Image © Séamus Feeney 2010

4th May 2010: First summer (ie 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull at Lenadoon

Sligo Bird Images - May 2010

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

31st May 2010: Male Whinchat still present at Ladies' Brae

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

30th May 2010: This pair of Stonechats were at Dunmoran Strand

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

30th May 2010: Whinchat - record shots of a male bird seen at Cabragh, Ladies' Brae, Coolaney. Quite wary and flighty.

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

29th May 2010: Grey Wagtail holding territory in Glendarragh, on the slopes of Benbulbin

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

29th May 2010: Common Swift feeding near Tobercurry, Co. Sligo

Video © Mícheál Casey 2010

22nd May 2010: Video clip showing one of two Swifts going to roost in an old farm building near Tobercurry at dusk. The video clip shows the bird making a few passes or 'dry runs' before it goes in - the video has been edited to shorten it, as there was up to a minute between these passes. It calls to its mate who went in a short while earlier.

Images © Mícheál Casey 2009 & 2010

20th May 2010: Metal-ringed Swift preening on the wing at Rathscanlan, Tobercurry this evening (top), and the two Swift nestlings that were ringed at this site on the 20th July 2009 (bottom)

Swifts eat, drink, mate, and even sleep in flight, only landing to incubate eggs and rear young. As the top photo shows, they also preen in flight. This bird is clearly ringed on the right leg (which it has brought forward). The outer primary feather is extremely worn (just the shaft left at the feather tip, often assumed to be a juvenile feature), suggesting this may in fact be one of two Swift nestlings ringed at this site last year. Swifts are not supposed to return to the breeding colony in their second calendar year, so this is highly speculative of course.

If you have a suitable building for Swifts (tall building, with suitable nest sites and clear flight lines), think about establishing your own colony. Remember this building is less than 5m high - many houses, apartment blocks,. and industrial buildings would suit. For more details,and a CD to help attract Swifts to your building, see http://www.swift-conservation.org

For further advice and assistance, feel free to contact this website

Images © Mícheál Casey 2010

19th May 2010:

This immature Common Buzzard appeared to have something hanging from its feet (top image). it proved to be a frog!

$Hooded Crow\$

Image © Conor McElhinney 2010

18th May 2010:

This recently fledged Hooded Crow was circling for ages, calling continually and didn't look too comfortable flying around. Still getting used to flying.

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

18th May 2010:

Female (upper) and male (lower) Whinchats near Bellanagare, Co. Roscommon

Image © Mícheál Casey 2010

18th May 2010:

Male Stonechat pictured near Bellanagare, Co. Roscommon

Images © Mícheál Casey 2010

17th May 2010:

A pair of Common Swifts return to their nest site at dusk near Tobercurry. This is likely to be the first time these most aerial of birds have landed since they left this site last August.

17th May 2010:

Cleared for landing: a Starling returns with food for it's brood in a farm building near Tobercurry

15th May 2010:

Male Common Cuckoo near Geevagh, Co. Sligo

14th May 2010:

Female Dipper captured and ringed on the Drumcliff River in north Sligo. Most of the first broods of Dippers have fledged and some pairs are incubating a second brood.

8th May 2010:

Female Yellowhammer in cereal-growing area at Carrownure Upper near Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon

8th May 2010:

Top image: Willow Warbler feeding on aphids at a Horse Chestnut flower
Lower image: Blackcap on an Elder tree

Both photos taken in a Tobercurry garden

4th May 2010: First summer (ie 2nd calendar year) Glaucous Gull at Lenadoon