Bird reports January-February 2007

Waterford bird records January-February 2007

February 2007

Weds 28 Feb:

RINCREW (nr Youghal): 1st-winter CASPIAN GULL again present.

Mon 26 Feb:

RINCREW (nr Youghal): 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull (plus another 2nd-winter on Co Cork side of estuary), 1st-winter Iceland Gull & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

DUNGARVAN (I-WeBS count): Totals included 5 Red-throated Divers, 22 Great Crested Grebes, 433 Brent Geese; also a 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull (nr Stafford Miller) & a 1st-winter Iceland Gull (Ballynagaul).

CLONEA STRAND: 18 Great Northern & 19 Red-throated Divers, adult dark-bellied Brent Goose & 161 pale-bellied Brent.

Sun 25 Feb:

RINCREW (nr Youghal): 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull & a Ruff, on Waterford side.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Adult Ring-billed Gull & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count): Totals included 713 Brent Geese, 51 Shelduck, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 346 Oystercatcher, 523 Curlew, 26 Knot & 11 Greenshank; also 10 Choughs (nr Clohernragh) & 2 Merlins.

BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 3 Great Crested Grebes & 2 Greylag Geese (possiby feral birds).

COOLFIN/PORTLAW: Green Sandpiper along the Clodiagh river.

DERRIGAL: 45 Greylag Geese at Derrigal Cross-roads.

FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY: 3 Pink-footed Geese, 268 Greylag Geese, 43 Whooper Swans & 4 Little Egrets at Tibberaghny (Co Kilkenny); 80 Teal at Fiddown Bridge.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 5 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall & 48 Tufted Duck.

Sat 24 Feb:

YOUGHAL/KINSALEBEG: A 1st-winter CASPIAN GULL* flew from the Youghal (Co Cork) to the Kinsalebeg (Co Waterford) side of the Blackwater estuary - first county record for Waterford.

Tues 20 Feb:

KILBRIDE, nr Tramore: 17 Yellowhammers.

Mon 19 Feb:

DRUM HILLS: Male Hen Harrier.

BALLINDUD (Tramore Rd): 2 Little Egrets.

Sun 18 Feb:

HELVICK: Total 5 Iceland Gulls, including an adult, & an adult Mediterranean Gull.

COLLIGAN RIVER: Merlin, 2 Green Sandpipers & 2 Common Sandpipers upriver from Ballyneety.

TRAMORE BAY: 6 Great Northern & 21 Red-throated Divers.

Sat 17 Feb:

Waterford bird race: Four teams recorded county totals of 88 to 104 species each, with an overall total of 116 species. Records included:

RINCREW, nr Youghal: 2 Iceland Gulls on the Co Waterford side of the estuary.

LISMORE to BALLYDUFF: 3 female Blackcaps at Glenmore, west of the Towers.

DROMANA HOUSE (R. Blackwater): Green Sandpiper.

BALLYNATRAY: Common Sandpiper & 2-3 Jays.

Nr WHITING BAY: Tree Sparrows.

ARDMORE: 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

BALLINVELLA: Jay.

DRUM HILLS: Male Hen Harrier.

HELVICK: 4 Iceland Gulls , 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 2 1st-winter Little Gulls (1 dead in water).

DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper at Brickey river, female Goosander at Ballyneety.

CLONEA STRAND: Black-throated Diver, 16 Great Northern & 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Purple Sandpipers & a Chiffchaff, Ballinclamper.

PORTLAW: Kingfisher & Green Sandpiper on the Clodiagh River.

COOLFIN: 3 Pink-footed Geese.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 2 Gadwall & 4 Shoveler.

ANNESTOWN: Chiffchaff.

CASTLETOWN FEN: 2 Stock Doves.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Adult Ring-billed Gull.

Fri 16 Feb;
DUNGARVAN: Song Thrush feeding a fledgling in the grounds of GlaxoSmithKline - a very early breeding record.

BRIDANE: Green Sandpiper.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 4 Gadwall.

BALLINAMONA: 3 Little Egrets.

Weds 14 Feb:

KILBRIDE, nr Tramore: Merlin & 9 Yellowhammers.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 3 Gadwall.

HELVICK PIER: 5 Iceland Gulls.

Tues 13 Feb:

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 3rd-winter Iceland Gull.

BALLINAMONA: 3 Little Egrets.

Sun 11 Feb:

LITTLE ISLAND: Common Sandpiper near the ferry.

BALLYLEMON: Male & female Blackcap (male heard singing), also seen the previous week.

ARDMORE PIER: Female Blackcap.

RINCREW, nr Youghal: 1st-winter Iceland Gull & 1st-winter Glaucous Gull.

Sat 10 Feb:

HELVICK: 2 1st-winter Iceland Gulls.

DUNGARVAN: Yellow-legged Gull at the Cunnigar.

DUNGARVAN-CLONMEL ROAD: Male Hen Harrier.

STRADBALLY: 1st-winter Iceland Gull.

Fri 9 Feb-Sun 11 Feb:

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 4+ Gadwall.

Ties 6 Feb:

TRAMORE: Black Redstart at the Summerville estate.

