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

Tipperary/Offaly Birding (1 Viewer)

Great day at Ashton's Callow today
This morning I found a Garganey. Also 5 Ruff and c.400 Black-tailed Godwits. The Garganey disappeared into some cover on the far side of the callow from the hide but it's more than likely still there.
At lunch-time Pat Brennan refound the Green-winged Teal right in front of the hide. Thanks to Pat for pointing that out to me.
Also the Spotted Redshank was again present. Had a bit more summer plumage than last Friday. Hopefully it'll stick around until it fully moults. Legs still orange-red so it still has some way to go.
Blackcap and several Willow Warblers singing on the way down to the hide too.
 
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At Ashton's Callow today, thanks to Stephen Heery for the update
1 Little Egret
1 Spotted Redshank, much blacker today than yesterday even.
9 Ruff, 5 males and 4 females.
50 Godwits.

Cabragh Wetlands Thurles
2 drake Garganey still present today. Thanks to Pat Brennan for that report.

Lough Eorna Nenagh, quiet this evening when I visited.
Black-headed Gulls back at the colony there. Also a couple of Great-crested Grebes
 
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Today in Tipperary
Pat Brennan and myself saw a Med Gull at Goat island, Lough Derg and 25 Whimbrel.
Supporting cast included Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black backed Gull, Great black backed Gull and Black headed Gull. Bit of a Gull fest overall,

At Ashton's Callow
Spotted Redshank (getting noticeably blacker day by day) and drake Garganey again present. 11 Ruff including some near summer plumaged males also there. Joined by 2 Ringed Plover, Dunlin, 50 Black-tailed Godwits. Wader passage in full swing.

In among the Godwits Pat picked out a Long-billed Dowitcher in summer plumage. It stayed about an hour and a half before flushing with the Godwits. Great find and glad I was there. I got a couple of 'record' shots which I'll post at a later stage. Ashton's really great at the moment with lots of exposed mud and still some pools for the Teal and Garganey. Anybody who wants to find some good birds get down there soon but don't forget to let me know. The Callow is drying out fast.
Not a bad day out at all ;)
 
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Feck Coole!

Hi Tom,

Looks like I might head down on Sunday- the temptation to see garganey and dowitcher is just too strong- I can't handle it!

Will let you know if what the plan is.

Good thread by the way- will mention it to all and get them to chack it out.:t:
 
This morning at Ashton's Callow
Spotted Redshank still present
Also 9 Ruff
3 Whimbrel
Grasshopper Warbler reeling on the way down to the hide
No sign of Dowitcher today
 
Yesterday at Ashton's Callow I saw
I colour ringed Godwit in a flock of 55
6 Ruff
10 Lapwing, Some displaying.
Sharragh Bog, a Blackcap in song.
Clonmacnoise and Shannon Harbour were quiet.

At Cabragh Wetlands Thurles the 2 drake Garganey and a Marsh Harrier were seen yesterday.

Today at Ashton's a different colour ringed Godwit was present along with 1 Whimbrel and 5 Ruff
Also a Peregrine and a few Sedge Warblers
30 Whimbrel flew over Inch Callow and 10 Stock Doves and 11 Lapwing including some displaying birds were in a recently planted barley field near Inch.
The rest of the Callows were fairly quiet. As was Firville Lake. Apologies to the lads from Galway for not producing the Dowitcher and the Garganey. ;) Good day out anyway

At Lough Eorna today
2 Great Crested Grebes
8 Pochard
Also a pair of Ruddy Duck associating with each other here.
Also displaying Lapwing at Ardcroney Lake.
 
Well Tom,

No apologies neccesary. Great views of Peri and my first Sedge of the Year made it worthwhile- as well as two lifers in Ruffand Whimbrel!-how sad is that?

Keep us up to date on the callows- I was suggesting a trip there in a few weeks for Galway branch but might be better of leaving it til the winter.

Would you be up to a visit to portumna forest park on an outing- might pick up some good woodland species and migrants.

:t:
 
Things have quietened down at Ashton's Callow this week as it dries up. Duck numbers are falling fast.
On Monday and Tuesday the most notable sightings were the displaying Lapwing on Ashton's and Inch Callow.
Also Tuesday 74 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Ruff, and 1 Whimbrel. Also the same banded Godwit we saw on Sunday was again present.
Below I've included some very poor shots of the banded Godwit I saw Saturday. Also some 'record' Shots of the Dowitcher.
 

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Here is the Godwit.
By the way the last Dowitcher pic above shows it with a Godwit to give an idea of scale
 

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Amazingly a Green-winged Teal, a Long-billed Dowitcher and a Spotted Redshank all showed up on April 19th at Shannon Airport Lagoon. The last sighting I had of the Spotted Redshank at Ashton's Callows was on April 18th. Wonder did all 3 relocate together to Co. Clare.
 
