August2008

31st August 2008
Tanrego Estate,
Beltra

A Kingfisher was seen briefly on Tanrego Estate, Beltra on Sunday 31 August (R. Burnhams).

Image © Kevin Murray 2008

29th August 2008: This partial albino Jackdaw was photographed at Sligo Hospital

27th August 2008
North Co. Sligo

One adult and two juvenile Common Buzzards were seen in the area where a pair bred last year (D. Cotton).

27th August 2008
Skreen

40+ Swifts were seen feeding for a short while at Skreen, over fields near the Garda Station. The birds moved on after a very short time (S. Feeney).

27th August 2008
Lenadoon Point,
Co. Sligo

14 Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Pomarine Skuas, 6 Storm Petrels were seen during a seawatch of a few hours duration at Lenadoon Point on the Sligo side of Killala Bay (S. Feeney).

26th August 2008
Watch out for returning Brent

The first Light-bellied Brent Geese of this autumn have returned to Ireland to winter (first sightings yesterday & today at Strangford Lough comprised a total of approximately 80 birds). Please notify the Irish Brent Goose Research Group of any ringed birds you see - they are also interested to learn of the exact date when Brent are first seen at individual local sites (G. McElwaine). Strangford is always the first site where Brent make landfall in Ireland, but we can expect to see some in Sligo within a few weeks.

Images © Ciaran Davis 2008

26th August 2008: These photos received today show one of this year's Corncrakes on Oyster Island, in Sligo Harbour, photographed on the shore by Ciaran Davis from a moored boat in July. In the photo on the left you can see where the bird "slipped into the photo" while Ciaran was photographing a young Hare. Ciaran's patience was later rewarded with better views and the photo on the right.

26th August 2008
Cranmore,
Sligo Town

One Common Swift was seen over the Cranmore area (S. Feeney).

25th August 2008
Kilcummin Head,
Killala,
Co. Mayo

Seawatching news: 849 Manx Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 24 Sooty Shearwater, 5 Great Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Pomarine Skuas and 3 Storm Petrels were seen from Kilcummin head in Co. Mayo yesterday between 1045h and 1800h in less than ideal conditions. Wind was SW until 1230 hrs then went more westerly (S. Feeney).

25th August 2008
Quay St Car Park,
Sligo Harbour

The Dutch-ringed Black-headed Gull found here earlier in the month was present again today (see photo on Home Page). A report from the ringer indicates that this bird was ringed in the Netherlands (at Hilversum) on the 21st December 2006, re-sighted there five days later and not seen again until it appeared in Sligo on the 24th of August 2008. This Hilversum-based ringer has had two other gulls re-sighted in Ireland, both in Cork city (M. Casey).

21st August 2008
Lough Melvin,
Co. Leitrim

An Osprey was seen on Lough Melvin today (K. Curtis). The observer watched it catch a trout and remarked that the bird had a better day's fishing than he did!

21st August 2008
Kilcummin Head,
Killala,
Co. Mayo

Seabird passage was quite slow at Kilcummin Head today - totals from a 10-hour sea-watch were: 4 Sooty Shearwater, 7 Storm Petrels, 1 Puffin, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 3 Great Skua, 3 Arctic Skua, approx 200 Manx Shearwaters, 28 Sandwich Terns (S. Feeney)

21st August 2008
Ballyconnell

A probable ring-tail (female/juvenile) Hen Harrier was seen briefly as it dropped into a large reed-bed at Ballyconnell (M. Casey).

Image © BBC 2008

20th August 2008: The BBC online weather forecast (thanks to Seamus Feeney for spotting this) seems to show a promising weather pattern building up between now and the early days of next week.
The main features are:
- a stable mid-Atlantic anticyclone
- a sequence of fairly fast-moving low pressure centres moving eastwards from North America to Ireland
- a continuous airstream streaming right across the Atlantic from North America for several days

With resulting weather fronts "sweeping" across towards Ireland the mix would seem ideal for sea-watching, and possibly also favourable conditions for North American migrants to find themselves swept across the Atlantic to our shores in the early stages of the autumn migration season. These events and their impact (if any) are never totally predictable, but it will be interesting to follow this weather system as it develops, and an incentive to maybe do some sea-watching, or to check those growing wader flocks and any grounded passerine migrants a bit more carefully.....

In theory ideal sea-watching conditions in this part of the world happen when a period of southerly/south westerly wind delays the southward autumn migration of sea-birds, and is immediately followed by a strong north-westerly wind which pushes the migrants into Donegal Bay and Killala Bay, putting them within sight of the coastal headlands.

