Recent Trips
|
South Dublin Branch Recent Trips |
|
| Home | Events | What's About | News | East Coast Sites | Projects | Getting Started | Hands On |
|
7th Mar 2010 mid Jan 2010 22nd Nov 2009 8th Nov 2009 11th Oct 2009 10th Jan 2009 9th Nov 2008 12th Oct 2008 May 2008 9th Mar 2008 10th Feb 2008 11th Nov 2007 7th Oct 2007 9th Sep 2007 15th Apr 2007 11th Mar 2007 14th Jan 2007 |
|
Birding Poland, May 2007
|
On yet another beautiful, clear, & frosty morning 28 Birders including Jon from Utah USA set off northwards. Sitings from the bus included the only Little Egret of the day, also Buzzards, a Kestrel, and a Pheasant.
Next was a welcome stop at the Fairways Hotel for coffee though the dreams by a few of the “full Irish” to sustain them were not fulfilled. Dundalk Harbour had a pair of diving Goldeneye, who entertained us. Then a local birder led us to a housing estate where he promised us sight of a Waxwing on a tree! We waited and waited & saw Blackcap, Mistlethrush, some House Sparrows, and our patience paid off finally when the Waxwing made his appearance and posed for a while showing off his splendid features, & colours. For many it was the highlight of the day as Waxwing have been scarce in Ireland this winter.
Pat spotted 4 Snipe lurking in the reeds, and the feeders were busy with finches, tits, Reed Bunting, & a Redpoll. A rabbit also made an appearance. Finally on to Oxford Island, arriving at 5pm but in spite of the fast setting sun, we saw lots of duck, including elegant Pochard, colourful Ruddy Duck, Tufted Duck and more Goldeneye. A Pair of Great Crested Grebe were performing their elaborate mating ritual much to our delight. As the sun set and it got colder we headed for the bus, we spotted a pair of really pink Long-tailed Tits en route. The last to arrive at the bus had spotted some Fieldfare a distance away. That was their excuse at any rate. It was a wonderful day, and thanks to organisers Aileen Prole & Michael Ryan & to Niall Hatch who dispenses gems of his vast knowledge with such ease. - Eleanor Keane.
As an unapologetic fan of birding spectaculars it won’t surprise when I tell you that I could not resist taking a trip to Bettystown in Mid-January to see for myself the starling roost that occurs each evening outside the village. I was not disappointed and would encourage you to make the trip, before the winter is out, for a wonderful birding experience. To take full advantage of the performance park in the Tesco car park in Bettystown. Due north of the car park a radio mast in a farmyard is the first gathering point. A 400 yard walk along the road in that direction will bring you to a gateway in the high roadside hedge which is just about 200 yards from the mast a affords a perfect view of the gathering. Ideally you should be in position about 40 minutes before official sunset. The first arrivals perch on top of the mast and as the light fades groups large and small arrive from every direction. When all perches on the mast are packed the birds spill on to trees, farm buildings and electricity wires at the foot of the mast. The bigger flocks, numbering several thousand birds, wheel spectacularly over the site before selecting their landing spots. Starlings are known to travel up to 20 miles for their night roost and flocks increase in number as they travel. As I was trying to keep pace with the frenetic pace of the arrivals two Buzzards appeared and caused the entire roost to wheel, twist and turn in a great black swirling cloud. The Buzzards then perched on the lower rungs of the mast and the starlings continued to gather and chatter, apparently ignoring their presence. As the light was fading the roost began to spill along the hedgerows in the direction of the village and towards a plantation of conifers that lies at the end of the Brookside housing estate. For a few minutes all movement stopped but the chattering continued. Then a great black stream of birds, silhouetted against the evening sky, began to move towards the plantation and their final roost. This final flight lasted 8/10 minutes and one can only guess at the final number. There is little doubt that the numbers are currently augmented by an influx of British and Continental birds fleeing the recent harsh weather and I would not be surprised if there were over a 100,000 birds there but it would take a more experienced eye than mine to estimate with any accuracy. When the final birds had disappeared into the plantation I drove around to Brookside, which is on the Dublin side of the village, for a last opportunity to listen to the noisy chatter and marvel at the tree branches groaning under the weight of one of our most under-rated birds. The entire performance lasted just over an hour and I was lucky that the evening was dry, bright and calm. In bad weather they prefer to go directly to the final roost without too much display. - Sean Hogan
