April2009

Date	Species	Photo	Number	Site	Observer	Remarks

2 May 2009	Whimbrel		87+	Lough Melvin, Co. Leitrim	Michael Stinson	Separate flocks of 35+, 36 and 16 respectively
2 May 2009	Whimbrel		72+	Lough Melvin, Co. Leitrim	Michael Stinson	In groups of 8, 7 and 2 respectively, with one much large flock of 55+
2 May 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	Drimina, Tobercurry	Mícheál Casey
2 May 2009	Common Swift		2+	Over New Street, Sligo Town	Declan Skehan	Sligo's first Common Swifts of 2009
27 April 2009	Common Sandpiper		1	Doorly Park	Trevor Hunter	Seen regularly along the public footpath - a unique chance to see a bird that is scarce this close to sea level
28 April 2009	Raven		(5)	Near Coolaney	Tim Roderick, NPWS	Five Ravens were found dead, apparently illegally poisoned, near Coolaney, Co. Sligo. Raven is a protected species in Ireland, and the Garda Síochána are investigating, along with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Please sign the Golden Eagle Trust's petition which seeks to make incidents like this a thing of the past. The poisoned bait that killed these Ravens would be equally capable of killing eagles, and vice versa.
28 April 2009	Corncrake		2	Oyster Island, Sligo Harbour	Ciarán Davis	Both birds could be heard and distinguished from each other from the mainland opposite Oyster Island, at Rosses Point. Sligo's first Corncrakes of 2009
28 April 2009	Tree Sparrow		2	Aughris Village	Mícheál Casey
28 April 2009	White Wagtail		6+	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Mícheál Casey
27 April 2009	Common Sandpiper		1	Doorly Park	Trevor Hunter
27 April 2009	Whimbrel		39	Lislary, Ballinfull	Don Cotton
27 April 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Collooney	Mícheál Casey	Flew north-east across N4.
26 April 2009	Long-eared Owl		1	Dromahair, Co. Leitrim	Paul Keogh	Seen at night
26 April 2009	Cuckoo		3	Bloomfield, Sooey	Declan Skehan	Included two males seen fighting
26 April 2009	Turnstone		40	Easkey shoreline, Easkey	Robin Burnhams	Also 3 Dunlin, one Purple Sandpiper, and one male Wheatear
23 April 2009	Barn Owl		1	Doobeg, Bunninadden	Judith Corkhill	Seen from a back garden on Thursday evening
23 April 2009	Tree Sparrow		3-4	Aughris Village, Aughris Head	Mícheál Casey
23 April 2009	Common Buzzard		2	near Carney	Declan Feeney
23 April 2009	Wheatear		2	Serpent's Rocks, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	White Wagtail		2+	Serpent's Rocks, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Whimbrel		17	Serpent's Rocks, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Sedge Warbler		3	Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan	There were 2 in large reedbed along the road, 1 in small reedbed behind storm beach. Sligo's first Sedge Warblers of 2009
23 April 2009	Whimbrel		6	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Wheatear		2	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	White Wagtail		3+	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Whimbrel		10	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Wheatear		3	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	White Wagtail		c.6	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Wheatear		2	Raghly Harbour, Raghly	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	Eider		2	Raghly Harbour, Raghly	Declan Skehan
23 April 2009	White Wagtail		1	Raghly Harbour, Raghly	Declan Skehan
22 April 2009	Cuckoo		1	near Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim	Frances Farrell
21 April 2009	Common Sandpiper		2	Pearl Rocks, Lough Gill	Mícheál Casey & Séamus Feeney	Sligo's first Common Sandpipers of 2009
20 April 2009	Whooper Swan		2	Lough Melvin, Co. Leitrim	Brian Hallett via Séamus Feeney
20-21 April 2009	White-tailed Eagle		1	Lough Gill, Co. Sligo	Alan Mee	A White-tailed Eagle from the Re-introduction scheme in Kerry is visiting Sligo this week. This bird flew from Kerry to Sligo on Monday and roosted in trees on the northern shores of Lough Gill on Monday and Tuesday night. These movements were tracked using satellite data - there have been no reported sightings to date. Please report any sightings to sightings@sligobirding.com
20 April 2009	Mallard		11	Quay St, Sligo Town	Declan Skehan	A female Mallard and an early brood of 11 day-old ducklings was on the river.
