Bird reports Co Waterford November-December 2009

Waterford bird records November-December 2009 (details subject to verification or correction)

older records - archive

See migrant Lepidoptera page also (highlights below)

December 2009

Check here for further updates or extra details

Thurs 31 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK BRANT & 3 Barnacle Geese at Ballyneety; BLACK-NECKED GREBE off Abbeyside soccer pitch; Blackcap at garden feeder, Abbeyside.

BUNMAHON: 3 Common Scoters (2 west, female on sea).

COOLFIN / DERRIGAL: 230 Greylag Geese & 14 Whooper Swans at Derrigal, Green Sandpiper at River Clodiagh.

Mon 28 Dec:

Nt WATERFORD CITY: Buzzard.

DUNGARVAN: 3 Barnacle Geese with Brent Geese at Duckspool, near Barnawee Bridge.

HELVICK HEAD: Male + female Blackcap.

FERRY POINT: 5 Black Redstarts.

RINCREW (Tourig estuary): 2 4th-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls.

Sun 27 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: Adult BLACK BRANT at Ballyneety, Whimbrel & Chiffchaff at Knockanpower Lower, Ring.

CLONEA STRAND: Adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Whimbrel & 4 Purple Sandpipers at Ballinclamper.

TRAMORE: SMEW again at Boating Lake, 4 Black Redstarts at west end of beach.

WATERFORD CITY: Black Redstarts at Kilcohan shopping centre.

Sat 26 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: Black Redstart at Abbeyside Church, female Blackcap also Abbeyside, Tufted Duck at Ballyneety, 2 Great Northern Divers in harbour.

EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard south of Waterford city.

Fri 25 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE near Barnawee bridge.

VILLIERSTOWN: Male Brambling near the school.

Thurs 24 Dec:

FERRY POINT (Youghal Hbr): High winter count of 6 Black Redstarts.

DUNGARVAN: Female Blackcap at Strandside, Abbeyside.

WATERFORD CITY: 2 Blackcaps (male & female) in garden at St Herblain Park; another male Blackcap on the Dunmore road near Ardkeen.

Weds 23 Dec:

DUNGARVAN HARBOUR: 2 Great Northern Divers.

Tues 22 Dec:

LITTLE ISLAND: Common Sandpiper near the ferry.

DUNGARVAN: 10 Little Grebes just below Ballyneety Bridge.

Mon 21 Dec:

BLACKWATER VALLEY: Otter at Dromana Bridge.

Sun 20 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: BLACK-NECKED GREBE off Ballynacourty pier, Great Northern Diver in bay.

Weds 16 Dec:

DUNGARVAN TOWN: Black Redstart.

Tues 15 Dec:

RINCREW (Tourig estuary): Adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 2 Iceland Gulls (1st-w & 2nd-w).

Sun 13 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: Adult BLACK BRANT at Ballyneety, Merlin & Green Sandpiper at Ballyneety, 4 Great Northern Divers off Ballynacourty.

CLONEA STRAND: 2 Purple Sandpipers at Ballinclamper.

BALLYVOONEY COVE: Female/imm Black Redstart.

Nr BALLYDWAN: Merlin at Ballynahila.

Sat 12 Dec:

DUNGARVAN: Adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose at the Sports Centre.

Nr LEMYBRIEN: Merlin, Ballylinch area.

Thurs 10 Dec:

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Female Merlin, Water Rail heard & Chiffchaff at the new racecourse, Lisselan.

DUNGARVAN: PYGMY SPERM WHALE stranded at the Cunnigar - 1st county (and south-coast) record. Further details.

HELVICK HEAD: 50 Common Dolphins.

RAM HEAD: 2 Red-throated Divers & 30 Common Dolphins.

Mon 7 Dec:

WATERFORD CITY: Black Redstart at Waterford Crystal visitor centre.

Sun 6 Dec:

DUNMORE EAST: 5 Purple Sandpipers outside pier wall.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: SMEW still present.

COOLFIN / DERRIGAL: 138 Greylag Geese including returning neck-banded bird ("NBX"). This bird was ringed as an adult female in the Austur-Hunavatns region of Iceland, 19 July 2000, and since then has been reported from Iceland (Aug 2002), Co Donegal (Apr 2003), Scotland (Oct 2004) and Portnascully, nrCoolfin (4 Dec 2005).

BALLYVOYLE COVE: Dipper & Chiffchaff.

ARDMORE BAY: Adult or 3rd-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 110 Lesser Black-backed & 700+ Common Gulls; 35 Sanderling on beach.

