South Dublin Branch Archive

Bull Island ... 10 December 2006 The wind blew at gale force as we arrived at the Bull Island causeway and getting out of the cars required steely determination. Fortunately the rain stayed away and the bushes around the outflow of the Raheny stream provided shelter from the elements. Niall Hatch was on hand with expert commentary and analysis, and we had a few hours of enjoyable birdwatching in very good light. An outing for the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club coincided with ours, with some overlap, as a number of birders belong to both organisations. A Peregrine showed well on a post opposite our vantage point and it somehow managed to come and go without scaring the wits out of the waders and ducks. Several interesting species were picking around the stream right in front of us, including a Carrion Crow, a Little Egret, a Greenshank, and a Grey Plover. They provided excellent views. The action of the wind on the plumage of the Carrion Crow was particularly interesting, as the bird showed a lot more white in its feathers than would have been expected. Apart from these birds, the activities of a rather bolshie Moorhen raised a few laughs as it put the run on two Hooded Crows encroaching on its territory. Further afield there were good flocks of Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck and Brent Geese working the mudflats. Pintail were not as plentiful as usual and tended to hide their beautiful heads as they roosted among the other ducks. Some Brent moved overhead and there was a fine flock of Golden Plover painting shapes in the sky down towards the Sutton end of the lagoon. Linnets were quite active but there was no sign of the Kingfisher usually seen close to the stream. Among the Gulls the Black-headed were dominant, with small numbers of Common, Herring and Greater Black-backed waiting for the tide to fill. On the city side of the causeway there was a good show of Shoveler and Teal, but no sign of the Blue-winged Teal seen in the vicinity in recent days. Overall the weather turned out to be less ferocious than forecast and the visit to Bull Island was worthwhile. Afterwards some brave souls managed to locate the Lesser Scaup at Knock Lake. Frank Doyle The RSPB Reserve at Belfast Lough and Oxford Island Reserve ... 12 November 2006 Dick Coombes provided, as ever, expert leadership for the November trip to the North, and the branch members and friends who filled the coach had a very pleasant and rewarding day. As we passed along to the various pick-up points, we learned that Tony had already seen a Woodcock and several Redwings at Liberty Hall. Unfortunately these were deceased avifauna, the Woodcock probably a prey item for the Peregrine falcon wintering on the roof of the mini skyscraper, and the Redwings likely to have succumbed to impact with the large windows. However, our journey up the motorway through Meath and Louth provided excellent sightings of live Buzzards both in flight and perched, and a Kestrel or two on duty over the verges. In due course we parked on the quayside at Dundalk, where the tide was obligingly clear of the mudflats. The light was very good and flocks of Bar-tailed Godwit and Golden Plover, with some Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Teal, Mallard and a Grey Plover, were within easy viewing distance. Eagle-eyed Pat spotted an American tourist among the smaller ducks, providing the group with a great opportunity to see a Green-Winged Teal at close range. When we arrived at the RSPB Reserve, a scouting party occupied one of the smaller hides. Meanwhile the rest of the group was welcomed by the duty warden to the main hide with its fine viewing facilities, heating, and telescopes on tap. Apart from the strong flocks of Greylag Geese, Widgeon, Lapwing and Godwit of both varieties, a few special visitors required closer scrutiny. Noel identified a dainty Ruff within a metre of the hide, but the White-Rumped Sandpiper and the Little Stint proved more of a challenge because of their frenetic activity. With the help of our own members and lots of generous advice from local birders, everybody had plenty of time to focus on the rarities. A few Snipe were noticed but distinguishing them in their superb camouflage proved quite a test. Overall, there was a significant variation in the range of species seen on this early winter trip to the Reserve, compared to our usual spring visit. The Reed Buntings, the Linnets, the Goosander, the Water Rail, and the rarer Gulls were notable absences. With a weather eye on the fading light we headed on for Lough Neagh. On the way out of Belfast a series of major road works forced us into a detour which gave many on the coach their first good look at West Belfast. At Oxford Island, those who trudged to the hide at the Kinnigoe end had Ruddy Duck, Goldeneye, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little and Great-Crested Grebes, and the special bonus of a Kingfisher and some Long-Tailed Tits. The less intrepid birders headed for apple tart and tea at the visitors' centre, but still managed to spot a Scaup among the