South Dublin Branch
Projects

www.birdwatchireland.ie
Home Events What's About News East Coast Sites Projects Getting Started Hands On

What is IWeBS?
Dublin Bay IWeBS results for 2005-06 I'm counting on the Birds ... Baywatch ! get more involved

Count Dates for the 2007 - 2008 season
Tides (GMT) for S. Dublin Bay

Date
Saturday 08 September
Saturday 13 October
Saturday 10 November
Saturday 08 December
Saturday 12 January
Saturday 09 February
Saturday 08 March
High Tide
11:26
13:57
12:04
11:14
14:37
13:34
12:31
Start Time
07:30
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--
--:--

"Waterbird Counting in Dublin Bay" by Oscar Merne. [PDF format 147KB]
With all this systematic counting over the years one could imagine that we know all there is to be known about the waterbirds of Dublin Bay. However, this is not quite the case ...
from I-WeBS News, August 2007
Download Adobe Acrobat reader

Freddie Quinn at the Booterstown count. Photo: Michael Ryan
Freddie Quinn at the Booterstown count January 2006. Photo: Michael Ryan


-- Dublin Bay IWeBS results for 2005-06 --
September to March

Species 1%
National
1%
International
2005/06
peak
MonthMean
(94-99)
Mean
(01-06)
Red-throated Diver 20 10,000 10 N 4 5
Great Crested Grebe 55 4,800 139 J 26 112
Cormorant 140 1,200 287 S 24 151
Grey Heron 30 2,700 40 N 24 33
Little Egret 20 1,300 23 O 0 7
Mute Swan 110 110 4 J 0 2
Brent Goose 220 220 2,907 F 1,930 2,990
Shelduck 150 3,000 755 F 1,261 1,140
Wigeon 820 15,000 584 N 924 855
Teal 450 4,000 970 F 1,157 1,125
Mallard 380 20,000 55 D 93 90
Pintail 20 600 120 J 296 139
Shoveler 25 400 142 J 191 133
Goldeneye 95 4,000 21 J 20 17
Red-breasted Merganser 35 1,700 47 D 37 40
Moorhen 20 20,000 3 J 3 4
Oystercatcher 680 10,200 2,350 J 2,526 3,945
Ringed Plover 150 730 288 O 302 280
Golden Plover 1,700 9,300 1,810 N 2,519 1,647
Grey Plover 65 2,500 556 N 705 459
Lapwing 2,100 20,000 127 N 123 57
Knot 190 4,500 4,894 D 3,575 3,913
Sanderling 65 1,200 589 M 406 519
Dunlin 880 13,300 3,350 F 6,810 5,428
Snipe 20,000 1 N 30 4
Black-tailed Godwit 140 350 751 F 311 1,010
Bar-tailed Godwit 160 1,200 771 S 1,669 1,765
Whimbrel 1 S 0 0
Curlew 550 4,200 1,046 J 1,056 1,095
Redshank 310 1,900 2,178 N 1,679 1,897
Greenshank 20 3,100 18 O 14 32
Turnstone 120 1,000 613 N 206 340
Mediterranean Gull 28 S 2 15
Black-headed Gull 20,000 3,058 J 7,918 2,769
Common Gull 16,000 686 S 586 747
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4,500 671 S 9 147
Herring Gull 13,000 411 S 753 309
Great Black-backed Gull 4,800 297 S 84 215
Total wildfowl 6,129 5,633 6,858
Total waders 19,326 20,295 22,392
Total gulls 5,152 8,964 4,202
Total waterbirds 30,746 34,895 33,485
Stable
Decreasing
Increasing

Numbers for 05-06 in italics are of national importance
Numbers for 05-06 in bold are of international importance

'Dublin Bay IWeBS Review 2005-06' by Olivia Crowe. [PDF format 140KB]

National IWeBS Summary 2005-06 by Helen Boland & Olivia Crowe. [PDF format 1090KB]

Download Adobe Acrobat reader


Moray Souter at the Sandymount count. Photo Brian Gormley
Moray Souter at the Sandymount IWeBS count October 2006


I'm counting on the Birds ...
from News Four - the Sandymount, Irishtown & Ringsend community newspaper on IWeBS

by Gay Flavin.

On a bleak dismal Saturday morning, I found myself tagging along with two members of Bird Watch Ireland, Brian Gormley and John Palmer as they did their winter count on Sandymount Strand.

