July 2009 Sightings

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Image © Declan Skehan 2009

July 2009:

Juvenile Dipper on the Garravogue River, Sligo

4th July 2009
Corncrake Update
To date, six calling Corncrakes have been confirmed in the county, more than in any year since before the annual census started in West Connacht, in 1994. It’s possible a seventh Corncrake could yet be confirmed. Ciarán Davis at Rosses Point reports hearing three on Oyster Island, two nights after his sister heard two on Coney. If anyone can give a precise location for all these birds heard on the same night, we will know for sure we have seven (with two others already confirmed elsewhere in Sligo Bay).
A survey of the coast between Enniscrone and Aughrus Head failed to turn up any birds at the end of June, and no reports have been received from anywhere else in the county, as yet. The national census of Corncrakes ends July 10. If you want to hear one don't delay, as most Corncrakes stop calling by mid-July.
Please send Corncrake reports via this web-site or phone 095 44941,

Tim Gordon
BirdwatchIreland Corncrake Fieldworker for Connacht.

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

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

Sunday 16th August.

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

Recent Sightings page resumes normal service:

Sincere thanks to Gerard Scott for keeping the flag flying during the holidays, and to all who kept submitting their sightings. Summer is always a quiet time here between the spring and summer migrations, when birders (and websites) go on holidays, so your summer sightings are especially welcome at sightings@sligobirding.com

MC

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

Cuckoo	20th July 2008 - Bloomfield, Sooey (D. Skehan)

