County Galway Birding (local patch) (3 Viewers)

Brosnabirder · Feb 15, 2008

Paul Troake said:
The snowy owl was still present, perched on a rock, between 5pm & 5.30pm when it flew down to the west. Sounds like you had good views Tom. Was it approachable? I was wary of approaching it as was eyeing me up from a considerable distance. As you say, a great bird.
Also red grouse heard calling.

Troakie

I didn't go very close at all. Just maxed sope up to 60x. Another chap went a little closer and it flushed to a little under a mile away where it settled on a rock at the very top of a ridge on the skyline. Not very approachable at all especially since it favoured prominent rocks or hummocks and so had a great all round view most of the time. Is that where you had it Paul? Would have been about a mile and a half from the end of the road/track.
Seems to have been around for a while so a long stayer Peter. Hard to connect with though. Only seen a few times since found.
Relocated by Aonghus O'Donaill today and another man whose name I don't know I'm afraid. To be honest even though you would think its conspicuous it can just look like a white rock among miles and miles of nothing out there. Great to see though. I've never seen one before. Just thankful I heard about it.
Also good views of 2 calling male Grouse today too.
As you said too Paul it was definitely aware of our presence all the while. Could pick out all white facial disc as it turned towards us frequently. Plenty of evidence of Hares in vicinity so maybe thats what its feeding on

birdsgalway · Feb 15, 2008

News

Female/juv Snowy Owl, Found today by Aonghus O'Donnell. Aonghus sent me these directions

Female/juv Snowy Owl,Grid Ref. M146285,Townland is Poll Gleann Donaill. Take Moycullen rd. from Spiddal for approx. 4 miles until large rusty oil tank visible on left of rd. just past bog road on left.Take this bog road and follow to end.Bird seen on bog 500m past end of track.

Thanks to Troakie and Tom for there reports on seeing the Snowy. Hope it stays untill Sunday when I hope to get out there.

Derek
Thank you for your comments on the Forster's Tern. Would be interesting to ring some of these vargants to see where they end up.

Nimmo's Up date today
from Stephane Aubrey check his web site http://www.gull-watching.com/
1 Kumliens Gull
2 adult Ring billed gull
15 Iceland Gulls
1 Glaucous Gull
1st winter American Herring
@ Rossaveal
8 Iceland Gulls
@Traugh Beach
Forster's Tern

We have just past the 100 mark on this forum

Harry Hussey has just started a tread for Cork
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107537

Good birding everyone

Brosnabirder · Feb 15, 2008

Good directions Tom.
Even though I was out there I was finding it difficult to reconstruct the journey out. Hope you see it. They really are something special

Paul Troake · Feb 16, 2008

I see I was the 100th customer - do I win a prize?!

Thanks for the info on your snowy sighting Tom. I was wondering about trying to get closer on a subsequent visit if it remains, though sounds like I'd need to construct a rock-like hide out of polystyrene then release lots of hamsters to lure it in. The rock you described sounds like the exact rock it was still perched on in the evening - on the top of a ridge in between a couple of small hills. Would be interesting to hear which direction it flys off if anyone sees it at dusk.

Sounds like the Forster's is doing a tour of the Doorus peninsular. Re the Louth Forster's - the Birdguides database lists one at Wexford on 14 Jan, so may be that was the Louth bird, who knows....

Troakie

Brosnabirder · Feb 16, 2008

Snowy seemed settled enough when we left alright. Perhaps it was heading off to feed when you saw it leaving Paul.
Maybe a tape lure with hamsters squeaking would work to draw it in

birchall · Feb 16, 2008

Lost a few lbs today (no harm) hauling scope and tripod across about 6Km of bog looking for snowy where it was seen yesterday. No sighting. Gave up about 6.00 pm due to bad light. Met two other birders doing same. No reported sighting.

Dermot Breen · Feb 16, 2008

Hi all

First posting here. Just to let you know I had two colour ringed Black-headed Gulls at Nimmo's last Saturday - 222H and 201H. Both from the Lough Mask ringing scheme. And of course both have been already recorded by the ring reading master himself Michael Davis. Had a Common Gull out on Inishmore in October from the same scheme. Haven't come across any up here in Donegal yet. Got the details of one the ringed Brent on on the football pitch, waiting on results.
By the way I had four adult Ring-billed Gulls at Nimmo's last Saturday also. Thats probably the highest number I've seen there together in a good while. Derek also had a first-winter on the Friday. Far cry from the hay-day in 1999/2000 though. Had 9 myself one day but think John Murphy may have had 11?
Little Egrets seem to be at just about every location I stopped at in Galway Bay on Sunday. They really have boomed in recent years (must be very near breeding now).

