County Galway Birding (local patch) (2 Viewers)

John Carey · Jul 19, 2009

Finally did my last ttv on friday around oranmore. Good numbers of Redshank and Curlew, little of anything else. Passerines almost a total no show.

Sighting of the day- House martins on the ground collecting mud....never too late for house repairs!

Tom- Best recipe for chum is oil, rotten fish and breakfast cereal....AOD said we are welcome to make any further additions on the day

Welcome to the forum Rory, river birds probably best sought outside the city limits, eastern direction always good. Will brainstorm for you. The only place I know of a certain Dipper is Loughrea moat, but even then it's hit and miss.

GalwayBirder · Jul 19, 2009

Birds at Rusheen good. About 50 sandwich tern, about the same of redshank, 4 curlews, 20 oystercatcher and plenty of herons as usual.

birdsgalway · Jul 21, 2009

Out at Rusheen on Sunday, numbers as Rory indicated with the acception of Sandwich Terns which number 211 including 2 juvenile birds. Which would indicate they have had a poor breeding season.

GalwayBirder · Jul 21, 2009

Only two fledglings is very bad. Where would you think they nested? I was out in Salthill watching a Common Tern dive down and cath fish with its feet rather than diving. A practice seen more in Roseate Terns, but not uncommon in Commons either. But entertaining to watch for sure.

pcapsey · Jul 21, 2009

Hi Rory,

With regard to river birds, the Dipper in Loughrea seems to be a winter visitor. I haven't seen it in town since February. Grey Wagtails seem to breed in the town, and this year we've had a Sedge Warbler singing in one of the fields near the town centre - not exactly a river bird, I know.

I've seen Kingfishers on the River Dunkellin, which is the river that flows through Rahasane Turlough near Craughwell. I've seen them in autumn, so they may be migratory, moving down to the coast for winter. I don't know if they breed on the river. I've been visiting Rahasane for 10 years and have only seen Kingfisher twice there.

Good luck with your search!

Pete

GalwayBirder · Jul 22, 2009

Thanks ffor the help, Ive never been to rahasane but I intend to go there soon. Ive heard of large numbers of Lapwings appearing there.

Dermot Breen · Jul 22, 2009

Hi all

183 Sooty Shearwater; one, approx. 46 miles west of Derryinver Pier, 21st July, Anthony McGeehan.

Short summary of the pelagic yesterday. Seven hardy crew showed up for the pelagic. Participants included Dan Brown (who organised the whole thing), Chris Batty, Tom & Alex Lowe, Alex Lees, Anthony McGeehan and myself.
We went out on the Brazzy Hussy, skippered by Shane Bisgood and Olly the old sea dog.
We got out to the edge of the Continental Shelf and chummed at about 3 spots.
The highlights, if you could call them that were the above Sooty Shear, around 3 Bonxies (probably local breeding birds at that), up to 100 Stormies, 2 nice herds of Common Dolphins and a Sunfish. Nice swell out there which resulted in 6 of us contributing to the chum in our own little ways

Hopefully it pick for our August pelagic.

birdsgalway · Jul 22, 2009

Tough going on that pelagic. Just a point on the County list at what distance out do we stop counting????

Dermot Breen · Jul 23, 2009

Well Irish territorial waters extend for 200 nautical miles out so.... We won't have to worry about that on the August pelagic hopefully. They've only had 2 Wilson's Petrels on the pelagics off the Isles of Scilly so far this year which is very poor for them.
Heard from Aonghus (last week?) that a White-tailed Eagle was seen out on the Aran Islands so that makes 184 for the county yearlist.

Dermot

birdsgalway · Jul 23, 2009

A few pics from Rusheen yesterday. There were 6 juvenile Sandwich Terns. Also Ring-billed gull and Glaucous at Nimmo's

GalwayBirder · Jul 23, 2009

white tailed eagle id love to see one of them. 184 species is a lot I am surprised. My all-time irish list is only 79. Also, what is the bird on the left in your photos? Hopefully Ill get a trip to rusheen in soon. Do you have any numbers on waders there?

birdsgalway · Jul 23, 2009

Rory
The bird is a Wheatear. It was taken a long the rocks at the back of the toilet block at Silver strand. Last year a total of 215 birds were seen in county Galway. At high tide the only waders were Curlew about 45.

JonH · Jul 23, 2009

Dipper

GalwayBirder said:
I was thinking about going to look for river birds. Does anybody know where I might see kingfishers, dippers, grey wagtails or such? I'm afraid I dont really know too many places, and I thought this would be the place for some advice.

