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Bird records January-February 2007

 
Waterford bird records January-February 2007

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.

January 2007
 
Weds 31 Jan:
Nr WHITING BAY/ARDMORE:  Flock of Tree Sparrows still present in a farmyard.
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE:  2 Mediterranean Gulls.
 
Mon 29 Jan:
YOUGHAL area:  4-5 Fin Whales south of Capel Island (Co Cork), present for almost a week - see Irish Whale & Dolphin Group website - with recent reports also from Bunmahon and Brownstown Head (Co Waterford) and Hook Head (Co Wexford).  IWDG would wlecome any further sightings. 
WATERFORD CITY:  Flock of at least 5,000 Starlings over Tycor at dusk, presumably going to roost nearby.
 
Sun 28 Jan:
COOLFIN:  2 Pink-footed Geese.
BOATSTRAND:  2 1st-winter Mediterranean Gulls.
BUNMAHON:  1st-winter Glaucous Gull, Common Dolphins & a Fin Whale.
 
Sat 27 Jan:
BALLYSAGGART area (Knockmealdowns):  Single Jack Snipe & Red Grouse today (up to 6 Grouse recently).
CLONEA STRAND:  Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Ballinclamper.
HELVICK HEAD:  1st-winter Iceland Gull.
DUNGARVAN HARBOUR:  Common Seal.
COOLFIN:  4 Pink-footed Geese with 167 Greylags, also a Merlin.
TIBBERAGHNY (Co Kilkenny side):  30 Whooper Swans & 25 Greylag Geese.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RSERVOIR:  3 Great Crested Grebes, Chiffchaff.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:   111 Mallard, 28 Tufted Duck.
 
Fri 26 Jan:
DUNGARVAN:  Immature Iceland Gull at Barnawee.
 
Sun 21 Jan:
ARDMORE BAY:  Great Northern Diver & adult Mediterranean Gull.
DUNMORE EAST:  Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver, 5 Purple Sandpipers & an adult Iceland Gull.
CHEEKPOINT:  2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls.
 
Sat 20 Jan:
Near ARDMORE/WHITING BAY:  30+ Tree Sparrows - probably the largest flock ever recorded in Co Waterford.
ARDMORE:  2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.
COOLFIN:  70+ Greylag Geese & a White-fronted Goose.
 
Sun 14 Jan:
DUNGARVAN:  Black Brant, male Goosander, Kingfisher & 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count):  Totals included 17 Little Egrets, 677 Brent Geese, 2900 Golden Plover, 140 Grey Plover, 71 Ringed Plover, 56 Sanderling, 688 Dunlin, 238 Black-tailed Godwit, 210 Bar-tailed Godwit, 677 Curlew, 165 Redshank & 11 Greenshank.
WATERFORD HARBOUR (CREADAN STRAND to PASSAGE EAST, I-WeBS count):  Total included 12 Great Crested Grebes, 18 Brent Geese, 1025 Oystercatchers & 330+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls; also a Chiffchaff at Geneva Strand.
 
Fri 12 Jan:
STRADBALLY COVE:  Little Auk, adult Yellow-legged Gull & Great Northern Diver.
CLONEA STRAND:  Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 280 light-bellied Brent, 5 Great Northern Divers & a Red-throated Diver.
DUNGARVAN:  Black Brant (at pitch & putt course), 722 light-bellied Brent, male Goosander at Ballyneety, male Green-winged Teal at Killongford, 10 Great Northern Divers, & a 1st-winter Ring-billed Gull at the Cunnigar.
 
Weds 10 Jan:
DUNGARVAN:  3 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety, opposite the Park Hotel, and 5 Great Northern Divers close inshore at the lookout.
 
Sat 6 Jan:
WOODSTOWN:  2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull & a Chiffchaff.
DUNMORE EAST:  9 Purple Sandpipers.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Kingfisher at Clohernagh, opposite Murphy's bar.
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE:  2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull (colour-ringed bird).
BALLYVOONEY COVE:  3 Red-throated Divers.
CLONEA STRAND:  Red-throated Diver, 8 Great Northern Divers, 325 Brent Geese & 26 Sanderling.
DUNGARVAN:  Chiffchaff at Abbeyside.
RAM HEAD: 12 Red-throated Divers, 2 Fin Whales, 15 Common Dolphins & 3 Porpoises.
 
Fri 5 Jan:
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Green Sandpiper near Kilmacleague.
 
Mon 1 Jan 2007:
HELVICK HEAD:  Black Redstart.
DUNGARVAN:  3 Goosanders & 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Ballyneety, 4 Common Sandpipers at Barnawee & a Green Sandpiper at the Brickey River.
CLONEA STRAND:  Common Scoter off Ballinclamper.

.click below for larger images

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Yellow-legged Gull, 2nd-winter, with Lesser B-b Gulls, Rincrew, 25 Feb 2007 © H Hussey

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Yellow-legged Gull, 2nd-winter, Rincrew, 25 Feb 2007 © H Hussey

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Yellowhammer, Kilbride, 20 Feb 2007 © E Power

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Iceland gull, 1st-winter, Helvick, 17 Feb 2007 © M Cowming

icelandgull_helvick_17feb2007_p1080098.jpg

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Ring-billed Gull, adult, Tramore boating lake, 17 Feb 2007 © E Power

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Iceland Gulls, Helvick, 14 Feb 2007 © D Clarke

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Iceland Gull, Helvick, 6 Feb 2007 © D Clarke

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Sparrowhawk, Dungarvan, 4 Feb 2007 © D Clarke

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Goldeneye, male, Dungarvan, 3 Feb 2007 © M Cowming

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Sparrowhawk, Dungarvan town, 2 Feb 2007 © M Cowming

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Green Sandpiper, Colligan, Dungarvan, 2 Feb 2007 © D Clarke

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Mediterranean Gull, 2nd-winter, Tramore boating lake, 31 Jan 2007 © D Clarke

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Turnstone, Dungarvan, 27 Jan 2007 © D Clarke

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Common Seal, Dungarvan, 27 Jan 2007 © D Clarke

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Tree & House Sparrows, nr Whiting Bay, 31 Jan 2007 © JJ Cahill

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Fin Whale, south of Capel Island, 29 Jan 2007 © A Malcolm

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Iceland Gull, 1st-winter, Helvick, 27 Jan 2007 © M Cowming

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Whooper Swans, Camphire (R. Blackwater), 20 Jan 2007 © M Cowming

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Tree Sparrows, near Ardmore, 20 Jan 2007 © M Cowming

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Black Guillemot, Dunmore East, 11 Jan 2007 © D. Clarke

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Sparrowhawk, Dungarvan, 10 Jan 2006 - a daily visitor to this garden © D. Clarke

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Sparrowhawk (with House Sparrow), Dungarvan, 9 Jan 2006 © D. Clarke

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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