John Carey
Well-known member
Dermot Breen...LEGEND.
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County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter birdsgalway
- Start date
Brosnabirder
Well-known member
Congratulations Dermot.
Good day out on bay count today.
Raptor highlights were a male Merlin at Ardfry and a Peregrine at Ahapoula
Also a possible Pacific Diver at Ardfry. Found by Michael Davis and seen by myself and Marty. Looked good. Michael got some pictures which can be viewed here http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/20117/Red_Alert.html
Would be a first for Ireland if accepted. There should be a few people out looking for it in the morning. Fingers crossed it'll be refound B
Good day out on bay count today.
Raptor highlights were a male Merlin at Ardfry and a Peregrine at Ahapoula
Also a possible Pacific Diver at Ardfry. Found by Michael Davis and seen by myself and Marty. Looked good. Michael got some pictures which can be viewed here http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/20117/Red_Alert.html
Would be a first for Ireland if accepted. There should be a few people out looking for it in the morning. Fingers crossed it'll be refound B
Canarybirder
Oenanthe Birding Adventures
Thanks for the detailed Thayers Gull directions Dermot - much appreciated. We're coming to Galway this coming Sat & Sun.
Congrats on your recent appointment too!
Cheers
Chris
Congrats on your recent appointment too!
Cheers
Chris
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
County List 2010
120 Pacific Diver Michael Davis Ardfry 30/01/10
(until someone can proof otherwise)
120 Pacific Diver Michael Davis Ardfry 30/01/10
(until someone can proof otherwise)
Brosnabirder
Well-known member
Well done to Michael for picking out the Pacific Diver. I'll be out looking for it again this weekend so hopefully it's still knocking around. Big twitch for it last Sunday.
Thayer's Gull still present out near Cleggan today. Also one 1st w Iceland Gull, 4 Great Northern Divers and a BH Gull in summer plumage with a full hood.
Thayer's Gull still present out near Cleggan today. Also one 1st w Iceland Gull, 4 Great Northern Divers and a BH Gull in summer plumage with a full hood.
Brosnabirder
Well-known member
Out around the bay yesterday
Doorus Pier, 3 Long-tailed ducks, (2 male, 1 female), 10 GND, 4 Sandwich Terns
Aughinish, 10 Common Scoter (mixture of males and females), 1 Sandwich Tern, 3 Long-tailed ducks (all male) 11 Black-throated Divers, c.20 GND and a female Merlin.
Dermot also had a Black-throated Diver off Tawin.
The Thayer's Gull is present today at Ross Beach near Cleggan
Doorus Pier, 3 Long-tailed ducks, (2 male, 1 female), 10 GND, 4 Sandwich Terns
Aughinish, 10 Common Scoter (mixture of males and females), 1 Sandwich Tern, 3 Long-tailed ducks (all male) 11 Black-throated Divers, c.20 GND and a female Merlin.
Dermot also had a Black-throated Diver off Tawin.
The Thayer's Gull is present today at Ross Beach near Cleggan
nialltkeogh
Well-known member
Hi Aoife,
You can check the call you heard against these online recordings if it helps;
http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/browse.php?query=or:272.00
All the best,
Niall
You can check the call you heard against these online recordings if it helps;
http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/browse.php?query=or:272.00
All the best,
Niall
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
abi107
Well-known member
Thanks for the link Niall.
Of those 3 recordings Song A is similar to the call I heard and this YouTube clip sounds very like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQqmPnVmq0M
Aoife
Of those 3 recordings Song A is similar to the call I heard and this YouTube clip sounds very like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQqmPnVmq0M
Aoife
John Carey
Well-known member
BIRD ATLAS BLITZ
Happening this Saturday 13th. Meeting at the Cathedral Car Park at 9.30.
The plan is to fill in some of the blanks in East and South Galway. If you're free and want to do some Birding ...Please come along!
Happening this Saturday 13th. Meeting at the Cathedral Car Park at 9.30.
The plan is to fill in some of the blanks in East and South Galway. If you're free and want to do some Birding ...Please come along!
John Carey
Well-known member
Crossbills on the county list yet?
Had a group of about 10 along with some Siskins making short work of pine-comes near Ahascragh today.
Had a group of about 10 along with some Siskins making short work of pine-comes near Ahascragh today.
birdsgalway
Tom Cuffe
County List update
122 Buzzard Curraghline
123 Long-eared Owl Moycullen
124 Red Kite Screeb
Crossbills came in at number 100
Aoife the Grey Partridge was probable released by the local gun club. So I think we will not be counting an introduce bird. This is a pity.
In my rear garden the Goldfinch are regular visitors now with up to 9 at a time on the bush. One has an orange darvic ring. This is similar to a ring on a Linnet I had last year at Gratten Park.
Would have to assume someone is ringing these birds illegally.
On another illegal activity, I drove down the bog road on the Curraghline. To say my stomach was turning with what I seen is an understatement.
The amount of fly-tipping was staggering. The Man-with-a-Van has a lot to answer for. The bog road either side was destroyed and it now resembles a land fill site.
I have reported on other occasion over the years and nothing every seems to be done. This is the same bog road where the copper is 'harvested' from its PVC covers by burning. The ground is black with soot. It is I imagine untold the amount of dioxins that have been released and now entering the food chain.
