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Dublin Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Peter Phillips
- Start date
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Great shots Joe. At least its keeping you busy.
Eanin, I was on holidays in Galway over the christmas. I dont normally travel too far from Louth (I work in Dublin). I have not seen the Brambling over the last few days, well spotted.
Any news on the Red necked Grebe? I might go for it on Sunday if its still there.
Where were the Purple Sandpipers, Dave? Nice photo by the way.
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dfd
Well-known member
Peter,
On the rocky stretch of coast north of the beach in Portmarnock.
Joe,
If your archives are used up you'll just have to go out & get some more!! Black Redstart & Glaucous Gull around Balbriggan for you at present!
Here are a few of the Med gulls that were in Bullock Harbour during the week.
Various amounts of legs! And black on primaries and heads.
Great thread is there a wicklow/wexford one?
All the best
-Michael
Various amounts of legs! And black on primaries and heads.
Great thread is there a wicklow/wexford one?
All the best
-Michael
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Michael, Love the images and in partcular the one with the bread crust.
Dave, That Bl Redstart is a pain; every time I go down the harbour its missing and when I'm in Naul it gives rave shows. I'm almost down to the bottom of the files ,, Pheasant just qualifies I hope.
Joe
Dave, That Bl Redstart is a pain; every time I go down the harbour its missing and when I'm in Naul it gives rave shows. I'm almost down to the bottom of the files ,, Pheasant just qualifies I hope.
Joe
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Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Thanks anyway Sancho.
Michael, Joe and Dave lovely shots. I was a bit hesitant about starting this thread, but I am glad I did now.
Up to date local news and great photos, what more could you want?
Michael, I would gladly start a thread for either Wicklow or Wexford, but as I dont get down there very often,it probably would not make much sence.
Its east to start one. Just click the red 'new thread' icon at the top of the page called 'your local patch 'and call it what you like.
Try it for yourself! It would be nice to have a thread for Wicklow as its Birdwatch Irelands, home county. I am sure it would not much to get some of the Birdwatch lads to contribute to it. If you start one, I will do my best to 'round up a possy' of contributors.
The only news from the zoo today was 4 Blackcaps hunting in the shrubbery, not your usual berry and apple eating ones.
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Derek Watters
Well-known member
Just found this forum - best of luck with it Peter - I hope this dosn't mean a lesser input into our Louth forum?? 
I do a bit of work in Dublin so I'll keep an eye here to see what's about.
It'll take a while for the forum to get up and running, but if it's half as good as the Louth one, it'll be a great asset to the capital's birding (not taking away from websites such as Tolka, Fingal and Dublin South).
And Joe - great photos - keep them coming.
Derek Watters
I do a bit of work in Dublin so I'll keep an eye here to see what's about.
It'll take a while for the forum to get up and running, but if it's half as good as the Louth one, it'll be a great asset to the capital's birding (not taking away from websites such as Tolka, Fingal and Dublin South).
And Joe - great photos - keep them coming.
Derek Watters
A request: my favourite bogey-bird, Twite, four of them, were reported on BINS yesterday at the north end of the Bull Island. I'd really appreciate if anyone could give my a bit of site advice, or reports on them from today if they're around. I'm going to try for them tomorrow morning, but I'll have a 2-year old child in tow, so I'll be trying to do a "precision strike" involving a mini-scope, bucket and spade, nappy changes, etc.....
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My thoughts for what its worth - might it be an idea in that case to change the thread title to Dublin/Wicklow? So that other Wicklow birders will know that Wicklow is included in the thread? They changed the Louth title from Dundalk Bay to Co Louth so hopefully it wouldn't be a problem.
razorsharp
For the Laugh
Well I will be at bull island on wednesday, what surprises may occur there, can anyone tell me? When is high tide, how do I find out these things? Thanks.
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Hi Razorsharp, For daily bird news in the Republic of Ireland Ring BINS 1550111700.
This is a link for tides. http://www.ireland.com/weather/tides.html
See map attached for best viewing (on Causeway). Either side is good. Probably best on a rising tide as the birds get pushed very close to the causeway and you get great views. There has been a female Blue winged Teal knocking about for the last couple of winters looking south of the causeway usually with Shoveler. I dont think its been seen for a while, but its worth a look. Also over the last couple of years there has been a Green winged Teal here. Also Carrion Crow and Ring billed Gull I have also seen Black Brant and Short billed Dowitcher from here. The Bull Island is one of the best sites in Dublin.
Also at the southern end of the map if you walk out over the wooden bridge (tide in) it can be good for sea duck and grebes sometimes. Red necked Grebe a few days ago across the southen side and Black necked Grebe a couple of years ago. Also sometimes Long tailed Duck and on the rocks at the very end sometimes Purple Sandpiper, but they are much rarer these days.
You cant go far wrong with Eric Dempsey/Michael O Cleary; new site guide to Ireland. But the name escapes me at the moment.
Sancho. I have never seen Twite on the Bull but this is were the Linnets normally are on the northern side. There is a narrow path along the back of the golf course. Your best bet is probably to get them on call. Best to listen to a tape before you go!
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I've dipped at some of the best Twite sites in Ireland, and found myself staring at Linnets trying to wish them into Twite. People tell me once you see Twite, you'll know it's not Linnet...Managed to hear a Twite at Soldier's Point this winter, flying overhead with some Linnets, but it was a rotten day and I couldn't figure out which one was the Twite as they disappeared into the distance. I think I'll give the trip to the Bull tomorrow a miss unless I hear something more concrete, as I don't have time for a "proper" day on the Bull!
ardnasx1....I agree. In any case, half of Bray is in Dublin County, and even Wicklow people don't really consider the rest of Bray to be part of Wicklow at all. Greystones is a grey area (no pun intended....really....), but I suppose Wicklow people would consider Kilcoole to be within their territory. Fact is, there's never even been an active Wicklow Branch of Birdwatch, so I really reckon most birding interest in the County comes from Dubliners. (Perhaps Wicklow ought to be abolished, and quartered between Dublin, Wexford, Carlow and Kildare...)
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Peter Phillips
Well-known member
I know the feeling...believe me. It was not until I moved to Louth that I started seeing Twite with any kind of regularity.
I am not so sure....I think we could do with more threads. I think combining counties for a thread would be useful if there were only a small numbers of observers covering large distances(like the north west perhaps). But Dublin and Wicklow have some of the biggest populations of birders. And what about the 'Local factor'. I think that combining too many areas will result in a loss of localness(if that make sence). For instance-How would the 'Louth Thread' contributors like to bundled in with other east coast counties?
I have looked through some of the threads and they are all different. They have all developed 'different cultures', I suppose this is partly a result of the motives for starting the thread in the first place and the type of contributions most often made to that thread.
The 3 county threads ,Louth, Galway and Dublin are all doing well. The Dublin and Galway Threads are only a few weeks old.Maybe leave them for a while and see in a couple of months. I still think there is plenty of scope for all of these threads to grow (Dublin and Galway more so because of the number of active birders, and most of the active birders in Louth already contribute regularly to the Louth Local patch.).
Maybe some shamless plugging and publicity would help.I only found out about the Louth Thread a year and a half after it started and have been living in the county for 4 years.
I think if the Irish county threads are going to continue to grow and be successful you need to have some at least one person active in that thread,local to that area that knows the sites and can tap into the 'local grapevine' and will readily make that information available to their Thread.
What do other people think?
