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County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter breffni
- Start date
Deshiggins
Well-known member
Am I right in guessing this is an escapee? I think I remember seeing one in England on the Thames so they seem to be around (feral or widely kept in parks?).
nialltkeogh
Well-known member
Baltray
Hi all,
Spent an enjoyable couple of days with the wardens at the Baltray Little Tern colony, giving them a hand start the new colour ringing project being run at East coast colonies.
We fitted colour rings to a total of 17 well grown, near fledged (or just fledged in some cases!) terns. The rings are green with white inscription starting in sequence from I01. They are fitted on the birds right tarsus with a metal BTO ring on the left tarsus. At Kilcoole we are fitting birds with similar green rings with white code starting IAA to the birds left tarsus with a metal BTO ring on the right tarsus.
If you see any of these birds later in the Autumn or in future years please get in touch with Dr. Steve Newton (BirdWatch Ireland) at [email protected]
Great to see the colony at Baltray doing so well with lots of birds in the air, chicks running about and the first fledglings making short flights along the foreshore. There is a male Kestrel about making frequent attempts on the colony and managing to take a small number of half grown chicks each day. Best course of action here is to get as many volunteers down as possible to assist the wardens and cover either ends of the colony. If the Kestrel appears overhead at close proximity then try as best possible to scare it by clapping, banging pots & pans, sounding a klaxon etc.!!! If the bird appears at too great a distance to intervene and seems to have taken a chick then best to try and observe with optics & confirm depredation if possible so the wardens can keep track of losses. It's pretty relentless in its attempts on the colony which certainly suggests it's feeding its own (probably very well grown) chicks which is good to know they're breeding successfully locally given that Kestrels are undergoing a decline in Ireland at the moment. Saying that, every time it is scared away from the tern colony is potentially a chick saved so the more eyes on site to help out the better. If you can lend a hand then please get in touch with the wardens at 0862434874
Otherwise... the high tide roost on Weds eve/Thurs morning had a very nice adult Little Gull, a 2nd calendar-year Little Tern, four unringed juvenile Little Terns (not from Baltray or Kilcoole), my first juvenile Dunlin of the year, returning Black-tailed Godwits & Sanderling, 70 Arctic Terns, 35 Common Terns & 9 Roseate Terns.
Some pics attached.
All the best,
Niall
Hi all,
Spent an enjoyable couple of days with the wardens at the Baltray Little Tern colony, giving them a hand start the new colour ringing project being run at East coast colonies.
We fitted colour rings to a total of 17 well grown, near fledged (or just fledged in some cases!) terns. The rings are green with white inscription starting in sequence from I01. They are fitted on the birds right tarsus with a metal BTO ring on the left tarsus. At Kilcoole we are fitting birds with similar green rings with white code starting IAA to the birds left tarsus with a metal BTO ring on the right tarsus.
If you see any of these birds later in the Autumn or in future years please get in touch with Dr. Steve Newton (BirdWatch Ireland) at [email protected]
Great to see the colony at Baltray doing so well with lots of birds in the air, chicks running about and the first fledglings making short flights along the foreshore. There is a male Kestrel about making frequent attempts on the colony and managing to take a small number of half grown chicks each day. Best course of action here is to get as many volunteers down as possible to assist the wardens and cover either ends of the colony. If the Kestrel appears overhead at close proximity then try as best possible to scare it by clapping, banging pots & pans, sounding a klaxon etc.!!! If the bird appears at too great a distance to intervene and seems to have taken a chick then best to try and observe with optics & confirm depredation if possible so the wardens can keep track of losses. It's pretty relentless in its attempts on the colony which certainly suggests it's feeding its own (probably very well grown) chicks which is good to know they're breeding successfully locally given that Kestrels are undergoing a decline in Ireland at the moment. Saying that, every time it is scared away from the tern colony is potentially a chick saved so the more eyes on site to help out the better. If you can lend a hand then please get in touch with the wardens at 0862434874
Otherwise... the high tide roost on Weds eve/Thurs morning had a very nice adult Little Gull, a 2nd calendar-year Little Tern, four unringed juvenile Little Terns (not from Baltray or Kilcoole), my first juvenile Dunlin of the year, returning Black-tailed Godwits & Sanderling, 70 Arctic Terns, 35 Common Terns & 9 Roseate Terns.
Some pics attached.
All the best,
Niall
Attachments
I had a superb white hirundine over the barley fields - could have been a swallow, house martin or sand martin - apparently completely white - no shot alas, around tempeltown beach area. Also recovered an drehabbed a common scoter - released today at templetown...fab bird!
Black tern on the beach at cruisetown/port beach by stream yesterday evening - www.flickr.com/photos/breffni
Tonight (Monday) at 8pm in the Spirit Store a talk on Garden Birds by Breffni martin
Tonight (Monday) at 8pm in the Spirit Store a talk on Garden Birds by Breffni martin
The following talk has been unavoidably deferred due to the venue being unavailable because of illness: Monday 15 September: Irish Garden Birds, by Breffni Martin. St. Peter's Parish Hall, Drogheda, 8:00pm.
