County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)

[Dermot Breen]

Btw. this is what I have on the list.

Red-throated Diver
Black-throated Diver
Pacific Diver
Great Northern Diver
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Fulmar
Manx Shearwater
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Little Egret
Grey Heron
White Stork
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
White-fronted Goose
Greylag Goose
Barnacle Goose
Brent Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Shoveler
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Common Scoter
Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Red Kite
White-tailed Eagle
Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine
Red Grouse
Pheasant
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Lapwing
Knot
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Ruff
Jack Snipe
Snipe
Woodcock
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Curlew
Spotted Redshank
Redshank
Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Turnstone
Mediterranean Gull
Black-headed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
American Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Thayers Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Sandwich Tern
Forster's Tern
Guillemot
Razorbill
Black Guillemot
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Snowy Owl
Long-eared Owl
Kingfisher
Skylark
Sand Martin
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Waxwing
Dipper
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat
Wheatear
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Mistle Thrush
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Treecreeper
Jay
Magpie
Chough
Jackdaw
Rook
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Brambling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Linnet
Twite
Redpoll
Crossbill
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Dermot,

Are you fudging the numbers again?

"The money was just resting in my account"

I think you will have to be exiled to Craggy Island for all of october again.

Owen

 

[birdsgalway]

Dermot went through the numbers posted there are three errors. 49 and 103 not used and Water Rail down twice. Two birds not on your list Buzzard and Feral Pigeon. Therefore total stands at 145.

List of birds not recorded on this tread

Fulmar
Little Egret
White-tailed Eagle
Peregrine
Purple Sandpiper
Ruff
Glaucous Gull
Kittiwake
Guillemot
Razorbill
Rock Dove
Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
Dunnock
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Brambling
Linnet
Twite

 

[Dermot Breen]

Tom

Feral Pigeon is already on the list i.e. Rock Dove Columba livia. List at 144 then?

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

Dermot thanks for the correction.
145 Swallow at Anlingham yesterday

 

[John Carey]

Not a huge tick but had the most awesome Tree- Creeper sighting at NUIG yesterday....was within 1 metre of it as it washed in a puddle before doing it's thing on a nearby birch.

However.....this link is the most dreadful thing I have seen in ages. Makes me sad to be Irish. Makes me embarrassed to see the ignorance that persits in our beautiful country. Hang your head in shame whoever you are.

http://www.sligobirding.com/RecentSightings.html

 

[Dermot Breen]

146 Ring-necked Duck, Loughrea, 31st March, Josh Jones. Josh also had another male Ring-necked from Angliham the next day with the hybrid also present.

Shots of my returning Ring-necked x Tufted hybrid near Recess on 1st April.

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

147 Willow Warbler (3) Tim Griffin 5th April Anglingham

1st winter Iceland Gull and Glaucous+Herring Gull hybrid present over the week-end at Nimmo's. Red-necked Grebe still present at Doorus Pier. Glaucous Gull (2nd winter) Michael Davis 5th April Nimmo's Pier

 

[birchall]

However.....this link is the most dreadful thing I have seen in ages. Makes me sad to be Irish.

John,

Here’s something that will make you even sadder.

Log onto this Irish Farmer’s Journal website for a free recipe for poison and instructions on how to use it:
http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2007/04.../feature.shtml

The Irish Farmer’s Journal is the de-facto official voice of Irish agriculture. It’s disgusting that they are so irresponsible and indifferent to the welfare of birds of prey and other wildlife that they publish these ‘recipes’. I have seen other recipes for poisons on the IFJ website but have lost the links.

It saddens me to think that a percentage of my tax money, however small, has probably helped fund the purchase of the poisons that killed Conall and other birds of prey.

My heart goes out to Lorcan O’Toole and his co-workers in Glenveagh National Park after all the Trojan work they have done to get the two chicks to fledge last year against all the odds.
See here: http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1702

There is now serious debate in Scotland and Norway about whether it is worth sending any more Golden and White Tailed Eagles to Ireland because of the very high incidence of poisoning.

