June 2005
Last updated 7 July 2005
Tues 28 June:
HELVICK HEAD: 29 Common Scoters & 2 Great Skuas flew west.
Sat 25 June:
BALLYLEMON, CAPPAGH: 2 Green Sandpipers.
Thurs 23 June:
CREADAN: 1 Yellowhammer (S6902).
Sun 19 June:
CORBALLY: Singing Yellowhammer (S640010).
KNOCKBOY (Waterford city): Singing Yellowhammer (S640090).
Sat 18 June:
LICKY RIVER (from Marine Bar, Kiley's Cross Roads to Clashmore): 50 species, including male Hen
Harrier, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, Yellowhammer.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 1 Great Crested Grebe, singing Blackcap.
Sat 11 June:
KNOCKBOY (Waterford city): Female Cuckoo, 2 singing Blackcaps, plus a range of other breeding or territorial
species including Stonechat, Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit & Reed Bunting.
BELLE LAKE: Pair of Reed Warblers.
WOODSTOWN STRAND: 15+ Sand Martins, with up to 65 occupied burrows.
Nr KILMACLEAGUE: Male Yellowhammer (grid ref S645019).
CRUACHAN: 4 Cuckoos, 1 Jay.
RAM HEAD (breeding seabird counts): Fulmar - 35 apparently occupied sites (AOS); Kittiwake - 241-247
apparently occupied nests (AONs), down 27% since 2004, 53% since 1999; Herring Gull - 32-35 AONs; Great Black-backed
Gull - 4 AONs. Kittiwake numbers .
Fri 10 June:
HELVICK HEAD (breeding seabird counts): Fulmar - 25-27 apparently occupied sites; Shag - 3 apparently
occupied nests (AONs); Kittiwake - 828 AONs (down 11% since 1999); Herring Gull - 20-25 AONs; Great Black-backed Gull
- 1 AON; Guillemot - 1013 adults on cliffs; Razorbill - 26 adults on cliffs; Black Guillemot - 6 adults on sea.
Wed 8 June:
DUNMORE EAST: Kittiwake - 577 apparently occupied nests at 3 colonies.
PORTALLY: Kittiwake - 40 AONs. Total numbers at DE & Portally down 24% since last year.
Mon 6 June:
GLENDINE WOOD: 4 singing Blackcaps, Spotted Flycatcher pair (mobbing a Red
Squirrel), & 2 Jays.
STRANCALLY (R. Blackwater): 2 Fallow Deer.
Sat 4 June:
CLONEA STRAND/BALLYNACOURTY POINT: 2 very late (summering?) 1st-yr Brent Geese still present (one with
a head injury), also 20 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Knot, 3 Common or Arctic Terns, 1 Wheatear & 12 Chough.
Wed 1 June:
Off DUNGARVAN: An unidentified dark-rumped petrel species,
seen from a boat c.6 km offshore.
May 2005
Mon 30 May:
CRUACHAN: 1 Grasshopper Warbler.
Sun 29 May:
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 21 Little Egrets, 2 Whimbrel.
R. BRICKEY, DUNGARVAN: Good numbers of Blackcaps & Sedge Warblers; also a leucistic Kestrel.
Sat 28 May:
DUNGARVAN: 350 Black-tailed Godwits still at Ballyneety.
CLONEA STRAND: 2 late Brent Geese (1st-yr birds), 65 Bar-tailed Godwits .
Mon 23 May:
DUNGARVAN: 350 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Knot & 1 Whimbrel, Ballyneety.
Sun 22 May:
CRUACHAN: 1 Cuckoo.
Sun 15 May:
HELVICK HEAD: 1 Turtle Dove.
Thurs 12 May:
HELVICK HEAD: 1 Black Guillemot, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Chiffchaff.
DUNGARVAN: 34 Little Egrets, 12 Brent Geese, 86 Shelduck, 4 Whimbrel.