Tufties. There was no sign of Whooper Swans but our overall tally for the day was very respectable. The light was now quite poor so we headed south on the almost continuous stretch of motorway after a satisfying day's birding, courtesy of our friends up North. - Frank Doyle And another take on the trip from Aileen Prole Bird trip to RSPB Reserve, Belfast Docks. Sunday, 12th November,2006 The day dawned bright and dry with little wind which augured well for the trip. The coach left Dun Laoghaire at 8.30 am and as everyone was waiting at their pick-up point we made good time and arrived at the Fairways Hotel just after 10. As we waited to mount the bus again a group of birds were spotted on the wire in the car park, not altogether but spread out along. A linnet, a stonechat, a bullfinch, a meadow pipit a chaffinch and a reed bunting all sharing the same perch so that started the list nicely! Then up the road to Dundalk Docks where the tide was very low and mudbanks available for waders. Flocks of lapwing stood with a few golden plover in amongst them. On careful looking a solitary grey plover was spotted on one bank and then another on the far side. A small flock of duck swam idly around and Pat Twomey thought there was a green winged teal in the middle of them. Much excitement and we all hurried down to that end of the docks. This was a very obliging green winged teal as it dabbled away oblivious to all of us and gave us great views of its vertical white stripe as it swam this way and that. This bird is a N.American bird and does turn up regularly but is not always easy to see. A grey wagtail was busy on the roof of the nearby building, wonderful camouflage in the moss on the tiles but if one watched for movement then it was easy to pick out. At various points on the way to Belfast Docks 4 buzzards were seen circling up high. The Reserve has three hides, one of which is centrally heated and with one-way glass in the big windows. (Some of us stayed most of the time in it and very comfortable it was too!) The tide was low here too so more waders to view. A flock of black-tailed godwits landed directly in front of the large viewing window. On looking closely there was a ruff in the middle of them all. His bright orange legs made him easy to identify among the godwits. Dominic Couzens in his book 'Birds by behaviour' describes the ruff as "weird, small-headed, lumpy wader of variable size (from Redshank [males] to Dunlin [females] ) seemingly designed by committee." Over on the grass were Greylag geese and with careful looking and helpful advice from the more expert among us we picked out two pink footed geese feeding away. They breed in Iceland and are smaller and more compact that the Greylag and have a dark head with a pale grey-suffused body. The bill is black with a pink band. Out on the mud behind a large flock of gulls were some small waders. One was identified as a Little Stint whose tiny size makes him easily apparent even at a distance. The autumn Little Stints are usually juveniles and can be further identified apart from very small size by the white 'V' that is formed by pale edgings to edge of mantle. It was hard enough to get to grips with this ID when into view came another small wader. This one had an elongated body due to its wings which extended a good bit beyond the tertials. This was a white rumped sandpiper, a juvenile from N. America that had probably got blown off course on its way down from its breeding grounds in the Arctic circle. The day finished at Oxford Island where ruddy duck were seen as well as several other species and whooper swans. Altogether 77 species were on our list (not mine I hasten to add!) with 3 more species heard. This trip is usually done in March when there is another 1 ½ hours daylight but some of the rarities we saw are only seen in Autumn so it was worth doing at this time of the year. Thanks to Dick Coombes who led us and also to the other knowledgeable birders who shared their tips with us. Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow ... 10 September 2006 Grey Heron & Lapwing - Cillian Brosnan (age 8) Sea Birds - Cillian Brosnan: KM must look to his crown! South Dublin Branch’s first outing of the 06/07 season was to Kilcoole in Co. Wicklow where, as we walk south beside the railway line we have the sea on one side and the BirdWatch reserve, fields, trees and hedgerows, many ponds and streams on the other thus promising a diverse range of species. And we weren’t disappointed. Cool southerly winds blew into our faces as we crossed the railway line but swallows flew defiantly into the wind many probably on early stages of migration feeding on the bountiful supply of insects always to be found near pasture land and water. On closer observation through telescopes a distant flock of birds wheeling through the air like a swarm of bees were seen to be a large flock of Lapwings. Over the sea various groups of gulls flew south including large numbers of adult and juvenile Lesser Black Backed Gulls. Those of us doing IWeBS counts on Sandymount Strand the previous day had seen hundreds of this species grouped on the beach. A