County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (9 Viewers)

[Derek Watters]

Swifts Return

I have checked Dundalk's swift colonies over the past week and they arrived back this evening. First one at Seatown, later joined by 2 more. Also 1 at the Parnel Park colony.

Since childhood, swifts always signified the start of summer for me. This evening however, against the backdrop of towering black nimbocumulus clouds, I wonder if I got it wrong!

Incidently same date of arrival as 2007.

 

[Enda]

cuckoo

a cuckoo was calling and seen today at dinnertime viewed from mullahattin barrier looking towards were moorland meets jenkinstown wood distant record shot below.also a jay flying round calling (a buzzard like mewing)

 

[Peter Phillips]

County year list

155 Swift

I had the single Ruff and a Carrion Crow at Lurgangreen today and another Carrion Crow at Baltray this evening.

 

[rats]

This male hen harrier was present in the cooley mountains this evening the burnt heather & gorse from the recent fire makes it stand out well in the distance.to the best of my knowledge hen harriers are unknown from this area in any season.could they have been overlooked? could this bird be just on migration? any thoughts anyone
grasshopper warbler nearby also

what an interesting record.the nearest breeding hen harriers is on monaghan/tyrone border if im not mistaken. and my understanding is that males dont venture to far from their territory.which raises the question, if im right, off possible breeding in the cooley mountains.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Very quiet today between Clogher Head and Dunany Point. A good few Swallows and Sandwich Terns knocking about. A nice day for taking the camera out!

 

[MargaretM]

I only had 3 Little Terns at Kilcoole today...I wonder which colony will be favoured this year. There was certainly a drop off in numbers last year, but most likely due to relocation to the Baltray colony...

Still though, better not to have all ones eggs in the same basket!

See Ya,
Niall

It's good to hear what's happening elsewhere Niall. Will keep posting re the Little Terns.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Big clear out at Lurgangreen this evening. Most of the Godwits and Knot have disappeared but about 200 Dunlin keeping things interesting. The lone Ruff is still there with 12 or so Whimbrel as well as the 3 late Greylag Geese on the marsh. Just as I was leaving an Arctic Tern arrived to join the handful of Black headed Gulls present. About 30 Brent still there too.


My list

139 Arctic Tern


County List

156 Arctic Tern

 

[Peter Phillips]

I went out this morning to Ardee Bog/Corstown Lough on the Louth/ Meath border. There are 8 Curlew hanging around. I had a couple early last summer here as well. I dont think they are still breeding in the county but they will be worth keeping an eye on. There are good numbers of Lesser Redpoll and Linnet in the bogs here. The Willow Warblers are getting harder to photograph as the willows are coming into leaf. The female Willow warblers have arrived, some of the males have paired up and were displaying to their new mates. The few weeks of defending their territories have finally paid off.There were about 6 Sedge Warblers singing away but they were very elusive. I only managed to see one. Even better were 2-3 reeling Grasshopper Warblers. No sign yet of the Kingfisher that was breeding here last year (Corstown Lough).

my list

140 Grasshopper Warbler

 

[breffni]

Whitethroat (127) singing in my lane this morning. Huge flock of brent flying north yesterday evening. Whimbrel and white wags at templetown beach. Haven't posted any photos for a while - here's a few recent shots...

 

[Gerry o Neill]

Got whitethroat and swift today 139.

 

[ardnasx1]

Sean Smith found a nest on the shingle at Baltray yesterday evening with 3 eggs in it. We'd have to assume that these must be Ringed Plover eggs. The nest appeared to be abandoned as the eggs were partially covered with sand.

We've set up a blog on the Louth Nature Trust website where the progress of the Little Tern Project can be followed:
http://louthnaturetrust.org/little_tern_2008_blog.
Anyone can add to this, all welcome! We'll still post regularly here too.

Also on the website we've added a list on the left hand side which shows anything new on the website, so that people can see easily if anything new has been added since they last checked.

 

[breffni]

Cinnabar moth flying in my garden today! Holly blues, smalltortoise shell and large whites (probably green-veined) regular now -haven't seen a red admiral yet - winds wrong probably?

 

[breffni]

Got whitethroat and swift today 139.

Neck and neck with Peter but where is Enda and others? Either way looks like a record breaking year at that rate!

 

[Enda]

Neck and neck with Peter but where is Enda and others? Either way looks like a record breaking year at that rate!

arctic tern & common tern at rockmarshal today make it 145
cuckoo still present in the jenkinstown area till yesterday calling distantly it appears to have moved down towards lower jenkinstown
kestrel pic attached

 

[breffni]

Cuckoo, gropper, swift, and arctic tern (131).

 

[Pluvius]

Surprisingly a Little Tern at RSPB Belfast Harbour today. One of yours per chance?

 

[ardnasx1]

Surprisingly a Little Tern at RSPB Belfast Harbour today. One of yours per chance?

Certainly could be Pluvius, they are still very mobile at the moment with no real signs of them settling yet. Last year from comparing notes with Kilcoole it seemed that some days a large part of the little tern group would travel between Baltray and Kilcoole, sometimes even twice a day, so I'm sure some of them make an odd trip northwards too.

 

[Enda]

spotted flycatcher from "the garden" at clogherhead today & washed up porpoise on cruisetown strand yesterday that a great black backed was dining on

 

[breffni]

I had a washed up juvenile dolphin sp at Balaggan yesterday as well. The spotted flycatcher had moved on in the afternoon - three willow warblers and a whitethroat the best at the garden. Walked Red Bog from the Dromiskin side later - amazing area enclosed by the railway and the M1. Sedge warbler (132).

 

[Gerry o Neill]

wheatear pic

Wheatear and Spot Fly 141.Last photo is bad pic of the garganey at Lurgangreen bird above and right of b h gull.