Fri 4 Dec:

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: Male Hen Harrier.

Tues 1 Dec:

WATERFORD CITY: Otter in River Suir at Grattan Quay.

November 2009

Check here for further updates or extra details

Mon 30 Nov:

RAM HEAD: 200+ Common Dolphins, 3 Fin Whales & a probable Humpback Whale.

WATERFORD PORT (Co Kilkenny): Black Redstart.

Sun 29 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: Common Scoter off Abbeyside prom, Tufted Duck off the pitch & putt club.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: SMEW still present.

Sat 28 Nov:

BLACKWATER CALLOWS: Male Green-winged Teal, Lismore.

MOUNT STEWART: 2 Woodcock.

CLASHMORE: 25+ Stock Doves.

Nr WHITING BAY: 20+ Tree Sparrows, farm at Ballysallagh / Springfield.

Nr ARDMORE: Buzzard.

DUNGARVAN: 80+ Snipe at Ballyneety, 2 Whimbrels at Knockanpower (Ring), adult BLACK BRANT & adult dark-bellied Brent Goose at pitch & putt course.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 1st-winter male SMEW still present.

Thurs 26 Nov:

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW again present.

GREAT NEWTOWN HEAD: Merlin.

Nr WATERFORD CITY: Buzzard.

Weds 25 Nov:

WATERFORD CITY: 14 Long-tailed Tits, Francis Street.

CARRIGNAGOUR (nr Lismore): Red Admiral.

Tues 24 Nov:

HELVICK HEAD: Juvenile/1st-winter SABINE'S GULL, Great Skua & 5 Manx Shearwaters (seawatch 11:40-12:30).

DUNGARVAN: Water Rail at the Cunnigar.

Mon 23 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS at the Cunnigar, Black Redstart in town.

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS at pools near the Cunnigar car-park; BLACK BRANT & Curlew Sandpiper at pitch & putt course.

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW still present.

Sat 21 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS & Chiffchaff (ringed bird) at the Cunnigar; 1st-winter Grey Phalarope, Black Redstart, Black Guillemot & 15 Great Northern Divers at Ballynagaul; BLACK BRANT & dark-bellied Brent Goose at pitch & putt course.

HELVICK HEAD: 2 Grey Phalaropes & single Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater & Red-throated Diver (seawatch 12:30-13:30), also a Black Redstart.

CLONEA: Whimbrel, 10+ Purple Sandpipers & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Fri 20 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS again at pools near the Cunnigar car-park; BLACK BRANT at pitch & putt course; Otter running along the road near Abbeyside Church.

Weds 18 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS still present at the Cunnigar.

Tues 17 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: LESSER YELLOWLEGS (4th county record) at pools just left/west of the Cunnigar car-park.

Mon 16 Nov:

DUNGARVAN TOWN: Black Redstart .

Sun 15 Nov:

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female-type SMEW still present, also an adult Mediterranean Gull.

COOLFIN: Canada Goose with 38 Greylags & 20 Whooper Swans.

Nr FODDOWN BRIDGE: Water Rail.

TIBBERAGHNY (Co Kilkenny): 7 Little Egrets.

Sat 14 Nov:

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: Female/immature SMEW (3rd county record) & 1st-winter Ring-billed Gull .

CLONEA STRAND: 7 Purple Sandpipers at Ballinclamper.

Mon 9 Nov:

WHITING BAY: Female or immature Hen Harrier.

DUNGARVAN: A late Swallow at Abbeyside.

Sun 8 Nov:

RAM HEAD: High total of 8 Fin Whales - more details.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: A late Red Admiral.

Sat 7 Nov:

DUNGARVAN: Kingfisher opposite Park Hotel.

CLONEA STRAND: 2 Purple Sandpipers.

KILMURRIN COVE: Female / immature Black Redstart.

Thurs 5 Nov:

DUNGARVAN TOWN: Black Redstart.

ARDMORE: Juvenile Black Redstart, 2 Mediterranean Gulls & 2 Chiffchaffs.

TRAMORE: Wheatear at the sandhills.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Tree Sparrow, 2 Blackcaps (male + female) & 2 Chiffchaffs.

Buzzard, nr Waterford city, 28Dec 2009 © B Howell

Recent 'bird of the day' from www.bto.org/birdatlas (see also latest date or earlier dates):

Preliminary Nov-Feb 2007-09 distribution @ 29/12/2009

.click below for larger images

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.

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