County Galway Birding (local patch) (2 Viewers)

John Carey · May 7, 2008

Sounds like that hobby was in the foot hills of the Aughties.

There is a Galway Branch Atlas outing on Saturday evening at 5 o clock. Meeting at Ballyloughan Car Park. Great opp for anyone who is unsure how to do a square and learn that its not rocket science. Bring a friend!

The more people we get involved with the atlas the better. Our performance in Galway is shoddy and the truth is most of us could do a square.

I am as guilty as anyone so come on lads (and ladies) get involved!

:t:

Neil Sharkey · May 8, 2008

Bird Atlas

I would like to support John Carey's mention of Saturday's Bird Atlas outing. Those interested in the future of Galway's birds should start thinking 'Bird Atlas' -participation to date has been very poor. Log into www.birdatlas.net or contact Brian Caffrey at [email protected] for further information

John Carey said:
Sounds like that hobby was in the foot hills of the Aughties.

There is a Galway Branch Atlas outing on Saturday evening at 5 o clock. Meeting at Ballyloughan Car Park. Great opp for anyone who is unsure how to do a square and learn that its not rocket science. Bring a friend!

The more people we get involved with the atlas the better. Our performance in Galway is shoddy and the truth is most of us could do a square.

I am as guilty as anyone so come on lads (and ladies) get involved!

:t:

birdsgalway · May 8, 2008

Neil
Have to agree with yourself and John. I am one of the guilty ones who find it hard to allot time to such a brilliant project. I will be making the effort on Saturday, but won't be there at Ballyloughnane until about 6pm. See you there.
Tom

Ps
Neil just noticed that was your first post. Good to have you on board.

John Carey · May 10, 2008

Not too sure if we bagged this one yet but there was a beautiful pair of Whitethroat at Rusheen park on Saturay morning.

156 Whitethroat

The Sambo Tens were putting on a great show around Nimmos too. Lots of high dives and even some mating- I am not a voyeur either before someone suggests it|:||

birdsgalway · May 10, 2008

County List
156 Hobby
157 House Martin

Whitethroat came in at 152 Tim Griffin 6th May at Kinvara. Nice find at Rusheen Park.

Neil Sharkey · May 11, 2008

John Carey said:
Not too sure if we bagged this one yet but there was a beautiful pair of Whitethroat at Rusheen park on Saturay morning.

156 Whitethroat

The Sambo Tens were putting on a great show around Nimmos too. Lots of high dives and even some mating- I am not a voyeur either before someone suggests it|:||

Had a Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Cuckoo all in one small area of bog at Emone (Caherlistrane area) this afternoon (11 May). Nothing remarkable but nice to get them all together.

birdsgalway · May 12, 2008

First of the year for me Sedge Warbler and Cuckoo at Menlo and Whitethroat at Rusheen Park. A few pics including female Orange Tip Butterfly all in all a nice weekend and to quote you Neil 'nothing remarkable but nice'.

John Carey · May 12, 2008

Nice shots Tom.

Whitethroat now upgraded to my favourite migrant. Still have to see or hear cuckoo! Will make effort this weekend in Sligo.

Neil Sharkey · May 12, 2008

birdsgalway said:
First of the year for me Sedge Warbler and Cuckoo at Menlo and Whitethroat at Rusheen Park. A few pics including female Orange Tip Butterfly all in all a nice weekend and to quote you Neil 'nothing remarkable but nice'.

Tom: The really nice thing was that on getting home I was able to post these as Roving Records on the Atlas website - the map tracer on the site was even able to find 'Emone' for me and give me the square and tetrad location detail - if it can find Emone it will find anywhere! - its a bog in the middle of nowhere.
Neil

John Carey · May 12, 2008

In at the Deep end!

I have requested the two tetrads on either side of our Galway branch tetrad. I was hoipng that if one or two more took on this 10km square we might get it as a minimum coverage. There is now 3 taken so only 5 left. If someone out there took on another two then who knows, we may even get it covered in one year!

One of those Tetrads I have let myself in for includes Nimmos and the Docks- should you get any private messages from me in the next week or two it may be in the form of begging.........

I have also promised to keep more accurate records from now on to send to the atlas. Have never been one for lists but have found it quite enjoyable. In a quick 2 hour outing on Saturday morning I managed 43 species. Just shows what a trip around Galway City can produce- and I reallly was not trying to hard- Bird Race style pace!!!!!!!!!!!!

:t:

Brosnabirder · May 12, 2008

On Friday evening I visited Tower Callow, Banagher. Just on the Galway side of the Shannon.
Best there was a pair of Whinchat. Also Cuckoo, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler , drumming Snipe and usual other waders.
Nice place for a summer evening walk. Pretty much a carbon copy of my visit to Bishop's Island last week.