Dermot

Brosnabirder · Feb 17, 2008

Small bit of non news,
Had a look for Lesser Scaup at Loughrea around three this afternoon but no luck. Light poor and very hazy. Made it very difficult to pick out anything at the far side of the lough from the parking areas. May well still be there. The light would probably be better at morning time. If its not foggy of course

Brosnabirder · Feb 17, 2008

Here is a 'record' digiscoped pic of the Snowy taken on Friday. Awful pic but if you squint the white face can just be made out. Hopefully someone will be along with better pics shortly

Brosnabirder · Feb 17, 2008

Hello Dermot and welcome to the thread.

Thanks for the news. Would be interesting to find out where the Brent was ringed.
Fingers crossed on the Little Egrets.

Tom

birdsgalway · Feb 17, 2008

Troakie
Your prize is B

enjoy

Tom
I think about 5 people got to see the Snowy. So pictures will be scarce. Maybe Michael Davis got a few shots. Was going to go today but there was nothing but negative news yesterday and today, so spent a few hours at Nimmo's and the Docks.

Dermot
Welcome to the tread the first post of many.

Brendan
You must be a shadow of your former self. Lets hope the Snowy shows up soon.

Took over 500 photos this weekend and taking some time to go through. Small selection below. The most unusual is to see a Common Sandpiper and Iceland in the one frame. Roll on next Saturday.

birdsgalway · Feb 17, 2008

Few more pics from today

DEREK CHARLES · Feb 18, 2008

Peter Phillips said:
Thanks for that Derek.

p.s .You can call me Philip, if I can call you Charlie.

Hello Peter,
Yes indeed,many apologies!

Derek.

Peter Phillips · Feb 18, 2008

DEREK CHARLES said:
Hello Peter,
Yes indeed,many apologies!

Derek.

No problem Derek, it only happens about once a week. I blame my father.

Brosnabirder · Feb 18, 2008

Hello all,
I've just started a Local Patch thread for Tipperary/Offaly.
Would be great if any of you could contribute. You'll find it here

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107774

birdsgalway · Feb 22, 2008

Nimmo's Up date
1 adult Ring billed gull
17 Iceland Gulls
1st winter American Herring was seen briefly this morning at the Slipway
I have not seen the AHG since Tuesday.

Anyone got any further updates or new sightings.

Paul Troake · Feb 23, 2008

Hi all

Ringed Brents - Just received details from Graham McElwaine (Resightings Coordinator, Irish Brent Goose Research Group) of 2 ringed Brent Geese I saw at Rusheen on 17th (both with yellow rings - left 4, right D; left 3, right C). It turns out these two are a pair, ringed in Iceland in May, and present at Strangford Lough (Co. Down) in Sept & Oct, where most brents stop off on their way back through. These are different birds to the ones Dermot had at Nimmos recently.

Sightings - not much to report....had a scan along the snowy owl track yesterday, but not much other than a few rocks and plastic bags (forgot my squeaking hamster lure though!). A couple of walks to the north and west of here in the past week have yielded 3 crossbills dropping in to a pine plantation and 18 white-fronted geese heading north at dusk one evening.
The pre-roost gathering of jackdaws at Silver Strand held about 900 birds last night. There's also a big roost in the woods at Rinville West (south of Oranmore) - at least 1600 there on 3 Feb.

Tom - thanks for the B

!

Troakie

birdsgalway · Feb 24, 2008

Todays collection at Nimmo's, the Docks and Claddagh beach.

Both American Herring Gulls appeared at the Docks this morning could not get a shot of the two together.

Two Little Gulls were feed at the end of Long Walk (opposite Nimmo's). Beautiful birds.

The Forster's Tern also appeared on the beach.
The usual selection of Icelands and a Glaucous was reported.

Some visiting birders had negative news on the Lesser Scaup and the Surf Scoter today.

Troakie
Great info on the Brent always nice to get feed back on the rings reported.

Dermot Breen · Feb 24, 2008

Forgot to mention guys (and gals?) that Belclare Turlough was crammed full of dabbling ducks the last day I was down. Far better than Rahasane which had very little on the same day. Most of the stuff at Belclare was in the corner that the hide overlooks which is a good and bad thing. The main flock was close in but I think that "bird" hide deserves an award for the most awkward hide to use a telescope & tripod in

! Most bird hides seem to be designed without taking this basic fact into account for some reason.
No word yet on my ringed Brent at Nimmo's yet. Had one up here near Buncrana "U2" (or Bono as he refers to himself!) which has spent the last few years wintering at Castle Espie.

Dermot

Brosnabirder · Feb 24, 2008

Dermot Breen said:
The main flock was close in but I think that "bird" hide deserves an award for the most awkward hide to use a telescope & tripod in !

Dermot

Same opinion here on bird hides. I reckon bird hide back will be a recognised medical condtion before too long.

Had a look for Lesser Scaup at Loughrea again today but no luck. Not saying its not there though. On the plus side a small flock of Goldeneye were showing well close to the area where the ducks are often fed on the Gort road.

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