County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (1 Viewer)

[gerry k]

hi, sorry for not posting any thing in a long time but I have been busy with my main passtime fishing, which leads me to one of the most fantastic sites i have ever seen. I was out fishing on a boat in loch lene collinstown co westmeath when I seen an osprey not 500 yards in front of me it dived and missed a fish and came around again and got a trout second time around. this is only the 3rd time Ihave seen one of these birds and never seen one hunting. I seen this bird at about 8pm yesterday 27th, Gerry.

 

[breffni]

great osprey record - this is very interesting because we are well outside any normal osprey migration period making the osprey unlikely to be a passage bird - hmmm

 

[breffni]

four adult and two juv roseate terns at cooley point at the mo - interesting to note that one of the juvs is not ringed - could they be breeding somewhere other than rockabill?

also when it rains with a bit of easterly, esp rain in the middle of the irish sea, storm petrols may be seen distantly offshore.

 

[squidge]

I was able to get out today for a couple of hours. Plenty of juveniles about including Great, Blue and coal tits. Goldcrest,LTT and Blackcap families in Beaulieu. Families of Yellowhammer and Spotted flycatcher around the Dunany area. 200 plus common scoter off Annagassan, 3 seperate Buzzards and one Sparrowhawk hunting on my travels. I've noticed a lack of Kestrels compared to last year.

Ger.

 

[breffni]

Around 80 roseates hanging around the balaggan point/cooley point area - a dozen or so juvs. Also good numbers of kittiwake juvs. Yesterday a dark morph skua far out at sea...

 

[Dolce]

Not great pictures of birds of prey that I think are Red Kites again over my house, actually three and one a juvenile as smaller. I love the very high pitched nice haunting sounds they make, you actually hear them before you notice them. They were much lower but moved by time I got camera. Think juvenile on left in second photo. Also the last pics of an alarmed bird when a flock of juvenile Starlings desended out of blue over his head. This is second time recently I saw a bird rolling over like this when afraid, think its to scare of another bird.

 

[Dolce]

Maybe they are Buzzards as just noticing Steves photo but didnt think they sounded like Buzzards though.

 

[Steve29]

Hi Dolce I think they are buzzards. Kite has forked tail. Not sure of the bird on the left of the second photo - looks smaller and whiter but not sure of colour with the way the light hits it.

Not sure what the House Sparrow is doing in the photo but i think if it was startled it would be more likely for it to take flight. Could this bird be dusting itself - tho it seems like its a hard surface than a dusty surface. Could it be 'anting' either?

 

[Dolce]

Hi Dolce I think they are buzzards. Kite has forked tail. Not sure of the bird on the left of the second photo - looks smaller and whiter but not sure of colour with the way the light hits it.

Not sure what the House Sparrow is doing in the photo but i think if it was startled it would be more likely for it to take flight. Could this bird be dusting itself - tho it seems like its a hard surface than a dusty surface. Could it be 'anting' either?

Thanks, yes I think Buzzards now too and think its the end of the Buzzard sounds drawn out that Im hearing being carried far down to here and perhaps echoing a little or both adults calling. Its a nice eerie sound. I never noticed the smaller one being very white so must be the light. I saw ants near here on road so probably in my garden too. I saw a sparrow doing the same on the Canal towpath very recently and it is rather odd to watch them.
I saw heaps of Swifts flying noticeably very low and screeching a lot near old high enough houses in town. Then for the first time ever I saw them actually flying in and out of nests in cracks and holes in walls up near roof and lower down the walls around 11am. Im guessing young inside perhaps and feeding them. Talk about getting a birds eye view of these fascinating birds. Again like last year there are heaps of lovely swallows swooping in fields around here.

 

[Enda]

Natural History Photographic Exhibition

Wildlife images from the Cooley Peninsula photographic Exhibition during Heritage week in association with Cooley tourism.Admission is free and everyone is welcome

 

[Peter Phillips]

Despite an easterly gust, there were few birds passing Clogher Head this evening. The best 100 or so Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua harrassing the terns.

 

[Derek Watters]

Despite an easterly gust, there were few birds passing Clogher Head this evening. The best 100 or so Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua harrassing the terns.

Speaking of Clogherhead, any further word on the poss tricolored heron???

 

[AOD]

Hi all.

For my sins I agreed to help collate the Scarce Migrants report for the
years 2007 and 2008 for the/a forthcoming volume of Irish Birds. It is
hoped to have the report written up by the end of August (deadline is end
of August!) but preferably sooner than that. While much information
is available online and in various published regional reports there are
noticeable gaps in the records. Records are noticeably lacking for counties
Donegal, Mayo (apart from Kilcummin Head and the Mullet) and, surprisingly,
Wexford. If anyone has any records from any counties for any of the species listed below for the years 2007 and 2008 - especially those records which are not in the
public domain - I'd be most appreciative if they could forward them on to
me at either of the following e-mail addresses;
Aonghus.O'Donaill AT AHG.GOV.IE
or;
Aonghuso AT hotmail.com

The list of species for which records are required is as follows;

Bewick's Swan
Pink-footed Goose
Dark-bellied Brent
Green-winged Teal
Garganey
Velvet Scoter
Smew
Goosander
Quail
Black-throated Diver
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Cory's Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Balearic Shearwater
Leach's Petrel
Marsh Harrier
Osprey
Little Stint
Pectoral Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Spotted Redshank
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Grey Phalarope
Pomarine Skua
Sabine's Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Little Gull
Turtle Dove
Short-eared Owl
Nightjar
Hoopoe
Tree Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
Waxwing
Black Redstart
Redstart
Ring Ouzel
Lesser Whitethroat
Yellow-browed Warbler
Wood Warbler
Firecrest
Pied Flycatcher
Carrion Crow
Twite
Lapland Bunting
Snow Bunting

Apologies for the short time frame. Keep up the good work with the thread. great to see people have a passion for what's local to them!

Regards,

Aonghus O' Donaill.

 

[breffni]

Speaking of Clogherhead, any further word on the poss tricolored heron???

it was an aberrant immature grey...heaven and hell!!!

 

[breffni]

good numbers of manxies at shelling hill today

 

[brian mccloskey]

roseate tern

4 roseate terns were at cruisetown today at 8 pm at least 1 was ringed . 3 adults and a juvenile also plenty of common and sandwich terns

 

[Monahawk]

I see Clogherhead has been throwing up some interesting sightings lately, so today on a day off, I headed over there to check it out. 6 black terns appeared heading south [ 4 adults and 2 juveniles]. A good start. Other highlights included, manx shearwater, roseate tern, little tern and arctic skua. In fact there was an abundance of sea birds. A great place.
No cetaceans were seen though.

Si.

 

[squidge]

A couple of us had a juvenile and female Great spotted woodpecker in a private garden today in Grangebellew.

Gerard.

 

[Peter Phillips]

A couple of us had a juvenile and female Great spotted woodpecker in a private garden today in Grangebellew.

Gerard.

Hi Gerald, Is it viewable from the road?

My number is 085 1309767

Thanks

Peter

 

[squidge]

I tried ringing no answer Ive sent a message. Just off the phone to the home owner and the birds are back at the feeders.