October 2005
Mon 31 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: *Western Bonelli's
Warbler in the main gardens (2nd county & Brownstown record), also 2 Chiffchaffs & 170 Oystercatchers.
Near LISMORE: Crossbills again visiting a garden here.
Sun 30 Oct:
DUNGARVAN: 1st-winter Grey Phalarope at Ballyneety bridge.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 3 Great Northern Divers & 6 Wigeon flew E during a 1-hr seawatch
(0905-1005 hrs); on land, a Merlin & Chiffchaff.
Sat 29 Oct:
HELVICK HEAD: 6 Manx Shearwaters, a Grey Phalarope, 3 juvenile
Long-tailed Skuas, 7 Arctic Skuas, 2 Pomarine Skuas,
a Great Skua, 2 juv Sabine's Gulls, 2nd-winter Mediterranean
Gull, 1st-w Little Gull & a Little Auk passed during
c.4 hrs of seawatching (1000-1430 hrs).
Fri 28 Oct:
HELVICK HEAD: Sabine's Gull, and a Glaucous or Iceland
Gull.
CLONEAD: Curlew Sandpiper at Ballinclamper.
Near LISMORE (Vee road): Crossbills present
in a garden today.
Weds 26 Oct:
EAST WATERFORD: Barn Owl seen near western outskirts of
Waterford city.
Sun 23 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin, Black Redstart,
2 female Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs & 60 Redpolls.
Sat 22 Oct:
DUNGARVAN: Barnacle Goose, adult Yellow-legged
Gull & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull at the Cunnigar; Great Northern Diver in
the bay.
BALLINARD (BALLYNACOURTY POINT): Purple Sandpiper, 6 Black Redstarts
& a Wheatear.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Female Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs & 8 Goldcrests.
Fri 21 Oct:
HELVICK HEAD: 2 Merlins & a Ring
Ouzel.
Thurs 20 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 40 Siskins, 5 Chiffchaffs & lots of tits in the valley.
HELVICK HEAD: Merlin; also a Fin Whale.
Near LISMORE: 2 Red-legged Partridges, presumably birds
bred & released for hunting. (The species has also been released in east Waterford.)
Tues 18 Oct:
HELVICK HEAD: Merlin, Black Redstart, &
good numbers of Blackcaps, Robins, tits & Siskins.
Sun 16 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Yellow-browed Warbler, unstreaked
Acrocephalus (probably Reed Warbler), Merlin, Wheatear, 17 Redwings, 6 Blackcaps
(4 males + 2 females), 11 Chiffchaffs, 13+ Redpolls & small numbers of Siskins.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 278 Brent Geese.
Sat 15 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Hawfinch in the "valley"
(2nd county record - part of an influx to Irish south coast today), Redwing, 3 female Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, Siskin
& 2 Redpolls.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 4 Sandwich Terns off Saleen.
WATERFORD CITY: 51 Collared Doves at the Folly.
DUNGARVAN: Ruff & 1st-winter Mediterranean
Gull at Ballyneety.
HELVICK HEAD: Small numbers of Blackcaps & Siskins.
Fri 14 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin, 5 Chiffchaffs, 9 Goldcrests, 30+
Redpolls, 150+ Linnets; also a Jay found dead (1st record for Brownstown).
DUNGARVAN: Barnacle Goose (present since a week earlier)
& 167 Brent Geese.
BALLYMACARBRY: Red Squirrel.
Thurs 13 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Long-eared Owl, 2 Merlins,
Wheatear, male Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaffs, 8 Goldcrests, 23 Redpolls, & an obvious arrival of Great Tits (22 including
19 ringed) & Coal Tits (12). Also a Porpoise offshore.
ARDOGINNA, nr Ardmore: Merlin.
Weds 12 Oct:
ARDMORE HEAD: Female Blackcap & 3 Chiffchaffs.
HACKETTSTOWN, ne Mine Head:. Migrant Hawker.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 250+ Skylarks, 7 Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, 7 Goldcrests &
a Redpoll.
Tues 11 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Female Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs & 2 Redpolls.
Mon 10 Oct:
HELVICK HEAD: 2 Grey Phalaropes & single Sooty
Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Great Skua, Pomarine
Skua & Arctic Skua passed during a 1.5-hr seawatch (1030-1200 hrs).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Lapland Bunting, male + female Blackcap,
2 Chiffchaffs; a Great Northern Diver flew E during a 1-hr seawatch (0945-1045 hrs).
Sun 9 Oct:
Near LISMORE (Vee road): c.20 Crossbills visiting
a garden over the last week.
CHEEKPOINT: 4 Jays in a garden here (where up to 2 more usual).
Sat 8 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 1st-year Red-breasted Flycatcher in the main gardens(2nd or 3rd county record & 1st for Brownstown), 2 Crossbills,
Wheatear, female Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, 6 Goldcrests, 18 Redpolls, 4 Siskins; also a Hummingbird
Hawk-moth.
BALLYMACAW: Clouded Yellow butterfly & Migrant
Hawker dragonfly.
HELVICK HEAD: Redstart, Garden Warbler
& 4 Blackcaps.
DUNGARVAN: Ruff at Ballyneety.
Thurs 7 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Long-eared Owl, female/imm Hen
Harrier, 70+ Skylarks, Wheatear, female Blackcap, Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaffs, 12 Goldcrests, 12 Choughs & 20+
Redpolls.
Weds 6 Oct:
TRAMORE BAY: Adult Yellow-legged Gull in NE corner of bay,
also 22 Sanderling & 47 Sandwich Terns.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Wheatear, 6 Chiffchaffs, 6 Goldcrests, Spotted Flycatcher, 20+ Redpolls
& a Migrant Hawker.
RATHMOYLAN: Female Blackcap.
Nr PORTALLY: 15 Collared Doves.
Tues 4 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 15+ Redpolls & 47 Goldfinches.
DUNGARVAN: Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Greenshank & 275 Redshank
at Ballyneety, 2 Common Sandpipers at Barnawee.
Mon 3 Oct:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 180+ Swallows & 170+ House Martins, mainly flying W, also
male Blackcap, 22 Redpolls & 2 Siskins.
BALLYMACAW: 200+ Swallows flew E.
Sun 2 Oct:
DUNGARVAN: 1st-winter Lesser Yellowlegs still at Ballyneety
(Colligan estuary), also a Curlew Sandpiper & a Blackcap there.
BALLINCLAMPER/BALLINARD (BALLYNACOURTY POINT): Whimbrel & Arctic Skua.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Crossbill, 10 Redpolls & a Siskin.
Sat 1 Oct:
DUNGARVAN: Ruff,
1200 Black-tailed Godwit & 52 Knot at Ballyneety.
ARDMORE/CALISO BAY area: Merlin, 2 Wheatears & 3 Blackcaps.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 155 Black-tailed Godwit & 300 Redshank (including a leucistic or partially albinistic individual)
at Ballinattin.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 145 Skylarks.