Sun 8 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 6+ Whimbrel; single Collared Dove, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff &
Spotted Flycatcher.
CASTLETOWN FEN: 7 Whimbrel, 1 Sedge Warbler.
Sat 7 May:
HELVICK HEAD: 1 Great Skua.
DUNGARVAN: 377 Brent Geese, 26 Little Egrets, 43 Whimbrel, 405 Black-tailed Godwits, 26 Knot.
CLONEA STRAND: 62 Brent Geese, 47 Whimbrel.
ANNESTOWN BOG: 2 Blackcaps & 3 Sedge Warblers.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 38 Brent Geese, 10 Little Egrets, 120 Whimbrel; 2 Yellowhammers (nr Lisselan).
Thurs 5 May:
Near WHITING BAY: Male Golden Oriole.
CLONEA STRAND: 2 Little Terns at Ballinclamper.
Mon 2 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 9 Whimbrel, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler.
CLONEA STRAND: 1 Great Northern Diver, 82 Brent Geese, 9 Sanderling, 1 Common Tern, 1 Wheatear.
DUNGARVAN: 78 pale-bellied Brent, an adult dark-bellied Brent Goose &
2 Whimbrel at Barnawee.
Sun 1 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 41 Common Scoters flew E (1/2-hr seawatch 0815-0845 hrs); also 51 Whimbrel (including
28 in from sea), 14+ Swallows, 5 House Martins, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Wheatear, 1 Sedge Warbler, 6 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 2 Whimbrel at Clohernagh.
CLONEA STRAND: 1 Roseate Tern (1st of year) at Ballinclamper.
HELVICK HEAD: Large numbers of Manx Shearwaters & small numbers of Puffins
passing at sea; single Black Redstart, Blackcap, Whitethroat and (1st of year) Spotted Flycatcher
on land.
April 2005
Last updated 3 May
Sat 30 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Female or immature Golden Oriole, 8
Whimbrel, 1 Swift, 10+ Swallows, 2 House Martins, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, male Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat (1st
of year), 14 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs.
CLONEA STRAND: 3 Little Terns (1st of year).
Fri 29 Apr:
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 8 Little Egrets, 84 Whimbrel (mainly at
Ballinattin).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1+ Whimbrel, 1 Chiffchaff.
Thurs 28 Apr:
HELVICK HEAD: 240+ Manx Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas,
2 Pomarine Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua & 80+ Common/Arctic Terns, including
20+ Common Terns and 12 Arctic Terns, during seawatches totalling c.1 hr; also 1 Swift over
the sea & 4+ Willow Warblers on land.
DUNGARVAN: 13 Little Egrets, 90 Brent Geese, 110 Shelduck, 34 Whimbrel,
650 Black-tailed Godwits (Killongford), 1 Common Sandpiper (Ballyneety), & at least 2 Swifts over the town (today's birds,
at 3 locations, were 1st of the year for Waterford).
CLONEA STRAND: 2 Great Northern Divers, 525 Whimbrel (including birds arriving
from the south), 3 Swifts.
TOORANEENA: 1 Hen Harrier.
ANNESTOWN BOG: 1 Sedge Warbler.
Weds 27 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1 Chiffchaff.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 9 Little Egrets, 4 Brent Geese, 90 Whimbrel.
CLONEA STRAND: 21 Brent Geese, 152 Whimbrel.
DUNGARVAN: 3 Whimbrel at Barnawee.
Tues 26 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 20 Whimbrel, 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff.
TRAMORE BAY: 7 Great Skuas, 27 Sandwich Terns.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 2 Whimbrel at Clohernagh.
CASTLETOWN FEN: 1 Grasshopper Warbler.
Sun 24 Apr:
WOODSTOWN STRAND: 20+ Sand Martins prospecting at colony.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1+ Whimbrel, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Wheatear, 9 Willow Warblers,
2 Chiffchaffs, 17 Choughs, 1 Redpoll, 1 Siskin.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 83 Brent Geese, 1 Whimbrel.
