Recent Bird News from our Dublin contributors
Let us know what birds you see in your area.
Anything new in your garden?
Interesting bird behaviour? Increased or decreased numbers of birds?
What have you seen lately around Dublin or on you day trips from Dublin?
Email us with you sightings and photos dublinbirding@gmail.com
and we will publish suitable photos and news on this website.
For National News - to report sightings of rare birds in Ireland including Dublin call the Birds of Ireland News Service (BINS) 01 8307364. To hear the most recent updates on rare bird sightings call 1550 111 700 (premium rates apply).
THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS and ADVISERS DURING NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2007
Lorraine Benson, Graham Clarke, Manus Curran, Hugh Delaney, Eric Dempsey, Donal Foley, Kieran Grace, John Fox, John Gallagher, Kieran Grace, Mir Harris, Paul Kelly, Brian Keogh, Nial T Keogh, Noel Keogh, Aidan Kelly, Ray Kellett, Stephen King, Dermot McCabe, Michael O' Clery, Eanna O'Flynn,Dermot O Mahony, Cian Merne, Oscar Merne, Bill Quinn, Heather Quinn, Adrian Rooney, Robert Vaughan, Patricia Watson
Happy Christmas to our contributors, advisers and visitors from all at the Tolka Branch
31 December, 2007
On the last day of 2007 at Rogerstown the Spotted Redshank was showing well. There was a flock of Brambling, Reed Bunting, and all the finches also Long tailed Tits, a Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon. GF 120 Brent Geese on the soccer pitches next to the Ashleaf Centre in Walkinstown.RV30 December , 2007
The winter gulls are in Dublin now so great opportunity to see them over the holiday period. First winter Glaucous Gull and sub-adult Iceland Gulls at Sandymount this evening.AK
Rare shot of Snipe on the Bull. Mir Harris
Male Blackcap in Santry. Brian Keogh
Christmas Day, 2007
Blackcaps are beginning to come into gardens now with cooler weather and less food about. A beautiful Christmas day photo of a welcome visitor to Brian's garden in Santry is above. BK 4 Black Guillemots chasing each other and calling in squeaky insistent fashion at the Sean O Casey Bridge, beside the Docklands offices in the early morning sunshine today. LB
Who said ducks were boring?? We love Pintails and there are well over 200 at the Bull, north of the causeway, at the moment. Thanks to Cian Merne for this photo.
Christmas Eve, 2007
At the Glen of the Downs and Delgany this morning nice to find Jays, lots of Long-tailed Tits, a couple Treecreepers, a flock of Siskins and Redpolls. Blackbirds were the most numerous birds at these locations. OM One male Kestrel on the N3 Mulhuddart, 54 Mute Swans on the Grand Canal at Harold's Cross bridge.ARSunday 23 December, 2007
A Black Redstart has been seen on and off over the past few weeks in Balscadden, Howth. HQ The bird seems to prefer sunny conditions and an empty beach (dont we all...). The bird has been seen on the left of the beach under the apartments. Nice bird to get if you are out birding in Howth overChristmas. There were 410 Brents feeding on the playing fields at Sean Moore Park, Irishtown.OM 2 Ravens at the top of Powerscourt waterfall.AR
Goldcrest, Botanic Gardens. John Fox19 December, 2007
Male Blackcap singing at Shankill this morning. KG18 December, 2007
Female Blackcap in a Santry garden this morning eating the remains of the Pyracantha berries.BK A Little Egret flew east-southeast at Johnstown, near Cabinteely this morning. Most likely heading for Kilbogget Park where they occur occasionally during the winter months. Female Blackcap still present at Johnstown, Cabinteely, although not taking to apples provided just yet. Still foraging in trees and shrubs.NTK17 December, 2007
350 Brent Geese flew up the Liffey this morning in spectacular V formation turning south-west at the Four Courts.LB. After a very good breeding season these may be adventurous juveniles leaving the parents on the Bull to seek new feeding grounds of their own.Sunday 16 December, 2007
An northern/eastern race Jackdaw was seen in Cabra near Quarry Road junction this morning.KG This bird has a white patches on the side of the neck looking like a shawl.Overall the bird is more grey than our local Jackdaws.Saturday 15 December, 2007
At Dundalk Bay today there were c.31,000 birds, the main species being Great Northern Diver (18), Brent Goose (339), Shelduck (193), Wigeon (356), Teal (383), Mallard (512), Pintail (80), Oystercatcher (5,700), Ringed Plover (130), Golden Plover (7,044), Lapwing (2,739), Knot (4,323), Dunlin (1,760), Black-tailed Godwit (1,401), Bar-tailed Godwit (811), Curlew (290), Redshank (243), Black-headed Gull (3,552), Common Gull (251), and Herring Gull (393). Nice to see Little Egrets, Merlin, Peregrine and Sparrowhawk too.OMAt Arklow earlier this week a Peregrine, a Buzzard and a Red Kite were present.OM 2 Male Blackcaps in a Mulhuddart garden AR.
