County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)

[Dermot Breen]

Osprey & Kittiwakes

Hopefully he won't keep going SW when he gets here.....
I got the results about the Kittiwakes back last night.

"Hello Dermot

You are right. Yhese two birds belong to my ringing programme.

1, W/B/m-Y/Bk/G. Born 1999 in Kerisit colony (Goulien, Finistère,
France, 48°05N 04°35W). Controlled every year since 2000, once in 2000,
17 times in 2001. First bred 2002, in i't's natal clifft, failed at
chick stage. Identified as male (behaviour). Bred every year since. On
the same nest in 2003, failed again (chick stage). Moved to the adjacent
cliff in 2004, fledged 2 chicks. Stayed on the same nest for the two
subsequent seasons, but failed (chick stage in 2005, egg stage in 2006).
Moved to an adjacent nest in 2007, failed again (chick stage). Moved to
pointe du Raz colony in 2008, 12 km apart (Plogoff, Finistère, France,
48°02N 04°43W). Failed (chick stage, due to peregrine's predation).
Last sighting : 13/08/2008.

2, m/G-G/Y/W. Ringed as breeding adult male in 1996, Kermaden colony
(Goulien, Finistère, France, 48°04N 04°36W). Raised one chick. Stayed on
the same nest the two subsequent years, but failed (chick stage in 1997,
egg stage in 1998 due to raven's predation). Prospected pointe du Raz
colony by the end of the season. Established in pointe du Raz in 1999
and bred there, on the same nest, every year since : succeeded every
year (total = 11 chicks raised to independance) except 2003 (chick
stage) and 2006 (egg stage). Last sighting : 10/08/2008.

Relating to chick production, 2008 was a rather normal year. The mean
production was 0.6 chick per pair for the whole population (1059
breeding pairs) and 0.7 for the best colony (pointe du Raz). The other
colonies were heavily predated by crows and peregrines. No apparent food
problem : all the chicks regurgitated "normally" when handled.

Many thanks for these informations. Three other Irish people (Dave Daly,
Tony Murray and Dave McAdams) sent me a lot of observations from Wexford
and Cork. Which is quite unusual.

Best regards

JYM"

I mentioned to him that of the 350 or so birds present only 2 were juveniles/first-winters. They do seem to have a hard time when breeding.

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

Just upload a video clip which gives a little flavour of the Pelagic on the 31st August 2008 of Inis Bó Finne
http://www.birdforum.tv/members/action/viewvideo/1146/

 

[AOD]

Nice one Tom! I think we're all thankful that smellavision never materialised. 8 Arctics and 2 Poms. in 25 minutes off Baile na hAbhainn yesterday. Would have stayed for longer but wasn't able. Birds were very close - all within 60-70m - thanks to the wind being SW. Winds forecast as WSW F6 tomorrow so if anyone has the time or inclination to go to Baile na hAbhainn it should be worth their while. Single White Wagtail there yesterday also. Hope it's not the highlight of autumn passerine migration in Galway this year.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Nice video Tom.Did you bring along a video recorder as well, or take video with the camera?

 

[birdsgalway]

Peter
I have been accused of having to much equipment most of the time and yes I have been dabbling into the world of video with my recently acquired Sony HDR-SR12E camcorder.

 

[Brosnabirder]

At Rahasane this afternoon,
c.200 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Whimbrel, 40 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Ruff present. Do we have Ruff on the list already Tom?
The whole area is well flooded at the moment.

 

[birdsgalway]

Tom
Ruff came in at 141.
Adult Mediterranean still on Claddagh Beach.

180 Curlew Sandpiper Dermot Breen Dooloughaun Ballyconneely. 11.09.08

Went through the list and had Black Guillemot down twice. Curlew Sandpiper is 180, not 181

 

[MargaretM]

Peter
I have been accused of having to much equipment most of the time and yes I have been dabbling into the world of video with my recently acquired Sony HDR-SR12E camcorder.

How is the camcorder performing for you Tom? Are the stills that appear on the video clip taken from the video or were they taken with a camera? Have been thinking of buying the same camcorder and wondering how suitable it would be for wildlife videoing.

 

[birdsgalway]

MEGA NEWS:clap:

Western Sandpiper found today by Dermot Breen on Omey Island Clifden. The 1st for Galway and only the 4th for the country. Also a juv Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Omey this evening. Latest report is that the bird was seen flying of at about 6.30pm.

County list
181 Western Sandpiper
182 Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Margaret
The camcorder is great and I have uploaded about 10 small videos on birdforum TV. They are nearly all filmed through the scope. The photos in the pelagic video where taken with the DSLR and with the video editing software I spliced them in. The zoom is limiting at optical 12x. There is a 150x digital which I do not use. I have a 5x converter lens which I have use once or twice with poor results need to practise with it. I am looking to purchase a Raynox 3x lens which will give 36X mag on the camcorder. Like most of the equipment out there it never seems get me as close as I would like.

