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County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter birdsgalway
- Start date
John Carey
Well-known member
Dermot...shame on you!
Didn't you know that the Connemara Lake monster 'stales baybies and ates them'.
I got that quote from the Jackie-Healy Rae facebook page.
It's that time of the year again to be wary of strange birdcalls....heard something mad around NUI campus today and it turned out to be a Great Tit....if in doubt......it's always going to be a Great Tit.
Didn't you know that the Connemara Lake monster 'stales baybies and ates them'.
I got that quote from the Jackie-Healy Rae facebook page.
It's that time of the year again to be wary of strange birdcalls....heard something mad around NUI campus today and it turned out to be a Great Tit....if in doubt......it's always going to be a Great Tit.
Paul Troake
troakiebloky
Had a Slav grebe at Ardfry today
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
Correct no sign since the 18th.
Just on the off chance that anybody has not yet done so:
The petition against illegal bird hunting in Malta can be signed here:
http://www.birdlifemalta.org/petition/sign/
It may seem a futile exercise but more signatures may eventually influence the bunch of clowns that run that country.
See also http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1949
The petition against illegal bird hunting in Malta can be signed here:
http://www.birdlifemalta.org/petition/sign/
It may seem a futile exercise but more signatures may eventually influence the bunch of clowns that run that country.
See also http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1949
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
BirdWatch Galway
invites you to
" The East Coast Nature Reserve -
owned and managed by BirdWatch Ireland "
an illustrated presentation by
Niall Hatch
Development Officer with BirdWatch Ireland
on
Friday, 5th of March 2010
at 8pm
Anno Santo Hotel,
Threadneedle Road, Salthill
Admission is free but contributions will be much appreciated.
invites you to
" The East Coast Nature Reserve -
owned and managed by BirdWatch Ireland "
an illustrated presentation by
Niall Hatch
Development Officer with BirdWatch Ireland
on
Friday, 5th of March 2010
at 8pm
Anno Santo Hotel,
Threadneedle Road, Salthill
Admission is free but contributions will be much appreciated.
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
Sean Nixon
Well-known member
Lack of White-winged gulls
Dermot - any thoughts on why so few white-winged gulls have wintered in Galway this year?
Sean Nixon
Dermot - any thoughts on why so few white-winged gulls have wintered in Galway this year?
Sean Nixon
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
Hi Sean
Sorry for late reply, haven't been near a computer in the last while between one thing and another.
The are several theories for the record poor winter of white-wings in not alone Galway but all of Ireland for that matter.
Some say the closure of the dumps North and South is finally catching up with us (very few large gulls in Galway this winter).
The fishing season was very short this winter and quotas have been significantly cut. I've never seen so many boats tied up in Rossaveel for such long periods.
Some argue the summer in Arctic Canada was particularly bad. Evidence of this is the near absence of juvenile Pale-bellied Brent Geese this winter.
You could also say we have had excellent numbers of white-wings in the recent winters so are we just going through a cycle, have we been spoiled?
The weather was fairly settled this winter also particularly from New Years onwards which may not have deposited many birds but you'd have to wonder how susceptible gulls are to weather systems.
I believe the reason for the low numbers this winter is probably a combination of several or all of the above.
I think we had 6 different Kumlien's Gull in Galway last winter and up 12 and 11 Icelands at Nimmo's and Rossaveel respectively. This winter there's been 2at Nimmo's, one at Rossaveel, two at Ross Beach making just five Icelands in the county for the winter. We've had no Glaucous for that matter though we did have a Thayers|:S|?
Hopefully this was just a duff year?
Dermot
Sorry for late reply, haven't been near a computer in the last while between one thing and another.
The are several theories for the record poor winter of white-wings in not alone Galway but all of Ireland for that matter.
Some say the closure of the dumps North and South is finally catching up with us (very few large gulls in Galway this winter).
The fishing season was very short this winter and quotas have been significantly cut. I've never seen so many boats tied up in Rossaveel for such long periods.