14 December, 2007
12 Brent Geese seen over Kildare Street at 8.30am flying inland.LB 30 Brent Geese flying inland over Harolds Cross early today and yesterday. Would be interesting to know where they are going? 2 Cormorants and 8 or 9 Tufted Duck are new in to the canal also at Harrolds Cross.RV10 December, 2007
Swallow reported at Bray harbour!!!Sunday 9 December, 2007
The female Blue-winged Teal is still on the Bull south of the causeway. Also seen today an adult dark-bellied Brent and a female Long- tailed Duck north of the causeway at the Sutton end .AKSaturday 8 December, 2007
Pink-footed Goose still at Bremore, Balbriggan as well as c.100 Brent in the fields. Also a flock of over 2000 Golden Plover and 80 Lapwings. 3 Great Northern Divers offshore and quite a few Red-throated Divers flying through. AK 12 Brent Geese flying inland along the canal in Harold's Cross early this morning. RV The first Blackcap of the winter reported to us was a female seen today in a Cabinteely garden. Also, 8 Long-tailed Tits present and an adult Mediterranean Gull circling low over the garden eyeing up the scraps left out! A male Sparrowhawk has been hunting the garden regularly. NK NTK Up to 10 Mediterranean Gulls have been seen among the gull flock in Kilbogget Park (off N11 at Cabinteely) sheltering from the recent stormy weather.SK
Oscar and Margaret are back from Senegal and the Gambia beating all recent Tolka records with 310 species!!
7 December, 2007
One Raven seen over Terenure College at lunchtime. RVSunday 2 December, 2007
Short-eared Owl seen again at Bremore this morning. AK
Brambling at Rogerstown. John Fox
More surprises at the Bots! Wood Duck pair now present. Mir Harris Saturday 1 December, 2007
Pink-footed Goose at Bremore, Balbriggan. AK Peregrine Falcon on the Central Bank in Dame Street this morning. LB 10 Brambling seen Rogerstown today with flocks of up to 60 finches including Chaffinch and Greenfinch. Also seen were a pair of Bullfinches, a family group of 8 to10 Long Tailed Tits, 3 Blue Tits, 2 Coal Tits and a Sparrow Hawk (hunting the finches).On the estuary were large numbers of Brent, Curlew, Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal, Redshank and Dunlin with good numbers of Shelduck Little Grebe, Greater Black Backed Gulls Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, with a few Black-tailed Godwit and Malard. Also seen were 2 Little Egret, 3 Goldeneye a single Peregrine, a Grey Plover and a Spotted Redshank. JF29 November, 2007
A Buzzard was seen this morning over the Tolka at Ashtown. It was being mobbed by four Hooded Crows.DMcC26 November, 2007
Great Spotted Woodpecker in a garden near Howth Summit seen at 9.15 this morning.PW Little Egret was seen at 2pm flying towards Milltown over Dodder Path Walk, Clonskeagh. JGSunday 25 November, 2007
On Bull Island between 1.00 to 4.00pm.there were good numbers of Brent, Shell Duck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail and Teal .There were also good numbers of Gulls, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing and Curlew. Also seen were 5 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 2 Greenshank. JF Possible Barnacle Goose on its own (Not with the Brent) down at the northern end of the Island - anyone around tomorrow to check this out???
Whooper Swan at Swords. Brian Keogh
Saturday, 24 November, 2007
Bumper birding time again in North Dublin with a Short-eared Owl at Bremore, Balbriggan in front of You-Know-Who's apartment! The 3 Lapland Buntings are still present together with 2 new Snow Buntings, 2 Short-eared Owls at Lowtherstown, Balbriggan.AKNews from Oscar and Margaret at St Louis on the border of Mauritania.
