December 2005
Last updated 20 Feb 2006.
Sat 31 Dec:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe, 45 Wigeon, 25 Teal, 24 Tufted Duck, 24 Pochard
& an Otter.
KILMEADEN POOLS: 3 Shoveler (male & 2 females), 2 Green Sandpipers.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: Chiffchaff.
Tues 27 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1st- & 2nd-winter).
BALLYVOONEY COVE: 5 Common Scoter.
KILMEADEN POOLS: Green Sandpiper & Water Pipit.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe & 2 Whooper Swans.
BALLINLOUGH: 5 Whooper Swans.
COOLFIN/DERRIGAL: Pink-footed Goose & 272 Greylag Geese at Derrigal cross-roads;
Green Sandpiper & Chiffchaff at Coolfin; 75 Wigeon along River Suir.
FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY: Little Egret & 39 Whooper Swans (on Kilkenny side), Stock Dove.
LISSELAN (nr Tramore): 3 Yellowhammers.
Mon 26 Dec:
LISMORE area: 10 Yellowhammers nr Lismore, 17 Crossbills between Lismore & the Vee.
Sun 25 Dec:
PICKARDSTOWN (Tramore road): Wing-tagged Red Kite - also seen 9 & 12 Jan
2006.
c.25 Dec:
BALLYLEMON, CAPPAGH: Male Blackcap.
Fri 23 Dec:
ARDMORE: Adult Mediterranean Gull.
Sat 24 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: 2 or 3 Chiffchaffs & a Whimbrel at Knockanpower Lower (Ring); also a Whimbrel at Ballynacourty.
HELVICK HEAD: Small numbers of dolphins & Porpoise.
Sat 17 Dec:
CAMPHIRE BRIDGE (R. Blackwater): Green Sandpiper.
Fri 16 Dec:
LITTLE ISLAND (I-WeBS count): Totals included a Little Egret, 59 Wigeon, 1163 Lapwing, a Jack
Snipe, 86 Redshank, a Greenshank & 2 Turnstone.
Weds 14 & Thurs 15 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: Male Goosander at Ballyneety.
Tues 13 Dec:
KILMEADEN POOLS: Water Pipit still present, also a Water Rail
& Choughs heard.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe still present.
Sun 11 Dec:
KILMEADEN POOLS: Water Pipit.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe.
BALLYDWAN: 2 Common Scoters & male Black Redstart.
CLONEA STRAND: 6 Great Northern & 69 Red-throated Divers - also more Red-throats than usual at other sites
east to Bunmahon.
BALLINARD: 4 Purple Sandpipers.
Sat 10 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: Adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety, 2 Blackcaps and female
Brambling in town
Thurs 8 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: Mediterranean Gull (with a green colour-ring) at Ballyneety.
Weds 7 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: Adult Black Brant & adult dark-bellied Brent
Goose at the CBS football pitch.
Tues 6 Dec:
BLACKWATER & BRIDE RIVERS: Total count of 557 Whooper Swans (mainly Co Waterford).
Mon 5 Dec:
Nr TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Report of a Spoonbill seen in flight - can anyone provide further
details?
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe.
KILMEADEN POOLS: Water Pipit.
Sun 4 Dec:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Red-necked Grebe.
KILMEADEN POOLS: 2 (possibly 3) Water Pipits (the first since last
winter's birds) & 2 Green Sandpipers.
DERRIGAL/COOLFIN: Pink-footed Goose & 180 Greylag Geese (one with white neck-band
'NBX') at Derrigal Cross; Green Sandpiper & Kingfisher at Clodiagh
Bridge.
DUNGARVAN: In Ballyneety area, 2 Tree Sparrows & 5+ Bramblings
at the dump, male Goosander & an eastern-race Jackdaw (1st county
record) opposite the Park Hotel.
VEE GAP: Male Hen Harrier.
Sat 3 Dec:
DUNGARVAN: Black Brant on pitch & putt course near the sports centre; Tree
Sparrow & 4 Bramblings in stubble field near the old dump at Ballyneety.
CLONEA STRAND: Purple Sandpiper, Black Redstart & Chiffchaff at Ballinclamper.
BUNMAHON: Long-tailed Duck & 15 Common Scoters.
November 2005
Sun 27 Nov:
Nr THE VEE: 5 or 6 Crossbills; also 4 or 5 Jays & 2 Red
Squirrels between there & Lismore.