View the animated weather forecast map on the BBC website here or by clicking on the captured image above.

Postscript
26th August 2008: 2 American Yellow Warblers appeared in Co. Cork today, one on Mizen Head, and one on Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork!
27th August 2008: Solitary Sandpiper and Northern Waterthrush on Cape Clear Island, Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Loop Head, Co Clare!

20th August 2008
Kilcummin Head,
Killala,
Co. Mayo

154 Sooty Shearwaters, 15 Great Skuas, 5 Arctic Skuas, large numbers of Manx Shearwaters, and good numbers of Storm Petrels were seen during an 8am - 6pm sea-watch from Kilcummin Head (S. Feeney).

19th August 2008
Mullaghmore

One Great Skua and 42 Manx Shearwater were observed during as one-hour sea-watch from Mullaghmore Head (M. Bell).

18th August 2008
Quay St Car Park,
Sligo Harbour

First-summer Iceland Gull still present (D. Skehan).

18th August 2008
Lower Rosses,
Drumcliff Bay

Good number of waders at Lower Rosses - lots of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers (probably about 300-400) with about 70 Bar-tailed Godwits and small numbers of Sanderling, Curlew etc. (D. Cotton).

17th August 2008
Strandhill Beach

2 Arctic Skuas were seen on Strandhill beach (R. & H. Northridge via D. Cotton).

16th August 2008
Streedagh

105 Common Eider were seen off the Back Strand at Streedagh (D. Cotton, J. Dunleavy).

16th August 2008

Drum,
Ballygawley

Three Spotted Flycatchers (two juveniles, one adult) were feeding in a garden (S. Feeney).

16th August 2008
Bunduff Lough, Mullaghmore

Long-staying non-flying Whooper Swan still present (M. Bell).

16th August 2008
Streedagh Estuary

255 Dunlin, 171 Common Ringed Plover , 2 Red Knot were at Streedagh Estuary on 16 August 2008. These birds had the appearance of recently arrived migrants (D. Cotton, J. Dunleavy).

15th August 2008
Rosses Point Beach

One Puffin was found dead on Rosses Point strand (D. Cotton, J. Dunleavy).

15th August 2008
Ballysadare Estuary

5 Black-tailed Godwit and one Whimbrel were seen from the new parking area over-looking Ballasadare Bay (former fish farm site) (M. Bell).

14th August 2008
Sligo Harbour

As if to contradict the report of 13/8/08 below, on the very low numbers of small gulls in Sligo Harbour so far this autumn, a flock of about 80 Black-headed Gulls was at the Quay St roost at high tide, including a good proportion of juvenile birds. Clearly this group are new arrivals, and they included one Dutch colour-ringed adult bird (ringing details awaited). Iceland Gull still present (M. Casey).

13th August 2008
Brown's Bay

160 Common Eider were in three groups at Brown's Bay off Yellow Strand (D. Cotton, J. Dunleavy).

13th August 2008
Sligo Harbour

Some gull news: The long-staying first-summer Iceland Gull is still at Quay St. car park at high tide each day. Gull numbers in Sligo harbour are very slow to build up this year - very few Black-headed Gulls here so far, small numbers of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, no juvenile Common or Black-headed Gulls have been seen yet, just a few adults. The ringed adult Common Gull (ET47509) has returned for at least its fifth winter in Sligo Harbour - this bird was originally ringed as a chick on Loch Tarff in the Scottish Highlands in 1997 - see latest photo on the home page. (M. Casey)

13th August 2008
Kilcummin Head,
Killala,
Co. Mayo

In the period from early morning to mid-afternoon 22 Great Skuas, 8 Arctic Skuas, 284 Manx Shearwater, 2 Sooty Shearwater, 70 Sandwich Terns, 3 Arctic Terns, one Puffin, one Storm Petrel were seen passing Kilcummin Head (S. Feeney).

13th August 2008
Breaghwy,
Grange

A large female Sparrowhawk was seen hunting near Grange in north Co. Sligo (K. Murray).

12th August 2008
Bunduff,
Mullaghmore

One Black-tailed Godwit was with two Redshank on the shore of the front lake at Bunduff (D. Cotton).

13th August 2008: Large female Sparrowhawk photographed near Grange today.

