24th June 2009:

Common Sandpiper at Lough Easkey

	Bat Conservation Ireland’s Annual Bat Detector Workshop Ballinafad, County Sligo 12th-14th June 2009 Details on our News page
	Petition on Illegal Poisoning Please sign the Golden Eagle Trust's Petition to ban indiscriminate poisoning of birds of prey in Ireland The petition is hosted on the Golden Eagle Trust website here.
	Good luck John! Best wishes to local birder and regular sligobirding.com contributor John McEvoy who is going to the UK next week to take up a post on a research project on urban foxes in Bristol.
	Four calling corncrakes on Oyster Island The mainland opposite Oyster island (ie Rosses Point) is the best place in Sligo to hear Corncrakes this summer, with four calling males confirmed by Tim Gordon, Birdwatch Ireland fieldworker for Connacht. To hear the sound of a calling male Corncrake, click here.
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
	20 June 2009 Sligo Corncrake Update by Tim Gordon BirdWatch Ireland Fieldworker for Connacht At the halfway point of the census, it looks like a minimum of six calling Corncrakes in Sligo, the most found in the county for many years. There are three or four on Oyster, one or two if which may have strayed to Coney, where one was reported early in the season and where John McGowan heard two on June 13 (one opposite the pub and one up in the meadows). Two have returned to one of the uninhabited islands where rat traps were set last Spring. None have yet been reported from the traditional Corncrake sites of Mullaghmore, Raghly Point, Ballyconnell or anywhere else in the county. The stretch of coast from Aughris Head to Enniscrone, which often turns up one (as at Aughris and Ardogelly last year) has yet to be surveyed. Sometimes a second period of more intense Corncrake calling begins around the third week of June, before the last few stragglers and late arrivals from earlier nesting elsewhere turn-up early in July, so the next few weeks are the last chance to find new ones this year. Elsewhere, there are now nine confirmed in Connemara and three in the Callows, while in Mayo there are a minimum of 22 in Erris and eight in the south Louisburgh area, although as yet none have been found anywhere else in the county. It’s been an unusual year for Corncrakes turning-up off the beaten track. There are three on Valentia, and reports of one on Beara, one at Banna Strand, one each in Clare, East Waterford and Wexford, plus the one heard earlier in Cavan possibly still present. Counters are still at work in Donegal, covering for BirdWatch’s northern Corncrake fieldworker Sandy Alcorn, who has unfortunately broken her ankle. So far, 50 have been confirmed. Please keep the reports coming, by phone, 095 44941, or email via this website.
	Sligo Western By-Pass - Public Consultation Plans for proposed Dual Carriagway across Sligo Inner Harbour are now available for public consultation. Given the potential of all of the routes for massive impact on the harbour's ecology and habitats, members are urged to actively engage with this process. Maps showing this route can be viewed during office hours at the following locations: Sligo County Council, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo. Sligo County Council, Road Design Section, Market Yard, Sligo Public information evenings will be held and plans will be available for viewing and comment in the Southern Hotel, Knappagh Road, Sligo, on Wednesday 24th June and Wednesday 1st July, 2009, from 4:00pm to 7:30pm. Observations or submissions relating to this route may be handed into the Public Information Sessions or may be submitted to:- Tom Kilfeather, Director of Infrastructure, Sligo County Council, Governor’s House, St. Anne’s Place, Sligo. Submissions should be submitted no later than Friday 10th July, 2009.
	Holiday Time! This page will not be updated until 16th July 2009 Please continue to report sightings as usual to sightings@sligobirding.com Any sightings received for the next two weeks will be posted in a temporary sightings file here.