Parc National des Oiseaux de Djoudj. A great place with 100 bird species, crocodiles, monitor lizards and warthogs. Fantastic White Pelican colony, and thousands of Cormorants and other waterbirds. Lots of Blue cheeked Bee eaters, Ospreys, and some Black Storks and Black Crowned Cranes. European Spoonbill leg rings read probably from NL. Combined Gambia and Senegal list is now 290 species, with 10 days to go.OM and MM23 November, 2007
North of the causeway on the Bull Island today there was a Green -winged Teal, 2 Carrion Crows, and a visiting Herring Gull from Scandinavia/ Baltic region. See if you can pick this one out!. The bird is slightly larger than our home bred Herring Gulls with a whiter wing tip and a darker grey back. The female Blue-winged Teal is still there.RV So no shortage of challenging birds for you and all on the bus route!!22 November, 2007
Highlights in Dublin today include a 2nd yr Yellow Legged Gull and an adult Mediterranean Gull at Gormanstown, a superb male Black Redstart at Balbriggan Harbour and a Whooper Swords. Big Golden Plover flock also present at Swords. ED, MO'CSunday 18 November, 2007
3 Lapland Buntings in the stubble field at Lowtherstown, between Balbriggan and Gormanstown.AKSaturday 17 November, 2007
Tolka Branch members were out in force this morning on the Bull Island and Swords. Reported at Swords were Lapwings giving their usual arial displays. A large group of Golden Eye, Great Crested Grebes, a few Mergansers, Golden Plover to beat the band, a few Greenshanks, wall to wall Brent geese of course and not forgetting a Peregrine Falcon who lifted the birds at different stages. Also a couple of Shoveller, two Pochard and all the usual suspects - Redshanks, Cormorants and Godwits. MH15 November, 2007
Foraging parties of Long-tailed Tits seen today lunchtime in Belfield Office Park, Clonskeagh. Large Greenfinch flocks in the Beech and Yew trees at Richview, Belfield. JG,LB14 November, 2007
Female Velvet Scoter seen off Balbriggan today. PK13 November, 2007
A Little Auk was found this morning in the car park of Trinity College. In a distressed state, the bird was rescued and cared for during the day by a well known Dublin Birder and brought to Dun Laoghaire to be released back to the sea only to be promptly gobbled up by a Great black-backed Gull.(this over 18 scene was witnessed by HD and NTK) On to more sedate matters.The Pink-footed Goose was still in the field at Bremore! AK The female Blue-winged Teal gave excellent views on the Bull Island at 11:00 showing north of the causeway at the outflow. A hybrid Carrion X Hooded Crow also present. NK
Whooper Swans from Saturday's Tolka Branch outing to the midland lakes. John Fox
12 November, 2007
Pink-footed Goose landed in the fields by the sea at Bremore this morning.AK.Sunday 11 November, 2007
Cattle Egret still at Kilcoole today. KG 56 Whooper Swans (17 1st years) and the Barnacle Goose in the field behind Webb's field. 5 Gadwall and 15 Shoveler in the channels south of The Breaches. Impressive selection of raptors with Peregrine, Kestrel, Merlin and Buzzard all hunting the area. Several Red-throated Divers and a male Goldeneye offshore. NTK, NK, GC, E O'F Balscadden Beach at Howth was very productive this morning with 1 Black Redstart, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Rock Pipits, 2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Stonechat, 20 approx Turnstones, 15 Redshank, Blackheaded Gulls and Starlings! HQ
Cattle Egret at Kilcoole. Robert Vaughan
Spotted Redshank and a Water Rail in the ditch to the right of the hide at Rogerstpown. 68 Greylag Geese also present.DOM 3 Whooper Swans flew north over Bremore. AK At Cruisetown Stand, Co. Louth this afternoon the Forster's Tern was on show at ranges of about 50 meters sitting on the beach and fishing in the surf. An adult Mediterranean Gull was also here. There was plenty to be seen out to sea with a moulting summer-winter plumage Black-throated Diver, 4 Great Northern Divers, several Red-throated Divers, impressive numbers of Common Scoter and 6 Scaup noted. 90 Whooper Swans (13 1st years) were seen in the fields behind the strand.NK NTK
Saturday, 10 November, 2007
Cattle Egret (found by RV yesterday) and a White-rumped Sandpiper (found by AK) were observed by a number of birders at Kilcoole today. 30 Greylag Geese overhead flying north.DF LB Also two Short-eared Owls at the Newcastle airfield.Blue- winged Teal again opposite the St Annes car park. Female Merlin also present on the Bull.DOM9 November , 2007
A female type Marsh Harrier was seen being mobbed by crows in the fields behind the BWI reserve at Kilcoole.GC An adult Mediterranean Gull was also in The Breaches.NTK
Snow Buntings on Dollymount Strand on Wednesday this week! Manus Curran
7 November, 2007
News just in from the tropics where Oscar and Margaret Merne have seen "a gentle 160 species, with a nice mix of Afrotropical and Palaearctic species" in the Gambia. This includes 25 waders, terns and gulls species on the tiny Bijol Islands. Oscar and Margaret have been there only 5 days and plan to travel up the Gambia River tomorrow to Tendabe, Georgetown and Basse. Then they leave from Farrafenni and take a Peugeot taxi to Kaolack and on the Dakar. We hope to receive another report from Oscar and Margaret from the border with Mauretania.
