August 2009 Sightings

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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009

5th August 2009:

Red Kite hunting near Achonry. This wing-tagged bird was released in Co. Down by the RSPB in 2008 as part of a re-introduction scheme. Please let us know if you see this, or any other large birds of prey.

Sligo County Council grants planning permission for Sligo Airport Runway Extension onto Dorrins Strand

Planning permission has been granted to Sligo Airport for the 285 meter runway extension on Dorrins Strand.

Sligo County Co planning department have granted this permission in the face of overwhelming objection from local people and environmental groups. Up to 300 objections were made against this project including objections from Dept of Environment, Birdwatch Ireland, Birdwatch Sligo, and An Taisce, as well as detailed carefully researched objections from local residents and visitors to the area.

Dorrins Strand is of international importance for Light-bellied Brent Goose and nationally important for a further five wader species, namely Oystercatcher, Knot, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit and Redshank. Accordingly, this site has been designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) (4035 Cumeen Strand SPA) under the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). The location is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the 1992 EU Habitats Directive (000627 Cumeen Strand/Drumcliff Bay cSAC), and the listed interests of this designation and associated habitats provide valuable habitats for important birds at site. Both of these Directives are transposed into Irish law through the European Communities (Natural Habitats) regulations 1997. This site has been identified as a proposed Natural Heritage Area, and the wetland complex is also designated as a Ramsar Site (7IE034 Cumeen Strand), since 1996.

Please attend a meeting of the Dorrins-Cummeen Conservation Group in the rear of Kelly’s Bar, Strandhill on Tuesday evening, 18th August at 8.00 pm.

All welcome.

Bring a friend.

Other sources of bird news if you are visiting Sligo this summer:

Other sources of information on bird sightings in County Sligo:

The Birds of Ireland News Service (BINS) operated by Eric Dempsey: Call 1550 111 700

Joe Doolan's Irish bird news website: Irishbirding.com

Please continue to report Sligo sightings as usual to this site, and rarities can be notified to Eric on (01) 830 7364/ by email to birdsireland@eircom.net and to Joe Doolan 87 234 7296 by email to sightings@irishbirding.com

Ring-reading update:
Two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls seen in Sligo harbour in the last couple of years were ringed as nestlings in a breeding colony on Lough Mask, Co. Mayo by Eoin McGreal and Chris Benson. Their appearance in Sligo was something of an exception, as virtually all re-sightings of birds ringed by this project were south of Lough Mask, reflecting the tendency of Black-headed Gulls to migrate south/south-west for the winter. It has been well established by ring-reading that Sligo's wintering gulls come from a different population (breeding in Northern Ireland, the northern UK, Scandinavia and northern Europe) to our breeding population.
Recent re-sightings of these two birds in Clare and Galway indicate that both of the colour-ringed birds seen in Sligo have apparently successfully re-orientated themselves to the overwhelming pattern of birds ringed in the Lough Mask colony, i.e. now migrating in autumn along a predominantly southerly direction from the natal site.

Re-sighting details:
279B
12/06/08    Ringed at breeding colony, Lough Mask, Co. Mayo Eoin McGreal, Chris Benson
17/09/08    Sligo Docks  Mícheál Casey
27/09/08    Sligo Docks Séamus Feeney
04/08/09    Clahane. Liscannor, Co. Clare David McNamara
256A
31/05/06  Ringed at breeding colony, Lough Mask, Co. Mayo Eoin McGreal, Chris Benson
07/02/07 Sligo Docks Mícheál Casey
08/04/07  The Long Walk, Galway City Michael Davis

If you see a colour-ringed gull in the west of Ireland, the please contact
Eoin McGreal
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Aghinish, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo
Tel: 094 95 42775
E-mail: eoin.mcgreal@environ.ie

Pelagic Boat Trip to see migrating seabirds off the Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo

Sunday 16th August - cancelled due to adverse weather - may go ahead omn 30/8/09.

