County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (18 Viewers)

[yew]

I could see the bottom three quarters of the Yellowhammer but not the head but too much yellow to be much else and not a Great Tit definitely. I cant think what else it could possibly have been.

 

[yew]

Same sounds very loud at around 7.15 again and of course doubting myself now is it a Cuckoo or a very very loud Collared Dove. It called for 25 minutes with little breaks in between sound. Bird sounds seemed to move at one point up near the railway trees, then down towards Meadow and finally sounds coming from the woods direction where it stopped calling. My two Collared Doves were sitting on a roof and not them calling and other morning they were in garden close and definitely not calling. Will a Cuckoo move a little whilst calling or would that actually rule one out as cant say I know much about them. It is odd it was the same time the other morning and it is so so loud ?? and not a sound since from it.

 

[squidge]

Saw a Swallow along the river Nanny today, It was flying amongst a group of sand martins.

 

[Derek Watters]

Saw a Swallow along the river Nanny today, It was flying amongst a group of sand martins.

I also had 15 sand martins and 2 swallows between yesterday and today scattered at different locations between Lurgangreen, The Hermitage (where there was also a Long Tailed Duck) and Cooley.

 

[Derek Watters]

Willow warbler in full song just up the road from me yesterday - has anyone else seen / heard them yet, as looking back on my own records, it seems very early.

 

[yew]

I know now it does sound like an ordinary Collared dove at a distance as I am used to hearing it but when its in your face so desperate loud and so close to the house which is unusual its hard to hear the third syllable ......... I saw a juvenile last June/July and possibly it making all the fuss the odd morning.
My beautiful Bramblings seem to be gone and no sign of Redwings either.

 

[frank c]

Hi Dereck,
Seems to be plenty coming through at the moment, Have heard them at 3 sites already, six or seven birds singing on the south slope of Slieve Gullion this morning. My first sighting was on the 2sd April.

 

[Derek Watters]

Hi Dereck,
Seems to be plenty coming through at the moment, Have heard them at 3 sites already, six or seven birds singing on the south slope of Slieve Gullion this morning. My first sighting was on the 2sd April.

Thanks Frank
I had 2 more this morning - seems to be over a week earlier than normal!

 

[breffni]

I had chiffchaff blackcap and willow warbler in song at Grange pond on Sunday. Sandmartins and swallows this morning, all a few days earleir than last year...possible first white wag on the beach this morning...brent on the move.

 

[breffni]

15 white wags on the beach at lunchtime

 

[squidge]

Went for a walk around Townley hall wood today and noticed a lot of hedges and trees had been cut down. I havent been around there in awhile but when driving home there were workers cutting away ivy and bush along the sidewall of the wood on the main road. I wasnt able to stop as I was on the main road. This wood is managed by Coillte anybody any idea whats going on. Thanks Ger.

 

[breffni]

This is prohibited since 1st March - call Louth County Council Environment section, and/or the county ranger, Kieran Buckley, 0872721981.

 

[squidge]

I sent an email to the Coillte rep for the area and received a reply that this work was carried out before the 1st and the work was carried out with the consultation of the NPWS and dept. of Agriculture. It was a commercial decision..
There was no mention of the clearing away of the roadside which was being carried out only last week.
On a positive note Coillte are going to plant the area felled with 80% broadleaf and 20% conifers. Ger.

 

[breffni]

a swarm of white wags out today - at least 60 between balaggan point and cooley point, also three wheatears, two great northern divers, four shelduck, 330 brent, 200 golden plovers and a scattering of terns and gannets...also a good flow of warblers in the hedgerows, mainly willow warblers.

 

[Derek Watters]

Grooper back reeling at Mulahattan on Friday night. Swallows back at their regular nest sites around here on on 13th April and House martins using my mud pool today. Apart from the terns, Whimbrel, C.Sandpiper, Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo and Swift, I think that's most of the spring/summer visitors now accounted for.

 

[breffni]

Any sign of woodcock?

BTW teh new arrival of jetskis at giles quay is a big worry and may put th eblack guillemots off - this activity is specifically prohibited.

 

[carmojp]

I had a female Hen Harrier in the hills around Cooley on Sunday 17th (email me for exact location). Also present about 5-7 Wheatear, Raven, Kestrel, lots of singing Willow Warblers. At Shelling Beach(?) there were 6 White Wagtails, 12 Whimbrel, and 36 Shelduck. Plenty of Sand martins and swallows along that stretch of coast.

 

[squidge]

Spotted Flycatcher, Whitethroat and reed bunting in Clogherhead today. Plenty of common terns and Gannets diving off the coast aswell. Ger.

 

[frank c]

A pair of Eider Duck were giving great views off Ballagan this afternoon, unusual to see them there. A Fulmar was also seen passing bye.

 

[breffni]

Starting to see a few common terns in carlingford lough yesterday, also an arctic skua dark phase. I also briefly had a small skulking rufous chat-like bird along the shore that i couldn't identify.