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County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (11 Viewers)
- Thread starter breffni
- Start date
Hi Dolce,
I'm afraid that your bird looks like a female Chaffinch to me, as I would expect even a 1st-w female Brambling to have a marked contrast between an orange upper breast and clean white underparts. I would also expect a female to have a greyish, rather than brown, ground colour to the head.
Derek Watters
Well-known member
I had a good look around for the poss. RNG at Gyles Quay from from 4pm to 4.45pm, but to no avail. Large numbers of RB Mergansers on mirror calm seas is all I have to report.
However a fantastic sunset from the pier made the journey worth while!!
Attachments
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Louth Bird List 2008 - Final
Attached find the final list of birds recorded in the county during 2008.
Attached find the final list of birds recorded in the county during 2008.
Finally got woodpecker on 9th visit in the second last garden before the M1 with the tall conifers. I spent a couple of hours following the road towards the M1 - the bird is visiting the house two doors up from the thatched cottage daily. The owner has recorded dates/times starting 10th September. Times are usually 9 - 10am and after 4pm.
Also checked Stabannon for geese near dusk but not a goose in sight and a local farmer said he hadn't seen them for a few years - weird...
Also checked Stabannon for geese near dusk but not a goose in sight and a local farmer said he hadn't seen them for a few years - weird...
Thanks - we nearly had to have a stewart's inquiry over a YLG the other day!
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Bittern
According to irishbirding.com (sighting ref: IB7945) a bittern was seen yesterday - "13.00. One, fying West across the A1 at Flurrybridge. Near Jonesborough, Armagh."
Flurrybridge is on the Louth / Armagh border and if the bird was flying west, then it flew from Co Louth.
No observer details were available, but hopefully further clarification will be forthcoming.
According to irishbirding.com (sighting ref: IB7945) a bittern was seen yesterday - "13.00. One, fying West across the A1 at Flurrybridge. Near Jonesborough, Armagh."
Flurrybridge is on the Louth / Armagh border and if the bird was flying west, then it flew from Co Louth.
No observer details were available, but hopefully further clarification will be forthcoming.
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Bird Of The Year 2008
While tidying up the list of birds for 2008, I began wondering was there any consensus on the bird(s) of the year?
My own would be spotted sandpiper followed by grey phalarope and then forsters tern. Also deserving a mention was the very coinfiding snow bunting at Salterstown and the waxwings that appeared at year end. The GS Pecker would probably have made it onto my list, but since it refused to show when I went to Dromin, it was ommitted!
Most memorable birding event was the feeding frenzy one Sunday morning at Clogherhead that produced great views of sooty, balearic, manx shearwaters and puffin. I had spend 40hrs plus in the previous weeks seawatching but with very little results. Right place right time!
While tidying up the list of birds for 2008, I began wondering was there any consensus on the bird(s) of the year?
My own would be spotted sandpiper followed by grey phalarope and then forsters tern. Also deserving a mention was the very coinfiding snow bunting at Salterstown and the waxwings that appeared at year end. The GS Pecker would probably have made it onto my list, but since it refused to show when I went to Dromin, it was ommitted!
Most memorable birding event was the feeding frenzy one Sunday morning at Clogherhead that produced great views of sooty, balearic, manx shearwaters and puffin. I had spend 40hrs plus in the previous weeks seawatching but with very little results. Right place right time!
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Personally the first woodpecker for the county gets my vote. The Spotted Sandpiper while rare, was a bit too subtle for me.
If Bittern is can be confirmed flying from Louth to Armagh, it will be hard to beat in 2009 and a great start to the year.
Re the Woodpecker.That garden can be over looked from the enbankment just past exit 13 on the motorway,heading north(I passed it today).A scramble through the shelter belt and a scope would give the best chance.
I am back on my old mobile if 'hot news should break' 0851309767
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Does this not mean it flew INTO County Louth from Armagh?
Hard weather movement from the British mainland?
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Once Bittern
Hi Derek.I checked Google earth and of course you are right! It must have had the briefest of visits in ROI aka County Louth airspace.
If had been seen in Louth it would not need a description to be accepted!
Surely that part of the M1/A1 is in Louth? If seen from the car.
Hi Derek.I checked Google earth and of course you are right! It must have had the briefest of visits in ROI aka County Louth airspace.
If had been seen in Louth it would not need a description to be accepted!
Surely that part of the M1/A1 is in Louth? If seen from the car.
