February 2007
Weds 28 Feb:
RINCREW (nr Youghal): 1st-winter CASPIAN GULL again present.
Mon 26 Feb:
RINCREW (nr Youghal): 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull (plus
another 2nd-winter on Co Cork side of estuary), 1st-winter Iceland Gull & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.
DUNGARVAN (I-WeBS count): Totals included 5 Red-throated Divers, 22 Great Crested
Grebes, 433 Brent Geese; also a 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull (nr Stafford Miller)
& a 1st-winter Iceland Gull (Ballynagaul).
CLONEA STRAND: 18 Great Northern & 19 Red-throated Divers, adult dark-bellied
Brent Goose & 161 pale-bellied Brent.
Sun 25 Feb:
RINCREW (nr Youghal): 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull & a Ruff, on Waterford side.
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Adult Ring-billed Gull & 2nd-winter
Mediterranean Gull.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count): Totals included 713 Brent Geese, 51 Shelduck, 2
Great Crested Grebes, 346 Oystercatcher, 523 Curlew, 26 Knot & 11 Greenshank; also 10 Choughs (nr Clohernragh) & 2
Merlins.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 3 Great Crested Grebes & 2 Greylag Geese (possiby feral
birds).
COOLFIN/PORTLAW: Green Sandpiper along the Clodiagh river.
DERRIGAL: 45 Greylag Geese at Derrigal Cross-roads.
FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY: 3 Pink-footed Geese, 268 Greylag Geese,
43 Whooper Swans & 4 Little Egrets at Tibberaghny (Co Kilkenny); 80 Teal at Fiddown Bridge.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 5 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall & 48 Tufted
Duck.
Sat 24 Feb:
YOUGHAL/KINSALEBEG: A 1st-winter CASPIAN GULL* flew from
the Youghal (Co Cork) to the Kinsalebeg (Co Waterford) side of the Blackwater estuary - first county record for Waterford.
Tues 20 Feb:
KILBRIDE, nr Tramore: 17 Yellowhammers.
Mon 19 Feb:
DRUM HILLS: Male Hen Harrier.
BALLINDUD (Tramore Rd): 2 Little Egrets.
Sun 18 Feb:
HELVICK: Total 5 Iceland Gulls, including an adult, &
an adult Mediterranean Gull.
COLLIGAN RIVER: Merlin, 2 Green Sandpipers
& 2 Common Sandpipers upriver from Ballyneety.
TRAMORE BAY: 6 Great Northern & 21 Red-throated Divers.
Sat 17 Feb:
Waterford bird race: Four teams recorded county totals of 88 to 104
species each, with an overall total of 116 species. Records included:
RINCREW, nr Youghal: 2 Iceland Gulls on the Co Waterford
side of the estuary.
LISMORE to BALLYDUFF: 3 female Blackcaps at Glenmore, west of the Towers.
DROMANA HOUSE (R. Blackwater): Green Sandpiper.
BALLYNATRAY: Common Sandpiper & 2-3 Jays.
Nr WHITING BAY: Tree Sparrows.
ARDMORE: 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.
BALLINVELLA: Jay.
DRUM HILLS: Male Hen Harrier.
HELVICK: 4 Iceland Gulls , 1st-winter Glaucous
Gull & 2 1st-winter Little Gulls (1 dead in water).
DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper at Brickey river, female Goosander at Ballyneety.
CLONEA STRAND: Black-throated Diver, 16 Great Northern
& 3 Red-throated Divers, 2 Purple Sandpipers & a Chiffchaff, Ballinclamper.
PORTLAW: Kingfisher & Green Sandpiper
on the Clodiagh River.
COOLFIN: 3 Pink-footed Geese.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 2 Gadwall & 4 Shoveler.
ANNESTOWN: Chiffchaff.
CASTLETOWN FEN: 2 Stock Doves.
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Adult Ring-billed Gull.
Fri 16 Feb;
DUNGARVAN: Song Thrush feeding a fledgling in the grounds of GlaxoSmithKline
- a very early breeding record.
BRIDANE: Green Sandpiper.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 4 Gadwall.
BALLINAMONA: 3 Little Egrets.
Weds 14 Feb:
KILBRIDE, nr Tramore: Merlin & 9 Yellowhammers.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 3 Gadwall.
HELVICK PIER: 5 Iceland Gulls.
Tues 13 Feb:
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 3rd-winter Iceland Gull.
BALLINAMONA: 3 Little Egrets.
Sun 11 Feb:
LITTLE ISLAND: Common Sandpiper near the ferry.
BALLYLEMON: Male & female Blackcap (male heard singing), also seen the previous
week.
ARDMORE PIER: Female Blackcap.
RINCREW, nr Youghal: 1st-winter Iceland Gull & 1st-winter
Glaucous Gull.
Sat 10 Feb:
HELVICK: 2 1st-winter Iceland Gulls.
DUNGARVAN: Yellow-legged Gull at the Cunnigar.
DUNGARVAN-CLONMEL ROAD: Male Hen Harrier.
STRADBALLY: 1st-winter Iceland Gull.
Fri 9 Feb-Sun 11 Feb:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 4+ Gadwall.
Ties 6 Feb:
TRAMORE: Black Redstart at the Summerville estate.
Mon 5 Feb:
HELVICK: 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 1st-winter
Iceland Gull, also lots of Gannets diving & 'huge numbers' of Razorbills (very few Guillemots)
between Helvick and Ballynacourty lighthouse.
DUNGARVAN: 7 Red-throated Divers between Gold Coast and Ballynagaul.
Sun 4 Feb:
DUNGARVAN: Merlin at Kilossera, nr Killongford
bridge.
DUNMORE EAST: Glaucous Gull, also 2
Mute Swans on sea in harbour.
Fri 2 Feb:
Off RAM HEAD: Unseasonal (winter or early?) Manx Shearwater offshore.
DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper on the Colligan.