[Peter Phillips]

I went out to the lakes around Carrickmacross today. I missed Lough Fea but between the rest of the lakes most of the birds were on Monalty Lough.

Descart Lough

3 Tufted Duck
1 Great crested Grebe

Rahans Lough

11 Tufted Duck
4 Wigeon
1 Great crested Grebe

Monalty Lough

60 Coot
10 Teal
51 Mute Swan
2 Wigeon
1 Little Grebe
100 Lapwing
180 Tufted Duck
4 Goldeneye
1 Great crested Grebe
200 Black headed Gull

No birds on Lough Naglack...water levels very high everywhere.

[Peter Phillips]

Just a pic to show where are the lake are in relation to Carrickmacross

[Monahawk]

Originally Posted by Peter Phillips

Just a pic to show where are the lake are in relation to Carrickmacross

Thanks for highlighting this 'forgotten' corner of Ireland Peter. There are some good places to go here and good birds to see if only more people made the effort to find out. Suprised you saw no Whooper Swans on your travels.

Good Luck. Monahawk.

[Peter Phillips]

Originally Posted by Monahawk

Thanks for highlighting this 'forgotten' corner of Ireland Peter. There are some good places to go here and good birds to see if only more people made the effort to find out. Suprised you saw no Whooper Swans on your travels.

Good Luck. Monahawk.

Thanks for that...there are normally a few Whopers on Monalty Lough
but none the day I was there.

[Peter Phillips]

I got out for a few hours today shame about the fog could not see any water!!
The best were 4 Water Rail on the Dromore River with 20 Whooper Swans there also and a Water Rail and Kingfisher at Lough Mor at Ballybay and managed a few roving records for the Bird Atlas

[Monahawk]

Stumbled across a Dipper on my local patch while out walking my dog this morning. It was under a small cattle crossing bridge at the entrance to a field in the townland of Coolmaine. There is a fast flowing stream runnning through the area, but Dipper sightings are rare here. A good sighting for roving records for the bird atlas.
Also had a Kestrel on my patch this morning. These were once quite common here but are now scarce. My last record for one here was in May.

[Monahawk]

Co. Monaghan got its first Great White Egret record yesterday afternoon [19/12/09]. It was seen by local birders Joe Shannon and Mike Nesbitt at the Ballybay Wetlands Centre.

I hope it will hang around for a while although I failed to locate it this morning in the wintery conditions.

[Peter Phillips]

Originally Posted by Monahawk

Co. Monaghan got its first Great White Egret record yesterday afternoon [19/12/09]. It was seen by local birders Joe Shannon and Mike Nesbitt at the Ballybay Wetlands Centre.

I hope it will hang around for a while although I failed to locate it this morning in the wintery conditions.

Great find! I have never heard of the place. ........I will try to get up next week and do a tour of the lakes

[Monahawk]

Came across a pleasing flock of 9 Crossbills while out walking the dog in Castleshane Wood this afternoon. They were busy stripping away at fir cones and discarding them[ 1 or 2 on my head!]. This is the first time I have seen them here,even though it's
suitable habitat with extensive mature conifer plantations. Not much else about. Too damn cold.

[Peter Phillips]

Hi Monohawk...where is Castleshane Wood?

You should think about recording your records for posterity on either of these sites.....

http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/ http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/



ps Happy Christmas everybody

Peter

[breffni]

Great records there - the ballybay wetlands centre is well worth a visit; its a model for something we would like to do a bit closer to home ;-)

[Monahawk]

Originally Posted by Peter Phillips

Hi Monohawk...where is Castleshane Wood?

You should think about recording your records for posterity on either of these sites.....

http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/ http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/



ps Happy Christmas everybody

Peter

Hi Peter.

Castleshane Wood is just off the main N2 Dublin/ Derry road between Clontibret and Monaghan town. If you travel towards Monaghan it is on your left. The best access is off the road leading to Ardaghy at Castleshane[ it is sign posted].
It can be quiet in there as it is mainly coniferous woodland with a few Oak, Ash and Beech trees. Wellies are recomended at this time of year as many of the tracks and paths get very muddy.
Apart from the Crossbills I saw there yesterday the wood is good for Jay, Raven, Long Eared Owl, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and is a haven for Coal Tits. A small colony of Fallow Deer are said to reside there, but I have yet to see one although I have found evidence of their presence.

This year the wood was part of my Bird Atlas Survey [ winter and summer records ].I also keep roving records of the area if something interesting is seen.

Just out of interest, 2 Skylarks flew over my house this morning. Very unusual for this time of year. I normally see small numbers passing over on early spring/autumn passage.

Have a Merry Christmas.

[Monahawk]

A lunchtime ramble in Castleshane Wood produced two more new birds for the area. 2 Woodcock and a Dipper. Other birds of note were Raven, Siskin, Jay and Crossbill. The latter were heard but not seen as they were too deep inside the Conifer plantations.

[Monahawk]

A birding friend of mine who lives in Ballinode, rang me last night to say he has a male Brambling visiting his bird feeders on a regular basis over the festive period.
A nice garden tick. They seem to be very scarce this year.

[Monahawk]

Castleshane flock of Crossbills still around and has now increased to 12 birds.Flushed several Woodcock while walking the dog in the wood this afternoon. Also 2 unseasonal Curlew flew over my local patch at lunchtime. You never know what's knocking about in this cold snap.

[Monahawk]

Spotted a female Brambling was on a friends nutfeeder in Ballinode this morning. It was feeding with a mixed flock of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Siskins. Apparently it has been visiting his feeder since December. A male bird has been seen too.

[breffni]

Originally Posted by Monahawk

Castleshane flock of Crossbills still around and has now increased to 12 birds.

If there is a good crop of acorns they may be getting ready to breed - if they do apparently their nests can be distinguisued because they are on the very thin outermost branches (to deter squirrels)...

[Monahawk]

A pair of Tree Sparrows have returned to my local patch on the outskirts of Monaghan town. Good to see them back as these birds are quite rare in this county. Their numbers have declined from 5 pairs to just the 1 over the last 7 years. They seem to vanish from here in November and return again in February.

[Monahawk]

An unusual visitor to the garden this morning in the shape of a Carrion Crow which was trying to tackle one of my nut feeders. The bird stayed for a few minutes but not long enough for me to get a photo.
This could be the first notified record of a carrion crow in County Monaghan.

Si.

[Monahawk]

Chiffchaffs arrived at last. 2 were heard singing at White Lake, Ballybay yesterday, while one was heard singing early this morning on my local patch at Killymarley. Spring has finally arrived to these parts.

Si.

[Monahawk]

My first swallow of the year at Killymarley this pm.

Si.

[Monahawk]

Willow Warbler singing away in one of the bogs on my patch this morning.

Si

[Monahawk]

Cuckoo calling and female hen harrier in display flight at Slieve Beagh this morning. Magic.

Si.

[Monahawk]

4 swifts over Monaghan town centre at lunchtime. Earlier than usual by about a week!

Si.

[Monahawk]

A pleasant suprise visit in the shape of a whitethroat in the garden at lunchtime. A new garden tick. Plenty of hirundines passing through now the weather has warmed up.

Si.