THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS  and ADVISERS DURING   November,  2009

  Philip Clancy, Manus Curran, Eric Dempsey, John Fox, Gerald Frank, Kieran Grace, Aidan Kelly, Niall T Keogh, Noel Keogh, Oscar Merne, Dermot O Mahony,Gerry Power, Ian Stephenson, Robert Vaughan

The named authors hold the copyright for all photographs published on this website. Authors permission must be sought for copying, publishing or reproduction for any purpose other than for personal archives.

 Be sure to enter your sightings data to the Atlas on the link below. You will find very useful information here about the area you visit. Well worth a few extra minutes at your computer! http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/index.htm  

We are tracking Brent Geese  again this year so please let us know if you see any feeding inland on grass.
email; dublinbirding@gmail.com Thanks to all for sightings so far. We hear that the geese
 are heading towards Crumlin and Tallaght. Reports of sightings on grass in that area would be very welcome.  
 

       

30 November 2009
Brambling at Bayside today. Jim and Carol Duffy

29 November, 2009
Carrion Crow
at the Poolbeg. DMcC

26 November, 2009
The Red-necked Grebe
was still showing well off the ferry terminal, East Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour at 11:30 this morning. Also present were three 1cy Great Northern Divers, a single 1cy Red-throated Diver, plenty of Black Guillemots & 5 adult Mediterranean Gulls. NK NTK
2 Redpolls
on Stephens Green. KG Black Redstart ( photo below) at Dunlaoghaire. MC


Black Redstart ( Juvenile) at Dunlaoghaire. Manus Curran

24 November, 2009
At
Bremore , Balbriggan 1 Pale Phase Arctic Skua heading south, 12 Great Northern Divers and 1 juvenile Peregrine Falcon. AK

23 November, 2009
A Red-necked Grebe
was present in Dun Laoghaire Harbourt this afternoon, off the ferry terminal area. Four 1cy Great Northern Divers were also present. NK


Sparrowhawk,  Ballyfermot. Rosemary Doyle (25 Nov, 2009)

Sunday 22 November, 2009
16 Great Northern Divers
at the Cardy Rocks, Bremore, Balbriggan. AK 38 Greenshank sheltering with the Redshank at Broadmeadow, Swords also  1 adult Great Northern Diver  with Mergansers today. DO'M


Male and female Red-breasted Mergansers at Malahide. Cian Merne

Saturday 21 November, 2009 - Tolka Branch Outing - brief trip report 
Under the expert guidance of our trip leaders Anthony Mc Geehan and Dermot Mc Cabe, Tolka branch braved the inhospitable weather in search of winter Ducks up north.( see events page for more photos) We visited Oxford Island at Lough Neagh where we had a valuable opportunity to study 100's of Scaup in various plumages, also  Pochard, Goldeneye, Tufted Ducks and 12 Ruddy Duck.  On to the Balancing Lakes at Craigavon in search of......more ducks! Then we left the fresh water loughs for the broad open seas on the north side of Belfast Lough for spectacular numbers of Eider (800) on the shipping lane, Scaup ( over 2000) and Great Crested Grebes ( 400), also a flock of 300 Knot in flight, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers.  Eiders were a tick for may on the trip. We ended our trip with a visit to Belfast Harbour Estate where a perky Water Rail ran around in front of the Hide delighting all with good views of this normally elusive bird.   LB


Our studious Tolka branchers looking at immature Scaup on Lough Neagh! Michael Harris


One of the 100s of Great Crested Grebes at Belfast. Michael Harris

20 November, 2009
15 Mediterranean Gulls & a Little Egret
were at Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely. NTK

19 November, 2009
15 Little Gulls were offshore from Bullock Harbour whilst a further 10 Little Gulls & a single (unseasonal) Manx Shearwater were off Muglins, Dalkey. NK

Sunday 15 November, 2009
At Kilcoole an Artic Skua came inshore over the beach before flying towards the Newcastle direction. A male Gadwall in a pool just past the breeches and a female Merlin. Also sighted were 2 Kestrel.IS



Starlings at Laytown this evening. Nicola Dunphy

Saturday 14 November 2009
Rogerstown was very flooded from 10.00 to 13.00 due to high tide and heavy overnight rain.Good numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Brent, Curlew but hard to count - obscured behind dykes and in vegetation.Juv Marsh Harrier found by Liam Feeney in the evening over the Spartina to
the West.9 Fieldfare, 30+ Mistle Thrush, 200+ Linnet around the crop field at entrance
before the allottments.38 Redpoll, 3 Bullfinch in birches Spotted Redshank in channel, Kingfisher on pool beside south hide Chiffchaff in tit flock - including Long-tailed Tits in birches near east pools.1 Stock Dove,3 Buzzard,2 Sparrowhawk. DO'M

1 Short-eared Owl in off the sea at Gormanston today. 1Black Redstart at Balbriggan Harbour. About 20 Great Northern Divers between Balbriggan and Bremore. AK


Birds aren't the only creatures eating berries in Rogerstown. Rosemary Doyle

10 November, 2009
Black Redstart at Balscadden. GF


Starlings at Laytown. Bill Quinn

Sunday, 8 November, 2009
At Swords today there was 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Ruff , 4 Snipe and 231 Lapwing. GF

Saturday 7 November, 2009
1,300 Golden Plover
at the Bull this morning. Also 4,800 Brent Geese. The female Blue-winged Teal is still giving good views at the Causeway associating with the Widgeon. There was one Mediterranean Gull at the beach beside Sutton Dingy club.  On the north lagoon there were 16 Red-breasted Mergansers and 2 Great Crested Grebes. LB 2 Red Grouse, a Golden Plover & a Raven were at Cruagh Mountain, south Dublin.NTK,NK

Sunday 1 November, 2009
Kilcoole, a 1cy Yellow Wagtail was seen on the railway track at the buckthorn bushes before flying into the far side of Webb's field. It showed characteristics suggesting it came from an eastern population. Offshore, four Great Nothern Divers flew north whilst another one was sat on the sea. At Broadlough, a Red-necked Grebe was present at the southern end, between Tinakelly and the railway bridge.NK 


Flock of Golden Plover filling the sky in Dublin. A wonderful Autumn sight. Photo Eric Dempsey

2 November, 2009
At Rogerstown  472 Brent , 7 Little Grebe , 1 Ruff , 1 Whimbrel , 1 Spotted Redshank , 2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk , 1 Peregrine , 1 Stock Dove. GF A Fosters Tern was around the Cardy Rocks at Bremore, Balbriggan. AK 110 White-fronted Geese flew over Shankill at 5.30 this evening. KG

Saturday 31 October, 2009
Kingfisher at the outflow North of causeway. Also 20ft away a young Fox, present for at least 30mins, alternately sunning himself, chewing one of the many footballs washed up and eyeing some feeding egret!GP.

27 October, 2009
Redwings
heard flying over the city centre at 8.30 this evening. LB