County Galway Birding (local patch) (3 Viewers)

Brosnabirder · May 22, 2008

No bother at all John. Much better than television in the evenings.
Thats a tough tetrad you took on too as its in the city.
You may have to start clambering through gardens to get breeding evidence on the return visit

birdsgalway · May 25, 2008

County List
159 Storm Petrel (Silver Strand Tim Griffin)

Was out and about today for the first time in nearly two weeks. The only thing of note was a very lonely looking Brent of Claddagh Beach this evening.
Two Whitethroat at Rusheen Park this morning. Last year I think I counted 4 Heron nests in the woods I did not see any today or is it to early yet?
Tim Griffin had two Iceland Gulls at the slipway.

Just got a Sony HDR-SR12E camcorder and set it up on my Nikon 82ed. Spent an hour learning how to use it and its a super piece of equipment. One thing that surprised me is that there is no vignetting at the max zoom of 12 although the image does degrade on the 30x eye piece there is minor vignetting at 1x and major vignetting at 6x. Photo mode takes shot at 10.2 mega pixels. Video grab is execellant also. Couple of shots of the set up and two photos taken today one taken as a photo and the other as a video grab and it was very wind today.

John Carey · May 25, 2008

Hi all,

also had one 1st winter iceland at nimmos this weekend. Barna/Rusheen park was very nice th the weekend too. I think the trick is just to sit and watch and listen. I picked up the Whitethroat amongst a few others. Had excellent view of a 'singing' Reed Bunting. Great sound.

I seen several Heron nest there earlier in the season when foliage was no so thick. Pretty sure they are still there. Little egret was also around Rusheen too. First one I have seen in a few weeks.

One Merganser at salthill prom near the Golf Course- in full plums- very nice.

:t:

Brosnabirder · May 25, 2008

Super photos Tom,
Which one is the video grab?

Herons are early breeders and can breed as early as January so maybe they've already produced young for this season. I saw a couple of pairs looking distinctly proprietorial over nests there a few weeks back but I don't recall seeing immatures or young in the nest. I didn't look very closely though so there may well have been some there.

I was on a non birding trip to the Cliffs of Moher today (a small bit off topic, apologies). Still managed a distant peek at the Puffins on Goat Island though and the Fulmars and Guillemots are fairly unmissable. Disappointingly I didn't see any Choughs. I didn't really have time for a thorough look though. Does anybody know if they still occur there?
Its been years since I was last there. 8 euros for parking. Extortion.

birdsgalway · May 27, 2008

Uploaded a video of the Chiffchaff taken this evening while out with Tom Chadwick and John Carey. Quality has degrade due to the conversion from AVCHD 21mb to WMA 4mb. Also attached video grab and still photo all from the Sony HDR-SR12E camcorder Nikon 82ed. 30x eye piece

http://www.birdforum.tv/members/action/viewvideo/636/Chiffchaff/

Tom I would have paid the €8 gladly if it meant not having those thundering f-ing hoody types in their stupid cars throwing the stones on my car. Although it could have been anyone, cant image hoodies getting there hands dirty.

Brosnabirder · May 27, 2008

Great shots all Tom.
Bad luck about the car. Scumbags. Its not really the kind of thing you expect out in quiet Menlo.

Good evening all the same apart from the car incident.

Also at Menlo today a Marsh Harrier . Seen by Tim Griffin. On www.irishbirding.com

birdsgalway · May 28, 2008

Thanks lads enjoyed the evening except for the little incident.

A few shots from the week end and the Juv Long-tailed Tit from Menlo

hpux · May 29, 2008

Cuckoo seen Sunday 25th , just outside Clifden town limits on the road to Galway, sitting on the telephone lines right beside the road. was going to fast to get a really good luck, but its likely it was a singing male.

birdsgalway · Jun 2, 2008

Very quite on the birdering front as I am now starting to take photos of Dragonflies Digiscoped shot below of Four-spotted Chaser.

At Nimmo's this morning seen what I assumed to be an Iceland Gull and paid very little attention to it. Michael Davis said it was a Glaucous + Herring gull hybrid and when I check the photo latter it was obvious it was not an Iceland. Need to be a little more carefull checking these gulls. Must be something in the water with all these hybrids turning up. Photo of the offending gull below.

Just uploaded a video clip of the Whitethroat at Rusheen Park.
http://www.birdforum.tv/action/viewvideo/652/Whitethroat/

At least 3 Cuckoo at Curraghmore on the Headford Road where the Bittern was released. Anyone seen or heard the Bittern since.

John (hpux)
Hope you were not breaking the speed limit.:t:

nialltkeogh · Jun 3, 2008

Nice shot of the Four-spotted Chaser!

Dragonfly & Damselfly sightings from this year (and previous years) can be found at http://www.entomology.org.uk/dragonflyireland.htm

be sure to send in any records.

This could be the year that Migrant Hawker and Emperor turn up in Galway.

Regards,
Niall

John Carey · Jun 4, 2008

Agreed Tom,

Not a hell of a lot happening on the bird front. But to be honest I have not had time to be out much.

Great footage on sligo website of White tailed eagle on the ox mts near my home town. www.sligobirding.com

Am in the mind to move home for a few days!

hpux · Jun 4, 2008

birdsgalway said:
Very quite on the birdering front as I am now starting to take photos of Dragonflies Digiscoped shot below of Four-spotted Chaser.