few of these birds breed in Ireland every year but the majority would be birds on their Autumm passage from their nesting areas in Scotland and Northern Europe. Someone spotted a Wheatear on the beach and we were to see a few more of these birds along the way. Wheatears are one of the first summer migrants to arrive, often appearing on coasts and beaches in early March. There’s always a supply of insects around the tide’s edge amongst the seaweed and the Wheatear will feed up on these insects before moving inland on to mountains and uplands where it will secure a nesting territory and wait for a female to arrive. Migrants that arrive early in the year are often late leaving and the Wheatear is a prime example returning to the coastline to feed up before setting off south on their migration passage back to Africa. A distant Egret generated some excitement when observed through a ‘scope it became the subject of speculation that it might be a Great White Egret, much rarer then the increasingly common Little Egret. It looked taller then the other egrets present and no yellow feet were visible on this bird but it was still too far away to be sure. Later it turned out it was in fact a Little Egret but it had got the birding adrenalin going. Meadow Pipits and Stonechats flitted low through the base of the reeds on the reserve. A distant croak identified a Raven flying along the tree line before perching in one its vast dark bulk visible among the branches. A small mixed group of waders flew along the shore’s edge in front of advancing dog walkers. In the group were Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover and they required some concentration as they blended in and out of the pebbles on the beach. Two big flocks of birds feeding on the weeds on the other side of the track were a big flock of Goldfinches and a flock of Linnets. We’d already met Oscar Merne at the beginning of our outing and we met him again on his return. He’d been up as far as the railway bridge and up ahead of us he’d seen a Little Stint, a wader nearly always seen in Ireland as an autumn passage migrant and one of the few waders smaller then a Dunlin. He’d also seen two Ring billed Gulls and was excited and intrigued by the fact that one of them was almost definitely a juvenile bird born this year. That would mean that one of these birds, usually migrants from the US, would have given birth on this side of the Atlantic and mean there was a new breeding bird in Europe! When we reached the ‘breeches’ a scan of the ponds by some of our gull experts revealed these two gulls paddling around near the further bank. A Common Sandpiper, the only wader that migrates to Ireland to breed, moved round the water’s edge before taking flight. The fresh southerly wind was proving a bit too fresh and our numbers had dwindled by the time we reached the bridge. From the other side of the bridge we looked inland at the stretch of water where a pair of Mute Swans circled the water and further back on the water we identified a small raft of Shovelers, a bird with what must be the most distinctive profiles of any duck’s with that long bill resembling the digging implement they’re named after. The wind wasn’t getting any lighter and turning around to head back when someone announced they were looking at a perched Kingfisher! Yes there it was, though quite a distance away on a dull overcast day that brilliant blue plumage shone out from the bramble bush where it perched. Apart from the occasional quick flight followed by a dive into the water to feed, the kingfisher stayed on this perch giving everyone ample time to have a look at it through the ‘scopes. We didn’t see the Little Stint but nobody minded after seeing the Kingfisher, what a highlight and a great way to end our first outing of the season. - Michael Ryan from FlightLines, the monthly newsletter of the South Dublin Branch. Ireland's Eye ... 8 July 2006 Puffins .. lots of them Gannets at the Stacks Oscar Merne Our annual outing to Ireland's Eye was a departure from previous outings in that we required anyone coming to book in advance and we kept the numbers down to thirty which is the capacity for a boatload. These measures were taken to ensure there wouldn't be too many people walking around uncontrolled where there is a potential for danger on the high cliffs or possible danger to the chicks of ground nesting birds by accidently misplaced feet. Our select band were joined in the boat by a group of 'ringers' including BirdWatch's Dr Stephen Newton and seabird expert Oscar Merne who were going out to the 'Eye to weigh, measure and then place rings on young Cormorants and Greater Black Backed Gulls. Later on we met this group near the 'stack and one of the group had blood streaming from his head after a Greater Black Backed Gull reckoned he was getting too close to it's chick. From our first viewing point we gazed down at a cliff face where a teeming metropolis of hundreds of Gullemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Cormorants and Fulmars sat on nests or stood on tiny ledges. What a wonderful sight and only a few miles from the city centre. Then we noticed that all time favourite, a Puffin, swimming below us. Then a few more on the water. Then six perched on the lower rocks! There were loads of them, at least thirty, the biggest number we'd ever had on Ireland's Eye. What a day and we hadn't even got to the Gannets! - Michael Ryan The Shannon Callows ... 