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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. (3 Viewers)

I had a good day today wardening at Baltray.There are at least 12 Ringed Plover chick at the southern end of the enclosure.206 Cormorant and an adult summer Med Gull as well as the usual suspects. I had what looked like a adult summer Common Tern with an all black bill and dark legs on the beach with a group off commons. Might have been a hint darker above but all else as common...only stayed for a couple of minutes
 

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Hi all,
First post on this forum. MargaretM prompted me to join. While wardening at Baltray today saw a gannet diving off the coast and a whimbrel passed right over the the hut.
Paddy
 
Hi all,
First post on this forum. MargaretM prompted me to join. While wardening at Baltray today saw a gannet diving off the coast and a whimbrel passed right over the the hut.
Paddy
Good for you Paddy and welcome to the forum, I think that you will find it very interesting.
Tommy and I heard the corncrake again tonight at Port.
 
Seen a pair of Kingfishers in Dunleer (urban Area) on Tuesday last.Hear they are an amber rated species.What is their status in Louth?.I know I have not seen many in the last few years.
 
They are easy enough to find in the right places (the "hidden creek" at ballymascanlon estuary is one - also likely there are green sandpipers at this time fo the year).

I had a garden warbler in the mature beeches at the nuremore hotel on wednesday - passed within about six feet of my nose!
 
They are easy enough to find in the right places (the "hidden creek" at ballymascanlon estuary is one - also likely there are green sandpipers at this time fo the year).

I had a garden warbler in the mature beeches at the nuremore hotel on wednesday - passed within about six feet of my nose!

There is some good scrub/woodland at the other side of the lake at the Nuremore, that I thought might be good for Garden Warbler and probably close enought to some of their main range (Fermanagh/Cavan/Monaghan Lakes) to hold some birds. Never seem to visit at the right time of year. If they are there its very convenient, only 15 minutes north of Ardee on the main Derry road.;) I might have a look next week if it stops raining:C

Another spot..in Meath on the Monaghan border is Ballyhoe Lakes...it looks like a possible site..I might try it too.
 
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Just had word last night that a Barn Owl was killed on the ardee road ( close to roundabout with M1 ) about 2 months ago after striking a car.
I know some of you are keeping records.
 
I never saw so many beautiful Yellow Wagtails and Grey Wagtails in my life as in a river in Knock gardens shown in third picture. I still love to watch them at the lower shore in Omeath but a long time since I saw so so many of them. We just saw a flash of yellow in fourth picture and think it was a Yellowhammer maybe that came down from doing exquisite singing in a very high tree but distant picture cropped up. There were dozens of the tiniest lovliest little bird imaginable especially in the evenings and think they were some kind of Garden Warblers but not sure and the last picure is best picture I could get as they moved so quickly like butterflies. We could see a white chest, greeny yellow and little grey somewhere too on them. I had two similar very small birds in my own garden last week which definitely were not Wrens and think some sort of Warbler too as of pointed beaks. There were Song Thrushes everywhere and I never saw so many lovely Swallows in my life. I have to say it is becoming a bird havern with the beautifully cared for gardens. And plenty of Jackdaws also and some other birds I was not sure at all about too.
 

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I never saw so many beautiful Yellow Wagtails and Grey Wagtails in my life as in a river in Knock gardens shown in third picture. I still love to watch them at the lower shore in Omeath but a long time since I saw so so many of them. We just saw a flash of yellow in fourth picture and think it was a Yellowhammer maybe that came down from doing exquisite singing in a very high tree but distant picture cropped up. There were dozens of the tiniest lovliest little bird imaginable especially in the evenings and think they were some kind of Garden Warblers but not sure and the last picure is best picture I could get as they moved so quickly like butterflies. We could see a white chest, greeny yellow and little grey somewhere too on them. I had two similar very small birds in my own garden last week which definitely were not Wrens and think some sort of Warbler too as of pointed beaks. There were Song Thrushes everywhere and I never saw so many lovely Swallows in my life. I have to say it is becoming a bird havern with the beautifully cared for gardens. And plenty of Jackdaws also and some other birds I was not sure at all about too.