For some years a bird outing at Booterstown Marsh was part of the August Heritage Week activity in South Dublin. However, a major problem was that our winter visitors were still in there summer breeding grounds and there was little to see at that time of year. The Branch suggested that an outing be held in mid-winter at a time that took account of the tides. Mary Toomey, The Heritage Officer with Dun Laoire/Rathdown Council, and An Taisce rose to the challenge and on the morning of Sunday 22nd November last over 60 people turned up at the appointed time to see the action on the Marsh. Branch members Brian Gormley, Sean Hogan and Michael Ryan were on hand to lead groups and give information on the birds. Their efforts were greatly helped by a handout, in colour, that Brian prepared showing the 20 most common birds seen on the mudflats. The walk started on Merrion Strand as the incoming tide brought all the usual waders close enough to view them well. The group were particularly taken by the acrobatics of a large flock of Knot yards from where they stood. Eyes were straining to see a sizeable raft of Great Crested Grebe in mid-bay when the shout went up of 'Peregrine overhead'. For several minutes the Falcon swooped and dived to the delight of all, many of who were seeing 'the fastest animal on the planet' for the first time. It was then back to the Marsh where good numbers of birds were gathering as full tide approached and we got to separate Greenshank from Redshank and Sanderling from Dunlin. All the usual Marsh residents showed well and the absence of Snipe and Kingfisher will surely ensure that many of the group will come back and'have the pleasure of finding these two beauties for themselves. As we were beginning to depart a Stonechat alighted on a nearby shrub as if to say that there is more to Booterstown than waders. Indeed, the numbers of birds using the Marsh is a testament to the active management of the area in recent years. This has involved allowing fresh salt water in twice a day to oxygenate the mud thus increasing the number and variety of invertebrates on which the birds depend. This has also resulted in the dying back of the invasive rush sckpus maritimus and re-establishing a true salt marsh. Botanists have a particular interest in Booterstown Marsh because it is one of the few sites in the country that contains Borrer's salt marsh grass (Puccinella fasciculate) and it is good to report that this plant is doing well in Booterstown. A measure of the interest shown was that most people stayed out for over 2 hours and showed a real enthusiasm for what they were seeing. All of which suggests that as a Branch we might consider organising outings locally for beginners and people new to bird watching. - Sean Hogan
The trip began at 8.30am and as we were driving Paul Jago noticed a Sparrowhawk from the bus. Our first stop was in Gorey at 10.00am for coffee, after that we were off to Rosslare Harbour where we saw good varieties of seabirds including Red-throated Diver and Gannet, and most notably one person had a Grey Phalarope flying low over the water. We also saw ten Black Redstarts near the ferry terminal, flying up and down from a wall. The group had good views of Grey Seal and Common Seal swimming and diving. We went off to Our Lady's Island Lake afterwards and we saw Mediterranean Gull among the Black-headed Gulls and then we saw a Kestrel flying in the distance. Among the birds that were present at the northern end of the lake we saw Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Gadwall and Redshank. As we were walking further down Lady's Island we saw Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, along with several other songbirds. At 1.45 pm, we drove off to the North Slobs to see the great concentrations of White- fronted Goose that are staying for the winter as well as the other wildfowl that were there. These included Whooper Swan, Brent Goose, Tufted Duck, Pintail, Pochard and Wigeon, and the group also had Moorhen, Coot and Little Grebe. At the Pumphouse hide, I had a female Merlin fly directly in front of the hide at the southern end. There were good numbers of common songbirds including Tree Sparrow and Chiffchaff flying around the feeders and near the Wexford Wildfowl Centre. We went to Curracloe at 3.30pm where we saw Slavonian Grebe, Common Scoter, Black Guillemot, Red-breasted Merganser, Guillemot and Cormorant among the seabirds. We finished up at Raven Wood where we had great views of a Red Squirrel jumping from tree to tree. Among the songbirds which were present we had Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Redpoll. The group had a wonderful trip and thanks to everyone who came. - Robert Busby
The October outing to the Botanic Garden was on a day that began with a heavy shower but that had long passed by the time we met and we were very lucky to have a beautiful sunny morning to display the autumn colours at their best. Although there hadn't been any serious frosts there were spectacular red and gold foliages on display. Was it the long dry period through September and early October that created such wonderful colours? We hadn't moved far through the Garden before we stopped to view the magnificent stand of Sequoia, one of the giant American Redwoods. The higher branches had lots of bird activity with very active groups of Starlings flying nosily in and out. A couple of Mistle Thrushes flew over with their distinctive 'football rattle' call. A Dunnock hopped around the front garden of the adjoining cottage.
