February 27, 2006
Owen Solo
It was a weekend of year and county ticks.
With my plans for kerry scuppered by bail outs and sickies, i went down cobh and ballycotton way on saturday instead.
Rossmore dump produced a first year iceland gull and a second winter yellowlegged gull.
The same iceland was at marloag with and adult iceland and a first winter glaucous gull. A brambling was in the field behind with chaffinches.
Ballycotton produced no less than 6 jack snipe, but no sign of the little ringed plover at shanagarry.It was very windy there tho!
On sunday i went down to dooniskey where the drake ring necked duck was giving superb views!
At first there was no sign of any goosanders. Went on to the gearagh which had a Green sandpiper and a dipper.
Then drove around the back of dooniskey looking for goosanders but only came across a buzzard for my trouble.
When i went back to the Ring necked duck a female goosander was now present at this spot. Typical.
A barn owl out back of my house was a nice treat that night.
The laughing gull was again on the lough this morning along with a first year ring billed gull.
Both birds exceptionally tame!
Pariah
Worth while links
Irish County yearlists page 2006
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 22, 2006
The lough laugher again
Sean Cronins pics of the first winter laughing gull at the Lough, Cork City.
This bird was present as i happened to be passing yesterday lunchtime and proceeded to give incredible views scrabbling around our feet for bread with black headed gulls and pigeons!
Truly a class bird...and not a bad way to spend a lunchtime.
A pint...a Toastie and a laugher.
Thats how its done!!
Pariah
Worth while links
Irish County yearlists page 2006
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 20, 2006
Audouin's pic taken 03/09/2005
This bird was photographed at La Mata Lagoon, Alicante region of spain.
It shows a similar underparts coloration to the Belfast gull.
Also the tertial shape and pattern on the rear of the bird on the left is very similar to the belfast bird.
Worth while links
Irish County yearlists page 2006
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
A quiet one...in cork anyway
On saturday went down roscarberry way. 12 great northern divers were off the pier, with one ring billed gull adult on the mud with a first year med gull.
2 more ring billeds were at timolegue, with a first winter little gull at garretstown, flying over the reedbed.
On sunday ballycotton had the little ringed plover on shanagarry pool and a black throated diver off strand road.
No sign of the forsters tern yesterday.
Just tallied my cork year list for last year...194.
I could have done alot better with a bit of effort...but thats not bad considering it was really an 8 month list and not the full year!
The first winter laughing gull was on the lough in the evening giving excellent views. This bird is extremely small! The doonchiest laugher ive ever seen. Cracking bird.
Pariah
Worth while links
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 13, 2006
Once more into the north
On saturday went up to belfast with the Beast and Disco Rob in search of the Baikal Teal.
We started off at Mount Norris where the bean goose was present with whooper swans giving good views. 5 pink footed geese flew over this site.
We then moved on to Craigavon balancing lakes and saw the Drake Ferruginous duck and the female ring necked duck present here.
Oxford island produced 2 ruddy duck but no smew were visible.
The BP pools failed to produce the Baikal teal, but the Wood duck, 2 ruff, 3 Iceland gulls, 1 male Brambling 30 twite were in this area.
We then moved on to quoile pondage where the Barrows goldeneye was giving good views. A crossbill male was also here.
On sunday myself and my dad went to see the female great spotted woodpecker in howth, dublin. The bird gave good views for over an hour and a half before we left for rogerstown.
A green winged teal was present here asleep in front of the hide.
A pretty good weekend with 2 ticks!
300 is ever closer now!!
Pariah
Worth while links
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 08, 2006
May the Gods bless Pheasants
Went down to garretstown late this evening with Sean Ronayne to look for the marsh harrier there. After about 45 minutes there was no sign of any birds of prey, with the best birds being a drake gadwal, 4 chough and a number of pheasants including an albino.
Suddenly one of the pheasants in the field behind the reedbed took flight and headed straight for the centre of the reedbed.
It landed with all the grace that a pheasant is capable of and up popped the marsh harrier!
The bird made 2 sweeps of the reedbed before settling back down for the evening.
We were damn lucky!
Pariah
Worth while links
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 06, 2006
A gull weekend
On saturday spent a few hours down at rossmore dump.
2 1st winter Glaucous gulls, 2 1st winter Iceland gulls, 6 med gulls, and 1 ad. Yellow Legged gull were the reward.
On sunday i took young Sean Ronayne down to rosscarbery in search of the Adult Laughing gull.
The bird eventually was relocated at owenahincha and gave great views.
The lesser Yellow legs was at whites marsh and the Green winged teal was on Kilkerran.
We then moved on to the Gearagh where we had a single white fronted goose.
There were few other duck however and no sign of the Ring necked or any goosanders.
Pariah
Worth while links
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website
February 01, 2006
Dipping and Anger management
Spent a good portion of the day in my home patch of carrigaline looking for Franklins gull.
This bird was found on sunday...but I didn't hear bout it until monday night.
Was up at dawn on tuesday and stayed at the site untill 11.
No sign.
Into work and was back out at carrigaline for 4pm but again there was no sign of the bird all day and it refused to show in the evening.
...Must...Resist...urge...to ....kill........
Pariah
Worth while links
Carmo Police
My (outdated) website