Dave Suddaby has provisionally booked the boat Dúlra Na Mara http://www.dulranaturetours.com/about.html for Sunday 16th August

The itinerary for the day will be

7 am – meet at Blacksod Pier
7.30 am – leave Blacksod Pier and steam for the 200m shelf edge
10 am – arrive at the 200m shelf edge
10 am – 4 pm – chum along the 200m shelf edge and also investigate bird activity around trawlers (if present in the area)
4 pm – steam back to Blacksod Pier
6.30 pm – arrive at Blacksod Pier

The cost for this is 100 euro per person and food and drink will be provided. There will be a 24 hour cancellation notice – if the trip is cancelled due to weather (or not enough interest) then it will be re-scheduled for Sunday 30th August, and those that have booked on for the 16th will have first preference.

Please contact the organiser, Dave Suddaby via this website if interested. Email mail@sligobirding.com

SPÉIR: Stop Poisoning Eagles In Ireland

Click here to add your voice to the thousands of other people worldwide calling for an immediate end to the use of indiscriminate poisoned meat baits which are poisoning endangered Irish Eagles.

Or click here to view the signatures.

Update:

The Red Kite seen at Achonry last week came from the RSPB Red Kite re-introduction project in Northern Ireland

The RSPB Northern Ireland's Red Kite officer, Rob Straughan, has confirmed that the Red Kite seen at Achonry last week (see 5/8/09) was "Black Q" released in Co. Down with 24 others in 2008, which spent all of its time within ten miles of its release area until 21st May 2009. This bird has not been seen since that date until it flew across the N17 at Achonry!

Rob would really welcome any further sightings of 'Black Q', which is a female.

Please contact him at redkiteni@rspb.org.uk if you see it and remember to notify this site if it's still in Sligo!

More information on the launch of the NI Red Kite Re-Introduction Programme is here.

MigrantWatch - recording the last summer migrants seen/heard in the region in 2008.

Cuckoo	3rd August 2009 - a juvenile at Kellystown, Ballysadare Bay (Declan Skehan)
Swift	27th August 2009 - six over Sligo Town Centre (Declan Skehan)