Some argue the summer in Arctic Canada was particularly bad. Evidence of this is the near absence of juvenile Pale-bellied Brent Geese this winter.
You could also say we have had excellent numbers of white-wings in the recent winters so are we just going through a cycle, have we been spoiled?
The weather was fairly settled this winter also particularly from New Years onwards which may not have deposited many birds but you'd have to wonder how susceptible gulls are to weather systems.
I believe the reason for the low numbers this winter is probably a combination of several or all of the above.
I think we had 6 different Kumlien's Gull in Galway last winter and up 12 and 11 Icelands at Nimmo's and Rossaveel respectively. This winter there's been 2at Nimmo's, one at Rossaveel, two at Ross Beach making just five Icelands in the county for the winter. We've had no Glaucous for that matter though we did have a Thayers|:S|?
Hopefully this was just a duff year?
Dermot
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
Found a Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus littoralis. Sent the pics to a few of the lads for their thoughts and they are confident of the ID. The pink flush to the breast is an important ID feature compared to our own Rock Pipit which is a dull Grey.
Photos taken on the 4th an 9th March at the gate at Mutton Island Causeway.
Photos taken on the 4th an 9th March at the gate at Mutton Island Causeway.
Attachments
Sean Nixon
Well-known member
re White-wingers
Thanks, Dermot - interesting thoughts. And, as you say, let's hope it picks up again!
Sean
Thanks, Dermot - interesting thoughts. And, as you say, let's hope it picks up again!
Sean
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
County List 2010
126 Snowy Owl near Rossaveal Chris Peppiatt. 15.03.10
126 Snowy Owl near Rossaveal Chris Peppiatt. 15.03.10
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
Recent Pics
Wren nest complete with the jar of Bovril (Wrens are obviously in the "love it" camp), Inisturbot, probably a communal roost.
Fulmar, Renvyle Point.
Mike Davis and Aonghus "two hats" O'Donaill at the Pacific Diver twitch.
Whooper Swan, Lough Muree, Co. Clare. Note the unusual bill pattern. Can't recall seeing a Whooper with so much black on the bill before (Whooper x Trumpeter hybrid?
). Two colour-ringed birds in the small flock of seven birds. Managed to get one of the codes while it was upending.
Raven eyrie, one of fifteen I've located so far this Spring in Connemara. First chicks hatched early last week.
Dermot
Wren nest complete with the jar of Bovril (Wrens are obviously in the "love it" camp), Inisturbot, probably a communal roost.
Fulmar, Renvyle Point.
Mike Davis and Aonghus "two hats" O'Donaill at the Pacific Diver twitch.
Whooper Swan, Lough Muree, Co. Clare. Note the unusual bill pattern. Can't recall seeing a Whooper with so much black on the bill before (Whooper x Trumpeter hybrid?
). Two colour-ringed birds in the small flock of seven birds. Managed to get one of the codes while it was upending.Raven eyrie, one of fifteen I've located so far this Spring in Connemara. First chicks hatched early last week.
Dermot
Attachments
Helsinki Birder
Stealth Birder
Got any other shots of that swan dermot?
Bill seems a bit on the dainty side?
Owen
Bill seems a bit on the dainty side?
Owen
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
129/143 Manx Shearwater Rossadillask, 26th March.
The total I have for 2010 on my Excel sheet comes to 143 species. Obviously we have forgotten to add some species as we went along but its very hard to keep tabs on what is or isn't on the list when looking back over several pages of this thread.
Pics of the Red-necked Grebe off Newtownlynch Pier on Sunday.
Dermot
The total I have for 2010 on my Excel sheet comes to 143 species. Obviously we have forgotten to add some species as we went along but its very hard to keep tabs on what is or isn't on the list when looking back over several pages of this thread.
Pics of the Red-necked Grebe off Newtownlynch Pier on Sunday.
Dermot
