Recent reports

January 2010

Check here for further updates or extra details

Sun 31 Jan:

RINCREW (Tourig estuary): 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls.

BLACKWATER VALLEY: Male Brambling near Villierstown school; Buzzard.

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 665+ Brent Geese, 4 Shoveler, 200 Mallard, 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull (at boating lake) & 165 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

EAST WATERFORD: 2 Buzzards south of Waterford city.

Sat 30 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: Otter feeding in the harbour, last four days.

Thurs 28 Jan:

Off DUNMORE EAST: 4 Fin Whales and associated feeding seabirds including 60 Gannets & 100+ Guillemots.

Weds 27 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: 1st-winter Glaucous Gull at the Cunnigar.

Sun 24 Jan:

VILLIERSTOWN: Brambling just below Villierstown school (& for past week).

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE & Common Scoter in the bay; BLACK BRANT & Merlin at Ballyneety; Brambling in garden at Clonea Road (& for past week).

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW& 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Sat 23 Jan:

BLACKWATER VALLEY: Merlin at Newport.

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE & Common Scoter in the bay, 2 Jack Snipe at the Cunnigar.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW, 2 Gadwall (male + female) & 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Fri 22 Jan:

BRIDE / LOWER BLACKWATER: 76 Whooper Swans at a new site in field c1 km west of the usual Camphire site, missed on last weekends counts.

Mon 18 Jan:

BLACKWATER VALLEY: Green-winged Teal at Villierstown Quay.

Sat-Sun 16-17 Jan:

WHOOPER SWAN SURVEY: Total of 217 Whoopers at sites within Co Waterford, plus a further 88 at adjacent sites in Cos Kilkenny or Cork - further details below.

Sun 17 Jan:

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: Hen Harrier; 8 Crossbills at Knockaunabulloga near the Vee; Woodcock & Dipper at Boggaghdaun.

BLACKWATER CALLOWS: Total of 192 Whooper Swans at four locations with Co Waterford section of the Callows (54 Glencarin Abbey, 4 Flowerhill, 6 just west of Ballyduff, & 128 at Ballyneroone). [Also 33 birds at Careysville on the Co Cork section.]

BRIDE / LOWER BLACKWATER: Only 2 Whooper Swans at Camphire (126 there on 28 Dec 2009); 4 Whoopers west of Tallowbridge.

DUNGARVAN: Pochard.

BALLYNABOOLA (nr Halfway House): 3 Whooper Swans in flooded field, a new site for the species.

Sat 16 Jan:

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW & adult Mediterranean Gull.

CORBALLYMORE WOOD: 220 Woodpigeon.

DERRIGAL / PORTNASCULLY: 15 Greylag Geese, 5 Whooper Swans & 2 Greenshank.

COOLFIN: 93 Greylag Geese & 11 Whooper Swanss.

FIDDOWN BRIDGE: 198 Teal.

TIBBERAGHNY BOG (Co Kilkenny): 180 Greylag Geese & 55 Whooper Swans.

BLACKWATER CALLOWS: 100 Whooper Swans & 4+ Shoveler upriver from Lismore.

RINCREW: 1st-winter Iceland Gull, adult Yellow-legged Gull & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull (green darvic ring on left leg).

Fri 15 Jan:

CLONEA STRAND: 9 Great Northern Divers.

BUNMAHON: 2 Kingfishers at River Mahon.

Nr PORTLAW: 19 Greylag Geese & 9 Whooper Swans.

Thurs 14 Jan:

PORTLAW: Kingfisher.

Mon 11 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE & 11 Shoveler off Pitch & Putt Course.

Sun 10 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE off the Sports Centre, 12 Shoveler off the Pitch & Putt Course, adult BLACK BRANT in fields at Western Bay, male Gadwall at Ballyneety Bridge, male Pochard between pond and Dungarvan castle.

