County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (22 Viewers)

[Derek Watters]

Mystery missing lake & useful map sites

Last post from me today. I checked the Louth County Council and EPA sites - both of which have very detailed maps and aerial photographs. The EPA site does show a lake on it's maps but not on it's images.
This is the most detailed image I could get and there does not appear to be any lake. However the shape certainly remains, so perhaps at some stage a lake did actually exist here.

 

[breffni]

Of course I am just realising its Sliabh Foye woods you mentioned. I am still reading back through pages and really enjoying having found this forum by accident after googling where is Cruisetown Strand.

The Foye woods have produced crossbills fairly regularly in the past - they hold a good mixture of broad leaf and conifer, with many mature trees. There is another woodland up behind the Park Hotel outside Omeath, primarily silverbeech, which has also held large numbers of siskins. I believe there is an old record of a redstart singing there. We are curious to see what will happen with the development there - massive grubbing of hedgerows this summer. The other woodland above Carlingford has never produced much when i have checked it out - I don't think the trees (mainly sitka and norway spruce) are that mature. BTW the reason for the interest in crossbills is because i saw a pair in January in Mulaghattin (the best woodland of all in that area) and this is very strongly suggestive of breeding birds - crossbills start breeding early, in February/March.

 

[ardnasx1]

BTW the reason for the interest in crossbills is because i saw a pair in January in Mulaghattin (the best woodland of all in that area) and this is very strongly suggestive of breeding birds - crossbills start breeding early, in February/March.

It was January last year when I had a small flock of crossbills in Mullahattin, interesting!

 

[breffni]

Found this on the 27th January at Soldiers point on a hot sunny day. I presume a moth caterpillar but which species? (it was on the small side). Also noted my first skylark in full song last wednesday 13th Feb...

 

[yew]

The Foye woods have produced crossbills fairly regularly in the past - they hold a good mixture of broad leaf and conifer, with many mature trees. There is another woodland up behind the Park Hotel outside Omeath, primarily silverbeech, which has also held large numbers of siskins. I believe there is an old record of a redstart singing there. We are curious to see what will happen with the development there - massive grubbing of hedgerows this summer. The other woodland above Carlingford has never produced much when i have checked it out - I don't think the trees (mainly sitka and norway spruce) are that mature. BTW the reason for the interest in crossbills is because i saw a pair in January in Mulaghattin (the best woodland of all in that area) and this is very strongly suggestive of breeding birds - crossbills start breeding early, in February/March.

I know the woodland all around Park Hotel well. Do you know there are loads of bats visible at night walking up past the Rhododendron bushes in the avenue nearer to Newry. I see where they have removed and cleared most of the rhododendrons to my dismay as so beautiful when flowering. What do think will happen to the bats that lived there always. Are they not an endangered species? I was so surprised to see so much cleared away and have wondered about the bats. We used to hear and see owls there very occasionally as children too.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Last post from me today. I checked the Louth County Council and EPA sites - both of which have very detailed maps and aerial photographs. The EPA site does show a lake on it's maps but not on it's images.
This is the most detailed image I could get and there does not appear to be any lake. However the shape certainly remains, so perhaps at some stage a lake did actually exist here.

Good detective work Derek.Looks like an interesting spot. Sedgies and Willow Warblers I would say, and possibly Grasshopper Warbler in summer?

 

[breffni]

There was an attempt to prosecute - it is illegal to destroy any vegetation april to august, but apparently the owner lives in NI. Bats are highly protected. Chances are they were using the rhodendron pathway to get to the lough or to the marsh area in front of the hotel (now infilled) for foraging. The bats probably roost in the hotel so God knows whats going on with the renovation...we shall see in the next months.

 

[gasj]

Very sad to hear about the Eagles in Kerry

Awful to see the two dead Eagles on the 6.01 news !

Attached , the Buzzard just before he took flight at lunchtime today

 

[MargaretM]

Awful to see the two dead Eagles on the 6.01 news !

Attached , the Buzzard just before he took flight at lunchtime today

I agree, apparently they are checking for poisoning, just hope that it's not malicious.
Your getting closer to that Buzzard John!! Is there just the one or do you ever see a pair in that area?

 

[yew]

There was an attempt to prosecute - it is illegal to destroy any vegetation april to august, but apparently the owner lives in NI. Bats are highly protected. Chances are they were using the rhodendron pathway to get to the lough or to the marsh area in front of the hotel (now infilled) for foraging. The bats probably roost in the hotel so God knows whats going on with the renovation...we shall see in the next months.