Let me have a crack!! Grey Wagtail (1), juv Pied Wagtail(3) Female or juv Greenfinch(4) and I think (from its long legs and posture) its a young Robin(5)
 
sounds lovely Dolce!

yellowhammers have a rather unlovely song which goes something like a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeeeeeeeeese which they sing for hours from the same perch...

willow warblers or chiffchaffs are more likely than garden warblers, which are very rare in ireland...
 
Little Tern Conservation Project
91 chicks in Baltray with 9 eggs yet to hatch. All going well. The overnight wardening seems to have paid off!! We may not have the funds to keep it up for the entire season but having 24 hour wardening for the crucial time when eggs are laid has been a success.
 

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Let me have a crack!! Grey Wagtail (1), juv Pied Wagtail(3) Female or juv Greenfinch(4) and I think (from its long legs and posture) its a young Robin(5)

I know I always call the Grey Wagtails yellow ones because of the yellow on them. I do not think I have ever seen a proper all yellow one and not sure if even exist in Ireland at all. I now have three gorgeous really black and white Pied Wagtails (not pale grey backed ones) coming around to my back patio doors for seeds. I only ever had one brave one coming around before this summer. I read in the Reporter recently where they had to cut down three trees on Monaghan Street to widen a corner where they lived in since they cut down their original home in Cherry trees near the Townhall. It did not seem fair. I do think there are not as many walking around front gardens and pavements here this year. I have so few Robins but noticed two in Omeath home at least.
 
sounds lovely Dolce!

yellowhammers have a rather unlovely song which goes something like a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeeeeeeeeese which they sing for hours from the same perch...

willow warblers or chiffchaffs are more likely than garden warblers, which are very rare in ireland...

The hotel was a nice rest but mother does not believe in giving you much free time between the prayers......... say no more. I have to say the birds were a welcome addition. I thought it might be a Chiffchaff seen twice in my garden here and first time ever to set eyes on them. I got a great new feeder with outer iron cover that Starlings shouldnt be able to get through for peanuts in Poundstretcher today. So far so good and fun watching the Blue Tits and Greenfinch etc work out how to get in to feed. I like Starlings too and havent that many but hate to see them bullying other small birds away and now they can take over the old peanut feeder. I have several lovely Blue Tits but I have this unusual one thats looks more grey and white with very large feet but perhaps a juvenile. I will post picture shortly.
 
Anyway here is the more grey Blue Tit with the big feet...... I meant to take picture of the usual yellow and blue ones to compare. Probably juvenile. The last picture is one of three only birds with really black markings on their chest with small pointed beaks. I cant believe I even got one bad picture although not certain if also same bird that I saw three of yesterday evening close together with black and think bit colourful smallish heads and also with a lot of very jet black strong markings high up on chest also. Some Sparrows etc have little flecks lower down only noticeable when viewing with binoculars but the black markings on these odd birds chests were clearly visible without any binoculars. They did their upmost to remain hidden all the time also.
 

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Swifts in Greenore

This morning I counted 23 active nests in greenore village. Last year there were 22 and similar numbers have been around that since i moved here (a local resident has four nests in his rafters and says that those nests have been used since he was a boy growing up in the village 60 years ago). However when the hotel was demolished there were a lot more and though i never accurately counted them there were often several hundred (maybe 1000+) swifts flying around the area of the port in the evenings. The hotel population seems to have simpley moved en masse somewhere else. The other curious thing about greenore is that the birds nest only about four metres foot off ground level in places, meaning that the birds have to swoop almost brushing the ground to make their approach to the nest in the narrow road - one actually flew under a boat trailer over and over again to get to its nest!
 

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Nine juv sandwitch terns at cooley point at lunchtime - along with 70 adults. I assume that these are 1st brood birds from green island in carlingford lough. A single common tern juv also...
 
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