Hi Rory,
probably a bit of a trek for you but I have seen Dippers below Aasleagh Falls near Lenanne (not sure, it may just be into Mayo though), Grey Wagtails there also. Have seen an occasional Kingfisher when out on the Corrib but no guaranteed area in particular. Probably best just to walk rivers if possible close to you. Good Luck with your quest.

GalwayBirder · Jul 24, 2009

yes I have been to aasleagh to look for grey wagtails but saw none. Ive never seen a wheatear myself, they are very nice. 45 Curlew is a lot. I occasionally see them in the cow field behind my house. im going to Rusheen today and I plan on going to Nimmo's pier as well. Hopefully there will be good numbers there today. I saw a possible Iceland Gull the other day on the Prom in salthill as well, hopefully Ill see the Ring-Billed and get my year list to 80.

Brosnabirder · Jul 24, 2009

GalwayBirder said:
yes I have been to aasleagh to look for grey wagtails but saw none. Ive never seen a wheatear myself, they are very nice. 45 Curlew is a lot. I occasionally see them in the cow field behind my house. im going to Rusheen today and I plan on going to Nimmo's pier as well. Hopefully there will be good numbers there today. I saw an Iceland Gull the other day on the Prom in salthill as well, hopefully Ill see the Ring-Billed and get my year list to 80.

Grey Wagtails are found all along the river in town. A good spot to see them is downstream of the bridge at the bottom of Bridge Street or along the canal at the side of Mill Street car park. Also Dippers present. They're probably resident although I've only seen them a few times myself. Dippers and Kingfisher along the river in Oughterard although I don't see them every time I walk along it.

Out at Doonloughan on Saturday. Family party of 4 Choughs on the machair. Two adults were feeding two begging juveniles. The juvenile birds tried to find their own food from time to time but soon got bored and resumed begging. The adults seemed to take a chick each and care for it. Couldn't spot any rings on them. Also plenty of Wheatears but not a lot else.

GalwayBirder · Jul 25, 2009

Little Egret was in a tree at Rusheen yesterday. Plenty of calling Curlew also.

John Carey · Jul 25, 2009

The score from Rahasane today....Birds 1 John 0

Lots of Curlew, Lapwings, Mallard (plenty in eclipse) and at least 25 little egrets (no young birds visible).

Only 2 redshank, but the highlights were the Perigrene and the 6 Common Sandpiper (which were definite Common Sandpiper!).

The turlough was well flooded and is sure to produce a county tick in the coming weeks.

All agreed that Rahasane is a gem of Galway Birding....even when soaked to the skin and covered in mud whilst being eyed by Micky Joes half-starved cattle.........gotta love it!

:t:

birdsgalway · Jul 25, 2009

The highlights at Rusheen this evening 18 Greenshank, a single Whimbrel and 12 Bar-tailed Godwits 2 still in breeding plumage. Slight increase in juv. Sandwich Terns

Brosnabirder · Jul 26, 2009

Dipper on the river in Oughterard yesterday.
At Doonloughan, not a lot, usual passerines.

Ballynahown this morning. 11.15-1400. 2 Sooty Shearwaters, (I saw one with Aonghus and Dermot, Aonghus had the other one earlier on) c.10 Storm Petrels, 1 Bonxie, 1 Arctic Skua. Also good numbers of Manx Shearwaters but no Balaeric (spelling!

) unfortunately. Wind about 5-6 SSW.

Dermot Breen · Jul 27, 2009

No doubt about John, Rahasane is surely one of the birding treasures of Galway.
Out there yesterday. Nothing mega but nice assortment of species. Keep yer eyes peeled for colour-ringed Little Egrets there and in Galway Bay as I managed to read three colour rings there (a few other distant colour-ringed birds). About 21 birds present.
The other strange one was a partial albino Lapwing. Aonghus picked up this bird on Friday. I've seen leucistic Lapwing before, basically washed out but this bird appeared nearly completely white on the deck. However when it flew it had good dark areas on the open wing especially on the underwing.
Managed to see 2 Dunlin in amongst the Lapwing from time to time, very hard to see due to high grass. A few Lesser Black-backed Gulls there including one bird that stole a Coots egg (a good few nesting out there). Swallowed the egg whole before a second LBB could take it from him.
Also single Oystercatcher, 2 male over-summering Eurasian Wigeon and half a dozen Teal.
The moulting adult summer Spotted Redshank is still at Kilcaimin (why are they called Spotted when they're wholly jet black in summer??).
Single adult summer Knot at Rusheen in very windy conditions. All the terns and gulls resting up on grass bank on the Silver Strand side.

Dermot

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