31 December 2012
Brent Geese flying over
Baldoyle (Photo by Cian Merne)
30 December 2012
Rogerstown Estuary: Hen harrier adult male;
Hen harrier 2nd year male; Hen harrier ring-tail; Red Kite (2)
together; Buzzards (3) together; Peregrines (2) together;
Sparrowhawk; Merlin Kestrels (2); 550+ Brent Geese; 500+ Golden
Plover; and 450+ Lapwings.BC, JF & NG
29 December 2012
Approx. 12 Waxwings perched on trees at St. Ann’s Park
Rose Garden, around 3 p.m.EDolan
Male and female Redpoll in
Malahide garden (Photo by Ita Martin)
26 December 2012
Corkagh Park Clondalkin: a Kingfisher & a Little
Egret over the sludge pond beside top ponds. A Snipe
& Shoveler at lower ponds.AR & GdeL
25 December 2012
Bull Island: A Kestrel at southern end.AR
Rogerstown North Hide: female Merlin, male Hen
Harrier, male Sparrowhawk & a Kingfisher. 2 Red
Kites & 4 Buzzards over Balleally Dump; and
M1/M50: 3 Buzzards. AR & PH
24 December 2012
Stonechat at Bull Island
(Photo by Brian McDonnell)
Meadow Pipit at Bull Island
(Photo by Brian McDonnell)
23 December 2012
Broadmeadows Estuary: Large flocks of Lapwing, Oystercatcher
and Redshank present along with 6 Snipe, 12 Greenshank,
100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 52 Bar-tailed Godwit,74
Brent Geese with good numbers of Teal, Wigeon.
Good sixed gull flocks included approx many Black-headed Gull
and Herring Gull with 20 Common Gull, 1 Peregrine,
2 Buzzard over the M1 Motorway. Large finch flock on North
side of estuary mainly consisted of 70 Chaffinch with 1 Yellowhammer
of note and a count of 19 Tree Sparrow.BS
Black-tailed Godwit at
Broadmeadows Estuary (Photo by Brendan Sheils)
Lapwings at Malahide Estuary
- total numbers 500-600 (Photo by Cian Merne)
Rogerstown (Turvey): male Hen Harrier hunting
alongside two Red Kites and a Kestrels over the
cornfields in Turvey.BK
Male Hen Harrier at Turvey
(Photo by Brendan Kneafsey)
22 December 2012
Damastown: a Kestrel.AR
Birding Turvey south hide: A fabulous day's birding had by all
from the Turvey South hide, on a very dull, warm, calm December
day (13c) and sorry to say, was a very bad day for photography. As
I entered the car park at first light @8.40am, the ring tail Hen
Harrier was quartering back of the first field while been
harried by Corvids. Two Redwings mixed in with 6 Fieldfares
& 4 Collared Doves feeding closer to the walkway. I
stopped for fifteen minutes at the bench facing the
"Partridge" field, where I laid out some mixed seed
below a large flock of Linnets, Goldies, Greenies,
Chaffers and at least 2 Brambling, while a large
flock of Woodpigeon were still resting in the far
tree-line. Has I entered the hide, had a good view of the Merlin
resting on the 'postbox' and a Buzzard behind it on the
tall post beside the far North hide. The tide was on the way out,
the high tide was at 6.50am and the low was at 12.40pm, so the
estuary was packed with at least 2000+Golden Plovers, 800+Wigeon,
600+Teal, 550+Lapwings, 500+Oystercatcher,
450+Black-tailed Godwits, 400+Brent, 350+Redshank,
300+ Mallards, 250+Curlew, 150+Shelduck, 100+Dunlin,
5 Red-breasted Merganser in deep water close to the rail
line, and 8 Snipe showing well at the edge of the salt
marsh. A large concentration of Black-headed Gulls, Common
Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Great Black-backed Gulls
in the salt marsh. All mixed in with only a few of the usual fare,
Grey Heron, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Grey
Plover, Greenshank, Shoveler, Cormorant, Knot
and Stonechat. On my way to and from my lunch break, I
spotted Pheasant, Kestrel, Moorhen, Skylark,
Meadow Pipit, a lone Jay flying across to the golf
club, 2 Pied Wagtail feeding at the car park, Robin,
Wren, Mistle Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit,
Coal Tit and Long-tail Tits, Blackbirds, Bullfinches,
Reed Bunting, with lots of House Sparrows, Starlings,
Magpies, Jackdaws, Hoodies & Rooks
galore. I was delighted for Patrick Veale, Sean & Gay
Hogan, for at one stage, we had a "Kettle" of 5 Red
Kites & 3 Buzzards in the air over the dump, and Hen
Harriers (2nd year male & Ringtail), Sparrowhawk
& Merlin came back a couple of times for them to get
some cracking views, even in the poor fading light. I left Sean
& Gay Hogan looking for the small flock of Siskin &
Yellowhammers that normally stay around the north Birch wood close
to the car park. Thanks to one and all for the helping hand with
spotting and counting, and a big pity that the Short-eared Owl,
Peregrine or Water Rail did not show for all to see.BC
21 December 2012
Rogerstown: male and ringtail Hen Harriers, female Merlin,
2 Kestrels and 2 Buzzards;
M1 Santry: a Buzzard and a Kestrel; and
M1 Donabate: a Buzzard.AR/PH
Large numbers of Brent Geese
seen daily at Seabury Green, Malahide (Photo by Andy Friel)
18 December 2012
These 2 Redpolls arrived
today in our Howth garden and really fancied the nyjer seed.
