APRIL 2013:
Check here for updates or further details
SEAFIELD (nr Dungarvan): Green Sandpiper.
EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard.
HELVICK HEAD: 18 Choughs.
DUNGARVAN: 4 Swifts over town.
MONAVULLAGH MOUNTAINS: Red-legged Partridges (feral or released) at two locations (one
seen, several heard).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Great Skua E & 22 Whimbrel W (seawatch 11:20-12:50); Blackcap,
Whitethroat, 15 Willow Warblers & 2 Tree Sparrows.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 3 Long-tailed Duck & 75 Whimbrel.
HELVICK HEAD: Whitethroat.
WHITING BAY: c90 Whimbrel.
Sat 27 Apr:
WATERFORD BIRD-RACE: 3 teams had totals of 102, 96 & 83 species (grand total 116 species) - details.
DUNMORE EAST: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull.
WOODSTOWN BOG: 2 Water Rails.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 6 Red-throated Divers E, 34 Whimbrel & 2 Common Terns W, (seawatch 0740-0840);
5 Wheatears & 2 Tree Sparrows.
TRAMORE: 11 Common Scoter in bay, 2 (feral?) Greylag Geese at Lisselan, 3 Long-tailed Duck
& 225 Whimbrel in Backstrand, Whitethroat at Pickardstown, 6 Gadwall on boating lake.
BALLYSCANLAN: Water Rail at lake, Crossbills.
KILL: Grasshopper Warbler at waste treatment works.
KNOCKADERRY: Shoveler.
BALLINLOUGH: Cuckoo.
BALLYVOONEY: Male Hen Harrier.
BALLYVOYLE: Dipper at nest.
CLONEA STRAND: 85 Whimbrel.
DUNGARVAN: Spotted Redshank (almost breeding plumage) off pitch & putt course, Common
Sandpiper nr Killongford pool, 40+ Whimbrel.
BLACKWATER VALLEY: Reed Warbler (first of year) at Clashmore Broads.
LISMORE: Swifts.
VARIOUS: Sedge Warblers singing at 4+ locations.
Fri 26 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 14 Whimbrel W, 23+ Wheatears, Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, 4 Willow Warblers & a Tree
Sparrow.
Nr WATERFORD CITY: Swift over IDA Park.
BALLYSCANLAN: Crossbill with nest material.
BALLINLOUGH: Cuckoo & Grasshopper Warbler.
CLONEA STRAND: 27 Whimbrel & 4 White Wagtails.
DUNGARVAN: 5 Long-tailed Duck off pitch & putt course.
KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: Cuckoo calling at Coolnacreena / Coolagortboy.
Thurs 25 Apr:
Nr TALLOW: Short-eared Owl with broken wing taken into care.
Weds 24 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin, Whitethroat, 5 Wheatears, 5 Chiffchaffs & a Willow Warbler.
TRAMORE BAY: 3 Red-throated Divers in Bay, Common Lizard between Guillamene to Metal
Man.
HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull.
Tues 23 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD: HOOPOE still present.
DUNGARVAN: Swift over town.
WOODHOUSE: Jay.
Mon 22 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD: HOOPOE.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Sedge Warbler & 10+ singing Willow Warblers at Lisselan.
ANNESTOWN: Short-eared Owl.
Sun 21 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD: HOOPOE. BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Arctic
Skua on sea, 2 Great Skuas W & Arctic Tern W (seawatch 0915-1045); Merlin,
Blackcap, 11 Willow Warblers & 4 Chiffchaffs.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 53+ Whimbrel .
KILBARRY BOG: Grasshopper Warbler (first of year).
BALLINLOUGH: 2 Sedge Warblers (first of year) & a Cuckoo.
CLONEA STRAND: 6 White Wagtails at Ballinclamper, 125 Whimbrel, 7 Great Northern Divers
& an Arctic Tern.
HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull, 6+ Blackcaps & 20+ phylloscs.
Sat 20 Apr:
DUNGARVAN: Adult BLACK-THROATED DIVER between Ballynagaul & Helvick, 2 Arctic Terns
in bay, Common Sandpiper at Barnawee, Swift (first of year) over town.
