County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (2 Viewers)

[Gerry o Neill]

hol pics

I think with hindsight and looking at the photos again its probably a very dark/melanistic Peregrine....I think its to well built for any of the smaller dark European falcons.

Here are a few of my hol pics at Tafira raptor watchpoint Spain September 08.

 

[MargaretM]

Great photos Gerry!!
No sign of the raptor around Dunany later today Peter. Just a Buzzard at Saltersowtn.

 

[Derek Watters]

Just after coming in from Blackrock. As I passed the Rock Celtic football pitch I noticed an owl flying across the football pitch. It landed on the security rail between the pitch and JJB. I pulled in and looked through my bins -my hopes for barn own were dashed when I identified it as Long Eared Owl. After 30 seconds it dropped down into some overgrown weeds and emerged with a large mouse which it then proceeded to swallow whole.
This is a lit up area and I was so sorry I did not have my camera as I was only 30m away. Photo opportunities like this are few and far between.
I wonder if it is the same bird reported several times recently from Muirhevenamor which is only a couple of hundred meters away. Great to see we have such beautiful birds in our urban environment.

 

[gareth2005]

Great indeed ! Do we have any idea where tyhey may be nesting/roosting so as too protect the site from development?

 

[Derek Watters]

Great indeed ! Do we have any idea where tyhey may be nesting/roosting so as too protect the site from development?

I've no idea Gareth. Came from the fields on the East side of the Blackrock Road and went back that direction.

 

[breffni]

It'll probably return to the same area at around the same time unless disturbed - might be worth staking out with camera...

 

[breffni]

I had a sedge warbler in the sycamores besice my house this morning...

I put up a few photos of the new england trip here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/breffni/sets/72157607507905682/

 

[MargaretM]

Quiet enough out today, saw just 2 Manxies at Clogherhead and 1 Ruff at Salterstown amongst the BT Godwits.

 

[MargaretM]

Out for an hour or so this morning but everything very quiet. Garden birds have been very busy around the feeders all summer. This year I notice a lot of them flying into our windows, maybe 5 or more in a day, haven't noticed this so much in other years. Last month we had a Coal Tit inside one of the feeders, as it was just about empty it managed to make its way in, probably picking at the remaining seeds, see pics. Happily he flew away when we took it down and opened it.

 

[yew]

Here are a few of my hol pics at Tafira raptor watchpoint Spain September 08.

Gerry,
Such fabulous pictures............ is it ok if I copy and paste the pictures with your name of course to Carlos in Son Ferrer. It was still so hot the last week of August and first week of September in Mallorca that the mountain walks in Bunyola were still locked and walking prohibited in case of forest fires. We can only go now between the middle of sept to april although wise probably. Do they put up bags of water and seeds for the birds in the woods in mainland Spain as they do in Mallorca.

 

[Gerry o Neill]

photos

Gerry,
Such fabulous pictures............ is it ok if I copy and paste the pictures with your name of course to Carlos in Son Ferrer. It was still so hot the last week of August and first week of September in Mallorca that the mountain walks in Bunyola were still locked and walking prohibited in case of forest fires. We can only go now between the middle of sept to april although wise probably. Do they put up bags of water and seeds for the birds in the woods in mainland Spain .
Yes go ahead and copy photos.Got curlew sand today now 165.

 

[Derek Watters]

is it ok if I copy and paste the pictures with your name of course to Carlos in Son Ferrer.

Just an thought Dolce - it might be easier for you to sent them the url (address) of this site and they could see, not only Gerry's fantastic shots, but yours too.

 

[breffni]

Enda has a pinkfooted ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea brachyrhynchus) at Seabank yesterday. Depending on how many people see it, the Louth Rarities Committee (LRC) will let you know if this record will be accepted or not at the end of the year.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Enda has a pinkfooted ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea brachyrhynchus) at Seabank yesterday. Depending on how many people see it, the Louth Rarities Committee (LRC) will let you know if this record will be accepted or not at the end of the year.

I am heading that way this afternoon and will keep an eye out.

 

[Enda]

Enda has a pinkfooted ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea brachyrhynchus) at Seabank yesterday. Depending on how many people see it, the Louth Rarities Committee (LRC) will let you know if this record will be accepted or not at the end of the year.

dont think even a big fat brown envelope could get that yoke accepted by the LRC.

 

[yew]

Just an thought Dolce - it might be easier for you to sent them the url (address) of this site and they could see, not only Gerry's fantastic shots, but yours too.

Hi Derek and thanks Gerry,
He is only 10 years and really really loves the large hunting birds and Dinasaurs.........(he googles for the birds.) He understands english but just learning to read it at school since last year. I do send him some of my pictures. I was very close to getting a FREE much better upgrade of my digital camera in Spain as he squirted water at mine (and the poor baby but good job only on her feet) and he had to wait all evening to see if mine would dry out or if I was getting his better one. I was lucky it did dry out fine. Here he is begging forgiveness of my grandaughters dad but she could fight her own battles at four months and we had to rescue him the next morning. And we didnt tell his papa this time ..........or should I say once again.

 

[breffni]

dont think even a big fat brown envelope could get that yoke accepted by the LRC.

Sorry - I should explain - Enda had a funny looking ruddy shelduck at seabank on Sunday. It had pink feet and some other funny features and so is probably a hybrid. Ruddy shelduck readily hybridise with shelduck (http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=17199&d=1109071377) and egyptian geese...

Around here the manxies, swallows and terns have all departed with big numbers of gulls in daily (1000+) but still large numbers of white wagtails (30+ yesterday) and wheatears (4 this morning). This morning had merlin, sparrowhawk, buzzard and kestrel and yesterday evening, a long eared owl (juv i think) in a stubble field. In addition to the rats and mice there are now about 50 fresh plumaged meadow pipits feeding in the ploughed field opposite along with a first skylark of the winter (they breed there in summer but seem to leave in August to be replaced bya small population of more northernly immigrants overwintering). Af few photos taken during the week...

 

[MargaretM]

At Cruistown today about 500 Golden Plover and 50 Brent Geese and a noticeable number of Gannets feeding in quite close.
Dunany had large numbers of Gulls and quite a few Gannets, some Scoter, quite a few GC Grebe and some RT Divers, some still in summer plumage.

 

[breffni]

Three crossbill sp yesterday evening at the Foye woods...this morning the best was a jay arguing with a magpie...

 

[Derek Watters]

Over 250 leach's petrels were observed around Ireland and Britain yesterday. Today I note that several records have come in from locations on the far side of the Irish Sea (not too far from us.)
Are there any louth records for this bird - I cannot recall any.
Either way, there seems to be a good movement of these birds, so a good one to look out for over next few days.