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Thanks Harry,
It was there with what seemed to be the male this morning and the male had a slightly tufted browny grey head and the most startling almost lime colour of green clearly visible upper and lower along both sides with thicker stripe lower but I couldnt get seeing its back and duller chest. Their tails are longer than the ordinary Chafinches and their beaks are bigger or different. This afternoon female was sitting up in the twisted Willow twitching head fair bit with other Chaffinchs and definitely much much paler pink with whitey champagne coloured upper breast and fatter.
The male is same sort of bird which sat on my garage roof for hours alone last winter and caused me to buy first birding book as puzzled me. I even wondered was it an escaped parrot that had survived in the wild as of the lime green beautiful stripes and not mixing with other birds on ground. I mentioned to Breffni about it before and she told me to take notes. Are they just two overweight slightly different coloured Chaffinces but then why dont they feed or walk on ground constantly like others and mix properly. I have put hulled sunflower seeds near back door in hope that they will join them feeding to get closer look but no such luck so far. Other thing puzzling me is why some Chaffinches have a white rope along side and others a bright yellow one? Can they have either colour or is it to do with breeding? I hope to get more pics as two birds fond of my twisted Willow tree and not nervous birds apart from twitching heads happily sometimes. I give up looking at pictures of Hawfinch, crossbills etc as sometimes the more you look the more confused you get. I have two gorgeous Siskins back yesterday again.
Gerry o Neill
Well-known member
bittern
5 Bitterns seen today in England including Wales,could be a sign of westward movment.
5 Bitterns seen today in England including Wales,could be a sign of westward movment.
Derek Watters
Well-known member
The bird was spotted by a Mr James Robinson - my research indicates that it is Dr James Robinson, conservation manager with the RSPB in Northern Ireland. He has been involved in various publications on birds.
Anyone on the forum have contact details for him, or even any of his collegues, so that I can contact him.
PS I checked out the area yesterday and although their is some marshy areas on both sides of the road at Flurrybridge, I don't think it could be regarded as true bittern habitat.
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Seeing as how you describe both birds as having 'lime green' in their plumage, they really can't have been Brambling, as no age or sex of that species has green plumage. Chaffinches have a relatively bright green rump, and perhaps you just saw two birds which, for whatever reason, had this area fluffed up more than usual?
Gerry o Neill
Well-known member
Attachments
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Balmers Bog?
I took this image of part of Dundalk from Google earth. I wonder if anybody can tell me if it is Balmers Bog. And if its not then where is it? Could anybody tell me if there is any access to Balmers Bog. I am looking for a ringing site for summer migrants ( Sedge/Willow Warblers mainly). There have been Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers heard singing here in the last year or two( I am reliably informed).
Thanks in advance
I took this image of part of Dundalk from Google earth. I wonder if anybody can tell me if it is Balmers Bog. And if its not then where is it? Could anybody tell me if there is any access to Balmers Bog. I am looking for a ringing site for summer migrants ( Sedge/Willow Warblers mainly). There have been Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers heard singing here in the last year or two( I am reliably informed).
Thanks in advance
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Gerry o Neill
Well-known member
balmers bog
That is Balmers bog ,you can get into it by turning right before you come to the hospital coming from dundalk.Once had reed warbler seen at this site.
That is Balmers bog ,you can get into it by turning right before you come to the hospital coming from dundalk.Once had reed warbler seen at this site.
Sorry for confusing you but the bird I posted pics of had no green on it definitely and only second similar bird perched close to it few days later had the startling green clearly visible down sides in two areas like a long stripe. I never saw back of bird. It had dull pale chest (with no trace of pink) and browny slightly tuffed head with grey and generally mid browny bird with these startling green stripes or edges.
There were two greenfinches nearby and I could clearly see difference in bright yellow on their sides and this startling lime green on its side high up and lower and face handsome compared to a greenfinch. I had this bird with green last winter on my garage roof but never all summer. It is only bird I have ever seen with such startling lime green on sides here. I thought pale pinky bird I did get pictures of had a longer tail than my usual Chaffinches and struck me as different when it opened out tail and then flew off but not sure why I thought that. I believe they were eating creepers on twisted Willow branches and later saw them on plum tree branches too. I noticed some pictures earlier saying British race Chaffinches and Eurasian Chaffinches and cant help wondering are they simply from europe if thats possible. Neither of them had blue on their heads and I have seen that darker shade of green on backs of some Chaffinches but this was not at all that colour of green. Hope this is better explanation.
