Recent Trips
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South Dublin Branch Recent Trips |
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Birding Poland, May 2007
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Saturday was miserable and Sunday was promised worse. Aileen was inundated with cancellations and timorous enquiries about the trip being cancelled. "Cancelled", I ask you, when was the last time a South Dublin trip was cancelled because of a forecast? The trip was led by Stephen McAvoy who had the good idea to start from Lady’s Island Lake and work back towards Dublin. Highlight from the bus travelling south were several Buzzards in Wicklow. At the Lake we had some beautiful adult Mediterranean Gulls on a spit and numerous Pochard on the water. The wind was bitter but it was dry and stayed more or less so for the rest of the day.
We drove north to the Slobs taking in some fields south of the village of Killinick where Kiaran Fahy had found six of this winter’s large influx of Cattle Egrets. Sure enough we found four of them or rather we found the cattle and there they were. At the slobs we had good close views of the Greenland white-fronted Geese from the tower hide. There was one Pink footed Goose and some had a Black Brant. The Slobs had a good selection of duck Goldeneye, Tufted, Pochard, Merganser and also some Whooper Swans. It is a rather tame location now that it is no longer possible to drive out on the Slobs and get in the thick of it. We by-passed Curracloe because the wind had been strong all day, day light was running out and the chances of seeing divers and scoters at sea was minimal. We did have some distant Red throated Diver, Common Scoter and Gannet further north at Cahore Marsh which was a new and excellent stop. The highlight here was a pair of Gadwall on the marsh and, most surprising of all, everyone’s first Swallow of the year. All in all we had a very respectable 81 species on the day. We forgot to do the "Bird of the Day" vote on the bus but I guess the Cattle Egrets would have won out, certainly for me having missed the one at Newcastle several months back, but really that optimistic or foolhardy Swallow should be up there. - B.G.
It was very nice to see a very practical conservation measure working right before our eyes. On the way down to the Rogerstown Hide a field had been sown with Linseed specifically to provide food for birds. And was it working? Huge mixed flocks of Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch milled around the field swooping down on to the seed heads before flying back up on the surrounding trees. And mixed among them were some gorgeous Yellowhammers and at least a dozen Brambling, a uncommon winter visiting finch. It certainly was working. We could probably have spent the whole branch outing there but the tide was coming in fast so we proceeded down to the hide. The outing had begun at Newbridge House where we had met for the benefit of those who weren't familiar with the whereabouts of the hide not the easiest place to find if you hadn't been before. A dull morning but dry and the wind, though cool, wasn't too strong. One of the first to arrive, Caroline, had already seen a Tree Sparrow. As the small group assembled a spectacular flying V of birds moved across the sky high above us. Not geese, waders of some sort, difficult to tell from here but some kind of wader, possibly Golden Plover. Anyhow we drove down towards the hide and parked near the allotments. We were hoping to see some of the aforementioned finches but it was a lovely male Bulfinch and a male Reed Bunting that gave us our first views. A car came along the road from the hide being driven by one of the Fingal Branch who had been down to open the hide. She told Aileen there had been a Short Eared Owl quartering the field next to the allotments earlier that morning which prompted a quick search but possibly its earlier hunting had been successful because it didn't put in another appearence for us. Nice to know it was there though. Anyhow we certainly weren't stuck for something to look at from the path as those big flocks of chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch interspersed with bramblings and yellowhammers swooped and swarmed. To our left a male pheasant dashed between two groups of trees. The tide would be coming in soon so we made our way down to the hide. Even before entering the hide we could see rows of birds at the tide's edge glowing in the sunshine. They were Golden Plover and yes that's what had been flying over us at Newbridge House. Up to our left atop a fencepost a Buzzard was perched, very unconcerned with the world, giving us very good views. From the hide a vast array of waders and wildfowl stretched out in front of us. Apart from the golden plover there were dunlin, knot, godwit, curlew and redshank while a solitary snipe stood just beyond the cover of the grasses. Fingal Branch have a volunteer manning the hide every weekend during the winter (often our own branch secretary Aileen Prole goes all the way out to warden the hide) and we were given up to date information on what was present and what was there earlier in the day that we'd missed (a Spotted Redshank). Little Grebe swam in front of us and as the tide swallowed up the mud pairs of Shoveler drifted down the estuary. Brent geese fed in the fields beyond the estuary but it was our own Aileen that spotted the Greylag geese that had joined them. - Michael Ryan