Date	Species	Photo	Number	Site	Observer	Remarks
29 August 2009	Probable White-tailed Eagle		1	Sand dunes, Bunduff Strand, Mullaghmore	Paul Malesa	A large bird of prey took flight from the sand dunes where it had been resting.
29 August 2009	Sabine's Gull		1	Mermaid's Cove, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	A juvenile flying close along the shore
28 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		c. 100	Bunduff Strand, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	They were flying only 100-200m offshore, landing on water, doubling back etc. in the 20 minutes that we were in the vicinity
28 August 2009	Sabine's Gull		1	Bunduff Strand, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	Juvenile. Possibly the same bird seen the following day by Declan Skehan.
28 August 2009	Parasitic (Arctic) Skua		2	Bunduff Strand, Mullaghmore	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	2 pale phase adults crossed beach beside stream and dunes on their way to cut across to Trawalua Strand
28 August 2009	White-tailed Eagle		1	Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	Seen eating a large white bird, probably a gull, on the pasture between Classiebawn Castle and the cliffs. This is the juvenile released in Kerry last month as part of the re-introduction scheme. It is the second report that the project manager, Allan Mee, has received of this bird taking a gull It has made very rapid movement to Mullaghmore, where it seems to be feeding well. Atypically for a juvenile it is taking live prey, which augurs well for its survival. This particular White-tailed Eagle's movements (with a 3 day delay) can be followed online at the Golden Eagle project website - just click on the date in the left margin on that page to see one of its positions on that day.
27 August 2009	Kingfisher		1	Cartron Marsh, Sligo Harbour	Molly & Michael Bell	Perched on an abandoned shopping trolley on the mudflat
27 August 2009	Swift		6	Sligo Town Centre	Declan Skehan	Seen over the town centre this morning, very few around now.
26 August 2009	Great Skua		1	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	During 1.5 hour sea-watch.
26 August 2009	Sandwich Tern		20	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	During 1.5 hour sea-watch.
26 August 2009	Gannet		100	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	During 1.5 hour sea-watch.
26 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		700+	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Declan Skehan	During 1.5 hour sea-watch.
26 August 2009	Sooty Shearwater		2	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		1875	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Leach's Storm-Petrel		2	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Storm-Petrel		6	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Sandwich Tern		73	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Arctic Tern		38	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
26 August 2009	Puffin		1	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	During sea-watch 1430 - 2000 hrs today
22-24 August 2009	White-tailed Eagle		1	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Allan Mee (via satellite tracking only)	A male juvenile White-tailed Eagle has been in the Mullaghmore area for the past few days. This eagle is part of the White-tailed Eagle Re-Introduction Project run by the Golden Eagle Trust and sponsored by Irish taxpayers through the National Parks & Wildlife Service. It was released in Co. Kerry a month ago, and has moved out of the release area near Killarney - see news item on the 2009 releases here. This bird is wearing a satellite tag which tracks its position, reporting a summary of movements at regular intervals. Today's batch of data shows it to have been based at Mullaghmore Head over the weekend, making occasional flights to the west, and south along the coast, returning each time to Mullaghmore. Any news of sightings of this bird would be very welcome. It is remarkable that there have been no sightings, but large birds of prey may be very inactive, and this bird may have been roosting on a cliff ledge through the inclement weather of the past few days White-tailed Eagles eat mainly carrion (animal carcasses etc) in their first year and are very susceptible to accidental poisoning at this time. As they get older and start to fish and take live sea-birds, they are at much less risk. Please report any suspicion of malicious/careless use of poisons to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Gardai, especially if you find or see what may be poisoned bait.
22 August 2009	Long-eared Owl		1	Near Ballinacarrow	Bernadette Symons	Seen in low, slow flight, flying from Temple- house area towards Kilvarnet cemetery, over the old quarry.
22 August 2009	Swift		2	Sligo Town Centre	Declan Skehan	Last Swifts of '09?
17 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		12	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Michael Bell	Seen during one-hour seawatch/ whale watch, also two large pale Shearwaters, probably Cory's Shearwaters, were seen but not definitively ID'd due to distance and adverse weather conditions
17 August 2009	Storm Petrel		1	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Michael Bell	During one-hour seawatch
23 August 2009	Black-tailed Godwit		10	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Michael Bell	In south-eastern lake
23 August 2009	Whooper Swan		1	Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore	Michael Bell	In south-eastern lake, usual long-staying non-flying individual
17 August 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Scotchman's Walk, Bundoran Rd, Sligo	Conor McElhinney	Flew over near Henderson's Garage, going towards Cartron.