Recent Sligo Sightings

Red text is used to signify records of particular significance for Co. Sligo

Date	Species	Photo	Number	Site	Observer	Remarks

30 June 2009	Swift		c 20	Sligo Town	Seamus Feeney
24 June 2009	Whooper Swan		2	Bunduff Lake	Marius Breen	Long-staying non-flyer and another Whooper seen
24 June 2009	Common Sandpier		1	Ballysadare Estuary	Martin Enright	opposite Silver Falls apartment building
24 June 2009	Long-eared Owl		1	near Lough Gill	Sandie McCanny	Two juveniles being fed by adult
23 June 2009	Common Tern		c. 50	Lough Gill	Séamus Feeney, Mícheál Casey	c. 50 adults were seen in the vicinity of a traditional breeding colony
19 June 2009	Tree Sparrow		1	Raghly	Declan Skehan	Near the harbour
19 June 2009	Manx Shearwater		200	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	c. 200 Manx Shearwater, were feeding in a circuit that took them east and west of Lenadoon Pt. At times in a group of c. 100
19 June 2009	Sooty Shearwater		2	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	During a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Great Skua		4	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	Includes a pair, seen during a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Arctic Skua		2	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	A pair, seen during a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Storm Petrel		8	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	During a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Puffin		7	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	In one group, during a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Common Scoter		6	Lenadoon Point, Inishcrone	Séamus Feeney	During a seawatch from 1000 - 1430 hrs.
19 June 2009	Buzzard		1	near Beltra	Séamus Feeney	Hunting
18 June 2009	Whinchat		4	Near Ballinagare, Co. Roscommon	Declan Skehan	Adult and three juveniles
18 June 2009	Tree Sparrow		3	Raghly	Mícheál Casey	Two juveniles and an adult near the harbour. A Stoat was carrying prey (a mouse) along road nearby
17 June 2009	Tree Sparrow		1	Raghly	Mícheál Casey	Seen briefly but clearly at the very tip of the headland, near the harbour.
16 June 2009	Jay		1	Union Foods, Ballygawley	Séamus Feeney	Also a Common Whitethroat singing nearby
15 June 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		2	Markree Estate, Collooney	Declan Skehan	A pair seen at the bridge on the main avenue, where a pair has been seen for the past three years
10 June 2009	Common Sandpiper		1	Lough Gill	Paul Keogh	Also a Pine Marten seen near Dromahair on the same day
9 June 2009	Wheatear		2	Coney Island, Sligo Harbour	Shaun Connor	Male Wheatear and young juvenile seen adjacent to rabbit burrows on Coney Island (probable nesting site) (Shaun Connor)
9 June 2009	Spotted Flycatcher		1	near Dromahair, Co. Leitrim	Paul Keogh
9 June 2009	Kingfisher		1	Lough Gill	Paul Keogh
6 June 2009	Arctic Skua		1	Cooanmore Point, Easkey	Séamus Feeney	One dark phase bird, 39 Manx Shearwaters and good numbers of Gannets and Fulmars seen in a 2-hour seawatch
5 June 2009	Whooper Swan		2	Lough Ree, Co. Roscommon	Joe Donaldson	On Roscommon side, west of Lanesboro.
5 June 2009	Goldeneye		4	Lough Ree, Co. Roscommon	Joe Donaldson	All males. On Roscommon side, west of Lanesboro.
4 June 2009	Whimbrel		1	Rathscanlan, Tobercurry	Mícheál Casey	One heard calling as it flew over near midnight
3 June 2009	Tree Sparrow		1	Old village, Aughris Head	Mícheál Casey
