County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (30 Viewers)

[Steve29]

Just saw this document relating to Dundalk SPA on NPWS site which might be of interest to people.

http://www.npws.ie/publications/archive/4026_Dundalk Bay SPA Supporting Document_V1.pdf

 

[yew]

I had five Siskins often feeding in my garden, more than any other year at one time. Also my Redpoll numbers remained similar anything between 20 up to 35 on best days.

 

[breffni]

Don Hodgers will give a talk on butterflies and moths this evening at 8pm at the Spirit Store, Dundalk docks. The talk will cover butterfly and moth natural history and recent discoveries in county louth.

 

[Ceann Cait]

We have been watching the antics of an albino pheasant for the last few days. I have never come across one before, are they common enough?

 

[yew]

Two of the Swallows returned a week ago and have been checking out last years nest in back porch still undisturbed of course. They sit often on wire nearby guarding it I suppose. Also the butterfly hibernating on my windowsill cleverly right beside the Little Flower statue is still there. Not sure when hibernating ends.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Lurgangreen

I got out to Lurgangreen this afternoon for an hour. There was a very high tide. Good numbers of Knot, Black tailed Godwits. About 12 Little Egrets. A few hundred Brent and 40 or so Greylag Geese. The best there was the Barnacle Goose and a single Ruff.

 

[Peter Phillips]

We have been watching the antics of an albino pheasant for the last few days. I have never come across one before, are they common enough?

I havent seen to many!

 

[brian mccloskey]

wexford

hi all
in wexford now and got green-winged teal, black-winged stilt, 10 bearded reedlings all ticks for me and 3 hen harriers (ringtails)
tomorrow hope to get 2 long-billed dowitcher in the cull

 

[eanin1]

Hi Brian
Any sign of the stilt at tacumshin yesterday ( Wednesday )

regards
Sean

hi all
in wexford now and got green-winged teal, black-winged stilt, 10 bearded reedlings all ticks for me and 3 hen harriers (ringtails)
tomorrow hope to get 2 long-billed dowitcher in the cull

 

[brian mccloskey]

no sign of bw stilt

saw the bw stilt on tuesday at 8.20pm just before dark no sign all day yesterday (wednesday) after hours of searching still no sign this morning either (thursday)
but green-winged teal was present tuesday and wednesday as was periodic flyovers of bearded reedlings at lingstown tacumshin tuesday and wednesday
little gull at lady's island lake this morning thrusday
also 200-300 manx shearwaters and 1 dark-phase arctic skua off curracloe beach
no sign of the dowitchers at the cull on wednesday. unfortunaterly when at the cull a mute swan crashed into esb wires and was killed immediately

 

[gareth2005]

Plenty of thrushes on the move yesterday, all heading home.
Also first 2 house martins arrived at the weekend, I suspect the windy weather might delay most migrants.

 

[brian mccloskey]

iceland gull

an iceland gull was present at lurgangreen at 7.30pm today showed well

 

[frank c]

3 White Wagtail were on Templetown beach this morning, not much else about, a few Swallow at Giles Quay and a flock of about one hundred Golden Plover, most in summer plumage.

 

[brian mccloskey]

glaucous gull

ooops!
the photo of the gull at lurgangreen last night 7.30 pm was corrected from iceland gull to glaucous....

 

[Steve29]

Took a walk up the hedgerow alongside the Brookville Business Park on the Ardee Road yesterday morning and was amazed by the amount of activity to be seen. 2 moorhens, 2 mallard on the Ramparts, sparrowhawk and pheasant and sedge warbler in the field along the river. Blackcap, 2 swallows and house martin. Blue tit collecting the kingspan insulation from a shed roof. 2 yellowhammers and a pair of dunnocks - one dunnock had a mouthful of horse hair. Great tit, blue tit, fledged robin, blackbird, song thrush, wren, chaffinchs mating and a pair of bullfinches. for a short walk i couldnt believe the no. of birds.

 

[yew]

I saw 2 Swallows flying close to Daisyhill woods yesterday.

 

[yew]

I noticed the first 5 or 6 house martins flying over my garden this evening. It was simply an absolute feast of bird song all around Daisyhill woods and nearby, as if spring had just kicked in officially today. A high number of blackbirds about. I had one gorgeous small female reed bunting in my garden today. My cat caught one small female sparrow with totally black chest almost (query juvenile, not sure why chest so black) but he let it go when I squeeled at him. I locked him in the house and the little bird recovered very quickly from the shock and flew off. The first Dunnocks back in garden since october or november. Swarms of some horrible black hover fly around fields beside woods that keep flying right into your face ..... so odd to see so many of them.

 

[frank c]

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at Lurgan Green this morning, a mixed flock of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Sanderling mostly in summer plumage were on Templetown Beach.

 

[yew]

First two photos of I think 2 Shelduck taken on March 11 down at the Lower Shore Omeath and last three photos taken today of probably the same 2 Shelduck. Curlews also can be seen in march and todays photos if you look close enough. I also saw at least 10 House martin birds at shore but no sign of Swallows and thinking it was more likely house martins my mother saw near to the porch swallows nest from last year two weeks past. They didnt go near the nest since ....

 

[yew]

Brent geese, Oyster catchers, Red shanks and Cormorants Lower shore Omeath again end of march.