(Photo by Bill Quinn)
17 December 2012
Male and Female Pintails
in flight at Bull Island Causeway (Photo by Eugene Dolan)
16 December 2012
Furry Glen in the Phoenix Park: 2 Jays.AR &
GdeL
Male and female Pintail at Bull Island
(Photo by Bill Quinn)
Curlew at Bull Island (Photo by Bill Quinn)
15 December 2012
Rogerstown: male Hen Harrier, female Sparrowhawk,
a Kestrel, a Peregrine, 4 Red Kites, 2 Buzzards
& a female Brambling;
M50 at Ballymun: A Kestrel & a Buzzard;
M1 Swords: A Kestrel. AR
Male and female Pintail
at Bull Island (Photo by Brian Carruthers)
Teal at Bull Island
(Photo by Bill Quinn)
Yellowhammer at Rogerstown (Photo by Brian McDonnell)
11 December 2012
Lucan: A Mistle Thrush defending its berries from
a flock of 160 Waxwings, two Blackbirds and a male Blackcap
at Rochford Downs, Lucan.JF
Mistle Thrush defending
it's food store at Lucan (Photo by John Fox)
Robin at Rogerstown (Photo
by Harry Bailey)
Dunnock at Rogerstown
(Photo by Harry Bailey)
Coal Tit at Rogerstown (Photo by Harry Bailey)
10 December 2012
Swords: Lovely winter sunshine at Swords today, good selection
of waders with Dunlin (2) Redshank, Turnstone,
Golden Plover (500+) Knot (200+) Lapwing,
Godwits and at least 20 Snipe present, most openly
feeding out on the sand bars or at the fringes.PV
Rogerstown: male Hen Harrier & female Sparrowhawk.PH
9 December 2012
Lucan: c180 Waxwings at Rochfort Downs in
Lucan, at the roundabout on the Balgaddy Road at 3pm.BBG
Rogerstown: 2 Red Kites, ringtail Hen Harrier,
female Merlin, 2 Kestrels and good numbers of Buzzards.AR
8 December 2012
Rogerstown: 3 Hen Harriers (2 males and a ring-tail),
a Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk.
The flocks of finches included 4 Brambling, 4 Redpoll
and 2 Yellowhammer.GF
Brambling at Rogerstown
(Photo by Ger Franck)
Reed Bunting at Rogerstown
(Photo by Brian McDonnell)
Lucan: 200+ Waxwing at Rochfort Downs, Lucan,
in a feeding frenzy on the Sorbus berries (Mountain Ash).BC &
SC
7 December 2012
Grangegorman: A Sparrowhawk has been hanging around the
Hockey pitch in DIT Grangegorman, chasing the local
Goldfinches.BBG
Yellowhammer at Rogerstown (Photo
by Harry Bailey)
Brambling at Rogerstown
(Photo by Harry Bailey)
Chaffinch at Rogerstown
(Photo by Harry Bailey)
6 December 2012
Ballygall, Glasnevin: 22 Waxwing feeding briefly with
large flock Starlings at 10.15 Griffith Road,
Ballygall. Flew off and disappeared. The berry filled trees
around Ballygall/Johnstown Park area seem to be favoured.CD
Lesser Redpoll in Glasnevin garden
(Photo by Francois Mullan)
Lesser Redpoll in
Glasnevin garden (Photo by Harry Mullan)
5 December 2012
Beaumont: 12 Waxwings seen on Shantalla Road this
morning.HB
4 December 2012
St. James's Hospital, Rialto entrance: 100+ Waxwings in
tree at entrance making an incredible racket drowning out the
noise of the traffic.HelenB
3 December 2012
O'Connell Str. Dublin: 50-60 Waxwings in O'Connell
Street this morning 9.00 am perched on aerials over old Carlton
Cinema site. At 10.45 am there was smaller flock circling near the
O'Connell Bridge end of the street.EM
Raheny: 7 Waxwing seen at Grange Park View Raheny.HB
2 December 2012
Finglas: 80+ Waxwing in the Benevin area of Finglas late
this evening at 4.15pm.MK, BC & VC
Booterstown: 15 Snipe at Booterstown Reserve today.SH
Rogerstown: A female Sparrowhawk hunting over the Partridge
field. 2 Peregrines, female Merlin, male Hen
Harrier, a Kestrel & 3 Buzzards over the
flooded field. Also a Hare beside south hide.AR
Song Thrush at Geraldstown Woods,
Ballymun Cross this morning (Photo by Michael Keating)
Black-headed Gull at
Bray Harbour.
It was ringed in Norway
(Photo by Cian Merne)
1 December 2012
Templeogue: 15 Waxwings on Templeville Road, Templeogue
end at 4.30pm.GH
Wren at Rogerstown (Photo by Cian
Merne)