It was a brisk clear morning for the visit to Broad Lough. Walking up the coast alongside the railway line we had several Red throated Divers offshore in fairly choppy seas. A Kestrel hunted over the industrial zone. A little flock of Greenfinches flew ahead of us occasionally landing to pluck seed from the pathside. Although the air was cold there were still insects in flight as evidenced by male and female Stonechats that flew up from the top of gorse bushes to catch their aerial prey before returning to their perch. Meadow Pipits gave good views from where they perched on the wire beside the railway line. Crossing over the railway to the southern end of the lough there were good numbers of Black tailed Godwit and one or two Redshanks and Curlews. At the wide northern end the lake was dotted with Widgeon. The light by now was almost perfect, crisp and clear, ideal for getting a handle on the many waders feeding on the banks; Dunlin and Ringed Plover, iridescent Lapwing, Grey Plover and Golden Plover. From the fields beyond the trees we could hear a flock of Greylag Geese and soon enough they rose and the skein flew off north along the coast. Grey Herons and Little Egrets perched in the trees around the lough. A large flock of Brent Geese flew in, while a female Goldeneye close in front of the group gave superb views. It was an excellent morning, much more enjoyable than the meagre species list suggests. A few people continued up the coast to Newcastle to look for the Short eared Owls and the vagrant Cattle Egret. I dipped on the latter which was still around but there were good views of a Short-eared quartering the ground near the aircraft hanger. Up to three of them have been seen here this autumn; well worth a visit and check out the BirdWatch reserve south of the road while you're there. B.G.
The South Dublin annual trip to Belfast Lough was a month earlier than the previous year in the hope of getting some extra light and finding some passage migrants. It succeeded in both but with one or two disadvantages, of which more anon. First stop after morning coffee was at the docks in Dundalk. This is always a productive site and with plenty of mud exposed we had excellent views of several Curlew Sandpiper, at least three Ruff and a Common Sandpiper. Good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Knot, Redshank and Lapwing were present with one or two Grey and Golden Plover. With the skies greying we drove on to the RSPB reserve at Belfast Lough. Situated among tank farms and virtually in the shadow of the Harland & Wolff yards this is a most unlikely place to find a top-of-the-range reserve. Old hands on the trip were shocked to see the reserve almost dry; well it hadn't rained seriously for several months and there is no other water source for the reserve. This didn't seem too great a deterrent to the bird life though and again we had Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff. Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Lapwing, Shelduck and Widgeon were plentiful but we missed the northern gulls and the exotic duck of previous years. A Sparrowhawk perched quietly out on a far bank. Staying dry, it was a good opportunity to visit the other two hides on the site and to walk out to the south bank of the Lagan. From one of these hides a Water Rail was discovered showing well; it could just be called well for this secretive species. I think a few people got a tick on this one. Further east in the docklands we stopped to look at a large flock of Eider, unfortunately way over on the north shore. The telescope which could make these birds look interesting hasn't been developed, at least not in portable form yet. A Buzzard that circled overhead was the star; it didn't disturb the waders, gulls and some Brent Geese which must know it is harmless. There were a half dozen Sandwich Terns and a late Common/Arctic Tern in the channel. We drove back to the Oxford Island reserve on Lough Neagh but with their 5pm curfew we didn't have time to visit the hides. Disturbance from ski boats seemed to be on the increase though it still looked peaceful in the inlets where the hides are located. Large numbers of Pochard and a pair of Ruddy Duck were the highlights. Swallows were still skimming over the lawns at the Interpretative Centre. I think every one enjoyed the trip, certainly if the amount of chat on the bus is any yardstick to go by. Total species for the day came to 82. The early date had its pros and cons: no northern gulls, scarce duck and too early for many geese and swans. Against that we did have the passage migrants, the lingering summer visitors and some very mild weather – you can't have it everyway! B.G.
The Kilcoole Branch outing often bookends the summer with the branch having field trips there in April and again in September. It's a good spot for its mix of seabirds, passerines waders, wildfowl and raptors at any time of the year but it's a very good spot for migrants arriving in Spring and migrants about to depart in Autumn with it's mixture of water, mud and farmland. It's rare we leave the car park without seeing something and this time it was a reed bunting perched, yes, on a reed. A brief stop at the small bridge beside the car park gave fleeting glances of a sedge warbler flitting from on bank to the other of the little stream evidently finding plenty of insects to feed on around the mud.
