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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (6 Viewers)

Little Tern Conservation Project.
As we have come to the end of the project, we plan to dismantle and take away the fencing at Baltray a week from tomorrow, that is Saturday 30th August starting at 10am. We will need as many people as possible to turn out for this please - we look forward to seeing you then.
 
Had hoped to see the Spotted Redshank at Dundalk Docks today, but no luck with that, however, I did see the Long-Billed Dowitcher there, curtesy of Breffni, Paul and Joe.
There were 15 Little Egrets at Seabank.
Terns mostly gone from Baltray, just some young Little Terns and the parents left. Also plenty of Ringed Plover and Dunlin there.
 
MargaretM said:
Had hoped to see the Spotted Redshank at Dundalk Docks today, but no luck with that, however, I did see the Long-Billed Dowitcher there, curtesy of Breffni, Paul and Joe.
There were 15 Little Egrets at Seabank.
Terns mostly gone from Baltray, just some young Little Terns and the parents left. Also plenty of Ringed Plover and Dunlin there.
Click to expand...

Yes its hit and miss up there....149 Common Sandpiper 150 Spotted Redshank 151 Long-billed Dowitcher ( I feel a bit like Allister Craig)


Louth Year List

164 Woodpecker sp

165 Long-billed Dowitcher

We have a long way to go to catch up with Galway...but then they have to rely on there northern cousins to bump up there list!

(Only joking!)

I am going to Boffin for 3 days at the end of October...my wife twisted my arm into going...so hopefully I might be able to add something to your list...Black billed Cuckoo would be nice...
 
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Gerry o Neill said:
.
Got goosander on sunday a flyby at Clogher Head and l .b dowitcher at Dundalk docks , my louth list now 160.Also seen little gull in front of the park.Gerry.
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The long billed Dowitcher seen in the last few days is now thought to be a different bird from the first bird seen at the begining of the week due to the length of the bill.
 

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Derek Watters said:
A 1 hour seawatch off Shelling Hill / Templetown this lunchtime produced nothing on passage. Despite calmish seas and excellent visibility the only bird I seen was a Gannet! Closer to shore were 2 razorbills, which I have not seen in this area before - perhaps the local expert (Breffni) may have them regularly?
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I walk the area every day and it is amazing how the bird population changes both onshore and offshore. Today there were mainly herring gulls, but over 300 of them. Last week there were big flocks of small waders. Two weeks ago there were hundreds of terns, not a single one left today. Offshore there are regular very large flocks of auks, sometimes hundreds of birds, but more often in autumn and spring, though i think the razorbills tend to favour shingle beach east of giles quay, perhaps because of the steep shelving and rocky substrate...

In other news, I got a report of a woodpecker at Lennosntown Manor at Red Barns Road (Dundalk) - two or three sightings last week.

EL found a ring-billed gull adult at lurgangreen yesterday.
 
breffni said:
In other news, I got a report of a woodpecker at Lennosntown Manor at Red Barns Road (Dundalk) - two or three sightings last week.
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Breffni. Any further details on location? The Lennonstown area is quite large. I have visited the area several times since the report emerged on Saturday and have seen nor heard anything unusual. There are a large number of mature decideous trees along the Red Barns Rd at the Point Road end. I wonder if this was the area.


breffni said:
Any photos of the earlier bird?
Click to expand...
The photos posted above by myself and Gerry (this day last week) are the earlier bird. There's also some on Paul Kelly's site at http://www.irishbirdimages.com/pages/gallery/august2008page4.html
I myself have seen the bird(s) on several occasions and it/they looked like the same bird to me. I have tried measuring bill v head ratios from photos but this is very difficult as even the smallest difference in the bird's head and bill angle can have quite a substantial effect.
It is also amazing how much changing weather and light effects how this bird looks in photos. Dull grey skies relect in the bird and it has a drab appearance. Yet photos taken in evening sun make it's underparts very orange and bright.
Is the bill shorter or longer on the more recent bird?
 