12th August 2008
Kilcummin Head,
Killala,
Co. Mayo

8 Great Skuas, 3 Arctic Skuas, 1 Puffin, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 600 Manx Shearwater and 3 Sooty Shearwaters were seen during a 5-hour seawatch from Kilcummin Head in Co. Mayo (S. Feeney).

10th August 2008
Streedagh

A pale phase Arctic Skua flew past the beach and c. 17 Common Scoter were seen offshore (B. Robson).

8th August 2008
Knocklane Hill,
Ballyconnell

A Peregrine Falcon was seen in the late evening (C. Benson).

8th August 2008
Colour-ringed wader sightings

Two colour-ringed Sanderlings from an Icelandic project have recently been seen in Connemara. Please keep an eye out for colour-ringed waders as numbers start to build at the beginning of the autumn passage, note the details of which colours were on which leg, and in what order, and report any sightings to this website or to www.ring.ac

7th August 2008: Above left, three Black-tailed Godwits photographed at Cartron Marsh today.

On the right, the second calendar-year Iceland Gull that is spending the summer in Sligo Harbour presented the rather unusual sight (in Ireland) of an Iceland Gull in full primary moult - just the two outer and heavily worn/bleached primary feathers remain to be replaced, and evidence of active moult in the tail also. Iceland Gulls are rare in Ireland in summer and would usually moult in much more northerly latitudes.

Click on images above to see larger version of each image.

7th August 2008
Sligo Harbour

Approximately 15 Black-tailed Godwits, all either wholly or partially in summer plumage, were in Cartron Marsh at lunchtime. The second calendar-year Iceland Gull was at Quay St (M. Casey).

7th August 2008
Lenadoon Point,
Killala Bay

50 Manx Shearwater, 3 Great Skua and 2 probable Arctic Skuas were seen during a 1 1/2 hour seawatch at Lenadoon Point in Sligo (M. Bell).

On the other (Mayo) side of Killala Bay, 9 Great Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Sooty Shearwater, about 45 Manx Shearwater, 2 Common Scoter and 1 Storm Petrel were observed from Kilcummin Head during a five hour sea-watch (S. Feeney), while a first-summer Red-throated Diver was observed in the Cathedral Pool of the River Moy in Ballina town centre (M. Davis).

6th August 2008
Ballygawley

A Common Swift was at Ballygawley (S. Feeney). This is the time of the year when Swifts begin to quietly disappear from our skies and begin the long migration to Africa.

See our MigrantWatch panel above - send in your latest 2008 sightings of Swallow, Swift, House Martin, Sand Martin, warblers etc in Co. Sligo

6th August 2008
Cartron Marsh

Nine summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwits were seen at Cartron Marsh at lunchtime (M. Casey), and were joined by at least ten more by tea-time (S. Feeney)

Inishmurray-ringed Herring Gull - Galway Dec 2007

Inishmurray-ringed Herring Gull - Sligo Aug 2008

5th August 2008: These two photos show the same immature Herring Gull, eight months apart. This bird was ringed as a chick on Inishmurray Island, off the coast of Co. Sligo on the 30th June 2006 by Declan Manley from Co. Offaly. The bird was re-sighted, photographed and had its ring read at Galway in April and in December of 2007 by Michael Davis. The photo on the left was taken at Riverside on the Corrib River in Galway city in December 2007. Today it was seen, photographed and the ring read again at the boat slip at Quay Street in Sligo Harbour.

These photos illustrate well the differences between the second-winter (left) and third-winter (right) plumages in Herring Gulls. The third winter plumage is dominated by the pale grey adult-type feathers on the back and shoulders. The bird also shows two adult-type primary feathers which would be untypical of a third-winter bird. It is clearly doing well, and may well return to Inishmurray as a breeding adult next year.

Click on images above to see larger version of each image.

4th August 2008 FERMANAGH NEWS

A Golden Eagle has been seen by foresters at Ballintempo Forest between Belcoo & Garison. Thought not to be one of the re-introduced Donegal Golden Eagles, but possibly one that has crossed over from Scotland. Also, two Red Kites were seen just south of Lisbellaw Village on Friday evening at 9.15pm, thought to be two of five Red Kites released in the Mourne Mountains last week (via M. Breen).

Update11/8/08: All of the Red Kites released in the Mourne Mountains have remained nearby - these may be birds released in Co. Wicklow (B. Robson).

1st August 2008
Quay St Car Park,
Sligo harbour

The second-calendar-year Iceland Gull is still present on the slipway at Quay St. (D. Skehan).

August 2008 Sightings