WOODSTOWN STRAND: 10 Brent Geese, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Knot & 5 Sanderling.
Sat 26 Nov:
BLACKWATER CALLOWS: Male Hen Harrier between Lismore & Cappoquin, Little Egret west
of Ballyduff.
Thurs 24 Nov:
DUNGARVAN (I-WeBS count): Black Brant (off the Youghal road), 972
pale-bellied Brent Geese; female Goosander, Curlew Sandpiper & 2nd-winter
Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety.
CLONEA STRAND: 36 Ringed Plover, 10 Sanderling Purple Sandpiper & 2nd-winter Mediterranean
Gull.
Wed 23 Nov:
WHITING BAY: Red-throated Diver.
Sun 20 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town: Female Brambling.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 10 Little Grebes, 28 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 2 Goldeneye, 46 Wigeon & 30 Teal.
BALLINLOUGH: Water Rail.
KILMEADEN POOLS: 2 Water Rails & 24 Moorhen.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Redwings, 2 male Blackcaps & 10 Redpolls.
Sat 19 Nov:
LISMORE area: 54 Whooper Swans, Dipper, many Jays & 2 Yellowhammers.
BALLYDUFF: 10 Whooper Swans, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs.
BOGGAGH, nr the Vee: Male Hen Harrier.
DUNGARVAN: Female Goosander & 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull
at Ballyneety.
BALLINARD (Ballynacourty Pt): Adult Yellow-legged Gull, female Brambling.
BALLYVOONEY COVE: Single Great Northern & Red-throated Diver; large auks (Razorbill & Guillemot) passing
E at c.2700 per hr (670 E 1550-1605 hrs).
Wed 16 Nov:
RATHMOYLAN: Brambling.
Sun 13 Nov:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Brambling.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count): Totals included 656 Brent Geese, 102 Mallard, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 26 Little
Egrets, 437 Oystercatchers, 2-3000 Golden Plover, 93 Grey Plover, 51 Ringed Plover, 45 Sanderling, 443 Curlew, 340 Black-tailed
Godwit, 411 Redshank, 13 Greenshank, 49 Turnstone & a
Jack Snipe (full details).
Sat 12 Nov:
Near LISMORE: Buzzard just outside the town, and Crossbills
still present in a garden.
BUNMAHON: Snow Bunting.
Wed 9 Nov:
ARDMORE: 8 Common Scoters.
Mon 7 Nov:
WATERFORD CITY: Jay, Maypark Lane (by Waterford Regional Hospital).
Near DUNGARVAN: Merlin at the Master McGrath monument.
Near LISMORE: Crossbills present in garden, and also seen
at the Vee woods, on Tipperary border.
Sun 6 Nov:
ARDMORE: Adult Mediterranean Gull on beach.
Near LISMORE: Crossbills again present.
ANNESTOWN: Male Hen Harrier.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 200 Skylarks, Chiffchaff & a flock of 40 Choughs.
COOLFIN/PORTNASCULLY: 72 Greylag Geese on Kilkenny side of R. Suir (at Portnascully).
FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY: 2 Little Egrets.
Sat 5 Nov:
HELVICK HEAD: 4 male Blackcaps & a Black Redstart.
CLONEA/BALLINARD: 15 Great Northern Divers, 10 Choughs & a (late) Clouded
Yellow butterfly.
BALLYVOONEY COVE: Male Surf Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers
& a Great Northern Diver.
Fri 4 Nov:
WHITING BAY: Wheatear still present.
DUNGARVAN: Another late Wheatear, at the Cunnigar.
Thurs 3 & Fri 4 Nov:
Near LISMORE: 17-20
Crossbills,
now feeding on beech-nuts in a garden here.
Thurs 3 Nov:
ARDMORE: Black Redstart on beach.
RAM HEAD: Glaucous or Iceland Gull today or yesterday.
WHITING BAY: A late Wheatear.
Weds 2 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town: *Chimney Swift
still present where found last night, just south of the N25-bypass between Fairlane & Kilrush roundabouts (3rd & 4th
coming from the west). Also a Swallow.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Black Brant still present.
HELVICK HEAD: Great Skua.
ARDMORE BAY: Red-throated Diver.
Tues 1 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town: *Chimney Swift
found in late afternoon (1st county record) - this follows an influx of up to 8 birds of this North American species in Co
Cork over last few days.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Black Brant ('Pacific' race of Brent
Goose) off Saleen.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Long-eared Owl & 4+ Black
Redstarts.