Best at Ballagan Point this evening on a 1 hour seawatch was a pale phase arctic skua. Recent tides have deposited enormous quantities of seaweed on local beaches. At least 2 wheatear on seaweed at Shelling Hill.
 
l b dow

Derek Watters said:
Breffni. Any further details on location? The Lennonstown area is quite large. I have visited the area several times since the report emerged on Saturday and have seen nor heard anything unusual. There are a large number of mature decideous trees along the Red Barns Rd at the Point Road end. I wonder if this was the area.


The bill on the bird now at the docks looks shorter to myself PK and EL.We had a good look at it last night and I quote EL saying "you could land an airoplane on that bill" meaning the first bird .The area where I think the woodpecker was seen is red barns/point rd in large garden with big trees.Gerry.


The photos posted above by myself and Gerry (this day last week) are the earlier bird. There's also some on Paul Kelly's site at http://www.irishbirdimages.com/pages/gallery/august2008page4.html
I myself have seen the bird(s) on several occasions and it/they looked like the same bird to me. I have tried measuring bill v head ratios from photos but this is very difficult as even the smallest difference in the bird's head and bill angle can have quite a substantial effect.
It is also amazing how much changing weather and light effects how this bird looks in photos. Dull grey skies relect in the bird and it has a drab appearance. Yet photos taken in evening sun make it's underparts very orange and bright.
Is the bill shorter or longer on the more recent bird?
Click to expand...
The bill on the bird now at the docks looks shorter to me ,EL and Pk.We had a good look at it last night and I quote EL saying " you could land an airoplane on that bill "meaning the first bird.
 
breffni said:
Probable 1W white wag at templetown this morning - were those possibly greenland wheatears?
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Yes Breffni - they looked like greenlands. The underparts did look very rufous and the wings look longer - can just about see 6 tips in the attached. See what you think yourself from the attached photos.
 

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While up in the Cooleys I saw a lot of damage done by off road bikes and quads especially near the site of the cairn close to Anavernagh.
Is this area not a protected site for Flora and Fauna?
I have raised this issue before with local TD's etc only to be told that it is too hard to police, which while correct isnt really a good enough response
I'll take photos next time to highlight the scale of the damage.
 
Derek Watters said:
Yes Breffni - they looked like greenlands. The underparts did look very rufous and the wings look longer - can just about see 6 tips in the attached. See what you think yourself from the attached photos.
Click to expand...

They look pretty good to me - shots are a bit overexposed - i would imagine that in life they were a lot darker.

Today eight white wags and several argentatus herring gulls at Cooley point. Also a small flock of PB Brent flew by!

Yesterday a sooty shearwater, a storm petrel and bonxie were seen off Clogher (Hugh D.)
 
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gareth2005 said:
While up in the Cooleys I saw a lot of damage done by off road bikes and quads especially near the site of the cairn close to Anavernagh.
Is this area not a protected site for Flora and Fauna?
I have raised this issue before with local TD's etc only to be told that it is too hard to police, which while correct isnt really a good enough response
I'll take photos next time to highlight the scale of the damage.
Click to expand...

This problem is getting worse - there is a hard core of people doing this and they have been aggressive to hill walkers - Louth CC has specific by-laws prohibiting off-road vehicles from the mountains and from the shore. The first point of call if you see them is to call the Guards.
 
Point taken, but I cant see Mick an PJ Garda hikin up the hills to catch them. Ideally they need a dedicated area to use themselves but this may present insurance problems.
 
There are a few places - the Guards wont do anything initially but they are required to log the complaint so that over time it may lead to something (I'll tell you a story some time!)
 
Last Action Day at Baltray Beach.
Don't forget tomorrow, Saturday 30th - taking down the fencing. We'll be starting at 10am. . Weather should be ok. We need as many people as possible to help with this please.
 
Today at Cooley Point:
12 roseate terns
212 guillemots
90 razorbills
65 herring gulls
230 kittiwakes
1 arctic skua
15 white wags including 2 juvs
1 kestrel
1 buzzard
small numbers of small waders and a few distant manxies

Earlier Gerry had two puffins, 1 white wag, a few manxies and a wheatear at shelling hill
 

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