I will organise a replacement talk in due course or when the venue again becomes available.
Apologies for that!
I will organise a replacement talk in due course or when the venue again becomes available.
Apologies for that!
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Glossy Ibis
I had a Glossy Ibis fly over west over my house this morning. is was labouring hard againt the westerly wind. my besy guess is- if it landed nearby, it might have gone to Corstown lake just over the border in Meath. It has some nice marshy fields nearby with cattle. I hope to get a chacne to look early next week..
I had a Glossy Ibis fly over west over my house this morning. is was labouring hard againt the westerly wind. my besy guess is- if it landed nearby, it might have gone to Corstown lake just over the border in Meath. It has some nice marshy fields nearby with cattle. I hope to get a chacne to look early next week..
Attachments
Deshiggins
Well-known member
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Happy new year Des,
Gives an added incentive to bird my local area.
Regards Gerard.:t:
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Hi, I had included Beaulieu woods on the Boyne estuary as part of my patch
in the PWC but unfortunately I've had to rejig my patch as Beaulieu woods is
no longer accessible to the public.
New 'No Trespassing' signs have been erected and all the entrances have been
blocked.
I approached the owner for permission to access the woods but she has
refused to allow any individual access unless they give her a copy of their
personal indemnity insurance and if the access is for scientific purposes. I
dont know if somebody has put in a claim against the owner hence the
crackdown or if there is another motive.
Its such a shame as over the last three years I have been observing the
wildlife of Beaulieu with confirmed breeding of to name but a few, Little
egrets,Grey Heron,Chiffchaff,Willow
warbler,Goldcrests,Treecreepers,Jays,Mute Swan,Great/Blue/Coal Tits and
Kingfishers.
Ive also had the odd sighting of Stoat and fox.
Its also a great spot for Dragonflies and damselflies.
So unless you have personal indemnity insurance and are doing a scientific
study Beaulieu woods are now out of bounds.
Regards Gerard.
in the PWC but unfortunately I've had to rejig my patch as Beaulieu woods is
no longer accessible to the public.
New 'No Trespassing' signs have been erected and all the entrances have been
blocked.
I approached the owner for permission to access the woods but she has
refused to allow any individual access unless they give her a copy of their
personal indemnity insurance and if the access is for scientific purposes. I
dont know if somebody has put in a claim against the owner hence the
crackdown or if there is another motive.
Its such a shame as over the last three years I have been observing the
wildlife of Beaulieu with confirmed breeding of to name but a few, Little
egrets,Grey Heron,Chiffchaff,Willow
warbler,Goldcrests,Treecreepers,Jays,Mute Swan,Great/Blue/Coal Tits and
Kingfishers.
Ive also had the odd sighting of Stoat and fox.
Its also a great spot for Dragonflies and damselflies.
So unless you have personal indemnity insurance and are doing a scientific
study Beaulieu woods are now out of bounds.
Regards Gerard.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Ive subsequently found out that there was a serious incident in the woods
where a man broke his leg and had to be brought out of the woods by the fire
brigade. With this incident in mind I cant really blame the owner for
blocking access to the general public as it is the owners private property
and they could be in for a hefty bill.
Regards Gerard.
where a man broke his leg and had to be brought out of the woods by the fire
brigade. With this incident in mind I cant really blame the owner for
blocking access to the general public as it is the owners private property
and they could be in for a hefty bill.
Regards Gerard.
squidge
Wha Whassssat
Thanks Breffni, It kept me waiting a total of five minutes before I got to see it. It gave great views for those lucky enough to see it.
On a different note I'm doing a patch work challenge with my patch being the Boyne estuary so if anybody spots a rare I'd appreciate a little tweet or text. PM for no. I'm up to 44 species/47 points so far from two trips. Had three Velvet scoters with a flock of around a thousand common at Baltray on Sunday. I'm a bit tied up due to family commitments at the moment so birding has been restricted but i'm expecting to do a lot more in the second half of the year.
I see a tweet from Louth bird news that a Goshawk has been taken into care in mid louth. I know there is a person in the grangebellew area who keeps birds of prey but not sure if any are Goshawks. Or is it a genuine wild bird?
Pic of the Slaty and a pic of three of four Buzzards at Queensborough along the estuary on Sunday.
Regards Gerard.
On a different note I'm doing a patch work challenge with my patch being the Boyne estuary so if anybody spots a rare I'd appreciate a little tweet or text. PM for no. I'm up to 44 species/47 points so far from two trips. Had three Velvet scoters with a flock of around a thousand common at Baltray on Sunday. I'm a bit tied up due to family commitments at the moment so birding has been restricted but i'm expecting to do a lot more in the second half of the year.
I see a tweet from Louth bird news that a Goshawk has been taken into care in mid louth. I know there is a person in the grangebellew area who keeps birds of prey but not sure if any are Goshawks. Or is it a genuine wild bird?
Pic of the Slaty and a pic of three of four Buzzards at Queensborough along the estuary on Sunday.
Regards Gerard.
Attachments
Deshiggins
Well-known member
hi Gerard; where do you go to see the scoter? Do you watch from the beach/dunes? Des