A Long-billed Dowitcher has been seen with the Blackwit flock at Shannon Airport Lagoon for the past few years, usually in late summer.

Perhaps the same bird???

Has there been any similar sightings of Dowitchers in Tip before?

Possible explanation: LBDow wintering with Blackwits (somewhere like Spain?) migrate north through Tip, end up at Shannon Airport. LBDow & Blackwits come back to Shannon airport in late summer?????

See Ya,
Niall
 
A Long-billed Dowitcher has been seen with the Blackwit flock at Shannon Airport Lagoon for the past few years, usually in late summer.

Perhaps the same bird???

Has there been any similar sightings of Dowitchers in Tip before?

Possible explanation: LBDow wintering with Blackwits (somewhere like Spain?) migrate north through Tip, end up at Shannon Airport. LBDow & Blackwits come back to Shannon airport in late summer?????

See Ya,
Niall

Thanks for the info Niall.

As far as I'm aware that was the third Tipp record of Long-billed Dowitcher. Kevin Collins saw one at Ashton's Callow on 15th and 20th of September 1993 and one was 'collected'/shot at an unspecified location in Tipp in 1893. Not bad for a completely inland county with a very low number of observers. One spring, one autumn and one unspecified.

What I was struck by is that the Spotted Redshank and the GW Teal also occurred at Ashton's and after apparently disappearing from there all three species reappeared at Shannon Airport at the same time. I suppose there is no way of knowing for sure if they are the same birds but the dates are suggestive.

A move from the Little Brosna to Shannon would be a south westerly jump but its not that far away directly.

Tom.
 
Ashton's Callow today seen by Pat Brennan. Thanks to Pat too for the info on previous county LB Dowitcher records above.

1 Ruff.
10 Whimbrel.
80 Godwits.
Bit quiet again today.
 
A Long-billed Dowitcher has been seen with the Blackwit flock at Shannon Airport Lagoon for the past few years, usually in late summer.

Perhaps the same bird???

Has there been any similar sightings of Dowitchers in Tip before?

Possible explanation: LBDow wintering with Blackwits (somewhere like Spain?) migrate north through Tip, end up at Shannon Airport. LBDow & Blackwits come back to Shannon airport in late summer?????

See Ya,
Niall

If there are any pictures from Clare of either or both the Spotted Redshank and Dowitcher you should get a good idea if the same birds are involved in both sightings
 
If there are any pictures from Clare of either or both the Spotted Redshank and Dowitcher you should get a good idea if the same birds are involved in both sightings

Good idea thanks Peter.

A Ring-necked Duck was found this morning at Lough Eorna by Frank O'Duffy.
A real one this time. Well marked bird.
At least some of them haven't hybridised ;)
 
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On Friday evening I found a Blue-winged Teal at Reddan's Lough, North Tipp. The attached pics show the bird. As usual these are record shots.
This is likely to be a returning drake which has made brief stops at three different sites in North Tipp each April and/or May for the last three years.
I looked for it again on Saturday but couldn't relocate it. It may well still be there as there are some parts of Reddan's which are difficult to scan.

The same evening at Goat island, Lough Derg, 9 Whimbrel were best.

At Ashton's Callow on Saturday morning a large number of Whimbrel for the area, 108, were present. I guess they dropped in to roost overnight as they didn't feed and left between 6-45 and 7am as soon as it got properly bright. Dull morning. Also present was a Peregrine and only 45 Godwits

On Saturday at Lough Eorna the Ring-necked Duck was present in a mixed aythya flock. This may be a returning bird from last April/May seen at Reddan's Lough. The drake Ruddy Duck also there. Particularly nice to be able to see a proper Ring-neck so soon after the previous hybrid. It can be elusive at times.

At Ballyhourigan Woods in the Silvermine's Mts this morning I saw and heard my first Cuckoo of the year although they've been back in the area for almost a week now.
Apart from that a few Raven and a Jay were about the best
 

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Green-winged Teal at Ashton's Callow yesterday. Also one at Shannon Airport Lagoon yesterday so thats that mystery solved.
Also Swift at Clonmel yesterday. Both sightings from the BWI Tipp website.

In a funny coincidence Pat Brennan saw a Blue-winged Teal also on April 25th but last year at Firville Lake. Female on that occasion.
 
Well done! Your having a great run over there, these past few weeks. It just goes to show whats around to be found when people are out looking. When you started the thread I thought you might struggle -plowing a lonely furrow. Your doing a great job, really enjoying the thread. keep up the good work.
 
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