WATERFORD CITY: 2 male Blackcaps , 9 Redwings & a Fieldfare at Francis Street.

Sat 9 Jan:

FERRY POINT: 3 female/immature Black Redstarts.

Nr WHITING BAY: 12+ Tree Sparrows at Springhill Lower.

DUNGARVAN: 3 Barnacle Geese at Duckspool, Abbeyside; 4 Tufted Duck & 2 Great Northern Divers off Abbeyside Church; 4 Shoveler at Killongford; 1st-winter male Common Scoter off Gold Coast Hotel; female Blackcap, 10+ Redwings & 2 Fieldfares at Southways, Abbeyside; 2 Blackcaps (male & female), 10-20 Redwings & a Fieldfare at another garden in town.

CLONEA STRAND: 2+ Whimbrel & 7 Purple Sandpiper at Ballinclamper.

WATERFORD CITY: 12 Redwings & a Fieldfare in garden at Collins Avenue; 10-12 Redwings in garden at King's Channel.

Fri 8 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: Black Redstart at GlaxoSmithKline.

WATERFORD CITY: 2 Blackcaps (male & female) & 13 Redwings in garden at Upper Yellow Road; male Blackcap in garden at King's Channel (also on 6-7 Jan).

VARIOUS SITES: Obvious arrival of Redwings into gardens today (also including c6 at Abbeyside, Dungarvan, 7 at Francis Street and 1 at Collins Avenue,Waterford city) and in recent days (including Tramore on 5th and St Herblain Park, Waterford City on 7th Jan).

Thurs 7 Jan:

RAM HEAD: 3+ Fin Whales & 20 Common Dolphins.

HELVICK HEAD: 60 Common Dolphins, 4 Red-throated Divers & an unidentified large falcon.

DUNGARVAN: Apparently the same large falcon as at Helvick, also seen at Clonea Road; male & female Blackcap at Strandside, Abbeyside.

TRAMORE: Several Blackcaps daily since 18th December.

WATERFORD CITY: Female Blackcap still present at St Herblain Park.

Tues 5 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: Male & female Blackcap daily at Strandside, Abbeyside.

Mon 4 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE off Ballynacourty Pier.

CROHAUN: Long-eared Owl.

Sun 3 Jan:

WATERFORD CITY: Blackcap & Lesser Redpoll in garden, Francis Street, and up to 3 Blackcaps at bird-table there daily for the last 3 weeks.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull.

DUNGARVAN: Colour-ringed Black-headed Gull ("238B", yellow, left leg) at Gold Coast, ringed at Lough Mask, Co Mayo in 2007) (previously seen at Ballinclamper, Clonea in July 2009). Also a colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit at same location, ringed at De Richel, the Netherlands, 30 July 2003.

ARDMORE: Adult Mediterranean Gull on beach.

WHITING BAY: Common Scoter flew east; up to 30 Tree Sparrows at Ballysallagh.

FERRY POINT: 3 Black Redstarts.

Sat 2 Jan:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK BRANT & 3 Barnacle Geese at Ballyneety; Common Scoter the bay; Kingfisher & Green Sandpiper on the River Brickey at Kilongford; Whimbrel at Knockanpower Lower, Ring.

CLONEA STRAND: Purple Sandpiper at Ballinclamper, 6 Red-throated Divers offshore.

Fri 1 Jan:

WHITING BAY: Black Redstart.

BRICKEY RIVER: Dipper near Two-mile Bridge.

DUNGARVAN: BLACK BRANT, 3 Barnacle Geese & female Merlin at Ballyneety; BLACK-NECKED GREBE in the bay; male Blackcap at Strandside, Abbeyside; Whimbrel & white darvic-ringed Oystercatcher ("N57") at Knockanpower Lower, Ring. The Oystercatcher had been ringed as chick on the roof of Aberdeen Cricket Club, NE Scotland on 31 May 2007.

WATERFORD CITY: Male Blackcap in garden at King's Channel.