We had spoken about how the sponge like bark of
the redwood was so soft that Tree Creepers, with
their needle thin curved bill, were able to excavate
little holes in the bark to roost in. Then, as if on
cue, a Tree Creeper appeared, working its way up
the trunk before flying to the adjoining trunk and
working his way up again for the benefit of anyone
who hadn't seen him the first time.
The adjoining Yew tree, one of Ireland's three native conifers, had a great bounty of red berries and these were attracting a lot of bird attention. Greenfinches moved among the branches above us. We could have stayed there waiting to see what might pass by but we moved on towards the river. The Botanic Gardens is one of the best places to see Mistletoe growing in big clumps on the higher trees and as we looked at a clump we saw a Mistle Thrush living up to its name by picking mistletoe berries from the clump. Further on a Grey Heron perched in a conifer caused great consternation when many of the group couldn't distinguish it among the foliage, so motionless and well camouflaged. A lovely morning in a lovely setting. - Michael Ryan
Perhaps on account of the dire weather forecast, the annual Dublin Bird race this year only managed to attract four teams, one of the lowest levels of participation ever. That said, it turned out to be a magnificent competition, and there was certainly no shortage of birds seen. For those of you who are not quite sure what the Dublin Bird Race involves, it is essentially a birdwatching competition where teams of four strive to see as many different bird species as possible within the boundaries of Co. Dublin. The race always begins at 8:15am in the car park of Booterstown DART station, and finishes at 6:00pm at the Yacht pub in Clontarf. All 4 members of the team must see a bird for it to count towards their total, and a bird that is heard but not seen counts earns a half point. The team that has accrued the largest total by the end of the day is the winner. My team, the Beasts of Birding, consisting of Paul Jago, Robert Busby, Stephen McAvoy and myself, got off to a good start, picking up a nice Mediterranean Gull just next to the DART station within the first minute or so, then scouring the marsh to try to tally as many waders and waterfowl as possible. We then headed into the city centre to see the only Waxwings of the race: a flock of 9 in a tree just off Meath St. From there, it was a quick drive down the quays to Bull Island, where, despite the fact that the tide was at its highest, we found all the usual Bull suspects with little difficulty, including Grey Plover, Pintail, Shoveler and Red-breasted Merganser. A Merlin suddenly dashed low over the only piece of exposed mud visible, causing panic amongst the waders, and shortly after that we had our biggest surprise of the day: a pair of Whooper Swans flying high over the sand dunes, most likely Wicklow-bound. A very hard bird to find in Dublin these days, this lucky sighting was a real bonus for our team. The icing on the cake was a stunning Kingfisher, perched obligingly at the base of the causeway: always a treat to see, and a difficult bird to find on bird race day. While such unexpected sightings are always very welcome, real bird race success comes down to locating the commoner species as quickly as possible by working out a good route beforehand and knowing what species to expect where. For example, Coot and Tufted Duck are familiar, common birds, but where would you be guaranteed of seeing them in Co. Dublin without having to spend much time searching? For most teams, the