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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (3 Viewers)

breffni said:
* Swallow reported for Dundalk 6th march
* White wag at Soldiers point area


Yes, theres definitely a few good birds around at the moment. The reports for white wag and swallow seem a bit early for this part of the world?
 
sav said:
Yes, theres definitely a few good birds around at the moment. The reports for white wag and swallow seem a bit early for this part of the world?
At least 3 weeks early for the swallow esp given the cold snap (report from BINS); sand martins were seen in Cork yesterday and there were several reports of swallows around the country during the week.

The white wag report came from a UK birder, didn't see it myself.

Also anyone notice the apparent influx of redwing the last few days?

Also saw a whimbril on Carlingford Lough the other day...
 
breffni said:
Also anyone notice the apparent influx of redwing the last few days?

Also saw a whimbril on Carlingford Lough the other day...


Definitely noticed lots more redwing around this week in South Down-and quite a few song thrushes too. Assumed they were escaping the hard weather in Britain.

Whereabouts did you see the Whimbrel by the way? Great photo.
 
Whimbrel was between Carlingford and Greenore. Out yesterday in a really stiff easterly again failed to nail the mealeys at Crusetown (4th attempt) and ended up watchng the waders on the beach struggling in the wind and occasionally being blown over from the car. Other than that a lone twite was seen at hermitage and three slavs at lurgangreen, one coming into breeding plumage.

Anybody know what mell Quarry is ultimately slated for? Putting a few floating islands in it and opening up the "slipway" to the south to encourage reedbeds etc would potentially attract even more species...
 
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breffni said:
Whimbrel was between Carlingford and Greenore....
btw that whimbrel probably overwintered...

...but the big news is a 1st winter franklins at cruisetown beach on sunday. Bird was found on the southern end of the beach picking amongst the rocks, then joining the other gulls loafing along the beach - pic here http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/march_photos.html. Also present was a 1W ring bill gull.
 
2 pairs of shovelers in Beaulieu woods today.

Will keep an eye out for the Franklins, probably well gone by now though!

There are 2 gull like birds nesting in the wall of Mell quarry. I haven't seen them in flight and haven't been able to identify them but they could be fulmars. I'll try and get a better look at them. Don't know what the plans are for the quarry, lets hope it won't be anything harmful to the birds there.
 
ardnasx1 said:
2 pairs of shovelers in Beaulieu woods today.

Will keep an eye out for the Franklins, probably well gone by now though!

There are 2 gull like birds nesting in the wall of Mell quarry. I haven't seen them in flight and haven't been able to identify them but they could be fulmars. I'll try and get a better look at them. Don't know what the plans are for the quarry, lets hope it won't be anything harmful to the birds there.

just become aware of this thread over the weekend hopefully i can make some contribution over the coming time
the franklins has not been seen since sun afternoon was searched for both monday & today the best was a 1st win. little gull
have included a few shots of a mealy redpoll from cruisetown (up to 4 birds have been wintering in the area for a while now along with a flock of about 40 lesser redpolls) one shot shows it in comparison with a lesser hope they maybe a help to anybody who maybe thinking of looking for them
 

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Saw the 2 pairs of shovelers in Beaulieu Pond (Wood) today along with mallards, teals, moorhens and swans. The herons are nesting there and saw one that has hatched out. Great place for observing herons, there must be at least 7 nests and most are reasonably easy to see.
 
ardnasx1 said:
There are 2 gull like birds nesting in the wall of Mell quarry. I haven't seen them in flight and haven't been able to identify them but they could be fulmars. .


I think they probably are Fulmars. I saw one there about a week ago (see earlier post), so it's intersesting to know there might be a pair nesting.
 
Information wanted.

I posted the following under the Infromation Wanted thread but got zero replies from Ireland or Irish birders.
>I will be in Ireland in June. It's more of a sightseeing/general holiday trip than birding but I will definitely be doing some birding and would like some recommendations for a good field guide.
We will be in the south-west. We're be going from Shannon to Connemara National Park then south to Tralee then doing day trips around Kerry, hitting all of the tourist spots but will also be trying to get off of the main routes as much as possible. Any suggestions for must-see birding spots would be greatly appreciated. The Dingle Peninsula would seem likely to be a good spot. I wonder about Garanish Island?
I'm debating whether to take my scope. The scope isn't a problem but packing a tripod is a pain.
Thanks! <
I know that this thread is dedicated to the other side of the country but some of you may be able to answer my qustions about birding spots in the south-west.
Help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
 
snowyowl said:
I posted the following under the Infromation Wanted thread but got zero replies from Ireland or Irish birders.
>I will be in Ireland in June. It's more of a sightseeing/general holiday trip than birding but I will definitely be doing some birding and would like some recommendations for a good field guide.
We will be in the south-west. We're be going from Shannon to Connemara National Park then south to Tralee then doing day trips around Kerry, hitting all of the tourist spots but will also be trying to get off of the main routes as much as possible. Any suggestions for must-see birding spots would be greatly appreciated. The Dingle Peninsula would seem likely to be a good spot. I wonder about Garanish Island?
I'm debating whether to take my scope. The scope isn't a problem but packing a tripod is a pain.
Thanks! <
I know that this thread is dedicated to the other side of the country but some of you may be able to answer my qustions about birding spots in the south-west.
Help would be appreciated.
Thanks!


