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Recent reports (details subject to verification or correction)
submit your sightings - email or text 0861701599
submit records to BirdTrack
older records - archive
national records - 1550111700 (BINS)

See migrant Lepidoptera page also (highlights below)

July 2008
 
Thurs 3 July:
RAM HEAD:  Pomarine Skua.
 
Tues 1 July:
ARDMORE BAY:  Adult Mediterranean Gull & an Otter.

June 2008
 
Sun 29 June:
ARDMORE:  2 Mediterranean Gulls (adult & juvenile).
 
Sat 28 June:
HELVICK HEAD:  7-8 Storm Petrels & 4 Puffins during a 45-minute seawatch.
BALLYNATRAY:  5+ Spotted Flycatchers (4 locations).
 
Thurs 19 June:
CLASHMORE:  Adult Yellow-legged Gull.
 
Sat 14 June:
RAM HEAD:  Minke Whale & 1000s of Manx Shearwaters (latter for several days recently).
KNOCKBRACK QUARRY:  Emperor dragonfly.
Nr DUNHILL CASTLE:  Long-eared Owl chick or fledgling calling (also here in early May).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  At least one Tree Sparrow chick in nest, being fed by adult.
 
Fri 13 June:
ANNESTOWN BOG:  Grasshopper Warbler singing, also 3 Emperor dragonflies.
 
Thurs 12 June:
BALLYSCANLAN WOOD:  2 Long-eared Owl chicks calling (11 pm).
BALLYMACAW GLEN:  Male Cuckoo calling.
 
Tues 10 June;
CORBALLY BEG:  4 Tree Sparrows (including a mating pair) at an old farmhouse, c.2 km inland from Ballymacaw.
Nr WATERFORD CITY:  Buzzard just south of the city.
 
Mon 9 June:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Tree Sparrow confirmed breeding (carrying food for chicks).
 
Sun 8 June:
MINE HEAD:  Puffin.
Nr TALLOW:  Spotted Flycatcher at Balinaha Bridge.
 
Sat 7 June:
AGLISH VILLAGE:  Male Long-eared Owl calling.
REENACLOGHEEN WOOD (NE of Ardmore):  Woodcock roding.
 
Fri 6 June:
Nr PORTALLY COVE:  Pair of Black Guillemots just east of Portally.
ARDMORE HEAD:  Spotted Flycatcher.
 
Tues 3 June: 
RAM HEAD:  Total of 130 occupied Kittiwake nests, a 24% decline since 2007 (53% decline since 2005).
 
Sun 1 June: 
WHITING BAY:  Tree Sparrow nr west end of bay; Whimbrel, 6 Dunlin & 165 apparently occupied Sand Martin nest-holes along the beach; pair of Spotted Flycatchers nr Woodbinehill Cross Roads.
GOAT ISLAND (nr Whiting Bay): Rock Pipit showing characteristics of Scandinavian subspecies (littoralis), paired with a typical Rock Pipit and carrying food for chicks. 
 

May 2008
 
Sat 31 May:
BALLYSCANLAN LAKE:  Cuckoo calling.
 
Fri 30 May:
CORBALLYMORE:  Grasshopper Warbler singing at night, crossroads nr Saleen.
 
Thurs 29 May:
Nr MINE HEAD:  Turtle Dove at Ballynamona (grid ref X280837).
 
Weds 28 May:
BALLYSCANLAN LOUGH:  Reed Warbler singing.
Nr KILMEADEN / BALLYDUFF:  Pine Marten along the N25 near  woodland.
 
Tues 27 May:
Nr BALLYVOYLE COVE:  Cuckoo seen.
 
Sun 25 May:
Nr AGLISH:  Spotted Flycatcher pair at Ballynaparka.
DUNMORE EAST:  Preliminary total of 42 pairs of roof-nesting Herring Gulls around the village, including 15 nests on factory / warehouse roofs at the harbour, based on surveys since mid May.
 
Fri 23 May:
Nr AGLISH:  Spotted Flycatcher pair at Coolahest.
 
Mon 19 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  2 Tree Sparrows.
 
Sun 18 May:
Nr FEWS (Kilmacthomas):  Spotted Flycatcher.
 
Sat 17 May: 
Nr MINE HEAD:  Turtle Dove still present, along road down to Ballinroad.
KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Female Hen Harrier & a roding Woodcock.
DUNGARVAN:  17+ Little Egret nests at colony.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  33 Whimbrel.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  2 Tree Sparrows.
 
