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

[Peter Phillips]

Well after following this thread for a year I just have to go up to Dundalk Bay and see what's around! I plan to do this tomorrow weather permitting. Never been to Dundalk before but sure once I'm out of the DART Station I'll just see where the road leads me! I need to kick off '08 with a bang so I may as well!

I hope you enjoyed your day out Mabel!

Great shots Gerry.

 

[breffni]

Thirty twite and eight brambling at rockmarshal yesterday per bins - i found two twite there this morning in the snow flurries - the redpoll were in the lane beside the Texico station.

47. Woodpigeon
48. Collared dove
49. Twite
50. Brambling
51. Redpoll
52. Knot
53. Little egret
54. Lesser black backed gull

(just noted that i got 153 species in louth in 2006 per eugene archers list)

 

[breffni]

Huge influx of ducks at carlingford...
55. Shelduck
56. Wigeon
57. Teal
58. Mallard
59. Snipe
60. Great crested grebe
61. Moorhen
62. Greenshank
63. Little grebe
64. Siskin (foye woods - no sign of crossbills)

 

[Peter Phillips]

Thirty twite and eight brambling at rockmarshal
(just noted that i got 153 species in louth in 2006 per eugene archers list)

Not bad. I think I did Ok last year I must check my total. I was talking to Gerry about this recently. Does anybody know what the year list for Louth is and how did Eamonn Larrissey fare in 2007. I think he tried 'a big year in the wee county'.

ps What is Eugene Archers list?

 

[Gerry o Neill]

louyh year list

Not bad. I think I did Ok last year I must check my total. I was talking to Gerry about this recently. Does anybody know what the year list for Louth is and how did Eamonn Larrissey fare in 2007. I think he tried 'a big year in the wee county'.

ps What is Eugene Archers list?

E.L. list was 164 for this year and 165 for 1997 which was a good year for rare sightins Wilsons phal,lesser yellowlegs etc.Any one doing a year list for louth would reach 150 after that you are into the harder birds to catch up with or a bit of luck onpicking the right year to do one...

 

[breffni]

Not bad. I think I did Ok last year I must check my total. I was talking to Gerry about this recently. Does anybody know what the year list for Louth is and how did Eamonn Larrissey fare in 2007. I think he tried 'a big year in the wee county'.

ps What is Eugene Archers list?

Its here - excludes white wags, black brant etc - that year the only species that were atypical for me were the likes of wood sandpiper, goosander, yellow wag etc: http://www.irishbirding.com/checklist.html - its a handy list...

The year i got 153 in louth i got 201 in ireland (including baikal teal etc)

 

[breffni]

65. Lapwing
66. Redwing (small flock feeding in the garden)

 

[Peter Phillips]

E.L. list was 164 for this year and 165 for 1997 which was a good year for rare sightins Wilsons phal,lesser yellowlegs etc.Any one doing a year list for louth would reach 150 after that you are into the harder birds to catch up with or a bit of luck onpicking the right year to do one...

Thanks, Gerry and Breffni,

I checked mine- 148 last year. But I did not look for a few certs like Dipper etc. I must try harder this year and keep a list.

Are the Twite and Brambling still at Fitzpatricks? I have to start somewhere!

 

[breffni]

Both were there yesterday morning...though overall flock size seemed down a bit.

 

[MargaretM]

3 Great Crested Grebes were sheltering in Clogherhead harbour during the week. Big numbers of garden birds at our feeders over the last few weeks. We had a Starling on the feeder this morning, I've seen a Jackdaw on them but this is the first time we've had a Starling.

 

[Enda]

large numbers of gulls on the beach at cruisetown today attracted no doubt by the piles of shellfish washed onto the beach.1 med gull was the best i saw among them with the ringtail hen harrier also present in the fields opp. the strand

 

[breffni]

Tomorrow, Monday 7th January: Dick Coombes will do an illustrated talk on Iceland entitled Birds, Whales and Hot Springs – Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, 8:00pm.

All are welcome!

 

[Peter Phillips]

Louth List

E.L. list was 164 for this year and 165 for 1997 which was a good year for rare sightins Wilsons phal,lesser yellowlegs etc.Any one doing a year list for louth would reach 150 after that you are into the harder birds to catch up with or a bit of luck onpicking the right year to do one...

Hi Gerry,

I made a start on a list for Couty Louth. If you remember you might bring along that book on birds in Louth, tomorrow night.

Peter

 

[Gerry o Neill]

Hi Gerry,

I made a start on a list for Couty Louth. If you remember you might bring along that book on birds in Louth, tomorrow night.

Peter

Will do if I can find it,will bring provisional list for louth with me.....

 

[breffni]

Great light yesterday - added a few more to the list (not yet left cooley!)
67. Stonechat
68. Fieldfare
69. Crossbill
70. Rock pipit
71. Reed bunting
72. Dipper
73. Long-tailed tit
74. Black-tailed godwit
75. Bar-tailed godwit
76. Mute swan
(so much for making 90 species in one day...)

 

[Peter Phillips]

Todays Birds

Great light yesterday - added a few more to the list (not yet left cooley!)
67. Stonechat
68. Fieldfare
69. Crossbill
70. Rock pipit
71. Reed bunting
72. Dipper
73. Long-tailed tit
74. Black-tailed godwit
75. Bar-tailed godwit
76. Mute swan
(so much for making 90 species in one day...)

Great shots! Where did you see the crossbill? I hope to make crossbill,twite and brambling on wednesday.

I went for a walk from Hermitage to Dunany. There are over 800 passerines in the fields and hedges. Mainly Linnet 500, Meadow Pipit 100, Chaffinch 100, Skylark 50 some Greenfinch,Goldfinch and a few Reed Bunting also a Kestrel and Female type Hen Harrier harrassing the flocks. Nothing unusual among them. There were about 80 thrushs feeding in the fields about 40 of which were Song Thrush which was a bit of a surprise.

Keenans Cross pond had 1 Whooper Swan, 3 Goldeneye, 6 Tufted Duck, 12 Pochard, 3 Gadwall and the FWM Ring necked Duck

 

[breffni]

Great shots! Where did you see the crossbill? I hope to make crossbill,twite and brambling on wednesday.[/B]

The crossbills flew across the road somewhere between the windy gap and jenkinstown - they flew into dense trees. BTW when out at rockmarshal, look out for this redpoll, which we reckon is a possible mealy redpoll...

 

[MargaretM]

There was a large flock of Chaffinch at Dunany this afternoon with some Brambling among them. They were down the road which runs roughly parallel with Hermitage. They were feeding in the stubble field which made photography difficult.

 

[ardnasx1]

Tomorrow, Monday 7th January: Dick Coombes will do an illustrated talk on Iceland entitled Birds, Whales and Hot Springs – Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, 8:00pm.

All are welcome!

Dick's talk was very interesting and a great turn out.

large numbers of gulls on the beach at cruisetown today attracted no doubt by the piles of shellfish washed onto the beach.1 med gull was the best i saw among them with the ringtail hen harrier also present in the fields opp. the strand

Still a huge amount of gulls at Cruisetown yesterday, they covered the whole length of the strand, I've never seen numbers like that there before.

 

[Derek Watters]

Following our discussion on cattle egrets the other night I note that one was observed in Galloway today, some 70 miles North of our location. 38 have now been recorder in Ireland this winter, so fingers crossed we'll be having one soon.
Also an American Wigeon at the Calf of Man today - he might stop off here on the way home!