11 June 2006 At Ashton's Callows At Banagher Callows At Clonmacnoise Callows South Dublin Branch events during the summer included our annual coach trip to the Shannon in June and our boat outing to Ireland's Eye in July. Despite the cool wind blowing the coach trip was very successful with a good turn out for the trip. Sadly no Corncrakes were heard. They don't sing during the day when a strong wind is blowing since their territorial call would be wasted fighting against the sound of the wind. That terrible wet spring which had most of the month of May cold and wet didn't help either with nests being submerged and lost and birds deserting their traditional breeding territories. Nevertheless the Branch had a good day beginning after a breakfast stop with our first birding destination at Ashton's Callows where we walked down a heavily wooded track serenaded by Blackcaps and Willow Warblers before entering the open area where Meadow Pipits rose, sang and 'parachuted' back to the ground all around us. Reed Buntings made brief appearances on the bushes lining the path before we reached the hide. For many though the real highlight of the walk to the hide was the beautiful array of orchids and the insect life inhabiting the flora including a very exotic bright green spider. Earlier in the day local wardens had told us otter and a Kingfisher had been seen from the hide but a group our size wasn't too likely to see these elusive creatures. Nevertheless a breeding colony of Sand Martins were flitting low over the fabulous wildflower heads sweeping up flying insects. A Black-tailed Godwit wandered through the vegetation his breeding plumage providing wonderful camouflage so effective that some of our group spent ages looking through the 'scope without being able to discern the bird from the vegetation. Our next stop was Banagher where we lunched beside the Shannon before going down to the meadows where we were given a guided tour by the Corncrake warden who told us of the trials and tribulations involved in trying to help the Corncrake, this once numerous bird, who is just holding on in Ireland as a breeding species only thanks to the work of BirdWatch Ireland wardens who manage the land in cooperation with local farmers and what an uphill struggle it is. Final stop was lovely Clonmacnoise where we got great views of Whinchat, Kestrel, Skylarks while a Cuckoo issued his evocative call from a nearby hill. - Michael Ryan Map of Ashton's Callows - 50KB PDF Belfast & Oxford Island ... 12th March 2006 - on the trail of exotic ducks in N. Ireland .. The day began with high drama when two of the expedition missed the bus in the city centre. Not to be outdone, with the aid of cell phones and trains they outwitted the bus and made it to Belfast Lough before us. In the meanwhile we stopped off at Dundalk Harbour where we had good views of a male Merganser. It was a very full tide and Dundalk was quieter than usual: clouds of Golden Plover with some Lapwing moved back and forth to the north. Several Greenshank, with their heads tucked in, slept on a mud spit. Wood Duck at Belfast Harbour .. Photo: John Fox At Belfast Harbour we were initially disappointed by the lack of waders and northern gulls; again it was near high tide, but all was forgiven when the Wood Duck and its coterie of Mallard emerged from the reed beds. Looking more like a bird from SE Asia than a North American forest dweller, this must be one of the most spectacular ducks. Initially it swam in and out of the reeds, never showing for more than a minute or two, but afterwards crossed over some dry land to swim just in front of the hide. Playing second fiddle at Belfast were Grey Heron, Shoveller, Teal, Widgeon, Shelduck, Brent, Lapwing, numerous Great Black-backed, Reed Bunting and a large flock of Linnets. Full credit to the RSPB and the very helpful warden at the top of the range Belfast hide. Onward to Oxford Island – the quick-witted picked out several Buzzard along the way either perched in trees or feeding in the bleak fields. From the hide nearest the entrance large numbers of Great-crested Grebe were displaying, Goldeneye were plentiful, smaller numbers of Pochard and numerous Tufted Duck drifted near the reed beds. At least three Ruddy Duck were seen though they show a preference for the reeds. The fields to the east held only Mute Swans but a flock of 300 Whooper was reported in the area. To the final stop of the day at Craigavon for the Balancing Lakes and a quick march from the southern lake, over the railway line led to the north pond. The stunning male Smew was located first, drifting west along the far edge of the lake. Niall Hatch picked out a female Ring-necked Duck with possible traits of hybridisation and further on a male Ferruginous Duck. As the light waned the Ferruginous took flight showing just how distinctive it is. It’s not often that the words exotic and Northern Ireland are used together and for this trip they warrant it. The only one to escape was a reported Green-winged Teal at Belfast. Best “Bird of the Trip” was awarded to the Wood Duck with the Smew a close second. The day list came to 67 species. - Brian Gormley - Photographs: John Fox Bull Island ... 