19 April 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	Doonowney, Lissadell	Jean Dunleavy	Heard singing. These 3 records are Sligo's first Grasshopper Warblers of 2009
19 April 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	near Ballaghnatrillick (Ballintrillick)	Don Cotton	Heard singing
19 April 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan	Heard singing in a reedbed behind the storm beach
19 April 2009	Pied Wagtail		5	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan	Not every group of wagtails on Sligo's beaches in April are White Wagtails!
19 April 2009	Whimbrel		2	The Inishes, Ballysadare Bay	Trevor Hunter
19 April 2009	Whitethroat		5	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan	Heard singing. Sligo's first Whitethroat of 2009.
19 April 2009	Pied/White Wagtails		12	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan
19 April 2009	Whimbrel		3	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan	Sligo's first Grasshopper Warblers of 2009
19 April 2009	Wheatear		1	Short Beach, Raghly	Declan Skehan
19 April 2009	Wheatear		1	Raghly Harbour, Raghly	Declan Skehan
19 April 2009	Wheatear		1	Yellow Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
18 April 2009	Sparrowhawk		1	Ballygawley	Gerry McTiernan	Female Sparrowhawk found freshly dead beside conservatory, having apparently flown against the glass. .
18 April 2009	American Mink		1	Doorly Park, Sligo Town	Conor McElhinney	Seen along the shore near the little pedestrian bridge on the Doorley Park walk.
18 April 2009	Chiffchaff		1	The Mall, Sligo town	Conor McElhinney	There were 2 Great Crested Grede in the water. The Great Crested Grebes were swimming in parallel and mimicking each others moves. Also seen 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Coal Tits, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Long-tailed tit, 1 Cormorant etc...
17 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	John F Kennedy Parade, Sligo	Declan Skehan	Heard singing near the Model School Building
17 April 2009	Raven		2	near Ballyconnell	Mark Keane	At least two chicks seen in a Raven's nest
17 April 2009	Wheatear		2+	Streedagh	Kevin Murray	Several present.
17 April 2009	Siskin		3	Oakfield Park, Sligo Town	Declan Skehan	One of these birds (a male) is ringed. 4 Lesser Redpoll also present.
17 April 2009	Sparrowhawk		1	Ballintogher	Joe Kelly	Male, photographed in a private garden through the window of a dwelling
16 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	John F Kennedy Parade, Sligo	Declan Skehan	Same bird that summered in Sligo last year?
16 April 2009	White Wagtail		5	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Mícheál Casey	At least 3 feeding on beach, 2 flew into reedbed from direction of Knocklane. 6 flew into the reedbed behind the beach from Yellow Strand direction at around that same time that 6 were seen leaving that site.
16 April 2009	White Wagtail		12	Yellow Strand, Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan	Two parties of six, one group flew off to the northwest towards Ballyconnell
16 April 2009	White Wagtail		1	Raghly	Mícheál Casey	Feeding on roadside on causeway
16 April 2009	Little Egret		1	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Séamus Feeney	Being harassed by gulls as it few north over the beach at dusk.
15 April 2009	Little Egret		1	Warren Trail, Inishcrone	Michael Bell	Good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Knot and 44 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were in Killalla Bay.
15 April 2009	White Wagtail		1	Ballyconnell Strand, Ballyconnell	Mícheál Casey	At least 4 others present, very flighty, not seen well enough for definitive ID.
15 April 2009	Cuckoo		1	Union Wood, Collooney	Séamus Feeney	Seen perched on service wires at Glengoolagh (beside Union Foods Depot) Union Wood. A very early record for Cuckoo in the north-west, yet surprisingly not the first of the year (see entry for 13/04/09 below)
15 April 2009	Little Egret		1	Warren Trail, Inishcrone	Michael Bell	Good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Knot and 44 Pale-bellied Brent Geese were in Killall Bay.
15 April 2009	Purple Sandpiper		14	beside Inishcrone Pier, Inishcrone	Michael Bell
15 April 2009	Gadwall		1	Kelly's Bridge, Sligo Town	Declan Skehan	Has apparently given up on mixed marriage and abandoned his attempts to pair with a Mallard
14 April 2009	King Eider		2	Lissadell, Drumcliff Bay	Paul Keogh	Quite far out in the bay, tide falling
14 April 2009	White Wagtail		3	Raghly	Declan Skehan, Don Cotton, Jean Dunleavy	Also up to 5 Pied Wagtails in the same area
14 April 2009	Dipper		1	Kelly's Bridge, Sligo Town	Mícheál Casey	Feeding in the deepest, fastest part of the river (in the middle) opposite Toff's night club.