6 November, 2007
Woodcock found dead on Kildare Street early this morning! RV Peregrine Falcon seen today at 1:15pm over the AIB building on Harcourt Road flying towards Stephens Green.AR
Woodcock found on Kildare Street. Robert Vaughan
5 November, 2007
A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen flying south at Bremore, Balbriggan along the coast, before turning and flying inland fairly high over the town.AK
Plenty of activity down by the causeway at Dollier this afternoon! Hundreds of Brent geese, a Whimbrel, Widgeon, Teal, Pintails, and the usual Gulls, Redshank, Oystercatchers etc.Lots of Lapwing lifted by a Peregrine Falcon who actually caught one mid air! MH.
Sunday 4 November, 2007
On Howth Head this morning there was a flock of 14 Fieldfares and Redwings. 12 Red-breasted Mergansers were swimming with the geese on the south side of the Wooden Bridge in the Tolka basin.HQ,LB2 November, 2007
2 female-type Long-tailed Ducks, 85 Great Crested Grebes and 9 Common Scoter were off the Poolbeg. A juv. Peregrine and a hybrid Carrion X Hooded Crow were at Shelly Beach, Poolbeg. NK
Adult Peregrine Falcon on the east side of the Central Bank on Dame St this lunchtime. Also at dusk a wonderful tea-time spectacle of the city centre Pied Wagtails coming in to roost on the (by now very noisy) tree on the junction of O'Connell Bridge and Bachelors Walk. Difficult to count the Wagtails as the leaves are still on this tree but there are well over 200 individuals. If you are passing this very busy area at dusk take a minute to look up and listen to this delightful city centre phenomenon ! LB
Whimbrel at Malahide. Ray Kellett. Note the bold crown stripes
1 November, 2007
2 Common Terns and a juv. Arctic Tern feeding off the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire. NK
31st October, 2007
!Brent Geese finally arrived in Baldoyle Estuary at Sutton Golf Club c150 birds.BQSunday 28 October, 2007
3 Water Rails and a Stoat reported at Rogerstown today. TL South Dublin Bay coast from Irishtown to Williamstown, including Booterstown Marsh, from HT-3 hrs to HT there was a total of 3,300 waterbirds present, with the following of note: 812 Oystercatchers, 335 Sanderling, 405 Dunlin, 60 Curlew, 200 Black-tailed Godwit, 555 Redshank, 790 Black-headed Gull. OM At Malahide outer estuary there was 1 Whimbrel, 14 Greenshank, 8 Grey Plover, c 150 Redshank. At the Inner estuary c200 Godwit, 4 Little Grebe, 6 Teal and 1 Buzzard. At Rogerstown 9 Greylag, c 150 Brent, 10 Little Egret,1 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 3 Spotted Redshank also good numbers of Curlew, Teal and Widgeon. RKOn the rising tide this sunny morning on the Bull the Blue-winged Teal was again on show opposite the car park entrance to St Annes with the Shoveler and hundreds of winter ducks and Brent Geese. 10 Knot stuck together in a group among the ducks ( Widgeon, Teal, Mallard and Shelduck) On the other side of the causeway looking north there were 10 Little Egrets at the freshwater outflow, good numbers of Brent Geese, Redshank, Common Gulls and Herring Gulls with smaller numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls, Dunlin, Greenshank and Godwits. Further out on the tide there were over 200 Pintail ducks. Beyond the ducks there were more than 300 Curlew. The Pintail move in closer to the causeway on the full tide.Beautiful birds! LB. HQ, BQ
And there were 10 birdwatchers on the Causeway this morning!
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