Fri 16 May:
Nr MINE HEAD:  Turtle Dove still present at Gates, also 4 Arctic Skuas flying east high over the lighthouse, & an Otter, at the Head. 
 
Thurs 15 May:
Nr MINE HEAD:  Turtle Dove feeding on road at Gates (grid ref X260838), present for about a week.
Nr DUNGARVAN:  Female Hen Harrier.
Nr POULDREW:  Kingfisher & Dipper along the Dawn River.
 
Weds 14 May:
CLASHMORE area:  Kingfisher near Ballyheeny Bridge (Licky River) and Dipper along stream in Clashmore village.
 
Sun 11 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Tree Sparrow.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  27+ Whimbrel.
CASTLETOWN FEN:  Male Cuckoo calling, also a Spotted Flycatcher nearby.
EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard south of the city.
 
Sat 10 May:
Nr CLONEA STRAND:  Short-eared Owl along track at Ballinclamper.
BUNMAHON:  A HOBBY flew west.
DUNHILL CASTLE:  Long-eared Owl fledgling calling nearby.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  GLOSSY IBIS feeding in saltmarsh SE of the Dump, 1400 hrs, but apparently moved on shortly afterwards; also 55+ Whimbrel.
TRAMORE BEACH:  21 Sanderling, & a Common Seal close inshore.
CASTLETOWN FEN:  Grasshopper Warbler singing at night.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Spotted Flycatcher.
CREADAN HEAD:  6 Black Guillemots on sea close inshore - apparently a new breeding location.
 
c. 10 May:
Nr BALLYNATRAY:  Cuckoo heard.
 
Fri 9 May:
HELVICK HEAD:  3 Spotted Flycatchers.
BROWNSWOOD (nr Portlaw):  Cuckoo calling.
BALLYDOWANE BAY:  Common Sandpiper & Spotted Flycatcher.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap & 4 Chiffchaffs.
KILBARRY BOG:  Kingfisher along the St John's River opposite Superquinn.
 
Thurs 8 May:
HELVICK HEAD:  An OSPREY flew west over the head at 0718 hrs.
PORTALLY COVE:  Common Sandpiper.
 
Weds 7 May:
KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Red Grouse, Cuckoo & Jay at Knocknanask & 5 Crossbills at Tooranaraheen, NE of Mountmelleray.
 
Tues 6 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  25-30 Common Scoter flew east, also a Porpoise & 45 Whimbrel.
GREAT NEWTOWN HEAD:  Delicate moth.
Nr LISMORE:  Male Hen Harrier.
 
Mon 5 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Female/immature Black Redstart, 46 Whimbrel, 5 Swifts but few other migrants; Otter swimming off west side.
BRICKEY CANAL, nr Dungarvan:  Long-eared Owl.
 
Sun 4 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Adult male SUBALPINE WARBLER (1st county record), Turtle DoveTree Sparrow, 30+ Whimbrel, Swift, House Martin, 2 Spotted Flycatchers (1st of year), 5 Sedge Warblers, 2 Blackcaps, 2+ Whitethroats; & 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Great Skua & 5 Common Scoter east, a Great Northern Diver west, during a half-hour seawatch (0840-0910 hrs).
HELVICK HEAD:  Reed Warbler, Merlin, Spotted Flycatcher (1st of year), Whitethroat & 8 Bottlenose Dolphins.
 
Sat 3 May:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Turtle Dove, Swift & 2 Tree Sparrows.
TRAMORE SANDHILLS:  Short-eared Owl.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR:  Little Egret, Greenshank and pair of Great Crested Grebes (one on nest).
KILBUNNY WOOD (nr Portlaw):  Jay & totals of 10 Blackcaps & 24 Chiffchaffs singing.
 
Fri 2 May:
Nr WATERFORD AIRPORT:  2 CATTLE EGRETS (apparently part of the flock seen nr Clohernagh 27-28 April).
 

.click below for larger images

emperor3hand_knockbrack_14062008.jpg
Emperor dragonfly, Knockbrack quarry, 14 June 2008 © A Trimble

turtledove_ballinroad_17may2008.jpg
Turtle Dove, nr Mine Head, 17 May 2008 © M Cowming

wheatear_male_kilbride_3may2008_024.jpg
Wheatear, male, Kilbride South, 3 May 2008 © E Power

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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