I will not be reporting any more as it is a waste of time. The authorities know it is going on and just refuse to act.
122 Buzzard Curraghline
123 Long-eared Owl Moycullen
124 Red Kite Screeb
Crossbills came in at number 100
Aoife the Grey Partridge was probable released by the local gun club. So I think we will not be counting an introduce bird. This is a pity.
In my rear garden the Goldfinch are regular visitors now with up to 9 at a time on the bush. One has an orange darvic ring. This is similar to a ring on a Linnet I had last year at Gratten Park.
Would have to assume someone is ringing these birds illegally.
On another illegal activity, I drove down the bog road on the Curraghline. To say my stomach was turning with what I seen is an understatement.
The amount of fly-tipping was staggering. The Man-with-a-Van has a lot to answer for. The bog road either side was destroyed and it now resembles a land fill site.
I have reported on other occasion over the years and nothing every seems to be done. This is the same bog road where the copper is 'harvested' from its PVC covers by burning. The ground is black with soot. It is I imagine untold the amount of dioxins that have been released and now entering the food chain.
I will not be reporting any more as it is a waste of time. The authorities know it is going on and just refuse to act.
Attachments
John Carey
Well-known member
Curraghline....alas.
The council have one illegal dumping officer. He retired in November. He will not be replaced-Fact.
Gunclubs are doing their bit for conservation. Releasing Grey Partridge, Pheasants and half breed Mallard. I hear that one particular Gun Club have set their sights on obtaining a TB free herd of African Buffalo to release in North Connemara*. Locals are in uproar..turns out there is no headage on Buffalo. (*this is not fact)
On the upside.....my own experiences with Buffalo nearly always involved Cattle Egrets
The council have one illegal dumping officer. He retired in November. He will not be replaced-Fact.
Gunclubs are doing their bit for conservation. Releasing Grey Partridge, Pheasants and half breed Mallard. I hear that one particular Gun Club have set their sights on obtaining a TB free herd of African Buffalo to release in North Connemara*. Locals are in uproar..turns out there is no headage on Buffalo. (*this is not fact)
On the upside.....my own experiences with Buffalo nearly always involved Cattle Egrets
125 Yellowhammer A single bird at the graveyard at Lettermore in Connemara. Hail shower came in just as I saw him and by the time it passed he had departed. I'll be back during the week for another look. A very rare bird in Connemara at this stage so it will be interesting to see if they've been hiding out in the wilds of Lettermore.
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
A few recent pics.
1. The famous Connemara lake monster featured in the recent TG4 factual programme "Ollphéist Chonamara."
These two were filmed (without the scope) with my crappy handheld digital camera and its 4x magnification. Right beside the main road alongside Killary Harbour (I know its not technically a lake, new species maybe - Connemara Sea Monster?)
2 & 3. Different male Red Grouse from the other pic a posted a few days ago. Note again the white markings on the lores and chin. Is this the Connemara form of the hibernica race, which may not actually exist by the way.
4. Mystery photo - any guesses, its a bit of a rarity in itself.
"Gunclubs are doing their bit for conservation" - indeed John sure aren't they doing a great job providing the national Fox population with an efficient food programme
Dermot
1. The famous Connemara lake monster featured in the recent TG4 factual programme "Ollphéist Chonamara."
These two were filmed (without the scope) with my crappy handheld digital camera and its 4x magnification. Right beside the main road alongside Killary Harbour (I know its not technically a lake, new species maybe - Connemara Sea Monster?)
2 & 3. Different male Red Grouse from the other pic a posted a few days ago. Note again the white markings on the lores and chin. Is this the Connemara form of the hibernica race, which may not actually exist by the way.
4. Mystery photo - any guesses, its a bit of a rarity in itself.
"Gunclubs are doing their bit for conservation" - indeed John sure aren't they doing a great job providing the national Fox population with an efficient food programme
Dermot
Attachments
Captain_of_Crunch
YVdpep_re64
Have there been any sightings of the Thayer's Gull since last Friday? I guess nobody has been looking...
@DB: Hopefully that Ivory Gull will turn up next winter
@DB: Hopefully that Ivory Gull will turn up next winter
dfd
Well-known member
Are they Margaritifera margaritifera - freshwater mussels?
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
The Thayer's hasn't been seen since last Wednesday and it has been looked for since. Most of the gulls have scattered for some reason. I haven't been able to relocate it in any of the other regular gull spots. This winter has been the worst I've seen in Galway since I moved here over 10 years ago. The numbers of large gulls are very low and we didn't get the usual influx of white-wings.
Yes that is indeed a Freshwater Pearl Mussel.
Dermot
Yes that is indeed a Freshwater Pearl Mussel.
Dermot
Attachments
abi107
Well-known member
Hi Tom, Fair enough on not including the partridge. I'd like now to take a trip to Offaly to see a true wild one.
Dermot, I'd never have guessed those were mussels. I thought I could see some kind of semi-transparent fish in the picture! And as for the two-headed connemara monster.....!!!
Aoife
Dermot, I'd never have guessed those were mussels. I thought I could see some kind of semi-transparent fish in the picture! And as for the two-headed connemara monster.....!!!
Aoife
