News and Events 2010
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AGM

Monday 24 May 2010

BirdWatch Sligo Branch AGM and Members’ Night.

Meet at Embassy Rooms, Teeling Street, Sligo, 8:00pm.

 

Sedge Warbler

"A workshop on the identification of Irish birds using song and call"

Facilitated by: Michael Bell

 

14th May 2010 at 8 pm

Embassy Rooms, John F. Kennedy Parade, Sligo.

 

Blackcap

Dawn Chorus Outing

Led by: Trevor Hunter

 

Sunday 16th May 2010 at 5 am

Meet Dromard Church of Ireland, Beltra. Take Sligo - Ballina road, through Ballisodare, then 1 km past Colleary's pub follow sign to church down lane to the right.

 

 

 

 

Herring Gull

Sunday, 25th April 2010

Branch outing to Inishcrone/Killala Bay

Meet at O'Connor's Pub, Ballisodare at 12 noon.

OUTING CANCELLED

DUE TO A BEREAVEMENT

 

Upcoming Events: RSPB/BirdWatch Ireland Conference in Sligo this year!

 

BWI

BirdWatch Ireland

and

RSPB Northern Ireland

RSPB

 

43rd All Ireland Bird Conservation Conference

BlackGuillemot

 

Seabirds: Life on the Edge

 

Friday 26 – Sunday 28 March 2010, Sligo Park Hotel & Leisure Club, Sligo, Co. Sligo

 

Please click here to download further details, a copy of the conference programme and a booking form
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Image  © Mark Carmody 2010
Above: A Buff-breasted Sandpiper, normally heading to South America and southern North America in the autumn, feeds amongst the seaweed at Ballycotton in Co. Cork

BirdWatch Sligo presents:

"Lost Souls, Pioneers, and Long-distance Travellers"

an exhibition of photographs by Mark Carmody, words by Jim Wilson

Sligo Park Hotel, Pearse Rd, Sligo

Friday 12th March 2010 at 8pm

The title of the Exhibition and talk is "Lost Souls, Pioneers, and Long-distance Travellers", an exhibition of photographs by Mark Carmody, words by Jim Wilson. The exhibition is a celebration of Ireland's Shorebirds, the selection of images are taken from the recently published book "Shorebirds of Ireland" by Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody (published by Collins Press). The talk will take place at 8.00pm on Friday 12th March 2010 to coincide with the launch of the exhibition. The exhibition will run from the 12th of March to the end of March 2010, coinciding with the 43rd All Ireland Bird Conservation Conference taking place in the same venue from the 26th to 28th March 2010. The Exhibition will be open to the public throughout March in the foyer of the Hotel. The talk is open to the public and will center around the particular images from the exhibition, with Mark providing a background as to how the image was obtained and the species featured. Mark will also show some of his other work from the book, with some background as to how he started out in photography. The book centers around some of the 20 million waders which fly south from northern latitudes in winter and spend time in rest and recuperation in Ireland. These are the shorebirds that live between the tides on estuary mudflats, in bays and rocky beaches. The talk will be of interest to those with an interest in birds, while also being of interest to photographers in the Sligo area. For an idea of what Mark's work is like, please visit www.markcarmodyphotography.com where you will also be directed to his Flickr page showing more images."
Book

About the book:

"Shorebirds of Ireland" by Jim Wilson & Mark Carmody

Sandpipers and plovers are among the many shorebirds that live between the tides in Ireland, on mudflats and shingle, in estuaries and lagoons, on beaches and bays. Jim Wilson and Mark Carmody introduce this world and its birds, which we have all seen but may know little about. Description of how they adapted to this often harsh environment, and how they evolved ways of exploiting the food supply, is followed by an account of their amazing annual migrations between Ireland and places such as arctic Canada and Siberia. One chapter describes the special role of Iceland in the lives of many shorebirds. The species portraits of those most likely to be seen in Ireland are enhanced with outstanding images paying homage to the beauty and variety of these birds. Mark Carmody spent hundreds of hours in search of these photographs to capture the essence and beauty of our shorebirds and their environment. Jim Wilson's text is again informative and engaging, sure to increase appreciation and understanding of these birds and where they live.

G Heron

Sunday 31 January 2010

I-WeBS bird count

Sligo Bay.

Meet at Village Inn car park at 1pm.

This is 'the biggie'!

The aim is to count all three esturaries within the Sligo Bay complex, which will provide a very valuable snapshot of Sligo Bay's wintering birds. If you can help with the counts of Ballysadare Bay, Sligo Harbour or Drumcliff Bay, your help is needed.

It is likely to be a day for warm weatherproof clothing, suitable footwear, and a warm drink.

Please contact the site if you need any further information.

 

BIRDWATCH SLIGO'S FRIDAY NIGHT ILLUSTRATED TALKS

 

Moths – Not Just Bird Food

A talk by


Michael Bell

Friday, 12th February, 2010 at IT Sligo at 8.15pm.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

 

Download a poster for your school or workplace (MS Word format) here.

 

'CONALL' FOUND POISONED ON TRUSKMORE MOUNTAIN
Conall
 

Image  © Lorcán O'Toole 2010

2nd March 2010: Golden Eagle 'Conall' found poisoned on the Sligo/Leitrim border.

Confirmation came today that 'Conall', the wild Irish-bred Golden Eagle that spent the past few months in the Glencar valley was found dead on Truskmore Mountain on the 18th of February - see photo above with Sligo & Sligo Bay in the background.

The 10 month old eagle chick was born and reared in a Donegal eyrie in 2009. The bird had spent the last four months wandering the beautiful mountains above Glencar Waterfall, Lough Gill and Gleniff. This male eagle was named Conall after "Tír Conall" - the Irish name for Donegal. Local people and children in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim had been watching and following its regular movements on the project website (www.goldeneagle.ie).

Lorcán O Toole from the Golden Eagle Trust said, "This issue is about the illegal use of poison within Irish farming. We believe the few hundred farmers using poison illegally are at variance with the huge environmental advances Irish farming has undergone over the last ten years. We have always fully acknowledged the support and co-operation of the sheep farming community in the Northwest and continue to do so. But unfortunately the poisoning this Golden Eagle, undermines the image of Irish food and weakens the potential for local tourism and damages the fragile rural economy in the Northwest, we believe."

Gardaí in Sligo Town have begun their investigation.

The Golden Eagle Trust press release is here

The RTE news item, with farmer reaction is here.

 

 

December Even
Poster Design by Karen Craig, Branch Secretary

 

Print off a poster for your workplace here
 

Also available as a Microsoft Word document here.
Argentina

Friday 15 January 2010

Birds of Argentina

– a talk by Steven McAvoy

Stephen is a graduate of Sligo IT and seasonal fieldworker for BirdWatch Ireland.

IT Sligo, 8:15pm.

G Heron

Sunday 17 January 2010

I-WeBS bird count

Sligo Bay. Meet at Village Inn car park at 10:30am.

Moth

Friday 12 February 2010

Moths – Not just Bird Food

– a talk by Michael Bell. IT Sligo, 8:15pm.

 

 

 

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