I was about to urge those that have not already done so to sign the SPEIR (Stop Poisoning Eagles in Ireland) petition but it has already closed with over 11,000 signatures.

You can follow the link here
http://www.goldeneagle.ie/news_viewn...11&article=256
to read the complaint to The European Commission but it makes depressing reading.

 

[birchall]

Sorry,
Some of the links in my last post don't work.
Hopefully these will,

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2007/0428/farmmanagement/sheep/feature.shtml

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/news_viewnews.php?x=5&z=132&news_id=11&article=256

 

[John Carey]

Chiffchaff 148

Ballynahowen 7th april

 

[John Carey]

Thanks for that post Brendan. I must say that it makes my blood boil when I read that stuff. Those lads in Glenveagh are martyrs to a great cause but Norway and Scotland would be well within their right not to give us any more birds, just so we can send them to the slaughter.

Nothing has been done about it apart from the usual old rhetoric from the greens.

Paraphrasing Yeats 'Conservation in Ireland is dead and gone, it's with poor Conall in the grave'.

 

[Dermot Breen]

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2010/0403/farmmanagement/sheep/feature.shtml?mn=5&sm=5-1

Just after looking at this article dated 3rd April 2010. I was shocked at the turn-around of this paper, then I saw who the author was.
They still have that article on the site (pointed by John) advocating the use of poisons though?

Dermot

 

[Dermot Breen]

Btw. John Chiffchaff is already down on the list (winter record? can't remember).
Goosander has also been recorded this year but isn't on the list as i can't recall the date. Dan Ballard had a male on Lough Nafooey two months back.

Dermot

 

[John Carey]

Damn those winter Chiffchaffs!

What a turn-around is right Dermot. The only problem is that farmers will still use poison and allowing Alan Mee to wrire an article for their dirty rag was probably little apology for the damage they have done his work.

There are several alternatives to poison, however they require work. Forgive my ignorance on the subject but will HoodedCrow and Magpie kill lambs?

 

[Dermot Breen]

They don't actually kill lambs just take eyes out even ewes stuck on their back. Have seen it myself and it isn't a pretty sight. When farmers usually talk about losing lambs its nearly always down to the vermins fault. The fact that some lambs are born weak/half dead/still born never seems to come into the equation for some reason. If ewes and new born lambs are properly looked after their chances of survival a extremely good. Poisoning predators is the lazy, ignorant mans option.

The Minister of Environment makes a declarication/derogation each year under the Wildlife Act (attached) that allows landowners/farmers, etc to control "vermin" including Hooded Crow, Magpie for defined periods in the Spring by means of "shooting with rifle or shotgun; Cage traps (including the use of decoys); Non meat based poisoned or anaesthetic bait".
I wonder how people manage discriminate between Hoodies/Magpies and Ravens (which are protected year round) when using poisoned bait??? Also when using poison on your land you must inform the local Garda Station and erect signs making people aware of the presence of poison.

Btw. I know Lorcan has been undertaking an extensive education programme in Donegal Primary Schools since the reintroductions began so to say that no education has taken place is unfair. The huge majority of farming and non-farming locals in Donegal are in favour of the Golden Eagle reintroduction, it just takes a few cowboys to destroy all the hard work.

Dermot

 

[John Carey]

All true Dermot,

Having many friends and relatives (some farmers) in Donegal, they are all super enthusiastic about the Eagles, and the Buzzards for that matter. It seems that the level of intolerance grows as we venture south. My own native sligo an example and kerry being the daddy of it all.
With regard to the vermin control, I have seen Ravens in cage traps in my youth (an awful sight) and as mentioned before, the use of rifle/shotgun requires effort, though the results are more refined and productive. But as you pointed out, many lambs are born in dreadful condition, genetically compromised through extensive inbreeding and usually on the side of a barren hill. With this level of animal husbandry how can we expect effort when controling vermin?
I worked for a while on a two farms (1 in Zim and 1 in SA). Poison was totally forbidden and when vermin was an in issue it involved a spot lamp and a .22.