answer is Knock Lake in north Co. Dublin, a must-visit site on bird race day where other easily missed species such as Pheasant, Stock Dove, Fieldfare and Buzzard can also be picked up with relative ease. The proximity of Knock Lake to the north Dublin coast also proved very handy this year, as it allowed us to make a quick dash across to Lowtherstown, near Skerries, one of the best locations for Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows that I know of in the county. Skylarks and Reed Buntings also abound here, and it is also a great place to scan the sea for grebes and scoters. We had our fingers crossed that an extra special treat would also oblige here, and we were not disappointed: two gorgeous Short-eared Owls were quartering the fields and gave wonderful views. Despite the fast pace and rush of the bird race, it was impossible not to pause for a few minutes and enjoy watching these beautiful creatures. The light would soon be fading, and we still had some embarrassing gaps on our list. We had chanced across our only Wren of the day on the cliff top at Lowtherstown, but it was 3:00pm and we had yet to find a Coal Tit. We headed south again, deciding to make a gamble en route that, in hindsight, may not have been too wise. We had a reliable site staked out for Red Grouse in the Dublin Mountains, not far from the M50, but as soon as we arrived the winds picked up and the weather turned horrible. The ground was frozen, the gales made it hard even to get out of the car, and there was not a bird to be seen. This also put paid to our chances of seeing Siskin, Redpoll and Crossbill in nearby Cruagh Wood, so we decided to cut our losses and headed down to Stephen’s garden, thereby avoiding the embarrassment of missing Coal Tit that day: luckily, there was one on his bird table. The day’s surprises weren’t over yet, however. On the off-chance, Stephen crossed the road outside his house to take a quick look into the Shanganagh River . . . and found not one but two Dippers standing on the rocks. We had missed this species at our traditional spot earlier in the day, so it was very nice indeed to pick it up so unexpectedly, and so late in the race. The sunlight fading fast, we headed for Clontarf and waited to see how the other teams had fared. We knew that while our total of 96 was respectable enough, we had missed a few birds that we really should have seen and we guessed that we weren’t really in with a chance of winning. Our guess proved to be correct: congratulations to the Southside Swifts (Brian Porter, Hugh Delaney, Noel Keogh and Niall Keogh) on their outstanding winning score of 107, a particularly impressive feat on such a windy day. All together, a total of 113 species were recorded by all teams combined, showing just how rich the birdlife of Co. Dublin is, and generating lots of very valuable records for the Bird Atlas 2007-11 project to boot. It has been a real shame to see such a drop-off in bird race competitors over the past few years, and I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage – no, plead with – as many of you as possible to give it a go next January. You don’t have to be an expert birder to have a go, by any means, and most of the birds are very easy to identify: the race is really more a test of teamwork and the ability to plan a good route. It is a great way to kick-start your New Year’s birding, to have a lot of fun, and at the same time to contribute to our understanding of Dublin’s bird populations. It would be wonderful to have lots more teams taking part next year, so please do consider giving it a go.
