County Monaghan (1 Viewer)

[Monahawk]

My first swallow of the year at Killymarley this pm.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

Willow Warbler singing away in one of the bogs on my patch this morning.

Si

 

[Monahawk]

Cuckoo calling and female hen harrier in display flight at Slieve Beagh this morning. Magic.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

4 swifts over Monaghan town centre at lunchtime. Earlier than usual by about a week!

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

A pleasant suprise visit in the shape of a whitethroat in the garden at lunchtime. A new garden tick. Plenty of hirundines passing through now the weather has warmed up.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

A good fall of grasshopper warblers has occured over the last few days in parts of the county including one 'reeling' away in a bog on my local patch and in my CBS location.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

It was nice of the weather to stay kind for the Dawn Chorus meetings in the county yesterday. However the public turn outs this year were poor in comparison to recent years. Only 4 turned out for the meeting at Rossmore Park led by myself and John Mckenna [ 25 last year ]. The meeting at the Ballybay Wetlands Centre faired slightly better but again not a good turnout despite much advertising of the events in the local paper, church bulletins and the local radio.
Saw 2 Spotted Flycatchers on my patch this afternoon. Good to see this declining species is back.

Si.

 

[Sancho]

It was nice of the weather to stay kind for the Dawn Chorus meetings in the county yesterday. However the public turn outs this year were poor in comparison to recent years. ..
Si.

It´s total hit-and-miss, Si. Last year I led one at Killruddery, and 27 people turned up, in howling winds and squalling rain. We had a great morning. This year I led two, one a fortnight ago on a beautiful spring morning, moon almost full, and four people turned up. On Saturday last, I did another, and 34 turned up. A lot of it has to do with word-of-mouth, other events on the day, etc.

 

[Monahawk]

You're probably right Sancho. At Rossmore Park later in the day there was a big sponsored 10km run/walk event which is always popular [ not by me though ]. We in the local Birdwatch Ireland group may just change venues for next years chorus romp.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

Plenty of cuckoos about in the Knockatallon and Slieve Beagh yesterday. These remain the last county strongholds of this bird. I observed a female possibly depositing an egg in a meadow pipits nest. As it flew up from the cover of some heather it was vigourously pursued by a pipit. Also several reeling groppers and drumming snipe on Slieve Beagh. Sadly the hen harriers did not show.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

Plenty of chiffchaffs and willow warblers visiting my garden in the last few days. Many are probably juveniles. Some are very obliging coming up to the window sills and doorsteps. Some are quite pushy, chacing off finches, tits and swallows that rest on the ESB wires above the garden. Also getting a few blackcaps and spotted flycatchers. They are all gathering and feeding up ready for migration no doubt.

Si.

 

[breffni]

At the nuremore hotel at the weekend the trees and hedgerows were hopping with warblers including many blackcaps - i thought i had a garden warbler there last year...

 

[Monahawk]

A brambling flew over near my house this morning while I was out walking the dog. Only the second sighting of one of these birds on my patch.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

9 waxwings near Mindszenty Park, Oram Road, Castleblayney this afternoon. The birds were in a row of Poplar type trees behind a block of flats. Best viewed from the lane leading to a trading estate [near a tile shop].

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

2 snipe in the garden at midday. Birds like these must be really suffering in this freezing weather. The ground is concrete hard and the temperature has not got above -10C at day time.

Si.

 

[Monahawk]

Possibly the first official sighting of a red kite in the county today. One bird flew fairly low over the N2 by-pass near Castleblayney around lunchtime. Did not observe any wing tags as I was driving at the time.

Si.

 

[Peter Phillips]

I forgot to post this, but I had 2 waxwings, 1 first winter male Scaup with 120 Tufted Duck and a Greylag Goose with a few Whoper Swans at Monalty Lough near Carrickmacross last thursday 30th December. Most of the lakes were still frozen over so no duck on most of them. I am not sure how frequent (wild) Greylag Goose is this far inand.

 

[Monahawk]

Hi Peter. Greylags are not frequent on the lakes in this county but small flocks can often be seen flying over from time to time. 2 flew over my house last Tuesday. I generally see them during autumn and spring migration time or when the weather is severe.

Si.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Shelduck

I had a male and female Shelduck fly over the Derry Road at carrickmacross this afternoon. Flying inland.

 

[Peter Phillips]

Castleblaney

While out doing some atlas work I had 8 reeling Grasshopper Warblers and a couple of Water Rail around Castleblaney today also 2 Sedge Warbler 4 Blackcap and about 500 Swallows/martins over the lake as well as good numbers of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff. Its good to see so much good wetland habitiat still in good order but infilling and drainage is still continuing in some areas.
At Lough Nagarnaman ( south east of Lough Egish) I had 40 Tufted Duck and a late female Scaup and 2 Tree Sparrow here as well. No Yellowhammers yet.

Peter