....and this was the '3rd world'?.......say one thing for them....they love their land more than we do.

 

[HH75]

It seems that the level of intolerance grows as we venture south. My own native sligo an example and kerry being the daddy of it all.

This is a little unfair, John, at least insomuch as it is an (unintentional) oversimplification of the case. The real problem, as I see it, is with the predominant type of farming in a given area, with incidents of poisoning being rarer (although not unknown) in areas where arable or dairy farming dominate, and more prevalent in areas with hill farming of sheep, with the associated poor animal husbandry as detailed in your post above.
I was talking to a man two weeks ago while looking for Hen Harriers at a Cork mountain range, and was pleasantly surprised at his knowledge of, and appreciation for, his local wildlife, even including raptors. When I brought up the subject of poisoning, he told me that his neighbour lost 'a fine dog' to poison last year: the vet told him that this was most likely put out by someone with pheasant-rearing interests, and I would imagine that, away from areas of hill-farming, here in Cork at least (the mountain area in question doesn't really have sheep that I am aware of), it is those involved in rearing pheasants that pose the biggest risk where poisoning is concerned, rather than farmers per se. The problem, while very real, differs around the country for various reasons.
While accidental (or illegal targetted?) poisoning is a serious threat to all scavenging species on the island of Ireland, the three species being reintroduced (that is, the Red Kite and Golden and White-tailed Eagles) are all more succeptible than most, due to the twin factors of their being inveterate scavengers (especially in the case of White-tailed Eagle and Red Kite) and the low number of individuals of all three species, particularly the two eagles. Indeed, while an adaptable and sociable species like Red Kite may, in time, become abundant enough for isolated poisoning incidents to take a limited (though still deeply regrettable, and it must be stressed that this species has, as yet, not produced any young here, so the population has not even begun to make good any losses already suffered) toll in terms of the overall population, the two eagles, being slower to reach sexual maturity and, especially in the case of Golden Eagle, never reaching high density anywhere, will always be more vulnerable.
It can be inferred from the impressive increase and spread of the Common Buzzard that the vast majority of farmers in Ireland are not a problem: were even half the farmers in the land using meat-based poison baits, surely that species would be in decline? That said, even Buzzards would surely be increasing at an even more impressive rate if meat-based poison baits were made illegal (there have been a few recent incidents where Buzzards have been poisoned down here on the south coast), and the future of these, and all other scavenging birds and mammals, would be far more secure than it is at present. This is a rare case where one small change to legislation, and the goodwill of the vast majority, at least, in terms of co-operating with said legislation, could make a major difference to a wide selection of species, and our skies could be filled once again with large and impressive raptors.
Apologies for the long response!
Regards,
Harry

 

[John Carey]

9th April...Cuckoo recorded in South Co. Galway


Very early but the source is 100% reliable.

Thanks for post Harry.

Willow warbler and Chiffchaff seem to be here and establishing themselves already. Grasshooper next?...........

 

[Mícheál]

It can be inferred from the impressive increase and spread of the Common Buzzard that the vast majority of farmers in Ireland are not a problem: were even half the farmers in the land using meat-based poison baits, surely that species would be in decline?

Hi Hrry,

I realise I am picking one sentence out of context, but I think an important factor is population turnover. I believe that Buzzards (and probably Red Kites) will out-breed low level persecution - which is probably the best term for what we are suffering in Ireland. The eagles, taking so many years to mature and producing maybe a single chick in a good year are very vulnerable to the drip-drip effect of a minority of farmers/game rearers/whoever picking off birds.

Buzzards have been poisoned and shot in this area too, but not in any sustained or targeted way as far as I can see, just people who shouldn't be allowed to own pointed sticks being permitted to hold gun licences.

Mícheál