16 August 2009	Cory's Shearwater		1	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Balearic Shearwater		2	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Sooty Shearwater		9	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		c. 900	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800. Low estimate c 150/hour.
16 August 2009	Sandwich Tern		37	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Black-tailed Godwit		20	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Arctic Skua		19	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Great Skua		8	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Whimbrel		10	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
16 August 2009	Storm Petrel		4	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	1230 - 1800.
15 August 2009	Sooty Shearwater		1	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Séamus Feeney
15 August 2009	Great Skua		9	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Séamus Feeney
15 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		c. 150	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Séamus Feeney	Partial count
12 August 2009	Raven		2	Swan Point, Sligo town centre	Declan Skehan	Two were roosting on the roof of an unfinished apartment building, despite some harrassment from Rooks and Jackdaws
12 August 2009	Swift		2	Beltra	Séamus Feeney
12 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		c. 150	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	During a short sea-watch
12 August 2009	Puffin		1	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
12 August 2009	Whimbrel		10	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
12 August 2009	Storm Petrel		6	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
12 August 2009	Swift		2	Beltra	Séamus Feeney
10 August 2009	Manx Shearwater		700+	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	During a short sea-watch
10 August 2009	Storm Petrel		5	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
10 August 2009	Puffin		2	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	Also observed the first juvenile Kittiwakes reported in Sligo this year
10 August 2009	Balearic Shearwater		1	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
10 August 2009	Sooty Shearwater		1	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
10 August 2009	Arctic Skua		6	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney	All dark phase
10 August 2009	Great Skua		14	Lenadoon Point, Rathlee, Easky	Séamus Feeney
10 August 2009	Common Sandpiper		1	Strandhill	Declan Skehan	Heard calling overhead
10 August 2009	Long-eared Owl		1	Strandhill	Declan Skehan	Juvenile heard, calling from conifers
9 August 2009	Swift		1	South of Cleighanroe, eastern side of Lough Allen, Co. Leitrim	Frances Farrell	Seen over fields
8 August 2009	Tree Sparrow		2	Cloonagh, Ballyconnell	Declan Feeney	In a hedgerow
8 August 2009	Shelduck		10	Silver Falls Car Park, Ballysadare Estuary	Mícheál Casey	A crèche of eight juveniles and two adult Shelduck. Most Shelduck migrate to one of two sites to moult (the German Waddensee and Bridgwater Bay in Somerset). Young birds are left in the care of a small number of adults which stay behind and moult in the breeding area. While these crèches can grow very large, this is a relatively small one.
8 August 2009	Common Gull		2	Quay St Car Park, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	Two metal-ringed Common Gulls seen in the harbour today winter regularly in Slgo. One adult Common Gull, ring number ET 47509, was ringed as a nestling in a breeding colony at Loch Tarff in the Scottish Highlands by Hugh Insley on the 26th May 1997. The winter of 2009/2010 will be its sixth consecutive winter in Sligo, where it seems to always arrive in the first week in August, presumably having bred each year in the area where it was hatched in Scotland. A second adult Common Gull (Ring EG 55246), which was ringed on Copeland Island in Northern Ireland and has been seen here each year since was also seen.
8 August 2009	Black-tailed Godwit		4	Gibraltar Point, Cummeen Strand	Mícheál Casey	3 showing varying amouts of summer plumage, one in winter plumage
7 August 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		2	Old Railway Station Collooney	Séamus Feeney
7 August 2009	Siskin		10	Markree Castle Collooney	Séamus Feeney	Included some juveniles
7 August 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		5-7	Markree Castle Collooney	Séamus Feeney	Two separate family groups, of 2-3 and 3-4
7 August 2009	Oystercatcher		65	Streamstown, Ballysadare Bay	Mícheál Casey	Good numbers of gulls & large waders, but no godwits, small waders or shanks were seen in the hour before high tide at 7pm
7 August 2009	Curlew		136	Streamstown, Ballysadare Bay	Mícheál Casey
7 August 2009	Black-headed Gull		186	Streamstown, Ballysadare Bay	Mícheál Casey
7 August 2009	Common Gull		104	Streamstown, Ballysadare Bay	Mícheál Casey
6 August 2009	Great Skua		1	Lislary, Ballinfull	Declan Feeney	Seen passing Lislary along with good numbers of adult and immature Gannets, Cormorants and assorted gulls over a 90 minute seawatch.
6 August 2009	Long-tailed Skua		1	Lislary, Ballinfull	Declan Feeney
6 August 2009	Water Rail		4	Silver Falls Car Park, Ballysadare Estuary	Séamus Feeney	Four adults were feeding in the open on the mudflat along the reedbed
5 August 2009	Red Kite		1	Achonry	Mícheál Casey	Crossed the main N17 from direction of Temple House Estate at 8.50 am, circled briefly, moved off towards Lavagh. This adult bird had two black/brown wing tags with yellow letters. This colour combination indicates that it may be a bird released in Co. Down by the RSPB which is operating a re-introduction scheme. The Northern Ireland project parallels the Golden Eagle Trust's Red Kite Re-introduction scheme, which is supported by theNational parks & Wildlife Service in Co. Wicklow. These birds became extinct about 200 years ago in Ireland due to persecution.
3 August 2009	Cuckoo		1	Kellystown, Ballysadare Bay	Declan Skehan	A juvenile was seen briefly during a downpour