CLONEA STRAND: Little Tern (first of year).
OLD PARISH: Whitethroat (first of year).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 5 Arctic Terns, Common Scoter, 8 Red-throated Divers, 80 Whimbrel, Tree Sparrow,
Blackcap, 11 Willow Warblers & 10 Chiffchaffs.
CREADAN STRAND: 3 Arctic Terns.
Fri 19 Apr:
NEWTOWN GLEN (Tramore Bay): FIRECREST again - presumed bird last reported
on 6 April (found 3 April).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Tree Sparrows, Blackcap, 2 Willow Warblers & c10 Chiffchaffs.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Cuckoo (first of year) at Lisselan.
STRADBALLY: Dipper.
WOODHOUSE: Jay.
CLONEA STRAND: 10 Great Northern Divers, 2 Arctic Terns, 83 Whimbrel & 3 White Wagtails.
ARDMORE / BALLYQUIN: Common Sandpiper (first of year) at Ballyquin beach, 22 Whimbrel at
Curragh beach.
WHITING BAY: 16 Whimbrel.
TEMPLEMICHAEL: Jay.
Thurs 18 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD: HOOPOE still present at 12:20.
DUNGARVAN: Common Tern (first of year) around the Quay.
Weds 17 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD: HOOPOE ( video).
CLONEA STRAND: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull.
Tues 16 Apr:
CREADAN HEAD (nr Dunmore East): HOOPOE.
COMERAGH MOUNTAINS: 2 Wheatears near Mahon Falls.
CLONEA STRAND: 24 Whimbrel - the first migrant flock of the year.
Mon 15 Apr:
BROWNSWOOD (nr Portlaw): House Martins back inspecting last year's nests.
LISMORE: House Martins also here.
WEST WATERFORD: 3 Buzzards (two locations).
Sun 14 Apr:
HELVICK HEAD: Great Skua, Puffin & 105 Manx Shearwaters
W (seawatch 1300-1400).
ARDMORE HEAD: 195 Manx Shearwaters W & a Porpoise (seawatch 1615-1645).
Sat 13 Apr:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: First House Martins of year & 75+ Swallows.
HELVICK HEAD: 2 House Martins, 6 Willow Warblers & 2nd-winter Glaucous
Gull.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Moorhen & Willow Warbler.
VARIOUS: Swallows widely reported today (10+ locations).
Fri 12 Apr:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Male RING-NECKED DUCK still present on small lake, also
a Willow Warbler.
TRAMORE: Short-eared Owl & Swallow at Lisselan.
WATERFORD CITY: Swallow at Grange Heights.
DUNGARVAN: Swallow over town.
COLLIGAN WOOD: Male Blackcap.
Thurs 11 Apr:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Male RING-NECKED DUCK.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin & 2 Tree Sparrows.
Weds 10 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin, 2 Willow Warblers & 10 Chiffchaffs.
Tues 9 Apr:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Male RING-NECKED DUCK.
BALLYSCANLAN/CARRICKAVANTRY: 3 Crossbills & 6 Sand Martins at Ballyscanlan
Lake, Long-eared Owl & 2-4 Snipe drumming.
Mon 8 Apr:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Male RING-NECKED DUCK on small lake.
Sun 7 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Arctic Skua, 3 Great Skuas, 2 Puffins, 20 Red-throated Divers, 2 Common Scoter & 93 Manx Shearwaters E (seawatch 0840-0940 &
0950-1050), & male Blackcap.
BALLYSCANLAN: 7 Swallows.
Sat 6 Apr:
ARDMORE: FIRECREST near Round Tower.
TRAMORE BAY: FIRECREST still present at Newtown Glen.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: FIRECREST still present, Willow Warbler & adult Little
Gull.
BALLYSCANLAN LAKE: 9 Crossbills.
EAST WATERFORD: 3 Buzzards.
Nr DUNGARVAN: Long-eared Owl found dead.
DUNGARVAN: Brambling at Shandon.
HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull.
RAM HEAD: 28 Red-throated Divers E, 7 Common Scoter W, 3 Basking Sharks & a Common Dolphin.
WHITING BAY: 2 Common Scoter.
BLACKWATER VALLEY: Green Sandpiper at Dromana Bridge.
Fri 5 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: FIRECREST still present (last reported 30 March) ( video), also Merlin & 6 Chiffchaffs.
TRAMORE BAY: FIRECREST at Newtown Glen. EAST WATERFORD: 2 Buzzards.
SEAFIELD (nr Bunmahon): Male Hen Harrier.
DUNGARVAN: Black Redstart at Abbeyside.
Thurs 4 Apr:
TRAMORE BAY: FIRECREST at Newtown Glen, also male Blackcap.
TRAMORE TOWN: Brambling.
DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper at Brickey canal.
CAPPOQUIN: 2 Bramblings & >30 Yellowhammers.
WEST WATERFORD: 2 Buzzards.
Weds 3 Apr:
TRAMORE BAY: FIRECREST & Willow Warbler near Newtown Cove.
BUNMAHON: 3 Green Sandpipers & male Blackcap.
EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard.
WEST WATERFORD: 2 Buzzards.
Tues 2 Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 10 Chiffchaffs & 5 Wheatears.
TRAMORE: Black Redstart at recycling centre near beach, 2nd-year Iceland
Gull off Saleen.
BUNMAHON: Willow Warbler - first of year.
HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull.
WEST WATERFORD: Buzzard.
Mon 1 Apr:
BUNMAHON: Black Redstart.
VARIOUS SITES: Sandwich Terns, Chiffchaffs & Wheatears now widespread (only higher counts reported this month).
Early Apr:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Brambling.
Previous months
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Glaucous Gull, 2nd-winter, Helvick, 24 Apr 2013 © T Kennedy |
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Great Northern Diver, adult breeding plumage, Ballinard, 21 Apr 2013 © D Clarke |
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Video (best viewed at 720p HD): Sparrowhawk v Jackdaw, Brownstown Head, 21 Apr 2013 © PM Walsh |
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Blackcap, male, nr Aglish, 20 Apr 2013 © F O'Connell |
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Glaucous Gull, 2nd-winter, Helvick, 20 Apr 2013 © F O'Connell |
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© F O'Connell |
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Little Tern, Ballinard, Clonea, 20 April 2013 © F O'Connell |
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Tree Sparrow, nr Whiting Bay, 20 Apr 2013 © F O'Connell |
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Hoopoe, Creadan Head, 17 Apr 2013 © R Zamora |
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Blackcap, male, Colligan Wood, 12 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Ring-necked Duck, male, Knockaderry Reservoir, 11 Apr 2013 © R Zamora |
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Brent Geese, including colour-ringed bird (details below), Ferrypoint, 9 Apr 2013 © T Kennedy |
This bird was ringed in its first winter in Tralee Bay, Co Kerry on 8
April 2009, resighted on northward migration at Grunnafjör, Iceland, 17-19 May 2010, with further sightings in NE Ireland
and Kerry in winter 2010/11 & 2011/12 (per Graham McElwaine)
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Crossbill, female, Ballyscanlan, 6 Apr 2013 © R Zamora |
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Crossbill, male, Ballyscanlan, 6 Apr 2013 © R Zamora |
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Stoat vs Brown Rat, Ardmore, 6 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Firecrest, Newtown Glen, 5 Apr 2013 © R Zamora |
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© R Zamora |
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Firecrest, Newtown Glen, 4 Apr 2013 © P Archer |
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Green Sandpiper, Brickey canal, Dungarvan, 4 Apr 2013 © D Clarke |
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© D Clarke |
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Brambling, Cappoquin, 4 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Ringed Plover, Caliso Bay, 4 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Brent Goose, Dungarvan, 4 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Curlew, Dungarvan, 4 Apr 2013 © AD Malcolm |
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Buzzard, east Waterford, 2 Apr 2013 © D Clarke |
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