Recent reports

Waterford bird records August 2009 (details subject to verification or correction)

older records - archive

See migrant Lepidoptera page also (highlights below)

August 2009

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Mon 31 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: 4 juvenile Arctic Terns at Ballinclamper.

Sun 30 Aug:

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Balearic Shearwaters feeding close inshore, 905 Manx Shearwaters, 115 Fulmars, Great Skua, Arctic Skua & Common Scoter west (seawatch 07:50-10:20).

CLONEA STRAND: 3 White Wagtails, Whimbrel & 78 Ringed Plover at Ballinclamper.

BALLYNACOURTY POINT: 9 Arctic Skuas.

ARDMORE: Juvenile Arctic Tern & 3 Mediterranean Gulls (juv & 2 adults) on beach.

Sat 29 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper, juvenile Ruff, adult Mediterranean Gull & (well inshore) an ill or injured Fulmar at Ballyneety; juv Curlew Sandpiper at the Cunnigar.

CLONEA STRAND: 5 early Brent Geese & 3 White Wagtails at Ballinclamper, Arctic Skua offshore there.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1600 Manx Shearwaters west in 45 min seawatch 13:10-13:55; 650 west in 1 hr 18:45-19:45.

BELLE LAKE: 28 Sedge Warblers ringed, 2 Water Rails heard.

Thurs 27 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: A Mink seen walking down main street of Dungarvan town around lunchtime; adult Mediterranean Gull at Barnawee bridge.

Weds 26 Aug:

HELVICK HEAD: A seawatch 06:50-08:20 noted westward passage of an adult SABINES GULL, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, an unidentified petrel species, 2 Arctic Skuas, juvenile Pomarine Skua , 2 Great Skuas, juv Little Gull, 2 Puffins, Common Scoter, 9000+ Manx Shearwaters (plus c500 on sea), c450 Gannets, c900 Fulmars, c1500 Sandwich Terns & c700 'Commic' Terns. A further Arctic Skua & 2 Great Skuas later in morning.

Tues 25 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: Adult Pomarine Skua off Ballinclamper.

Mon 24 Aug:

ARDMORE: 4 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults & 2 juveniles) in harbour, one juv with a green ring.

Sun 23 Aug:

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 3 Sooty Shearwaters & 6400 Manx Shearwaters west, Great Skua east, Arctic or Pomarine Skua west, 3 Common Scoter east & 4 west (seawatch 08:55-11:55).

HELVICK HEAD: 2 Sooty Shearwaters, Great Skua & 3 Puffins west (seawatch 09:15-09:45); 485 Manx Shearwaters west (seawatch 18:55-19:55).

MINE HEAD: c.1500 Manx Shearwaters feeding off the head.

Sat 22 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: 3 Green Sandpipers & a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at the Cunnigar; Green Sandpiper at Ballyneety.

CLONEA STRAND: 7 Roseate Terns, 40+ Common Terns & adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper, & 2 Storm Petrels offshore.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warblers & 2 Whimbrel; 4 Storm Petrels & a Great Skua east (seawatch 19:20-20:20).

BELLE LAKE: 2 juvenile Reed Warblers & 24 Sedge Warblers ringed, Water Rail heard.

Fri 21 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper & adult Mediterranean Gull at the Cunnigar.

CLONEA STRAND: 66 Sandwich Terns at Ballinclamper.

HELVICK HEAD: 310 Manx Shearwaters west (65 east) in a 1-hr seawatch (18;15-19:15).

Thurs 20 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: Wood Sandpiper, juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, juv Mediterranean Gull & 2 juv Arctic Terns at the Cunnigar.

Weds 19 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: 2 Mediterranean Gulls (adult & juvenile), 5 Little Egrets & 42 Sandwich Terns.

DUNGARVAN: Ruff, 6 Knot, 140 Dunlin, 50 Ringed Plover, 120+ Bar-tailed Godwit & c190 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at the Cunnigar.

Tues 18 Aug:

HELVICK HEAD: 2 Storm Petrels & a Great Skua.