Hi Snowy Owl.

Sounds like a great trip you've got planned. I think the best guide you could bring on a trip to Ireland would be the Collins Guile to the birds of Europe (Mullarney, Zetterstrom etc) . Its pretty to hard to beat. There is a more recently published field guide to Irish birds, also published by Collins (can't remember the author's name). I bought a copy last month but to be honest its not very good in my opinion. A few fairly obvious species weren't included in the main text, and a lot of the content was fairly basic. I suppose it might be useful for the descriptions of different Irish bird habitats in the introduction, and the distribution maps are probably a bit more up to date and relevant specifically to Ireland. I bought my copy through Amazon for not very much money. The Where to watch birds in Ireland guide by Helm is also pretty good, though about 10 years out of date.
Hope you have an enjoyable time.
 
snowyowl said:
I posted the following under the Infromation Wanted thread but got zero replies from Ireland or Irish birders.
>I will be in Ireland in June. It's more of a sightseeing/general holiday trip than birding but I will definitely be doing some birding and would like some recommendations for a good field guide.
We will be in the south-west. We're be going from Shannon to Connemara National Park then south to Tralee then doing day trips around Kerry, hitting all of the tourist spots but will also be trying to get off of the main routes as much as possible. Any suggestions for must-see birding spots would be greatly appreciated. The Dingle Peninsula would seem likely to be a good spot. I wonder about Garanish Island?
I'm debating whether to take my scope. The scope isn't a problem but packing a tripod is a pain.
Thanks! <
I know that this thread is dedicated to the other side of the country but some of you may be able to answer my qustions about birding spots in the south-west.
Help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi snowy owl
would concur with Sav. also i believe there is a free colour leaflet"birding the dingle peninsula" available from Dingle tourist information.
also might be worth purchasing the dingle peninsula bird report 02-04 which should be available from birdwatch Ireland (www.birdwatchireland.ie)
For mayo try www.birdwatchmayo.org
If u fly into shannon airport u could start at the airport lagoons which is within walking distance of the terminals. if driving park at the golf club and walk down the gravel lane
have a nice trip
Enda
 
At Cruisetown this morning had my first migrants of the spring a single whearear & a sandwich tern. also present was a twite among a flock of linnets. The gull numbers continue to be high (mostly herring) but nothing rare among them. Elsewhere 2 flyby long tail ducks at hermitage and a peregrine at seabank where the best
 
that last message should have read a single wheatear........ & not as posted a whearear which are extremly rare & not likely to turn up in Louth(or anywhere else)
 
ring neck duck was at mell again this morning, along with 4 pairs of tufted duck, 6 pairs of shelduck, two pairs little grebe, two coot and one moorhen (at least) - no sign of the fulmars...
 

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Wind farm at Cloghhead - bird implications

Not directly birding-related, but I see from this evenings news that the go-ahead has been given for a €85,000,000 wind farm at Clogherhead which will have the potential to supply energy to customers North and South and its first phase is expected to be completed by 2009.

Oriel Windfarm Limited said the Clogherhead area offered one of the most attractive locations for a windfarm in the Irish Sea.

“The area has excellent wind resources, good seabed topsoil, shelter from high wave loads and insignificant tidal streams,” said managing director Brian Britton.

The windfarm will be able to produce 250 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This is around half the size of the 520 MW Airtricity windfarm off the coast of Wicklow, which will be the largest of its kind in the world when it is completed.

From a birding point of view, I always looked on these giant turbines as obstacles that must cause much destuction to passing birds. Perhaps I'm wrong. Are there any surveys on the effects of these wind farms on local bird numbers or indeed the numbers of birds attached by the red lights and then killed by the propellors. There is also the question of the problems that may result from the building of foundations / laying of pipes, etc. Will local bird life be concidered.

I agree we must move towards renewable energy sources, but perhaps as local birding entusiasts we should keep a close eye on this one. No doubt an Environmental Impact Study will be undertaken at some stage?

PS - Redpoll and Reed Bunting have appeared at my bird table in recent days - both garden firsts!!
 
windfarm at clogher

Derek Watters said:
Not directly birding-related, but I see from this evenings news that the go-ahead has been given for a €85,000,000 wind farm at Clogherhead which will have the potential to supply energy to customers North and South and its first phase is expected to be completed by 2009

This debate has been raging on the UKbirdnetwork for some time see
http://www.surfbirds.com/phorum/read.php?f=6&i=5407&t=5407

...though has not yet resulted in court action for libel (yet!)
 
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