The forecast was dreadful and dark clouds flowed across the sky. Just as we were about to go my partner called me to observe a lovely pair of Jays perched on the apple tree our peanut feeders hang from, the first Jays I'd ever seen in the garden. Then she noticed a pair of Blackcaps foraging on the deep purple berries of the Leycesteria bush. But time was running out if we were to get to Newbridge House on time and at the back of my mind I was wondering, with the weather so foul would anybody bother coming out for our November outing to Rogerstown Estuary? Of course they would. This is the South Dublin Branch and a bit of thundery rain and freezing winds wasn't going to stop us going out looking for birds, especially in this prime spot. And sure enough there were a group of eager birders waiting in the car park at Newbridge House. A little group of Mistle Thrushes flew overhead with characteristic football rattle call just before we set off in convoy for the reserve. We parked and began the walk down to the reserve and though fresh the sun shone brightly and the sky was clear and blue. A photographer stood near the sad little corpse of a redshank. A Sparrowhawk had killed it and brought it to a tree stump to pluck it before it had been disturbed. The photographer hoped it would return to its meal but the bird still lay untouched when we returned past it. It's always a shame when a feeding raptor gets disturbed from its prey since the dead bird goes to waste and the raptor must go and kill another bird. But it did allow us a close up look at a redshank and Niall pointed out the row of serrated 'teeth' inside its bill. When we got to the hide we saw flocks of duck and waders stretched across the mud of the estuary while a big flock of Golden Plover roosted on the mud bank the sun glistening off them, the tide still to come in making perfect viewing conditions. A stone mound down to our left proved to be a perfect perching post for a elegant Buzzard. Then another raptor appeared behind it coasting along the hedgerow. A female Hen Harrier, a unusual bird of prey to be seen near Dublin this bird had become a recent regular at Rogerstown. A Spotted Redshank busied itelf on the rising tide. Looking towards the other side of the estuary a sharp eyed observer noticed a single Barnacle Goose among a flock of Brent. Opposite us on the reclaimed land that covers the old dump a buzzard dropped to the ground and plucked up a stick. It was joined by another buzzard then another until there were three of them cavorting in the air. A raven drifted over indifferent to the buzzards. And we hadn't even gone into the hide yet. A Redpoll flew onto a bush beside the path giving us a brief glimpse before flying off. When we did go into the hide a single female Scaup could be seen swimming in the channel. Wigeon, lifted Duck, Little Grebes were getting more active as the incoming tide filled the channels. And what about the weather? The sun beat down on our backs, not much heat but very pleasent and very good visibility. On the road home the skies blackened the sun disappeared and soon the rain arrived, heavy and relentless. But we were home by then, warm and dry with another good outing under the belt. The luck of the South Dubin Branch had held out again!
Sunday 12th October started out as a cool day with mist over the sea as the coach left the Stena Ferry terminal a little after 8.30am. As we headed north at least three buzzards were spotted from the bus, perched in trees and atop a light standard, waiting for the air to warm before taking to the thermals. By the time we approached Lurgangreen the sun was coming through. Alighting from the bus at the bridge over the River Fane lots of twitters and calls from the field beside the bus . Up with the scopes and a stonechat posed happily for us for a couple of seconds and then dived down out of sight. However in typical stonechat fashion it reappeared shortly and continued in that manner.
There was little on the river but a grey wagtail flitting along. Above in the birch trees there was much noise and activity: flocks of linnet and chanffich and amongst them some greenfinch and redpoll. Birch is one of the favourite haunts of redpoll, small acrobatic little finch with behaviour rather like a blue tit, hanging upside down to feed off the seeds on the tree. Come a cold spell and they are welcome visitors to the bird table. The sea came into view and the first sight was a large black and white tableau of oystercatchers. The light was difficult as the sun was in front of us when viewing them. This is a well known birding spot for many kinds of geese and a passerby said there were some pinkfooted ones about but they had obviously done a disappearing act! Brent geese, pintail, wigeon and mallard were on show but deciding that the light was against us we left and headed for the Fairways Hotel for welcome elevenses. Then off to Dundalk Docks which never seem to let us down: always one or two special birds of interest. What was there to see in the warm sunshine? Black and white tableau again but beside the oystercatchers was the wonderful sight of a huge flock of golden plover, glistening and glinting in the sun. Mallard