Mon 5 Feb:

HELVICK: 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 1st-winter Iceland Gull, also lots of Gannets diving & 'huge numbers' of Razorbills (very few Guillemots) between Helvick and Ballynacourty lighthouse.

DUNGARVAN: 7 Red-throated Divers between Gold Coast and Ballynagaul.

Sun 4 Feb:

DUNGARVAN: Merlin at Kilossera, nr Killongford bridge.

DUNMORE EAST: Glaucous Gull, also 2 Mute Swans on sea in harbour.

Fri 2 Feb:

Off RAM HEAD: Unseasonal (winter or early?) Manx Shearwater offshore.

DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper on the Colligan.

January 2007

Weds 31 Jan:

Nr WHITING BAY/ARDMORE: Flock of Tree Sparrows still present in a farmyard.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 2 Mediterranean Gulls.

Mon 29 Jan:

YOUGHAL area: 4-5 Fin Whales south of Capel Island (Co Cork), present for almost a week - see Irish Whale & Dolphin Group website - with recent reports also from Bunmahon and Brownstown Head (Co Waterford) and Hook Head (Co Wexford). IWDG would wlecome any further sightings.

WATERFORD CITY: Flock of at least 5,000 Starlings over Tycor at dusk, presumably going to roost nearby.

Sun 28 Jan:

COOLFIN: 2 Pink-footed Geese.

BOATSTRAND: 2 1st-winter Mediterranean Gulls.

BUNMAHON: 1st-winter Glaucous Gull, Common Dolphins & a Fin Whale.

Sat 27 Jan:

BALLYSAGGART area (Knockmealdowns): Single Jack Snipe & Red Grouse today (up to 6 Grouse recently).

CLONEA STRAND: Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Ballinclamper.

HELVICK HEAD: 1st-winter Iceland Gull.

DUNGARVAN HARBOUR: Common Seal.

COOLFIN: 4 Pink-footed Geese with 167 Greylags, also a Merlin.

TIBBERAGHNY (Co Kilkenny side): 30 Whooper Swans & 25 Greylag Geese.

BALLYSHUNNOCK RSERVOIR: 3 Great Crested Grebes, Chiffchaff.

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 111 Mallard, 28 Tufted Duck.

Fri 26 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: Immature Iceland Gull at Barnawee.

Sun 21 Jan:

ARDMORE BAY: Great Northern Diver & adult Mediterranean Gull.

DUNMORE EAST: Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver, 5 Purple Sandpipers & an adult Iceland Gull.

CHEEKPOINT: 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls.

Sat 20 Jan:

Near ARDMORE/WHITING BAY: 30+ Tree Sparrows - probably the largest flock ever recorded in Co Waterford.

ARDMORE: 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

COOLFIN: 70+ Greylag Geese & a White-fronted Goose.

Sun 14 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: Black Brant, male Goosander, Kingfisher & 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety.

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count): Totals included 17 Little Egrets, 677 Brent Geese, 2900 Golden Plover, 140 Grey Plover, 71 Ringed Plover, 56 Sanderling, 688 Dunlin, 238 Black-tailed Godwit, 210 Bar-tailed Godwit, 677 Curlew, 165 Redshank & 11 Greenshank.

WATERFORD HARBOUR (CREADAN STRAND to PASSAGE EAST, I-WeBS count): Total included 12 Great Crested Grebes, 18 Brent Geese, 1025 Oystercatchers & 330+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls; also a Chiffchaff at Geneva Strand.

Fri 12 Jan:

STRADBALLY COVE: Little Auk, adult Yellow-legged Gull & Great Northern Diver.

CLONEA STRAND: Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 280 light-bellied Brent, 5 Great Northern Divers & a Red-throated Diver.

DUNGARVAN: Black Brant (at pitch & putt course), 722 light-bellied Brent, male Goosander at Ballyneety, male Green-winged Teal at Killongford, 10 Great Northern Divers, & a 1st-winter Ring-billed Gull at the Cunnigar.

Weds 10 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: 3 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety, opposite the Park Hotel, and 5 Great Northern Divers close inshore at the lookout.

Sat 6 Jan:

WOODSTOWN: 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull & a Chiffchaff.

DUNMORE EAST: 9 Purple Sandpipers.

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Kingfisher at Clohernagh, opposite Murphy's bar.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull (colour-ringed bird).

BALLYVOONEY COVE: 3 Red-throated Divers.

CLONEA STRAND: Red-throated Diver, 8 Great Northern Divers, 325 Brent Geese & 26 Sanderling.

DUNGARVAN: Chiffchaff at Abbeyside.

RAM HEAD: 12 Red-throated Divers, 2 Fin Whales, 15 Common Dolphins & 3 Porpoises.

Fri 5 Jan:

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Green Sandpiper near Kilmacleague.

Mon 1 Jan 2007:

HELVICK HEAD: Black Redstart.

DUNGARVAN: 3 Goosanders & 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety, 4 Common Sandpipers at Barnawee & a Green Sandpiper at the Brickey River.

CLONEA STRAND: Common Scoter off Ballinclamper.

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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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