• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

County Galway Birding (local patch) (2 Viewers)

Wow thats some bird predictions going on there! :-O

Don't laugh just yet Gareth. The way birds have a habit of returning to Galway we will have to wait until 30/12/08 to see if it is right.

Have you tried Google Earth type in Nimmo's and it will give you a amazing aerial view of Nimmo's including the Swans.
http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

Attached is a snap shot of Nimmo's taken from Google Earth.

Margaret lets hope your right.
 

Attachments

  • Nimmo's Pier.jpg
    Nimmo's Pier.jpg
    137 KB · Views: 276
Fantastic to see a local patch for Galway. Hope it sparks off lots of new ones around Ireland. Will keep dipping in to see what's new! Excellent!!

I just had a look back at the start of the County Louth Thread and it took 8 months to get to 40 posts. You've have managed it in less than a week.
 
Wow thats some bird predictions going on there! :-O

I'm watching the news of gulls at nimmos's pier daily at the moment. I will be over in Ireland in march, and though it wont be a birding trip as such i'll definately be going to nimmo's.
I wondered if anyone had a map or could mock one up to show the piers location and give some tips on best viewing conditions. It would be much appreciated

Cheers

Gareth

Hi Gareth,

I was there in December. On the map, just at the N for Nimmos is where people feed the swans at the slipway and the gulls often give great views there. If you scan the buildings and shore opposite here the birds are often resting on the rooftops (scope needed). If you walk around the pier past the playing fields(good for resting gulls) along the beach its good here too. There are often Sambo terns in winter(up to 5 I think, this winter) and a Forsters Tern returned to winter here for the last couple of winters. The road jutting out at the bottom of the picture leads (I think) to Mutton Island (you can view from the road). The Pier is only a five minute walk form the centre of town. Great if the other half likes shopping! Its had a few records of Ross's Gull as well and I think one Thayers Gull?.And Double crested Cormorant in the 80's or early 90s. So be prepared for anything turning up.
 
Last edited:
More sightings from the bay (today)....

Water pipit at Rinville - apparently the second for the county, following the first earlier this winter! Grid ref M371234 - take Rinville road south from Oranmore, turn right at signpost to Bramley, park before end. The shore is accessible adjacent to the small yard at the end of this road, by the no shooting sign. The bird was showing well on the first area of seaweed-strewn stony mud. Also drake pintail.

In Oranmore Bay an impressive flock of 400 black-tailed godwits.

Loch Atalia held 26 scaup, 13 goldeneye and 13 gadwall.

Troakie
 
Peter
Lets hope we have the quality to go with the quantity and thank you for the commentary to go with the map. New map attached.
 

Attachments

  • Nimmo's 1.jpg
    Nimmo's 1.jpg
    109.7 KB · Views: 264
Last edited:
More sightings from the bay (today)....

Water pipit at Rinville - ! Grid ref M371234 -

Troake
Just checking the map and wondering if you could confirm the location is near Loughaunrone.

The 1st Winter American Herring Gull was at Nimmo's Pier this morning. He was feeding with the Swans and the other collection of gulls and he was not shy and got his fair share. If he keeps feeding this way he might say for a while. Also 8 Iceland Gulls and one Ring-billed Gull. 55 Brent Geese were in the playing fields.
Tom
 

Attachments

  • DSC00441 260108 bf.jpg
    DSC00441 260108 bf.jpg
    62.8 KB · Views: 265
  • DSC00433 260108.jpg
    DSC00433 260108.jpg
    42.7 KB · Views: 272
  • DSC00434 260108.jpg
    DSC00434 260108.jpg
    59.9 KB · Views: 241
  • DSC00435 260108.jpg
    DSC00435 260108.jpg
    49.6 KB · Views: 271
  • DSC00436 260108.jpg
    DSC00436 260108.jpg
    47.6 KB · Views: 267
I haven't noticed many Starlings out at Menlo myself this winter. There is also a huge Starling roost usually in a reedbed on Lough Derg at Ballyeiragh, Portumna. Just inside Co. Tipperary though. The Starlings however didn't appear in any numbers there this winter either. Possibly they've moved or maybe the weather hasn't been bad enough on the continent to push them our way. Clearly though there are some large roosts out there.

16 Scaup at Lough Atalia today although I think I missed a few. Hanging around the south-east corner of the Lough.
Little Egret as usual at Lough Rusheen and 1 Greenshank.
I didn't see the Cattle Egrets out at Cartron this morning. A farmer told me they hadn't been in the field opposite the big grey shed since Wednesday although I've since found out they've been seen in the area in the meantime. Had a good look around the general vicinity. Saw a fair few of the herds of cattle in the parish. ;) Thanks for the directions Tom. Got me there no problem.
 