14 April 2009	Gadwall		1	Kelly's Bridge, Sligo Town	Declan Skehan, Mícheál casey	Adult male Gadwall, paired with a female Mallard, and busily seeing off male Mallards. Nearby, a Cormorant had a prolonged struggle with a very large freshwater eel. The Cormorant won.
14 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Quay St, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	First winter bird.
13 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Quay St, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	First winter bird.
13 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		89	Derk Road, Dromard	Will Woodrow	Good count for site
13 April 2009	Chough		2	Derk Road, Dromard	Will Woodrow	Flew over
13 April 2009	Whooper Swan		68	Woodville Farm, Strandhill Road, Sligo	Richard Woodmartin via Trevor Hunter	68 seen flying north over Woodville Farm, Strandhill Rd, Sligo reported by Richard Woodmartin via Trevor Hunter
13 April 2009	Cuckoo		1	near Gurteen	John Hayes	Heard by Co Clare visitor John Hayes at 4.30 pm and reported as Ireland's first Cuckoo of 2009 in the Irish Times Letters page on 15/04/09 p 13 Sligo's first reported Cuckoo of 2009 - Ireland's 4th.
13 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		122	Derk Road, Dromard	Will Woodrow	Good count for site
13 April 2009	Sandwich Tern		23	Derk Road, Dromard	Will Woodrow	Good count for Sligo
12 April 2009	Merlin		1	near Rathlee, Easkey	Mícheál Casey	Flew onto shore from the adjacent fields, and perched briefly on a rock before continuing down the shoreline.
11 April 2009	White Wagtail		7	By Old Coastguard Stn, Derk Road, Dromard	Conor McElhinney	Seven present in shingle banks and on boat slip. Sligo's first reported White Wagtails of 2009
10 April 2009	Blackcap		2+	Dooney Rock, Lough Gill	Declan Skehan	Plenty of Blackcap & Willow Warbler singing, Jays calling & other assorted woodland stuff. No Woodpeckers or Wood Warbers unfortunately. Took some pics of Blackcap & Grey Wagtails
10 April 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Rathaberna, Rathcormac	Don Cotton	Flew over
10 April 2009	Barnacle Goose		c.3,000	Ballyconnell	Don Cotton	Flew over towards their Inishmurray roost
10 April 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Quay St car park, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	Flew over
10 April 2009	Wheatear		1	Ballyconnell	Declan Skehan
10 April 2009	Sandwich Tern		6	Raghly	Declan Skehan
10 April 2009	Wheatear		2	Raghly	Declan Skehan	Still no sign of any White Wagtails so far
10 April 2009	Great Northern Diver		1	Raghly	Declan Skehan
10 April 2009	Tree Sparrow		2+	Easkey	Robin Burnhams
9 April 2009	Whitethroat		1	along Easkey River, Easkey	Robin Burnhams	Sligo's first reported Whitethroat of 2009
9 April 2009	King Eider		2	Lissadell, Drumcliff Bay	Paul Keogh	Still present - not for long, presumably.
8 April 2009	House Martin		4	Kilmacowen, Ballysadare	Trevor Hunter
8 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Breeogue, Knocknahur, Strandhill	Trevor Hunter	Good numbers of Willow Warblers singing
8 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Newtownward, Grange	Kevin Murray
8 April 2009	Sparrowhawk		1	Beltra	Conor McElhinney	Found dead in field. Although the bird was too long dead to have any hope of determining the cause of death, it was found 10m from the main road, and a lot of Sparrowhawks are killed by traffic because of their hunting habit (low flight with habit of swerving through gaps in hedges etc)
7 April 2009	Arctic Tern		3	Streedagh Estuary, Streedagh	Don Cotton	Sligo's first reported Arctic Terns of 2009
7 April 2009	Common Buzzard		1	Cartron Marsh, Sligo Harbour	Séamus Feeney	Seen soaring over Cartron Marsh, gradually drifted off north-east towards King's Mountain
7 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Rockwood Parade, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	Second-winter bird roosting on roff of Toff's Nightclub all morning in the heavy rain. Hirundines passing downstream along the river at a rate of about 2 - 4 per hour - mostly Sand Martins today
7 April 2009	Ring-billed Gull		1	Rockwood Parade, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	Adult bird. Chasing scraps of food at Barton Smith's. Dipper still present, foul weather.