A lovely male Stonechat gave good views as we looked inland. All the time Swallows and Sand Martins flew over the water and the fields but flying north not heading south as one would imagine. Why? Were they waiting to feed up on flying insects to build up their bodyfat before heading across the sea or were they waiting for a northerly wind to help them on the way? Lots of Lapwings in the field, Teal and Shoveller in the channels, a solitary Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Mute Swans flying as if in slow motion with powerful wingbeats. Among the ever present Wood Pigeons was spotted a Stock Dove similar in appearance to the Wood Pigeon but smaller without any white wing flash and a increasingly uncommon bird of farmland.
As we reached the larger bodies of inland water more ringed plover were sighted. Small flocks of excited swallows darted under the bridge while Godwit and Dunlin fed on the edges of the gravel banks. On the other side of the bridge a scan of the brambles revealed the russet coloured breast of a perched Kingfisher. It dived into the water then perched on a lower branch, this time side on displaying its glorious blue plumage. A lovely bird to see as the outing drew to its end. - Michael Ryan
With the April heat wave holding up and it being one of the few days when there wasn't actually a bitter wind blowing in from the sea at Kilcoole, Sunday the 16th made for a very pleasant Branch outing, the only problem being heat haze when viewing through the 'scopes and the very real possibility of getting sunburnt. There were swallows winging in over the car park and someone had heard the pig like grunting of a Water Rail in the reeds before we even crossed over the railway lines. Guillemots and a single Black Guillemot floated and dived on the unseasonably calm water. On the inland side of the railway we scanned the fences, always a good place to see birds perched and sure enough there was first a Meadow Pipit then a Stonechat and then we saw a Wheatear further down on the top wire. A wren perched on some brambles and fired off a burst of staccato song. Hard to drag ourselves away when so much was happening but we moved down and started checking out th-e fields on the far side of the railway line. Getting binoculars and 'scopes trained on one of the fields revealed the little brown mounds were in fact numerous Golden Plover, some in glorious breeding plumage, sitting down or pacing a few steps before stopping, head tited, to look and listen for worms under the soil. A flock of Brent geese grazed in the foreground and a sharp sighted observer noticed one of them was actually of the dark bellied race as opposed to our light bellied race, the dark bellied race being the birds that winter in the UK. Further south we saw our first Sandwich Terns of the day (and first of the year for many of us) down beside the channel. A Common Sandpiper was seen, the only wader that migrates to Ireland to breed. Meadow Pipits flew upwards before descending in typical parachute flight while Skylarks gradually ascended into the blue almost cloudless sky every foot diey climbed accompanied by a wonderful outpouring of song. It's a lovely time of the year when you get the excitement of all the newly arrived summer migrants with long ardous journeys behind them while we still have geese , ducks and waders changing into their splendid breeding plumage, feeding up before their biological clock tells them it's time to get into the air and head north. Little Egret, Grey Heron, Shoveler and Teal, Black and Bar Tailed Godwit, Mute Swan, Linnet, Goldfinch all to be seen before us in the fields and waterways while out to sea Gannets plunged into the almost motionless water. And all on a hot day in Kilcoole. But for some of us who stayed till the end the best sight of the day was yet to come. They gradually appeared then got closer, Manx Shearwater, dozens of them, gliding over the surface wingtips almost touching the water. I've seen 'Manxies' dozens, if not hundreds, of times before but usually flying between heaving waves, never so close. These birds dived, plunging underwater for seconds, and some even landed and sat on the water giving unique views. What an end to a great day! - Michael Ryan from FlightLines, the monthly newsletter of the South Dublin Branch.