At Nimmo's this morning seen what I assumed to be an Iceland Gull and paid very little attention to it. Michael Davis said it was a Glaucous + Herring gull hybrid and when I check the photo latter it was obvious it was not an Iceland. Need to be a little more carefull checking these gulls. Must be something in the water with all these hybrids turning up. Photo of the offending gull below.

Just uploaded a video clip of the Whitethroat at Rusheen Park.
http://www.birdforum.tv/action/viewvideo/652/Whitethroat/

At least 3 Cuckoo at Curraghmore on the Headford Road where the Bittern was released. Anyone seen or heard the Bittern since.

John (hpux)
Hope you were not breaking the speed limit.:t:

- absolutely not Tom, anyway the gardai were too busy chasing TDs

birdsgalway · Jun 4, 2008

John Carey said:
I enjoyed your LBJ photos Tom. Here is a challenge for you from Mr, Chadwick and myself - get a shot of A Grasshopper Warbler!
:t:

Lads photo of Grasshopper Warbler at Coolanillaun, Menlo this evening. I go to Coolanillaun, about twice a week and have never heard the Grasshopper reeling and did not hear it this evening. Seen a Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler in this tree and was expecting one of them to appear when this beauty pop out for about 30 seconds.:t:

John Carey · Jun 5, 2008

HATS OFF TO MR. TOM CUFFE!:clap:

I will think twice before challenging you again. On topics of hard to see birds, I thought that the view we got of the chiffchaff the other week was going to be the best one I would get for the summer but got excellent views of one on my tertrad near merlin park the other evening.

Seems to me that they become less shy as the summer progresses. Maybe some are strugging to mate and expose themselves on perches to get even more attention.

birdsgalway · Jun 5, 2008

Some news posted on IBN
The following message from WestPalBirds might well be of interest!

quote>>>>
Hi guys,
Yesterday and today in Galway(Ireland), a little miles of west of Galway an
inmature of Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). The bird was observed by Ramón Gómez.
Best Regards
Óscar>>>>>>end quote

birdsgalway · Jun 6, 2008

Albatross now reported as being sighted about 100 nm W from Kilkee

Quote from IBN
Precise location details and background just received on the Galway
albatross:

>>>>
Hi!

As Óscar Llama says yesterday, an inmature Black-browed Albatross
(Thalassarche melanophrys) was seen and photographed at short distance in
flight and swimming amongst Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) on 4th and 5th
June 2008 off Ireland, in the usual hake-fishing area for Spanish (Galician)
vessels.

The observer was Ramón Gómez Juncal, fisherman, and he is the father of José
R. Gómez, a Galician ornithologist. Ramón has a lot of experience with
seabirds, and identified the bird positively as an Albatross, and then
checked with his son the features of the bird for accurate species ID and
ageing. This is the first record of this species for Ramón.

Important: first phone calling with the news was imprecise, and José told me
the distance from coast of the sight was "few nautical miles", tentatively
just in land-wiewing ability, "west from Galway". Ramón called today (few
hour ago) to José and detailed the exact GPS position:
52º40.0 N
13º30.0 W
so, about 100 nm W from Kilkee/Cill Chaoidhe... too far away from land

Excuses... exact information just arrived today...

Good birding,
Cosme Damián Romai Cousido
>>>>

Rgds

Dominic
--
Dominic Mitchell
Publisher and Editor, Birdwatch
Solo Publishing Ltd
The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road
London N22 6XJ, UK
Tel: 020 8881 0550 / Web: www.birdwatch.co.uk

birdsgalway · Jun 6, 2008

Based on the GPS position
52º40.0 N
13º30.0 W

Google map shows approx location of Albatross

Just out of range of our scopes

Brosnabirder · Jun 6, 2008

birdsgalway said:
Based on the GPS position
52º40.0 N
13º30.0 W

Google map shows approx location of Albatross

Just out of range of our scopes

It might just be visible Tom
They are big birds after all

Is the location even in Irish territorial waters? Anyone know how far these extend out?

birchall · Jun 8, 2008

Well done on the grasshopper w, Tom.
I visited a spot near Cappagh Road playing pitches with Paraic Kearns week before last. We heard a grasshopper w singing away for ages but could'nt see him.Also had Whitethroat, Willow and Sedge W.
Directions: Park in carpark. Go west on path, then north. Cross stream and stone wall at bend in path. There is a good marshy reedy area about 100 -200 m north of here.

Last night I discovered a habitat that looks just made for warblers about 100m from a popular birdwatching spot, Silver Strand. As long as I have being going to Silver Strand sea watching, I never bothered to check the shoreline west of Silver Strand. I am told that the shoreline west of Silver Strand to Barna pier is good for whitethroats. Didn't see any last night but had plenty of the ubiquitous stonechats. Also reed buntings.
Directions: Park at west end of Silver Strand. Walk about 100m west along shore. Look for obvious path through green weeds with yellow flowers ( I'm even worse at botany than birdwatching) to small stone wall. Behind is a good sized marshy reedy area with plenty of scrub.

Brosnabirder · Jun 9, 2008

Myself and JC paid a visit to the Curraghline last Thursday. Down the Bittern track we heard and saw at least two Cuckoos. Thanks for the tip Tom. Nothing too surprising about. Curlew, Linnet Lapwing and a showy Kestrel

Brendan
That is a good walk out to Barna. I've also seen Storm Petrel, Kittiwake, Gannet and Manx Shearwater offshore. Usually a few waders in autumn and winter. The habitat for Warblers point is interesting. I've only walked it in autumn and winter. Must give it a go before the end of the summer. Also is this the spot where Water Pipit and Black Redstart were seen last autumn?

Well done on the Gropper pic too Tom

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