6 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Rockwood Parade, Sligo town	Declan Skehan	Second-winter bird present on and off all day. Steady stream of hirundines (Swallows and House Martins) along the river all day
6 April 2009	Whooper Swan		13	Showgrounds, Sligo Town	Conor McElhinney	Flying north-west at 7.45pm
6 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Deepwater Quay, Sligo Harbour	Declan Skehan	1st/2nd winter, roosting off the Deepwater Quay in the morning
5 April 2009	Barn Swallow		2	Glasshouse Hotel, Hyde Bridge	Declan Skehan
5 April 2009	Little Egret		1	Drumcliff River, Drumcliff	Michael Bell	Downstream from bridge
5 April 2009	Chiffchaff		2	Union Wood, Collooney	Conor McElhinney
5 April 2009	Willow Warbler		1	Union Wood, Collooney	Conor McElhinney
5 April 2009	Treecreeper		3	Union Wood, Collooney	Conor McElhinney	Long-tailed Tit also seen,
5 April 2009	Barn Swallow		2	Union Wood, Collooney	Conor McElhinney	On wire at bridge over Owenmore
5 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Beltra	Conor McElhinney
4 April 2009	Sandwich Tern		4	Ardtermon Strand	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Flying north
4 April 2009	Barn Swallow		2	Knockbeg East, Old Galway Rd, Collooney	Conor McElhinney
4 April 2009	Willow Warbler		1	Kilvarnet Graveyard, near Ballinacarrow	Conor McElhinney
4 April 2009	Kestrel		1	Kilvarnet Graveyard, near Ballinacarrow	Conor McElhinney
8 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Cashelgarron	Kevin Murray
4 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	near Ballinacarrow	Conor McElhinney
3 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		190	Strandhill Strand, Strandhill	Gerard Scott
3 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		50	Killasprugbrone, Strandhill	via Gerard Scott
3 April 2009	Waxwing		7	Leitrim Village, Co. Leitrim	Declan Skehan	Flew off north
3 April 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Ox Mountains, near Collooney	Séamus Feeney	Seen in flight at 8.40pm
2 April 2009	Whooper Swan		26	Doonowney, Lissadell	Jean Dunleavy	Flock flew over in a north-easterly direction at 20.15
2 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Rahelly, Carney	Jean Dunleavy
2 April 2009	Chough		2	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	In the sand dunes
2 April 2009	Golden Plover		110	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Displaying and calling
2 April 2009	Water Rail		1	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Heard squealing, not seen
2 April 2009	Lapwing		1	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Displaying and calling
2 April 2009	Willow Warbler		1	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Singing
2 April 2009	Barn Swallow		1	Rathaberna, near Rathcormac	Don Cotton
2 April 2009	House Martin		1	Rathaberna, near Rathcorma	Don Cotton	Sligo's first reported House Martin of 2009
2 April 2009	Blackcap		1	Collinsford Bridge, Drumcliff River	Don Cotton	Singing
2 April 2009	Chiffchaff		1	Collinsford Bridge, Drumcliff River	Don Cotton	Singing
2 April 2009	Willow Warbler		2	Collinsford Bridge, Drumcliff River	Don Cotton	Singing Sligo's first reported Willow Warbler of 2009
2 April 2009	Iceland Gull		1	JFK Parade, Sligo	Declan Skehan
2 April 2009	Shelduck		45	Streamstown, Ballysadare Ba	Séamus Feeney
2 April 2009	Little Egret		2	Streamstown, Ballysadare Bay	Séamus Feeney	One behind the sea-wall, the other in the stream at the first sluice
1 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		177	Strandhill Beach, Strandhill	Gerard Scott	At the steps in front of the seaweed baths at 2.30 pm
1 April 2009	Pale-bellied Brent		8	Cummeen Strand, Gibraltar	Gerard Scott
1 April 2009	Whooper Swan		?	Doonowney, Lissadell	Jean Dunleavy	Flock heard passing over during the night (1.30am)
1 April 2009	Sand Martin		30	Parke's Castle, Lough Gill	Chris Murphy
1 April 2009	Sandwich Tern		1	Rosses Point Beach, Drumcliff Bay	Mícheál Casey	Seen from Lissadell, plunge-diving off the northern end of the beach
1 April 2009	Great Northern Diver		1	Lissadell, Drumcliff Bay	Chris Murphy, Mícheál Casey	Very close to the shore, west of the shellfish farm.
1 April 2009	Great Northern Diver (carcass)		(1)	Lissadell, Drumcliff Bay	Mícheál Casey	Tideline carcass, very thin and wasted.
1 April 2009	King Eider		2	Lissadell, Drumcliff Bay	Chris Murphy, Mícheál Casey	At mouth of bay.

April 2009 Sightings