I never thought of them living in the old hotel or outbuildings (wasnt too sure where they actually lived). I was always a bit afraid of them because they just swooped past you with no warning whatsoever. I remember someone at school did a project about them inhabiting around there. I guess I didnt read that much of it. I was totally fascinated recently to see small ones swooping down over a swimming pool abroad once it began to get late in the evening. I found it lovely to sit and watch them and wondered why I was scared of them as a child.

 

[gasj]

Haven't seen a pair perched as yet , but , have seen them in the skies last summer .

 

[yew]

I saw my first four gorgeous goldfinches feeding at peanut feeder early this morning. I saw them high up in Ash trees few weeks past but now I know I will see them daily at feeders. There are lots of thistles in ditches and fields nearby so quite common here. I showed my father lovely large white birds with little black on tails that walk on grass verge daily near here and have been trying to decide whether doves or gulls but being a seaman he said they are gulls from the lough. I am wondering are they looking for bread or scraps ? I saw my first little wren yesterday too eating creepers on a twisted willow tree.

 

[ardnasx1]

I saw my first four gorgeous goldfinches feeding at peanut feeder early this morning.

Hi Dolce, I had no goldfinches at all in my garden this winter but then a week or two ago I bought some nyjer seeds and I've never seen anything so successful, I've permanently had two goldfinches on the feeder since then. They pay an odd trip now to the peanut feeder but it didn't seem to be enough to lure them in until I put the nyjer seeds out. I was glad the seeds worked cos they cost a fortune!

 

[Sancho]

This is the most detailed image I could get and there does not appear to be any lake. However the shape certainly remains, so perhaps at some stage a lake did actually exist here.

Isn't a Turlough a lake that sometimes disappears? I think Lough Akeragh is a "now you see it, now you don't" lake, and in some old Bill Oddie book he laments going there to search for rare American waders only to find that the lake had disappeared. As far as I understand, though (which is not very far), they are a feature of Limestone areas. No idea what rock is under you guys in Co. Louth.

 

[yew]

Hi Dolce, I had no goldfinches at all in my garden this winter but then a week or two ago I bought some nyjer seeds and I've never seen anything so successful, I've permanently had two goldfinches on the feeder since then. They pay an odd trip now to the peanut feeder but it didn't seem to be enough to lure them in until I put the nyjer seeds out. I was glad the seeds worked cos they cost a fortune!

I came back from town at 3pm and they were all back again feeding away. They kept moving between two peanut feeders because they like to feed alone and not happy with sparrows and buntings there. I put a very long peanut feeder under a wooden tall arch simply because I have to stand on a chair to fill it up and one of the goldfinches gave in and started feeding above a sparrow for ages. I sneaked around the side with my new digital olympus camera but they got away this time.

 

[MargaretM]

I came back from town at 3pm and they were all back again feeding away. They kept moving between two peanut feeders because they like to feed alone and not happy with sparrows and buntings there. I put a very long peanut feeder under a wooden tall arch simply because I have to stand on a chair to fill it up and one of the goldfinches gave in and started feeding above a sparrow for ages. I sneaked around the side with my new digital olympus camera but they got away this time.

Do keep trying with the camera and you can post the photos here so that we can all enjoy them. I have also put out nyjer seeds, I put them in a seed feeder along with sunflower seed and wheat. The Great Tits simply perch on it, throw out the wheat and eat the other seeds. We do have a Goldfinch every few days, so I'm hoping for good results when it discovers the nyjer seed.

 

[ardnasx1]

Had a sparrowhawk in my garden for the first time today. It took a greenfinch, which at least are in plentiful supply out there. Maurice Conaghy had one in his garden too a couple of days ago, he only lives a stones throw from me so there is obviously one doing the rounds around here.

 

[yew]

Someone photographed a sparrowhawk recently in a garden in Newry (it was in the local paper). I live in hope of it visiting my garden.

 

[MargaretM]

Someone photographed a sparrowhawk recently in a garden in Newry (it was in the local paper). I live in hope of it visiting my garden.

We regularly have a Sparrowhawk passing through our garden, Tommy got a photo of it as it perched on a thistle outside our kitchen window right beside the bird feeders. I'm delighted to have an excuse to put the photo on here again!!

 

[yew]

We regularly have a Sparrowhawk passing through our garden, Tommy got a photo of it as it perched on a thistle outside our kitchen window right beside the bird feeders. I'm delighted to have an excuse to put the photo on here again!!

Thanks ... a fabulous picture. I was back quite a few pages looking at lovely pictures of rare orchids by Peter Phillips. Hope he posts a few more this summer.