31
March 2007
At Broad Lough, a Swallow was seeen
flying north and more than 150 Common Gulls, mostly first year
birds, passed through in one flock.MS
Spot
the Bird!! And what is it?
This
is the Editor's attempt at photography!! However, we would welcome suggestions
as to what this bird was today in a city centre location. Answers to news@dublinbirding.ie
by 15 April.LB
30
March, 2007
At Kilcoole the Garganey and Green-winged Teal were
still present.A pair of Gadwall was at the Breaches as was a female
Merlin. A male Tufted Duck was seen and at least ten Sand
Martins were flying in the area.MS
29
March, 2007
At Dun Laoghaire, West Pier 4 Common Scoters, 4 Gannets
and in the port about a dozen displaying Black Guillemots and 5
Grey Seals. In Kilcoole, 1 male Garganey, a male Green-winged
Teal, one Dark-bellied Brent, 6 Red-throated Divers, 16 Whooper
Swans, 600 Golden Plovers and 20 Sand
Martins. Total of 63 species seen in the day. PM
Two 1st-winter Iceland
Gull at the Shanganagh outflow. Chiffchaff and a Blackcap
singing on Killiney Hill, heard from the Vico Road. NK
28
March 2007
Adult Ring-billed Gull in Bray harbour this morning and 2 Sandwich
Terns out to sea. Blackcap singing in Stephens Green this afternoon,
but no sign of the Iceland Gull, although there were 6 Lesser Black-
backed Gulls.RV
This evening at Dun Laoghaire a Sandwich Tern
was seen off the East Pier.KG
The adult Kumlien's Gull was seen
feeding along the shore near Blackrock DART Station in the afternoon.NK, HD.
Iceland Gull at the Sean O'Casey Bridge
27
March, 2007
Iceland Gull
at Sean O Casey Bridge on the Liffey today at 11.45am. 6
Black Guillemots also present. See Sean Geraty's photos above and below.SG
Chiffchaff in song today at FitzSimons
Wood, Sandyford.CMacL
And another Chiffchaff in Howth that managed
to put Heather off her putt on the 7th green!! HQ
One Little Egret seen at the Dog
Pond on the opposite side of the Main Road from Dublin
Zoo.DMcC
An evening watch at Sandymount Strand produced 1 adult and
2 1st-winter Iceland Gulls, 2-3 Sandwich Terns and good
numbers of Mediterranean Gulls (especially 1st-winters). NK and NTK
A Blackcap was singing in a Glassnevin garden. ED
Black
Guilllemot on the Liffey
26
March, 2007
A male Wheatear was seen on the Shelly beach at Poolbeg. NK
Sunday
25 March, 2007
At Rogerstown today there was a Yellowhammer, 4 Greylag
Geese,
a Glaucous Gull and a Merlin - see Bill Quinn's photo below.
BQ,HQ An Iceland Gull was seen this afternoon at the Sean O Casey
Bridge on the Liffey.KG Also at Garristown a Chiffchaff was
calling. JD Sandymount in the evening produced an adult summer Yellow-legged
Gull showing characteristics of atlantis ("Azorean/Atlantic
Yellow-legged Gull"),
2 1st-winter Iceland Gulls, a (dark) 1st-winter Glaucous Gull,
an adult Ring-billed Gull and 10+ Mediterranean Gulls. NK Bar-tailed
Godwit and a Knot were seen at Kilcoole together with the birds
recorded present on the 24th (see Tolka trip report). NTK and NK
5
Buzzards on M1 Sunday. 1 at airport, 2 at Swords & 2 at
Gormanstown. Also 2 Kestrels one at Balbriggan and one at Swords.AR
Merlin in Rogerstown today, Bill Quinn
Saturday
24 March, 2007
Highlight today was the Tolka Branch outing to Kilcoole!