 

[Dermot Breen]

Western News

The Tom, Toms and myself had a good look for both the Western and Buff-breasted Sandpipers yesterday but didn't have any luck unfortunately. Still seemed to be the same numbers of Sanderling and Ringed Plover in the area though. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was very brief on Saturday. It landed near the carpark as the tide was nearly in. It then flew off in the direction of the island itself. We searched most of the machair out there yesterday but didn't come across it. Quite a large area. The rain became very heavy before noon and we called it a day. Later heard Niall Hatch et al saw it briefly on the rising tide at about 1330hrs. I honestly don't know where the Western disappearred to? - maybe Rossadillask? 4 Curlew Sandpipers appearred also on the rising tide on Saturday, where were they all day as well??
Will be checking anyway again during the week.

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

Very wet few hours spent on Omey Island on Sunday with Tom C and Dermot chasing a couple of yanks did not pay any dividends. Very difficult to expose the camera gear in such wet conditions. Got the text from Dermot on Saturday about the Western Sandpiper while taking a few shots of one of three Little Egrets at Rusheen.

 

[Pariah]

Dermot,

Thou art a legend good sir!
I.O.U multiple alcoholic beverages

Owen

 

[Dermot Breen]

Happy to oblige, especially since it was a lifer for myself. B
No luck yesterday either btw.

Dermot

 

[Paul Troake]

A few bits & bobs out & about today...

Mweenish Island (Ballynacourty) - 4+ juv curlew sandpipers.
Kilcaimin - 1 or 2 juv curlew sandpipers, 12 little egrets, 3 med gulls (ad & 2 1st winters), spotted redshank.
Rahasane was flooded virtually up to the road - 2 pintail were the best I could see.

Saw dipper at Spiddal 2 days ago, on the river where it flows out to the sea.

Troakie

 

[Dermot Breen]

Rahasane Yesterday

I got out to Rahasane yesterday, took me about 2 hours to completely check it. It seems to be improving slightly with water levels dropping a few feet. Good numbers of duck out there in particular Pintail, group of at least 30 birds in one spot. There were about 150 Black-tailed Godwits, 100 Goldies and Lapwing. In amongst them were 2 ad & 1 juv Ruff, 1 juv Spotted Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper-type (fly-by), 3 Turnstone, 1 Oystercatcher, 20 Dunlin and 1-1st Med Gull. Can't understand how there wasn't a Pec in amongst the Dunlin. There were 5-8 in Tac, 3 near Bridges of Ross, 5 at Lough Beg, Derry and 1 at RSPB Harbour Estate yesterday alone. Most of the Dunlin, Lapwing and Goldies were up at the very East end of the turlough. You can get good views if you continue along the road towards Craughwell and take the first right. Down this in a small Ash wood theres a well worn muddy laneway which takes you right to the edge of the turlough. I also saw a burned out car on the other side (implies there's some way of getting out there) which would give even better views of the birds.
2 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers at Kilcaimin. Alot of gulls feeding at Oranmore possibly feeding on the outflow from the water treatment plant? Rusheen Bay was extremely poor only around 7 Dunlin and 2 Knot noted.
No sign of the small peep at Crompaun Bay on Saturday that I had the previous day, nor any Curlew Sands or Little Stint for that matter.

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

Was not out over the weekend, but spent an hour on Claddagh Beach this evening, great to get a bit of sunshine. 2 ringed Sandwich Terns and a darvic ringed Common Gull 2522 and a Sanderling with a flock of 30 Ringed Plover and 5 Dunlin.

Good to here the water levels a dropping at Rahasane. I was at the eastern end before went through someones property with there permission, right to the edge of the turlough best time of course is the first half of the day other wise the sun is in your eyes.

Troakie from memory that is the second highest count of Little Egrets at Kilcaimin, Michael Davis had 13.

 

[birdsgalway]

Pied Flycatcher and 10 Crossbills at Cloosh Woods Oughterard per Tim Griffin 2pm

County List
183 Pied Flycatcher

 

[Dermot Breen]

News just in from Aonghus - Pectoral Sandpiper at the pool at north end of Doonloughaun.

County List
184 Pectoral Sandpiper

 

[birdsgalway]

Connected with the Pied Flycatcher this evening at Cloosh Wood 7 miles from Oughterard. The midge were absolutely manic but nice to get a tick.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Connected with the Pied Flycatcher this evening at Cloosh Wood 7 miles from Oughterard. The midge were absolutely manic but nice to get a tick.

Great Shots Tom. Sounds like an interesting place.Does it get checked regularly?
Did you manage to see the Western Sandpiper?

I did not realise Oughterard was that far from the coast!