place! Nice views of two Buzzards flying low around the stubble fields. A male Sparrowhawk and a female/imm. type Merlin are still chasing the finch flocks (Linnets/Goldfinches), three Tree Sparrows are still hanging in around the cottages, a Kestrel hunting, one female Yellowhammer flying through, 100 Swallows migrating SE, 2 Goldcrests and one Red Admiral also. On the coast out by Churchtown pool a 1cy male Black Redstart was flitting around the rocks looking like it had just arrived, later flying inland and pitching in at Miller's garden. Two Wheatears, a Whimbrel and a 1cy Mediterranean Gull were also seen out here.

Lady's Island Lake
A drake Scaup, 12 Pochard & 115 feral Greylag Geese were at Sgarbheen.

Tacumshin Lake
Great visibility & huge numbers of duck but nothing unusual picked out amongst them unfortunately. Plenty of gulls in the Forgotten Corner including four Mediterranean Gulls [adult, 2cy & two 1cy] and an adult presumed intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull. The 1cy Glossy Ibis is STILL in the east end channel out from the High Car Park whilst the only other sightings of note include a single Spotted Redshank, an adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose, a female/imm. type Merlin, two Kestrels & a ringtail Hen Harrier. Got great views of an Otter fishing out from Stoney Point for about half an hour then later heading in towards the Forgotten Corner carrying a huge eel!!

Wexford Wildfowl Reserve (North Slob)
Four Scaup, the first of the Goldeneye, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk and a Chiffchaff were at the Pat Walsh Hide. c.100 Greenland White-fronted Geese, 10 Whooper Swans, a Greenshank and an Irish Hare were seen from the tower and c.120 Red-breasted Mergansers were in Wexford Harbour from here also.

All the best,
Niall

The Duck of Death & Tickety Tick!!!

Hiya,

What was presumably the same Blue-winged Teal that myself & the 'oul fella found at Tac on 4th Oct ended up in the hunters' bag after a shoot on the North Slob on Saturday. Pics taken by Dave Daly confirm that it is indeed a 1cy drake.

26th October:

Carne/Churchtown (07:30-13:00)
News of a 1cy Red-breasted Flycatcher found by Tom Shevlin at Carne beach the day before had us there for first light this morning. Soon after arrival, there it was flitting in amongst the sycamores giving excellent views at times sitting out in the open & calling frequently. It was quite mobile often getting a bit of grief from the local Robins. It was seen throughout the day by a number of people. A long awaited tick for myself & Noel.

Tom's pic of the bird here:
http://wildlifesnaps.com/species.ph...Flycatcher&bird_date=October 25th&bird_id=308

There were some signs of viz-mig at the flycatcher site so we decided to walk from Carne to Churchtown checking all the gardens along the way. There were good numbers of migrant Blackbirds & Song Thrushes darting around the place generally being quite vocal & gorging themselves on hawthorn berries. A nice sense of a fall about the place. Also present were 5 Chiffchaffs, 9 Goldcrests, 2 female Blackcaps, 2 Grey Wagtails, 7 Bullfinches, 2 Water Rail (heard), 4 Siskins (south), c.35 Skylarks (south) & c.65 Swallows (south), 2 Kestrels & a Sparrowhawk.

At Churchtown itself, a late Willow Warbler was notable, a Buzzard & an adult Mediterranean Gull in the stubble fields and the Whimbrel is still hanging out by the coast along with a single Wheatear.

Lady's Island Lake
13 Pochard, a female Scaup & 2 Water Rails heard at Sgarbheen. A Buzzard was seen sitting on a telegraph pole near the junction for Broadway first thing this morning.

Tacumshin Lake
The lake is currently full to the brim as a result of recent heavy rains so nearly all the duck are off on the far side near the dunes and The Patches feeding along the shore there. A pair of waders would be needed to get around the lake. Paul Kelly did just that and found a White-rumped Sandpiper & saw the regular Glossy Ibis. A heavy mist descended when we got there so the best we had was 25 Tufted Duck & 4 Whooper Swans at the Forgotten Corner. After a quick snooze while waiting for the weather to clear we headed around to Lingstown (picking up yet another Buzzard sitting on the ruins at Paradise) to have a go at our first Hen Harrier roost watch for the winter.

Setting ourselves up on high ground overlooking the whole reedbed system we soon picked up 3 Hen Harriers [adult male, 1cy male & an adult female] milling about the place. A fourth bird was seen some time later hunting over the reeds, this time a 1cy female. The mist thickened as the evening progressed and as the light began to fade at around 17:00 viewing conditions looking out over the reedbed some became close to nil. Although we didn't locate the exact roost site we have an idea where it is.

On the walk back to the car I picked up a dark shape flopping over the reeds, not too far away on the near side of the mist. Raising my bins I was expecting to see another harrier...nope!...BITTERN!!! No doubt about it being a Bittern on shape & size but what about species? Both of us got relatively decent views given the gloomy conditions and in the scope I couldn't make out any major contrast between the upperwing coverts & the flight feathers, while Noel reckoned the wing looked mottled. Most likely Great Bittern but American Bittern not 100% ruled out just to be sure to be sure. Hopefully someone else sees it during the week and nails it. Good chance of seeing it again from a vantage point here first thing in the morning or last thing at dusk.

Whatever Bittern it was it's still a lifer so can't complain with a two tick day!!!

Anyone looking to do some Harrier Roost surveys should contact Barry O'Donoghue at [email protected]

All the best,
Niall

Hook Head 24/25 Oct

In contrast to Niall's relative birdfest, strong winds and high cloud produced next to nothing in four 2-3hour trips at Hook Head on 24th and 25th!
Best of a frustrating weekend were 4 sandwich terns at Fethard on sea (3 juv moulting into 1st winter and one adult winter) and a single fieldfare over the village.
regards
Paul