15th January 2006 I have always had a theory that Bull Island is one of the best places there is to go birding. This is not just because of its close proximity to Dublin City Centre and the fact that the birds are quite accustomed to people, but also because one can count on there being good birds to see there, no matter what the weather is like. We certainly put this theory to the test on the South Dublin Branch outing on the morning of 15th January – the weather couldn’t have been worse, with driving sleet and rain and a fierce wind making conditions about as unpleasant as I have ever experienced on a birdwatching outing before. Despite this, around 20 brave people still turned up, including many new faces; I certainly hope that these people weren’t turned off birding for life. We decided to press on regardless, and things actually turned out pretty good bird-wise. No sooner had we plucked up the courage to step out of our cars than a Carrion Crow zipped past us, accompanied by a small group of more familiar Hoodies. A handsome Little Egret, now a bird one expects to see on a winter visit to the Bull, and a pair of Greenshanks were also quickly spotted in close to the base of the causeway. They were soon joined by small groups of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits, and it quickly became apparent that one advantage of the poor weather conditions was that many of the waders present were being forced closer than normal to the side of the road. This allowed us to get better views than usual, though it was hard to feel too grateful to the elements for this small mercy. Pushing on a few yards down the causeway, it was a real treat to see a large group of Brent Geese grazing atop the small grassy hillocks about halfway along the road, seemingly oblivious to the group of bedraggled humans just a few feet away. Curlews, Dunlin and Oystercatchers also ventured obligingly close, and a few Black-headed and Common Gulls also put on a somewhat muted show for us. There were a couple of Lapwing on hand too, crests blowing about comically in the wind, but it was difficult to get decent views of them. The winds and rain had unfortunately driven most of the ducks to the Clontarf end of the island, thanks to the appalling visibility well out of range of our scopes, but we were thrilled to see that a large group of Pintail at least had gathered in the water right beside the road. We enjoyed perhaps the closest views of this beautiful duck that I have ever had. A few Common Teal could just about be picked out from the other side of the causeway, but viewing conditions were simply too bad to locate the very similar drake Green-winged Teal that has been mingling with them all winter. Another vagrant American teal, this time a Blue-winged, has been associating with the Shoveler at the Bull this winter too, but again the driving rain thwarted our efforts at finding him. By this stage it had become quite clear that the weather was not going to improve and that we had seen pretty much everything we were going to, so we decided to call it a day after only an hour or so. Still, despite everything we had seen some nice birds, got to know some new people, and I was delighted at least to find that my theory had held water . . . kind of like my boots. - Niall Hatch The Wexford Slobs ... 6th November 2005 Sunday turned out to be a fine day, with just a light breeze, clear sky and good visibility for our coach outing to the Wexford area. The first stop was at Ballycarnew and from the coach we had splendid views of a Peregrine Falcon standing on a ledge, and a second bird also flew in briefly. We then spent just over an hour looking out onto the sea at Curracloe, where there were large rafts of Common Scoters, a Great northern Diver and a Red-throated Diver. Then walking into Ravens Wood we had good views across the fields of a flock of Whooper Swans,Curlew and Oystercatchers, whilst White-fronted Geese flew overhead as did a Kestrel and a flock of Redpolls. A fine looking Grey Wagtail was in a pool close-by. Arriving at the N. Slobs in time for a picnic lunch we put in a couple of hours visiting the various hides. Sadly there were not many geese to be seen, perhaps our visit was a week or so too soon, but quite a few species of duck were seen including a Ring-necked Duck which is a rare vagrant from N.America.There were good views of a Little Egret very close to us, and this would have been an exciting rarity some years ago - now we assume at least one will be seen !! Quite a few Ruff appeared in various guises, and numerous other waders. The Tree Sparrows were present but there were a few notable exceptions on this trip such as no Reed Buntings, Collared Doves or Greenshank seen. At the end of the day we made a dash for Lady's Island and were rewarded with the sighting of a Ruddy Duck and a hare. This was another enjoyable outing with a very sociable group, and a total of 80 species recorded. - Ruth Mann Bird List for the Wexford Trip 6.11.2005 Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver. Slavonian Grebe, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe. Cormorant, Shag. Grey Heron, Little Egret. Mute Swan, Whooper Swan. Brent Goose, White-fronted Goose. Common Scoter, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck. Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine. Pheasant. Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Snipe, Ruff. Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull,Lesser-Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull. Guillemot. Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon. Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail. Wren, Robin, Stonechat, Song-thrush, Mistle-thrush, Redwing, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Great tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Treecreeper (heard), Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Hooded Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Redpoll, Goldfinch, Greenfinch. Total of 80 species. Sites visited: Ballycarnew, Curracloe and Raven's Wood, North Slobs and Lady's Island. 25 bird watchers present. Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow ... 11th September 2005 Kilcoole in north Co. Wicklow has been a staple venue for South Dublin Branch outings for many years. Given the diversity of marshland, farmland and water birds that occur their, its strong attraction to migrant waders and wildfowl and, most important when planning an outing for a large group, the ease of access and parking, this is not surprising. It has a proven record of acting as a magnet for rarities, and always offers great views of the more common species, whatever the time of year. In short, it is very hard to have a bad day’s birding at Kilcoole. It was not surprising therefore that this year’s traditional autumn visit was as well attended as always, our members evidently not put off by the breezy, overcast conditions. The first birds we encountered were in the car park itself, as dozens of Swallows and House Martins swarmed overhead, gathering in preparation for their long migrations to Africa. Wrens and Robins were skulking in the bushes here too, revealing their presence every so often with angry scolding ticks, obviously feeling a little put out by having such a crowd in their front garden. Moving on through the gate and on to the coastal path that runs adjacent to the BirdWatch Ireland reserve, small groups of auks, both Razorbills and Guillemots, were soon spotted on the choppy sea, with a few of the ever-present Cormorants also on hand to pose for out telescopes. A couple of very distant Gannets were also spotted plunge-diving for fish far out to sea; most likely they were birds that had bred on Ireland’s Eye and were now slowing making their way southwards. It really is a privilege to be able to visit a site where you can have farmland birds on one side of you and seabirds on the other. It was not possible to spot many birds in the reserve itself, save for the odd Mallard and Moorhen. This was not because there are no good birds there (on the contrary, it provided a summer home for groups of both Yellow Wagtail and Garganey this year), but rather because the vegetation has now grown so high that the birds can very easily remain hidden from view. This suits shy species such as Snipe and Water Rail particularly well, and makes it easier for broods of ducklings to be reared away from the prying eyes of predators, but of course means that birdwatchers do not have such an easy time of it. A few Stonechats and Meadow Pipits could be seen perching on the fenceposts, however, and there were also a few Wheatears and Reed Buntings flitting around. The difficulty posed to observers by the vegetation in the reserve mattered little to us however, as there were plenty of birds to be seen out in the open in the next field along, known to many birders as “Webb’s Field” after the local landowner. To begin with, careful scanning of the large group of Woodpigeons feeding at one end of the field revealed the presence of a couple of Stock Doves: not a rare bird in Ireland, but one that is not too frequently seen and that for some reason tends often to be forgotten about by Irish birdwatchers. We were able to get wonderful views of these birds through the telescopes, and for some of the group it was the first time they had ever encountered this charming farmland pigeon. Curlews and Lapwings were also feeding in the field and allowed nice views, as did the Shelduck and Grey Herons foraging along one of the nearby drainage channels. As we moved southwards the field became wetter and wetter, and soon we came upon the first of several mixed wader flocks feeding busily on the exposed mud. Dunlins made up the majority, as one might expect, with several Redshanks also to be seen. A passing birder came over to us and announced that