Last edited:
Went to Loughaunrone today no luck with the Water Pipit, although there were 3 Pipits flying around and only one settle to give a chance to put the bins up and the camera, which was a Meadow Pipit.
Little Egret flew in for a minute until he realise I was there and away he went.
At Nimmo's this evening for a few minutes 2 Iceland and a Common Gull with a yellow darvic ring. I could not get the number. If any one does get the number email it to Eoin McGreal [email protected] They ringed some Black-headed and Common Gulls on Lough Mask last year.
 

Attachments

  • DSC00443 270108 bf.jpg
    DSC00443 270108 bf.jpg
    25.6 KB · Views: 242
  • DSCN1528 270108 bf.jpg
    DSCN1528 270108 bf.jpg
    49.4 KB · Views: 240
Cattle Egret

Hi all.
Spotted the lone Cattle Egret at Cartron today.

Tom (Cuffe), your directions were spot on. Thanks.

What a spooky bird. Just managed two very quick and very poor shots before he flew away. Shots attached.

I spoke with the farmer and his good wife who own the field shortly afterwards. They told me that four Cattle Egrets arrived about three months ago. The four travelled and flocked together until a few weeks ago when one seperated from or was driven off by the other three. They still travel around the neighbourhood and frequent the same fields but never at ther same time. The lone bird often flies into their field shortly after the other three have flown off.
Also they have often seen the lone bird flocking with crows. Is this some sort of herding or needing to belong instinct.
Can anybody offer an opinion on this?

Tom (Brosnabirder),
Here are directions:
Take Headford road from Galway. Pass Clonboo. Pass Clare river. Turn right at the Garda Barracks (you'll see the mast from some distance away). Signpost points to Corandulla. Pass corandulla, pass Cregg Castle on right. Come to Peggy's Pub on left. Turn left immediately at Peggy's pub. Take first (immediate) right. Go short distance. See sign "Cartron". See very large corrugated cattle shed on left. Egrets may be in field behind shed. Park in obvious spot just beyond shed in front of house on left. Egret I saw today was in field slightly further on on right near blind bend with cattle.
The farmer said you are almost guaranteed to see the three egrets in that field at 8.00 am every morning.
Alternatively, you can reach Peggy's pub by turning left at Loughgeorge as you travel north on Tuam road.

I have almost every OS map of Galway except that one (no. 46) so can't give a grid ref. Sorry.
 

Attachments

  • DSC01945.JPG
    DSC01945.JPG
    272.6 KB · Views: 228
  • DSC01946.jpg
    DSC01946.jpg
    84.1 KB · Views: 253
Brendan
Welcome on board for someone who had nothing to say/contirbute yesterday I think you have posted the longest post to date. Glad you got the Cattle Egret.
Tom
 
Brendan,
Behind the shed is one of the places I didn't look today. Thanks for extra directions and info. I have a good idea of where you mean from being there today. Hopefully the Egrets will stick around for a bit longer. I ranged fairly widely looking for them today, sounds like I would have been better off conentrating on the immediate vicinity of the shed.
Tom
 
Hi Tom,
I feel a bit silly for posting directions that you have already given. I was looking at page one of the thread. Did'nt realise that it had already gone to three pages.

Brendan
 
Brendan
Talking to Tim Griffin yesterday he was talking about the pair of Egrets feeding together and could presume that they were male and female. Therefore the male is looking after his mate and hunting the other male away. Could explain them splitting up.
Tom
 
You best ask the Cattle Egrets so. Could be two female looking after one male who knows. If you check the reports from around the country sightings range from one in the North to 12 I think in Waterford.
 
Last edited:
Brendan

I've noticed similar behaviour at Rusheen, but with little egrets. Two turned up in mid November and have been there ever since. Initially one of the birds spent much of its time chasing the other one away every time it tried to feed near it. After a few weeks of this it eventually got the message and gave up on the whole company thing. In this instance it could be that a young bird was following an older bird (perhaps its parent?) around to take advantage of its food finding skills, and the older bird didn't welcome the competition for food (or may be was encouraging it's offspring to become independant). I guess this doesn't explain why some egrets are accepted in to a group and others aren't, but interesting behaviour anyway.

Troakie
 
Brendan & Troakie
If you guys keep this up we will be expecting a joint paper on the behaviour of Little/Cattle Egrets to be presented in the the Anna Santo Hotel in the near future.
Tom
 
Last edited:
Warning! This thread is more than 8 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top