Brosnabirder · May 13, 2008

Neil Sharkey said:
the map tracer on the site was even able to find 'Emone' for me and give me the square and tetrad location detail - if it can find Emone it will find anywhere! - its a bog in the middle of nowhere.
Neil

Hi Neil
What is the map tracer?
I've been using the Google Earth facility on the Roving Records page. Is this it or is there something else on the site I could use? Its probably my ineptitude with computers which has prevented me from finding a better way to do it. Trying to find the correct tetrad is the most awkward part of submitting records for me. I've been putting on records from a good few different tetrads.
Must get on to my own timed tetrads shortly.

Neil Sharkey · May 13, 2008

Hello
Re: Map tracer
If you have registered on line for the atlas (www.birdatlas.net) and call up Roving Records there will be a map of UK/Ireland on the top right hand corner. If you click on this and keep clicking you can 'home' in on your locality. By holding the cursor over your location the square and tetrad will read on the bottom of the little screen. For instance when I point to my address - Ellagh Headford - it will show a location reading of Square IM24 Tetrad N.This is better than usiing Google Earth which, as far as I recall, only reads lattitude and longtitude. Hope this is helpful. Neil

Brosnabirder · May 13, 2008

Neil Sharkey said:
Hello
Re: Map tracer
If you have registered on line for the atlas (www.birdatlas.net) and call up Roving Records there will be a map of UK/Ireland on the top right hand corner. If you click on this and keep clicking you can 'home' in on your locality. By holding the cursor over your location the square and tetrad will read on the bottom of the little screen. For instance when I point to my address - Ellagh Headford - it will show a location reading of Square IM24 Tetrad N.This is better than usiing Google Earth which, as far as I recall, only reads lattitude and longtitude. Hope this is helpful. Neil

Thanks Neil,
Thats the thing I've been using. Its ok but its not always immediately clear from the map where the location for the sighting actually is. For instance Lough Eorna in Tipp is not on the map. Thats usually ok because I've submitted lots of records from there so I know the 10km square and tetrad letter from memory.
The problem arises with sites I don't visit very often. It is usually necessary to go to the part of the web site where tetrads are requested to see the breakdown of 10 km squares and tetrads in the area and then compare this with the OS map in order to be sure that the tetrad letter is correct.
I was just thinking that there must be an easier/quicker way.
Tom

Edit. If the onscreen map on the roving records page was overlaid with the actual 10 km grid (and tetrad grid within that) it would be more useful and make it easier to get the tetrad letter correct.

birdsgalway · May 13, 2008

Neil its all your fault,you have me uploading to the roving reports on BirdAtlas now.

Heinz 58 is still at Nimmo's putting on a few pounds since the last photo, should be oven ready for Christmas.

Single 1st winter Iceland Gull at the slip way, no sign of the American Herring Gull.

Heard the Peregrine screeching today (location should never be posted)

There is a location near Menlo where I can almost guarantee to hear and see a Cuckoo or two.

EDIT. Thanks to Derek Charles for correcting the ID on the Iceland Gull which is a 1st Winter not a 2nd winter. I'll get it right some day.

John Carey · May 14, 2008

Tom!!!

Where are all the damn cuckoos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That Heinz 57 is a royal pain, suggest capturing it and re-locating it to another county so thay can stress over it, and add it to their county list.

Neil Sharkey · May 14, 2008

I agree that its a bit lacking in detail and a somewaht hit and miss in some situations. It seems to recognise (certain) villages and townlands but not features such as lakes etc. However the tetrad is optional for Roving Reports and most times you should be able at least to locate the 10km square which, it seems, will be the main index for such reports.

Brosnabirder · May 14, 2008

Neil Sharkey said:
I agree that its a bit lacking in detail and a somewaht hit and miss in some situations. It seems to recognise (certain) villages and townlands but not features such as lakes etc. However the tetrad is optional for Roving Reports and most times you should be able at least to locate the 10km square which, it seems, will be the main index for such reports.

Mine is only a minor gripe really Neil. Its a fantastic project. Hopefully will turn out as well as the previous Atlases.

One solution which I'm using for some (often visited) areas is to photocopy the OS map (Ssshh, don't tell the OS) and then mark in the 10km square information and tetrad letters to use as a quick reference.

Some roving records though, like the Yellowhammer I heard singing out of the car window while driving on Saturday in a little visited area, don't justify this approach.

As I said though only a very minor gripe. Great to make the sightings count towards something

Brosnabirder · May 14, 2008

John Carey said:
Where are all the damn cuckoos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe all the Galway cuckoos have hopped across the bay to the Burren John. Have a look under the heading for yesterday

http://www.clarebirdwatching.com/scarce-rare-bird-sightings/may-2008.html

breffni · May 14, 2008

Guys, I need a couple of photos of the stone hide at Rahasane Turlough, ideally from all angles, inside and out. Please send me an email [email protected] if anyone has a few photos. Thanks!

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