In bright sunshine and calm conditions 25 birdwatchers saw 35 species of
sea and wetland birds as well as 23 species of non-wetland birds! We will
shortly post a separate trip report with the details on the trip report
section of this website. Among the more unusual birds seen were a Garganey, Green-winged
Teal, a 1st winter Glaucous Gull and a dark-bellied Brent
Goose. OM, LB
A (pale) 1st-winter Glaucous Gull
was at Bullock Harbour. NK
At
Swords today 1 ad. Little Gull and 3 Whooper Swans were present.
One dark-bellied Brent on Rogerstown outer estuary.AK
A pair of Goldfinches
observed in a Lucan garden feeding on Nyger seed - see photo below. (male left,
female right - red does not extent behind the eye in the female)SG
Goldfinches in Lucan, Sean Geraty
23
March, 2007
A 1st. winter Little Gull was seen this morning on the
beach north of Balbriggan and offshore.AK At Sandymount in the afternoon
there was a (pale) 1st-winter Iceland Gull, 3 adult Ring-billed Gulls
and 10+ Mediterranean Gulls (all 1st-years/2nd-years). NTK
22
March , 2007
Gulls in Dublin Bay at dusk are down to 5,000 now - with fewer Black-headed
and more of the larger gulls. Two Iceland Gulls and a Kumlien's Gull
were seen at Merrion Gates this evening.OM First winter
Iceland Gull
seen at the Sean O Casey bridge on the Liffey at noon today.
SG At the Poolbeg there was a female Long-tailed Duck and a
(pale) 1st-winter Glaucous Gull
out in the bay and an adult summer plumaged Ring-billed Gull at
the outflow. NK
21
March, 2007
One adult Mediterranean Gull in Bray harbour
today. On Sandymount there were 3 adult and 1 1st year Ring-billed Gulls
and over 100 Sanderlings at high tide. In Booterstown there were 2 Little Egrets.
RV
The 1st-year male Black Redstart still present on the West Pier,
Dun Laoghaire. 4 Great Northern Divers were also seen in Dublin
Bay from the pier. A pair of Peregrines were on the beach at low
tide by the Poolbeg.NK
20
March, 2007
4 Buzzards seen today at Rathcoole off the Naas Road. An
amazing sight! Watch out for displaying raptors at this time of
year.JL Having disappeared about 3 weeks ago the Rathfarnham
Dippers (pair) are back again under the bridge behind Rathfarnham shopping centre yesterday and again today.
RV Surprising what you can see in city parks and ponds.... an Iceland
Gull was seen again in St Stephen's Green today.KG (last
reported here on 7 March).
19
March,
2007
30ish Common Scoters at Balbriggan seen from Hampton Cove Housing
Estate. HQ LB
18
March, 2007
Today at Killoughter Marshes there were 2 Gadwall (a pair)
and one female Hen Harrier. We are delighted to report the first Sand
Martins (4 at Killoughter) notified to this website! MS Despite
the miserable weather Spring has arrived...!
17
March, 2007
At Kilcoole - Newcastle one male Garganey, a singing Chiffchaff
and one female Gadwall MS
16 March, 2007
One Chiffchaff calling at the Birdwatch Ireland Reserve at
Blackditch. 20+ Redwings also flying about between the trees there.LB
14
March, 2007
Thanks to members of the Keogh family out birding in Newcastle-
Kilcoole we have an excellent variety of sightings for today. Newcastle :
1 Blackcap singing at Newcastle Village. 3 Chiffchaffs (2
singing), a female Hen Harrier, 5 Little Egrets and 2 Ravens
at Blackditch (Birdwatch Ireland reserve). At Kilcoole : 1 drake Green Winged
Teal, an adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose and a Carrion
Crow were in Webb's field. Good numbers of other birds including 175
Greylag Geese, c. 480 Brent Geese, 66 Whooper Swans, c.420 Golden Plover,
9 Shoveler and 53 Black-tailed Godwits also present. 1 Great
Northern Diver and c.16 Red-throated Divers were offshore. NTK
A White Wagtail was also seen in Webb's field.BH Closer to
Dublin, an adult Kumliens Gull was
found at Shanganagh, Shankill, Co. Dublin at 15:00 this afternoon, along
with an adult and a 1st-winter Iceland Gull.Birds were present with
the gull flock feeding at the sewage outflow at sea, but were also seen
very well on the beach where the Shanganagh River enters the sea. 6 Mediterranean
Gulls were also seen there. (NK and NTK)
Also a Buzzard was
seen
over Ashtown train station, Dublin 15 this afternoon.AR
Bullock Harbour Iceland Gull.