The weather forecast wasn't great and may have lowered the numbers, but twenty-two determined birders set off on the coach with plenty of space for everyone. As it turned out the day was dull and misty, but the birds obliged and a total of 85 species seen and heard was very satisfactory. Coming towards Gorey we had glimpses of good progress being made on the long-awaited bypass, and when we pulled in at the usual spot the Peregrines were in lively form above the nest site, while Long-tailed Tits moved through the thickets. A fine flock of Golden Plover passed over the fields near Ballycanew but Fieldfare and Redwing proved quite elusive on the day. Our second stop was at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, where Tree Sparrows were active on the feeders. The group spread out to the various hides and a variety of geese provided some excellent viewing. The Greenland White-fronted were there in many scattered flocks, while the Snow Goose showed its black wing tips in short flights and its dark morph form, the 'Blue Goose', was close by. Some Pink-footed Geese were spotted by the more acute observers. A large herd of Brent Geese moved close to the small hide and gave superb views, which enabled comparison between Pale-bellied, some Dark-bellied, and a Yankee visitor, the 'Black Brant'. The swans were more difficult to see, with some Whoopers and a Bewick or two noted in the distance, while a Spotted Redshank was quite distinctive in one of the pools in front of the main tower. Meanwhile, at the Pumphouse Hide, a handsome male Scaup was on show among the Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard, and, to mark the occasion, an early Sandmartin swooped overhead. We moved on then to the dunes at Curracloe where a good flock of Common Scoter was seen quite close to the shore line and a flock of Linnets bounced by. Other seabird regulars were scarce but an inquisitive Grey Seal took time to study us carefully. Afterwards we had a walk through the neighbouring Raven Reserve where the tree top antics of a Red Squirrel generated a discussion on the decline of these attractive creatures. The trail brought us by the eastern edge of the North Slob where there were views of the Irish Hare and some greyhounds taking more than a passing interest in that distinctive species. We then headed south to Lady's Island Lake where the water level has been lowered after recent flooding. Considerable numbers of Black-headed Gulls were roosting on the island shore, accompanied by representatives of the local Mediterranean Gull colony, and some Dunlin, Curlew, and Black-tailed Godwit. A Sparrowhawk rushed by and soon the fading light brought our visit to a close. The evening breeze was turning quite chilly as we boarded the bus and headed home through Enniscorthy after a very enjoyable outing to the pleasant, if not so sunny, South East. - Frank Doyle
The weather was kind to us and the gale force winds of the previous few days had dropped giving us a lovely sunny cloudless morning. There was still a breeze blowing but we were sheltered from the worst of it in the river valley where Knocksink Wood stretches over 150 acres. Once part of the Powerscourt Estate who used it to rear 'game' for hunting and shooting and producing timber from the dense woodland it is now a designated SAC (Special Area for Conservation) and it houses a environmental interpretive centre which attracts busloads of school outings. The Glencullen River flowing through the valley after rising near Johnny Fox's pub is one of the cleanest rivers in the country and supports large populations of invertebrates including Cadice fly and May fly. The larvae of these creatures are a valuable food source for the Dipper and luckily this was one of the first birds we were lucky to get a look at, if only initially a fleeting glance for some. But as we made our way up the path beside the river we kept getting sightings of it till almost everybody got a good look at it from a little bridge as it perched on a rock before feeding underwater. The next treat was three Bullfinches, two males and a female, feeding on the buds of a tree just across the river and they stayed long enough to give very rewarding views. As we tracked along the path we passed beside a steep slope where Beech trees grew precariously and it was under the Dipper trees where a plentiful fall of beech mast (the seed containers of the beech) attracted Chaffinches to feed. As is often the way when you stop to look at a bird you start to notice more and within seconds we were looking at Blue, Great and Coal Tits all around us. Most of us had never been up this path before and recently constructed bridges have made the path more accessible, even in winter, so we went on, fearlessly, into the unknown. And very pleasent it was though some of the slopes were steep and a little stream had to be traversed but it was worth it as we made our way down a gentle slope till we met the river again. Goldcrests, our smallest birds, called (often referred to as sounding like the noise of a sowing machine but that wouldn't mean anything to people below a certain age) but weren't visible. They spend a lot of time close to the bark on trees feeding on insects or their larvae hidden in the soft wood. At this stage we'd been walking for quite some time and the liklihood was we were heading in to the hinterlands of Wicklow so reluctantly we decidede to retrace our steps. As we made our way back beside the river a sudden alarm call from a Blue Tit sent all the little birds into the dense cover and preceded a glimpse of a raptor coasting along the top of the ridge. The pale underside denoted a probable female Sparrowhawk though some others in our group had seen a Kestrel and a possible Buzzard earlier. Not a great numbers of birds but a very pleasent walk and a lovely location. - Michael Ryan
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We crossed over the railway line and had our first look over the water. A couple of cormorants but not a lot else so far.
Birds can be difficult to identify on the sea especially there is any swell on the water but the cormorants have a very
unique action which distinguishes them from other birds seen on the sea's surface. When they begin to dive they propel
themselves upward out of the water then arching back down under the surface in the same way swimmers dive up and out
from a diving board. Further down the track looking out to sea we were to see Sandwich Terns and distant Gannets
plunging into the depths.
A delightful mixed flock of Goldfinch and Linnets flew past giving us good views as they flitted from feeding
on thistle seed heads to perch on the wire. Looked like e they'd had a good
breeding season with lots of juvenile Goldfinches among the flock distinguished by lack of red on
their crowns. We met another birdwatcher who'd told us he'd seen a White Headed Wagtail,
the same species as our Pied Wagtail but one of the European race. Field guides were consulted to find
out what the distinguishing features are. A group of wagtails were picked up hopping around among the
hooves of some grazing cattle and someone confident picked up on the one we were looking for.