Date	Species	Photo	Number	Site	Observer	Remarks

30 July 2009	Buzzard		3	near Ballymote	via Robert Lundy	At least three juveniles seen, also a nest where Buzzards are reported to have bred for "the last couple of years".
30 July 2009	Sanderling		16	Knocklane	Bob Chapman	also one Dunlin and six Ringed Plover
30 July 2009	Wheatear		6	Ballyconnell	Bob Chapman	Wheatears were seen daily at this site during the week, this was the highest count
30 July 2009	Dipper		1	Glendarragh, Benbulbin	Bob Chapman
29 July 2009	Manx Shearwater		100+	Ballyconnell	Bob Chapman	Seen in about 40 mins of sea-watching
29 July 2009	Storm Petrel		6	Ballyconnell	Bob Chapman	Conservative estimate - seen in about 40 mins of sea-watching, all were close in shore and flying SW turning W as they passed.
29 July 2009	Black Guillemot		1	Ballyconnell	Bob Chapman	In breeding plumage
29 July 2009	Common Eider		2	Yellow Strand, Ballyconnell	Bob Chapman	In breeding plumage
29 July 2009	Crossbill		6	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Michael Bell, Mícheál Casey	Good numbers of Siskins also seen
29 July 2009	Jay		1	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Michael Bell
29 July 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		2	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Michael Bell
29 July 2009	Common Shelduck		4	Deepwater Quay, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	Family of two adults and two ducklings
29 July 2009	Common Sandpiper		2	Deepwater Quay, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey
29 July 2009	Rock Pipit		1	Deepwater Quay, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	An exceptionally dark juvenile - possibly melanistic?
29 July 2009	Linnet		c 40	Deepwater Quay, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	These were feeding outside the fence of the new waste water treatment plant, mainly eating Rosebay Willowherb seeds.
28 July 2009	Blackbird		1	Leekfield, Skreen	Peter Casey	This very striking albino bird is completely white and plumage-perfec. It has been present in the area for the past year or so.
28 July 2009	Crossbill		12	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Mícheál Casey	Feeding on cones of European Silver Fir
28 July 2009	Oystercatcher		342	Standalone Point, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	Autumn wader passage well underway
28 July 2009	Redshank		220	Behind Main Channel Breakwater, Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey
28 July 2009	Greenshank		4	Inishnagor, Streedagh	Bob Chapman
28 July 2009	Great Skua		1	Doonshaskin, near Lislary, Ballinfull	Bob Chapman
28 July 2009	Sandwich Tern		72	Ardtermon Strand	Bob Chapman	Roosting on the strand in the evening
28 July 2009	Grey Plover		1	Trawbane, Cliffoney	Bob Chapman	In breeding plumage
28 July 2009	Common Tern		3	Sligo Harbour	Mícheál Casey	Flying upstream towards Lough Gill, carrying food
26 July 2009	Black Guillemot		1	Dooneragh Point, Knocklane	Bob Chapman
26 July 2009	Manx Shearwater		10s	Dooneragh Point, Knocklane	Bob Chapman
26 July 2009	Manx Shearwater		100s	Mullaghmore Head, Mullaghmore	Bob Chapman
26 July 2009	Kittiwake		100+	Killkilloge, Mullaghmore	Marius Breen, Fred Carroll, Dermot Hagens	Mixture of adults and immatures, seen in vicinity of breeding colony on cliffs
25 July 2009	Peregrine Falcon		1	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Séamus Feeney	Flew up from direction of Tanrego
25 July 2009	Crossbill		30-35	Glen Wood Forest Walk, Coolaney	Séamus Feeney	Also Whitethroat, Willow Warbvler, Sedge Warbler and Jay heard along the walk
24 July 2009	Northern Bottlenose Whale		1	Rathlee, Easkey	Don Cotton	7m long carcass found on beach
24 July 2009	Tree Sparrow		1	Raghly	Mícheál Casey	One seen in recently cut silage field
24 July 2009	Water Rail		1	Silver Falls Car Park, Ballysadare Estuary	Séamus Feeney	One seen at reedbed on far side of river
23 July 2009	Jay		1	Forest Walk, Coolaney	Mícheál Casey
23 July 2009	Crossbill		?	Forest Walk, Coolaney	Mícheál Casey	Small flocks heard calling in two places along walk, none seen
23 July 2009	Common Buzzard		3	Near Coolaney	Jessica Ruigrok, Mícheál Casey	At least one adult, and at least two juveniles seen, confirming local breeding in an area where a pair has been seen for several years
22 July 2009	Common Buzzard		2+	Near Coolaney	Jessica Ruigrok	At least two birds seen regularly in recent days
22 July 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		2	Christ Church, Beltra	Declan Skehan	Seen along avenue, near entrance to church
22 July 2009	Chough		58	Gowlaun/Cartronwilliamoge, Benbulbin	Damien Carroll, Chough Survey Ireland	Large flock of Choughs recorded feeding on the tightly grazed slopes of Gowlaun/ Cartronwilliamoge. A maximum count of 58 birds was recorded. This was a 'nursery' flock holding high numbers of recently fledged young that were still begging for food from their parents. The flock was probably made up of most of the Sligo/ Leitrim Chough population, with only 3 to 6 (possible double count) other Choughs recorded around Arroo. The flock was foraging extensively in this area with birds peeling off in smaller groups heading east towards the mines northeast of King's Mountain - Glencarbury. Reported by Mike Trewby of Chough Survey Ireland.
21 July 2009	Ringed Plover		2	Strandhill Beach	Gerard Scott	Pair, possibly breeding
20 July 2009	Sparrowhawk		1	Drum Road, Rathcormac	Conor McElhinney	Glided low along the road before resting in a tree - v large female.
20 July 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	Drumcliff Church, Drumcliff	Conor McElhinney	Heard reeling in the rushes near Drumcliffe Church (on the righthand side of the road walking towards the church from Rathcormac)
20 July 2009	Common Cuckoo		1	Bloomfield, Sooey	Declan Skehan	One seen in flight
20 July 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		2	Markree Castle, Collooney	Declan Skehan	Adult & juveniles
19 July 2009	Common Swift		2	Rathscanlon, Tubbercurry	Mícheál Casey	Two nestlings ringed
18 July 2009	Dipper		2	Garravogue River, by Silver Swan Hotel	Declan Skehan
17 July 2009	Common Swift		1	Rathscanlon, Tubbercurry	Mícheál Casey	Adult(s) returning regularly to a nest site in a shed, and young heard calling from nest, so breeding confirmed at newly occupied site.
16 July 2009	Greenshank		1	Cormorant Rocks, Lough Gill	Séamus Feeney & Mícheál Casey	An unusual inland record, especially for a deep lake that doesn't attract many waders. The bird was repeatedly chased and harrassed by a Common Tern
16 July 2009	Common Sandpiper		1	Cormorant Rocks, Lough Gill	Séamus Feeney & Mícheál Casey
16 July 2009	Common Tern		60-70	Pearl Rocks, Lough Gill	Séamus Feeney & Mícheál Casey	Very high count seen when ringing Common Tern nestlings. This count included a number of flying juveniles (ie 2009 birds)
16 July 2009	Common Eider		65	Yellow Strand (Brown's Bay), Ballyconnell	Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy	This is the start of the build-up of this Eiders here that usually peaks at about 300 in late summer.
16 July 2009	Whimbrel		1	Ballysadare Estuary	Séamus Feeney	One bird seen at the Silver Falls car park
16 July 2009	Arctic Skua		1	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	A single dark morph bird passed the headland.
12 July 2009	Sand Martin		N/S	Mullaghmore	Beatrice MacDonald	Feeding young at colony on headland at Mullaghmore
12 July 2009	Manx Shearwater		100	Inishcrone	Michael Bell	Steady stream of birds (up to 100 in 3 minutes) heading south. However, every so often a lot of birds would be heading in the opposite direction so they may have been moving around in Kilalla Bay with the southwesterly winds. Observer considered there were at least a couple thousand birds present.
6 July 2009	Oystercatcher		194	Standalone Point, Sligo harbour	Séamus Feeney
6 July 2009	Redshank		64	Standalone Point, Sligo harbour	Séamus Feeney
6 July 2009	Bar-tailed Godwit		101	Standalone Point, Sligo harbour	Séamus Feeney
6 July 2009	Curlew		10	Standalone Point, Sligo harbour	Séamus Feeney
6 July 2009	Hooded Crow		74	Standalone Point, Sligo harbour	Séamus Feeney	A remarkably high count
6 July 2009	Sparrowhawk		1	Inner Relief Rd, Sligo	Conor McElhinney	Seen between Ted Nealon Rd and John St Upper at 9pm, seemed to be targeting Collared Doves in a tree.
6 July 2009	Raven		1	Cloonelly, Ballintrillick	Conor McElhinney	Seen near between Mullaghnaneane and Ballintrillick, in a place called Cloonelly. It was perched on a tree in an evergreen forested area. A Chiffchaff was also singing here and a Kestrel was soaring on thermals in the distance.
1 July 2009	Kestrel		1	Lower beach, Rosses Point	Conor McElhinney	Carrying Sand martin prey
1 July 2009	Grasshopper Warbler		1	Lower beach, Rosses Point	Conor McElhinney	Heard reeling in the damp meadows just outside the town, also many singing Reed Buntings and some Sedge Warblers. Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon (Aughalustia Road)