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Sligo Bird Images - December 2009
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Images © Michael D.Casey 2009 |
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26th December 2009: The hard weather has increased the number and range of garden birds seen - the upper images show a Reed Bunting, a Goldfinch, A Blackbird and a Robin in a Calry garden, while the lower images show a Redshank feeding on the Garravogue River in Sligo Town (with a Grey Wagtail in the background of the right hand image). |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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26th December 2009: A Goldeneye drake pictured in the Garravogue River at Riverside, Sligo |
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Images © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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26th December 2009: Curlew feeding along the road near Connacht Gold |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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26th December 2009: Lesser Redpoll in a Sligo town garden |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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23rd December 2009: 'Atmospheric' (i.e. hazy!) image of Twite feeding on grass heads at Raghly in the freezing fog that enveloped the coast this afternoon. |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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23rd December 2009: 'Male Star', the White-tailed Eagle sunning himself in a gap in the freezing fog at Ardtermon Castle today, before flying east into the fog towards Lissadell. The Hooded Crows that are harrassing him give some idea of the size of this bird! |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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22nd December 2009: Dark-bellied Brent Goose grazing on pasture at Raghly with a small flock of Light-bellied Brent |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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22nd December 2009: This Pied Wagtail with aberrant plumage - white collar and a few white-tipped scapular & back feathers - was ringed at Raghly today |
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Image © Mark Carmody 2009 |
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19th December 2009: Mark spotted the Canada & dark Cackling Goose pair after he got home, when he zoomed in on a flight shot - another benefit of digital photography |
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Image © Mark Carmody 2009 |
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19th December 2009: Male Tufted Duck (left), with male Tufted x Ring-necked Duck (right) on Glencar Lough today |
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Image © Mark Carmody 2009 |
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19th December 2009: The 'new' Cackling Goose - only seen in recent days with the Barnacle flock at Ballintemple. Along with the recent arrival of a Pink-footed Goose, this bird shows that there are constant movements between wintering goose flocks - they are worth a look at any time of the winter season. |
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Image © Mark Carmody 2009 |
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19th December 2009: Some images of the Twite flock at Raghly. Mark is co-author with Jim Wilson of "Shorebirds", a beautifully illustrated guide to the birds of our shores and estuaries - an ideal Christmas gift for the birder in your life. |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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19th December 2009: Ring-billed Gull (on right in both images) with Common Gulls at Quay St car park today |
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Video Clip © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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18th December 2009: Poor quality video clip of female Velvet Scoter with the Common Scoter flock at Mermaid's Cove, Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo shows the characteristic pale cheek patch. This video was obtained by clamping a camcorder to a telescope (hence the shakes!) |
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Video Footage of 'Conall', the Golden Eagle on King's Mountain Click the 'Play' button on the left to see video footage of Conall, the Golden Eagle. He was filmed as he flew by King's Mountain, Glencar, Co Sligo by Barry Brennan in mid-December. This bird is part of the first generation of Golden Eagles reared in the wild in ireland by re-introduced Scottish birds. Ireland's Golden Eagles became extinct as a result of human persecution in Victorian times.
Barry's photos of 'Conall' are below.
Further information on the two Irish eagle re-introduction projects (Golden Eagles in Donegal, White-tailed Eagles in Kerry) is available on the Golden Eagle Trust's website, www.goldeneagle.ie |
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Images © Barry Brennan 2009 |
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11-13th December 2009: Conall the satellite-tagged Golden Eagle was seen and photographed on King's Mountain by Barry Brennan. |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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14th December 2009: Pink-footed Goose grazing with part of the Barnacle Goose flock at Ballintemple at lunchtime today |
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Image © Ryan Wilson-Parr 2009 |
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13th December 2009: Twite ringing at Raghly - 25 of the flock are now colour-ringed. It will be interesting to see if this sheds light on where these wintering coastal flocks breed. |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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13th December 2009: Purple Sandpipers at Raghly - these two images capture the purplish sheen on the scapular feathers that give these small waders their name. |
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Video Clip © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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13th December 2009: Video clip of Ruddy Shelduck at Gibraltar Point, Cummeen Strand in Sligo harbour. |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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13th December 2009: Wren at Raghly |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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10th December 2009: Whooper Swan at Bunduff |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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10th December 2009: Little Egret at Raghly |
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Images © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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10th December 2009: Twite flock feeding at Raghly |
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Images © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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10th December 2009: Purple Sandpipers at Raghly |
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Image © Declan Skehan2009 |
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December 2009: Goldfinch in a Sligo garden |
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Image © Declan Skehan 2009 |
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December 2009: Coal Tit pictured in an uncharacteristically thoughtful pose in Sligo town. |
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Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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10th December 2009: Ruddy Shelduck with a flock of Common Shelduck at Cummeen Strand today |
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Images © Joe Geraty 2009 |
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9th December 2009: Birds seen at Bunduff Lough today - Mute Swan (upper image) and Whooper Swan (lower image) |
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Images © Joe Geraty 2009 |
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9th December 2009: Birds seen at Raghly Harbour today - from top: Great Northern Diver, Black Guillemot (both in winter plumage) and a slightly wind-swept Twite. |
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Image © Tom Shevlin 2009 |
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6th December 2009: This Twite was photographed at Raghly, Co Sligo at the weekend by Wexford wildlife photographer Tom Shevlin, where a flock of up to 40 birds has been seen in recent days. Tom's photo captures all the charm and toughness of this tiny finch, which is invariably found in wild places. See more of Tom's images on his website www.wildlifesnaps.com |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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6th December 2009: Great Northern Diver in Raghly Harbour |
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Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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6th December 2009: Dark-bellied Brent at Raghly |
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Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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6th December 2009: Some of the flock of 30+ Twite at Raghly today |
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Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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4th December 2009: Some of the flock of 16 Twite at Raghly today |
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Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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4th December 2009: Female Stonechat at Oxfield, Carney |
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Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
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3rd December 2009: Dark-bellied Brent (top two images, and on right in bottom image) at Raghly today |
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