CLONEA STRAND: 3 Gadwall on sea, 15 Whimbrel,
1 White Wagtail.
DUNGARVAN: 1 Whimbrel at Kilminnin.
HELVICK HEAD: 1 Wheatear.
Sat 23 Apr:
WATERFORD BIRD-RACE: Two teams each recorded totals of 94 species, with
103 species in total (full details will be added to Bird-race page soon).
BALLYDUFF: 1 Green Sandpiper;
1 Kingfisher at Ballyduff bridge.
Nr LISMORE: Good numbers of Yellowhammers.
RIVER BRIDE: 1 Long-eared Owl.
BALLYMACMAGUE: 2 singing Sedge Warblers.
DUNGARVAN: 1 Green Sandpiper,
plus Grasshopper Warblers (2) & Sedge Warblers, Brickey River; single Common
Sandpipers at Ballyneety & Barnawee; 8 Great Skuas on sea off Ballynacourty pier.
BALLINARD: 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear.
BALLYVOYLE: 1 Hen Harrier.
BALLYVOONEY COVE: 2nd-summer Iceland Gull.
DUNMORE EAST: 5 Purple Sandpipers.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 4 House Martins, 1 Willow Warbler.
OTHER SITES: Whimbrels were recorded at various coastal sites; Blackcaps
at various sites (mostly singing males in suitable habitat); Hen Harrier at one additional coastal
site.
Tues 19 Apr:
DUNGARVAN: 1 Green Sandpiper &
1 House Martin along River Brickey canal.
Sun 17 Apr:
HELVICK HEAD: Female Blackcap, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, many Willow Warblers.
RING: 1 House Martin.
CLONEA STRAND: 2 adult dark-bellied Brent Geese
(with 63 pale-bellied Brent), 2 Whimbrel, 3 Sandwich Terns, 1 Black Guillemot, 4 Swallows, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Wheatear, 1 Chiffchaff.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1 Willow Warbler.
Sat 16 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Single Whimbrel, Swallow + Willow Warbler.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 1 House Martin.
BUNMAHON: 6 Great Northern Divers,
1 Green Sandpiper.
DUNGARVAN: 1 Common Sandpiper at Ballyneety.
BALLYNATRAY: 5 Common Sandpipers.
BALLYDUFF: 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Otters.
Thurs 14 Apr:
KILMANAHAN, nr Knocklofty: 1 House Martin.
Sun 10 Apr:
WHITING BAY: 3 Swallows.
Sat 9 Apr:
BLACKWATER CALLOWS: 44 Whooper Swans, 2 Greylag Geese, west of Lismore.
CAPPOQUIN: 2 Yellowhammers.
LISMORE: 2 Yellowhammers.
DUNGARVAN: 1 Common Sandpiper & 1 Mediterranean
Gull, Ballyneety; 1 Red-throated Diver.
Thurs 7 Apr:
DUNGARVAN: Black-throated Diver at the Colligan
estuary.
Mon 4 Apr:
BALLINLOUGH: First Cuckoo of the year heard.
Sun 3 Apr:
DUNGARVAN: Alpine Swift (3rd county record)
at Abbeyside, feeding low over housing estate and treetops, late afternoon/early evening.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1 Tree Sparrow, 6 Willow Warblers,
1 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrests.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 21 Little Egrets, 316 Brent Geese, 39 Shelduck; also,
singing Chiffchaffs at Corballymore Wood and Lisselan.
Sat 2 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, &
an early Red Admiral butterfly.
BALLYVOREEN (N of Callaghane): 2 House Martins, 1 Yellowhammer.
KILMEADEN POOLS: 1 Whooper Swan
DEELISH: 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Swallow.
HELVICK HEAD: 3 Sandwich Terns, 2 Swallows, 4 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows.
Fri 1 Apr:
DUNGARVAN: 1st-winter Iceland Gull, Ballyneety,
opposite cattle-mart.