and teal dabbling gently and then some one spotted a ruff. I love the way Dominic Couzens' book “Birds by Behaviour” describes ruff: “weird, small headed lumpy wader of variable size (from redshanks (male) to dunlin (female)-seemingly designed by committee.' Thought this was rather uncomplimentary to the bird. Quite a few redshank in the same area but all got a look at the ruff as it moved around the sandbank. In the centre of a group of redshank stood a lone grey bird which eventually moved a little, a knot, and only the one it seemed. Amongst the busy dunlin was a similar sized bird but it had its head tucked in. So much discussion ensued peering at it patiently, observing the buff to peach coloured wash on its chest and neck and deciding it was not a little stint nor any of the other small waders but as Robert Busby had first suggested, a curlew sandpiper. It's a great learning opportunity when the more knowledgeable are studying a bird on an outing; words like secondaries, outer coverts, leg colour, beak shape are observed and talked about and the books consulted if necessary. In the trees at the end of the dock were a flock of long tailed tits, wonderful views as they sat on the wires. Most of us have only seen them high up in trees foraging for food. Even if you are lucky enough to have them visit your garden, blink and they have gone. On to Giles Quay (pronounced Gileses Quay by the locals) where we sat on a long wall eating lunch in the heat of the day and watched Great Crested Grebe, Red throated Diver, Guillemot and Cormorant on the water and were lucky enough to see Dolphins strut their stuff out on the bay. Plenty of other birds out on the water but too far off to identify. Looking inland a Wheatear was briefly glimpsed. A big flock of linnet and goldfinch moved about the brambles and the grass in front of us and overhead some late swallows and house martins flew.
The last stop of the day was Carlingford. It was painfully busy in that the world and his wife were out enjoying the fine autumn sunshine. The old castle on the cliff top above the town is noted for Carrion Crow and some of the group walked up that way and saw them. The others ambled towards the harbour. There were some waders including our first ringed plover of the day, greenshank and little egret and in the distance towards Greenore there were brent geese. Michael Ryan and Brian Gormley did the bird count list on the bus home, 73 species in all. As Michael, in the chair, refused a casting vote the favourite bird of the day was a tie between the long tailed tits and the ruff! A very enjoyable day away from the constant talk of recession and budget. It was just a pity that more people did not join us. To papaphrase Henry IV's speech before the Battle of Agincourt: 'And gentlemen now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here' - Aileen Prole
The Dawn Chorus on Sunday 18th May at 4.00am at Cabinteely Park went well, the rain holding off for most of it and everyone seemed happy and glad they’d got up at that ungodly hour. Parks department weren’t able to provide us with usual breakfast and tour of the house due to staff not being available but thanks to the kindness of Rachel from An Taisce who had brought flasks of tea, coffee and scones for everyone we had a much needed snack in the car park. And a big thanks to all the birds singing around us without whom it wouldn’t have been possible.
The South Dublin Branch helped out at a walk around the Irishtown Nature Park and Sandymount Strand
as one of the events of DCC's Biodiversity Week on the 23rd May. Although we’d had lovely sunshine during the
day there was a very cold wind blowing in off the sea that evening. - Michael Ryan
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
|
|
|Home|
Events|
|
First stop was at Lurgangreen, where we heard there might be some Twite awaiting us, alas they were not “at home”, indeed the
lane to the mudflat area was surprisingly lacking in small bird activity. However we did get a good view of a flock of Greylag
Geese in a nearby field, spotted by Aileen.
Belfast Lough in the RSPB hide was my first warm and wind free winter birding experience. I could get to like it very much. What a wonderful hide,
and so much to see right outside the windows, including flocks of Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatchers, Curlew, & Lapwing,
and Golden Plover in flight. A Peregrine Falcon swooped looking for tea, and put up the flocks but they were able to out manoeuvre
him on this occasion. Teal and Widgeon showed beautifully in the evening light.
Carefully scanning around, a reed bunting was seen, probably a 1st winter bird as he wasn't
in full striking plumage. Then another LBJ ('Little Brown Job') was seen perched on the
top of some brambles. It caused some discussion as it had its back to us and the colour
blended so well it was difficult to assess what colour it really was. But patience pays
off and eventually we discovered it was a dunnock often referred to as a drab little bird
with a habit of skulking under the cover of bushes. Once seen properly it was easy to pick
out the grey head and thin beak.
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.