he had just seen the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that had been reported earlier in the week but was now thought to have departed. This rare vagrant from North America would have made a wonderful addition to our day list, but alas on closer scrutiny the bird in question revealed itself instead to be a juvenile Ruff – still an excellent bird for us to see, and one that gave breathtaking views to all present. Ruffs only pass through Ireland in tiny numbers each year on migration, and rarely hang about for long, so this was a particularly fortuitous sighting. A couple of White Wagtails, the paler light grey-backed mainland European subspecies of our own familiar Pied Wagtail, were also showing off for us. Like the Ruff, they pass through in very small numbers each autumn and tend not to stay for very long. Moving further along, yet another species of passage migrant was found in the shape of a small group of Curlew Sandpipers, foraging with the slightly smaller and shorter-billed Dunlins. Two moulting Golden Plover and a couple of their smaller Ringed cousins also provided interest, and it was nice to see such an unusual mix of waders all together. As we watched, Michael Ryan remarked that one of the birds looked a little different to the others: slightly larger and longer-billed and with a more upright stance. I managed to get my scope on it just in time to see that it was in fact a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper – we had a rare North American vagrant for our day list after all! It posed briefly for us, obligingly standing head on so that the diagnostic breast pattern that gives the species its name could be seen, a series of very dense streaks that end abruptly in a sharp horizontal line just before the belly. It dashed suddenly out of view, just sticking its head out from time to time, finally running out into the open again to be admired by all . . . when a large female Sparrowhawk sped out low across the field and scared every single wader off. We were able to follow the ‘Pec’ for a while in the binoculars, but it soon disappeared from view, never to be seen again. As we walked back towards the car park, the sun suddenly shone out from behind the clouds, and what had started as a dull, cold and overcast day turned into one of the nicest of the entire year – a nice reward for everyone who had come along. - Niall Hatch Our branch outing to Kilcoole in September also had an unusual variation with a group of us spending an hour sitting in a sun drenched back garden in Killoughter after the official branch outing had concluded. What were we doing there? Waiting to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a very rare visitor to Ireland which had been frequenting the garden for the previous week. Did we see it? No actually, but nobody was particularly disappointed as the garden was a delight specially developed to attract wildlife with a large pond upon which a Moorhen swam and dragonflies darted. Swallows swooped over the glistening pond, and a Kestrel drifted past. Before we'd arrived a late Swift had been seen, as had a Buzzard. While we we sat on the wooden verandah a cricket and a splendid blue darter dragonfly landed feet away from us. The garden had been planted to attract wildlife by Angus Tyner a long-standing BirdWatch Ireland member and volunteer down at the Blackditch reserve and it was his awareness of a new bird call in his garden that drew his attention to the Woodpecker a week before. His willingness to allow birders to frequent his garden was gratefully appreciated by many. A group of people had came up from Cork the previous day and, luckily for them, had seen it. Waiting for a bird to appear is a frequent occurance for birders, but we rarely do it sitting on garden chairs in the sunlight. When Angus appeared with a tray of iced water for everyone it was more reminiscent of being on a very relaxing holiday. - Michael Ryan from Flightlines the monthly branch newsletter. An exciting possibility is that the juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker rather then being a migrant from Scandinavia might be a bird that bred in Ireland. When searching for food a Great Spotted Woodpecker usually alights on the trunk then works upwards and often from side to side. During the ascent it smart taps the bark, prising off fragments and frequently extracting food from crevices with the tip of its sticky tongue. Actions are jerky and the bird hops rather than climbs even when beneath a branch. It will work round to the further side of the trunk, often apparently to avoid observation. The Great Spotted has a varied diet changing with the seasons. During spring and summer it feeds largely on insects, especially ants and the larvae of wood-boring beetles. Holes may be chiselled up to four inches deep. But in autumn and winter the birds switch to a variety of fruits, seeds and nuts. Unwieldy nuts and pinecones are placed in clefts and hammered open with the bill. Particular trees are selected and the remains of food may be found scattered below these "anvil" trees. Some anvils have been used for years.