Photo, Pat Lenihan
13
March, 2007
Female/immature type Black Redstart present about half way up
the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire. The Bullock Harbour 1st winter Iceland
Gull and 6 Mediterranean Gulls were with the mixed gull flock
at the Shanganagh Outflow. NK
12
March, 2007
Two long-tailed Tits
at a peanut feeder in Heather's garden in Howth. Long-tailed Tits
and Redpolls also frequenting a garden in Sandyford with a Blackcap
present up to yesterday.CMcL
3 Ruff still present today with
Curlew in fields between Balbriggan and Gormanston (Bremore area).AK At Kilcoole-Newcastle
a good mix of birds -- 66 Whoopers, over 600 Brents, Greylags, Little
Egrets, Shovelers, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Golden Plover and 52 Black-tailed Godwits
(a lot for this site).
OM
Sunday
11 March, 2007
One Black-throated Diver (rare east coat visitor and last
reported to this website on 23 December 2006 by OM) seen off the
Cliff Walk, Bray Head, today at 3pm with a Red-throated Diver nearby. Also
present was a Peregrine Falcon. A Harbour Porpoise also seen off the
cliff-walk bends.CMcL
At Rogerstown this morning one Pink-footed Goose and a female
Merlin. At Swords Estuary where there was a female Ruff
near the motorway bridge.BG
A first -winter Little Gull
seen loafing on a shingle bank in the river at Arklow. At Bray Harbour
there was a first-winter Ring-billed Gull.OM 1st winter Iceland Gull
still at Bullock Harbour. Immature male Black
Redstart and Sandwich Tern at the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire
Harbour. At Merrion Gates there was 5 Ring-billed Gulls (4 adults
and a 2nd year), a 1st winter Iceland Gull, a 1st winter Glaucous
Gull, a Sandwich Tern (presumably the West Pier bird) and
c.25 Mediterranean Gulls.HD
At the outflow out from Bray Harbour there was
an adult Iceland Gull and a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull. SK
Saturday 10 March, 2007
Two Pink-footed Geese, a Dark-bellied Brent and a Spotted
Redshank today at Rogerstown.( see photos of these birds in the
January and February listings - links below in underlined blue) ED
Bird numbers were down to 15,000 at Dundalk
Bay. The top five species were all waders -- Knot 3410, Oystercatcher
3030, Golden Plover 2850, Redshank 1385, and Bar-tailed Godwit 1160. There
were two adult Pink-footed Geese with 120 Greylags at
the Lurgangreen North saltmarsh, a female Peregrine perched
on driftwood, and a pair of Buzzards
in courtship flight. At Swords Estuary there were 97 Mute
Swans, 310 Black-tailed Godwits, 315 Redshanks, 210 Dunlin and 112 Knot.
At Portmarnock there was a tame flock of c.530 Brents, four with colour
rings. Gull count in Dublin Bay down to 4,800. A Barn Owl flew
over the M11 just before the Bray turn.
OM
Meanwhile at Merrion Gates, Sandymount Strand this afternoon
there was a 1st winter Iceland Gull, c.10 Mediterranean Gulls, c.15
Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a minimum of 6 Ring-billed Gulls!! (2
adult summers, 2-3 adult winters, a 2nd year and a 1st year.). A Little
Egret and good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits were also present. NOTE : The
Iceland Gull here is a different bird to that present at Bullock Harbour
recently. (NTK)
9
March , 2007
An adult Yellow-legged Gull was present at Sandymount Strand in the
evening. Seen from the last car park towards at the northern end of the
strand. The 1st winter Iceland Gull is still present at Bulloch
Harbour.