Their counting area stretched from the old baths down to Poolbeg. Further south their colleagues covered the Booterstown area. Looking around, my first thought was that there were no birds at all. But when I looked through Brian and John's telescopes the whole strand seemed to jump into 3D with groups of birds feeding and flying in all directions.

This is just a tiny portion of the count which is carried out all over Ireland - a snapshot of Poolbeg, Sandymount Strand and Booterstown on the 9th November 2002.

Gay Flavin newsfourscs@eircom.net

Oystercatcher
Redshank
Curlew
Dunlin
Bar-tailed Godwit
Sanderling
Grey Plover
Turnstone
Brent Geeese


4469
309
17
1034
80
44
2
13
251

Shelduck
Merganser
Cormorant
Heron
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
G. Black-backed Gull
L. Black-backed Gull
Common Gull

7
6
2
2
306
13
12
6
148


Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS)

Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) is the principle tool for monitoring wintering waterfowl populations and their wetlands in Ireland. The survey, comprising monthly co-ordinated site counts by professionals and amateurs over the September to April season, is increasingly recognised as a flagship monitoring project.

  • The data collected is now sufficient to enable rigorous estimation of population size. This will act as an important baseline.

  • With the existing data over ten years, starting from 1994, the latest statistical methods can be used to determine trends in population and distribution.

  • Thirdly, the assessment of the importance of individual wetlands gains credibility with monitoring over time. This is invaluable for site protection at a local level and statutory designation.

  • Also, it is only through this continual monitoring that we will be in a position to identify negative trends at an early stage and to take steps to reverse them.

Trend analyses indicated that numbers of the majority of species have been in decline during the course of IWeBS. There were increases in just 8 species including Mute Swan, Gadwall, Oystercatcher and Bar-tailed Godwit. Against this, there were substantial declines in 14 species, including Grey Heron, Pintail, Coot and Knot.

- Results to end 2001/02 season.

John Palmer at a Sandymount count. Photo Brian Gormley
John Palmer at an I-WeBS count on Sandymount Strand

Baywatch !

Birding is a rewarding hobby, however many birders want to get more involved. One way of doing this is to join an I-WEBS count during the Winter months. The Irish Wetlands Bird Survey (I-WEBS) is a joint scheme of BirdWatch Ireland, National Parks & Wildlife of Duchas The Heritage Service and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. It's a monthly survey of waterbirds (waders, ducks, geese etc.) around Ireland during the non-breeding season from September to March. A mix of professional and amateur observers undertake the counts on appointed dates and at designated sites around Ireland, both inland and coastal. Count data is collated and analysed in the I-WEBS Report published annually. The survey's objectives are to monitor numbers and distribution of waterbird populations and to ascertain long term trends. This in turn provides valuable information. Instead of saying "Redshanks don't seem as common around here as they were a few years ago" hard data from the survey can be provided to back up what would otherwise be mere perception.

South Dublin Branch has an important role in the I-WEBS survey and counts along Sandymount Strand between West Pier, Dun Laoghaire and Poolbeg. Usually two groups of branch volunteers (and Paul Jago counting the West Pier to Seapoint) count a couple of hours before high tide, no matter what the weather. One group lead by Brian Gormley tackles the Poolbeg half of the strand, while another group led by Michael Ryan takes on the other half up to Blackrock. Count data can be interesting. For example, on 13th January, Michael Ryan's team counted almost 3,000 Knot and 364 Bar-Tailed Godwits among many other birds. Brian Gormley's team reported 778 Oystercatchers and a total of 21 species counted. As well as helping to provide survey data, getting out with the South Dublin I-WEBS count team has definitely improved my fieldcraft and ID skills. Out on the count you get repeated views of a range of birds in various plumages, light and weather conditions. Experienced birders will tell you that the trick in identifying scarcer birds is all about knowing the ordinary birds extremely well and developing good observation skills.

More observers are needed for the South Dublin counts for I-WEBS. So if you have a scope and fancy helping to provide valuable conservation data (while also advancing your birding skills), why not give it a try by contacting Michael Ryan (Ph 285-9752)

- Niall Rooney

|Back to Projects|

 Top of Page  Home Page
|Home| Events| What's About| News| East Coast Sites| Projects| Getting Started| Hands On| Links| Contact Us|
South Dublin Branch BirdWatch Ireland