Mon 17 Aug:

MINE HEAD: 69 Manx Shearwaters north.

Sun 16 Aug:

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls at Saleen.

BELLE LAKE: 3 juvenile Reed Warblers & 14 Sedge Warblers ringed.

BALLINARD: Otter feeding here for the last week.

Fri 14 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: Juvenile Arctic Tern at Ballinclamper.

Thurs 13 Aug

East of HELVICK HEAD: 10 Storm Petrels & a Leatherback Turtle a mile east of Helvick Head.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Whooper / Mute Swan hybrid & 2 Common Sandpipers.

GREAT NEWTOWN HEAD: 175 Silver Y.

Tues 11 Aug:

COLLIGAN WOOD: 13+ Purple Hairstreak butterflies.

DUNGARVAN TOWN: Migrant Hawker dragonfly.

GREAT NEWTOWN HEAD: 200 Silver Y moths.

Sun 9 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: Juvenile Mediterranean Gull flew west at Ballinclamper.

BELLE LAKE: Water Rail calling.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Sedge Warbler.

Sat 8 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: Mediterranean Gull at the Cunnigar.

CLONEA STRAND: Adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper (white darvic ring).

BELLE LAKE: Adult Reed Warbler & 12 Sedge Warblers ringed.

Thurs 6 Aug:

CLONEA STRAND: 2 Mediterranean Gull (adult & juvenile) & 11 Common Sandpipers at Ballinclamper.

Nr DUNGARVAN: Barn Owl.

Nr CLASHMORE: 2 Long-eared Owls.

HELVICK HEAD: 5 young Common Lizards.

Weds 5 Aug:

DUNGARVAN: Great Skua flew west over Dungarvan town at 7.30 pm.

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 2 Hen Harriers.

WATERFORD CITY: Comma butterfly (first county record?) & Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Collins Avenue.

Tues 4 Aug:

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: OSPREY at Saleen.

Mon 3 Aug:

HELVICK HEAD: 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 40+ Storm Petrels, 2 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 12+ Common Scoters & 4 Puffins west (seawatches 17:00-18:00 & 18:15-20:30); 235 Manx Shearwaters west (17:00-18:00).

DUNGARVAN: Adult Mediterranean Gull at Killongford.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Great Skua & 2 Arctic Skuas west (seawatch 10:05-11:10).

Sun 2 Aug:

BELLE LAKE: Juvenile Reed Warbler ringed.

Sat 1 Aug:

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Storm Petrels tape-lured & ringed tonight.

CLONEA STRAND: 1st-summer Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper.

.click below for larger images

arcticskuas_ballynacourtypt_30082009_img_9271_small.jpg

Arctic Skuas, Ballynacourty Point, 30 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Curlew Sandpiper, juvenile, the Cunnigar, 29 Aug 2009 © M Cowming

Ruff, juvenile, Ballyneety, 29 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Green Sandpiper, Ballyneety, 29 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Brent Geese, adults, Ballinclamper, 29 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Sandwich Tern, adult, Ballinclamper, 29 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Willow Warbler, juvenile, Belle Lake, 29 Aug 2009 © PM Walsh

Roseate Tern, ringed adult with Sandwich Terns, Ballinclamper, 22 Aug 2009 © M Cowming

Herring Gull, adult, Dunmore East, 22 Aug 2009 © PM Walsh

Curlew Sandpiper, juvenile, the Cunnigar, 21 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

Grey Plover, adult, the Cunnigar, 21 Aug 2009 © D Clarke

leatherbackturtle_eofhelvick_13082009_img_7246_small.jpg

note diagnostic 'golf-tee' mark

Note: Sightings listed here are reports, not necessarily authenticated records. * = species for which the Irish Rare Birds Committee currently requires substantiating descriptions or photographs. Records are regularly updated, and older records added or amended where necessary . Many thanks to observers who provided records above - any further records (current or older) would be appreciated.

Please email any sightings, or text details of scarcer species to 0861701599; to report sightings of rarities to the national Birds of Ireland News Service (BINS), phone 01-8307364.

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