2 June 2009	Corncrake		4	Oyster Island, Sligo Harbour	Tim Gordon	I heard 4 corncrakes on Oyster, one in the eastern enclosure, one 100m east of Bruen’s enclosure, one on the west wall of Bruen’s enclosure, near the house – these three all on the Rosses Point side of the island - and I think one on the other side, on or near the south wall of Bruen’s enclosure. There’s seems not to be one on Coney, and I didn’t find any in the usual spots between Raghly Point and Knocklane. I hope to get onto Oyster one night in the next few weeks to confirm last night’s records. I’ve had no reports from anyone else in Sligo so far. Good numbers in Mayo, more than last year, but slightly fewer so far in Connemara. Keep an ear out for other birds – there must be more out there! Tim Gordon
1 June 2009	Long-eared Owl		1	N4, Sligo Town	Conor McElhinney	Flew across main road between Sumerhill College and the Caltragh exit
1 June 2009	Common Tern		4	Doorly Park, Sligo Town	John McEvoy	Heading upriver, towards Lough Gill
31 May 2009	Kingfisher		1	Lough Arrow	Séamus Feeney
31 May 2009	Common Sandpiper		3-4	Lough Arrow	Séamus Feeney
31 May 2009	Cuckoo		1	Lough Arrow	Séamus Feeney
31 May 2009	Painted Lady (Butterfly)		Large numbers	Co. Sligo	Don Cotton, Séamus Feeney, Declan Skehan	Large numbers of this colourful migrant are being reported from several sites around the county.
30 May 2009	Corncrake		2	Oyster Island, Sligo Harbour	Trevor an Patricia Hunter Terry and Kate Harte & families; Eamon Lynch & Niamh Lynch via www.irishbirding.com	Calling males.
29 May 2009	Hobby		1	Lough Arrow	Anon. via Don Cotton	A report was received today that the Hobby was seen again at Lough arrow during the week, it was seen around an island in the middle of the lake, catching mayflies in flight.
25 May 2009	Whooper Swan		1	Bunduff, Mullaghmore	Mícheál Casey	An apparent family group consisting of a Mute Swan, the long-staying, non-flying Whooper Swan and five small cygnets were on the smallest lakes. A case of hybridisation or fostering?
25 May 2009	Common Swift		4	Rathscanlan, Tobercurry	Mícheál Casey	Prospecting for nest sites at purpose-built nest box on an old farm building
24 May 2009	Cuckoo		1	Hazelwood, Lough Gill	Beatrice MacDonald	Heard at Hazelwood
22 May 2009	Mute Swan		6	Annagh Bay, Lough Gill	Beatrice MacDonald	Two adults and four tiny cygnets, obviously recently hatched.Further round the Hazelwood shore was a female Mallard with 11 ducklings.
22 May 2009	Iceland Gull		1	Sligo Harbour	Declan Skehan
19 May 2009	Whinchat		1	near Ballinagare, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon	Michael Bell	Male singing on top of small tree
19 May 2009	Great Northern Diver		c10	Off Raghly Point, Drumcliff Bay	Séamus Feeney	There was one immature, the rest were adults in summer plumage. Immature Red-throated Diver and one Common Scoter also seen
19 May 2009	Arctic Skua		1	Off Raghly Point, Drumcliff Bay	Séamus Feeney	Dark phase bird, was harassing Sandwich Terns, and in turn being harassed by the terns when it settled on the water. Left Drumcliffe Bay flying over Raghly causeway.
19 May 2009	Tree Sparrow		1	Causeway wall, Raghly	Séamus Feeney	Female Wheatear also present on breakwater
19 May 2009	Sandwich Tern		c. 20	Off Raghly Point, Drumcliff Bay	Séamus Feeney	Reduced numbers since Saturday last
19 May 2009	Common Buzzard		2	North Co. Sligo	Séamus Feeney	Pair seen soaring on thermals over wooded area
19 May 2009	Hobby		1	Lough Arrow	Anon. via Eric Dempsey	Seen at the north-western corner of the lake.
18 May 2009	Minke Whale		1	Rosskeeragh Point, Mullaghmore Head	Fiona Farrell, Mike Trewby, Don Cotton, Jean Dunleavy	Dead stranding. Female 6.4m long. Fairly fresh.
17 May 2009	Golden Eagle		1	Rossmore, Drumkeeran, Co. Leitrim	Frances Farrell	Location was at Rossmore, between Dowra and Drumkeerin, on the northern shore of Lough Allen, Co. Leitrim. The bird flew off eventually eastwards towards Dowra (possibly to Playbank mountain?) about 4.00pm.
17 May 2009	Siskin		1	Lissadell	Robin Burnhams
16 May 2009	Sandwich Tern		c. 50	Off Raghly Point, Drumcliff Bay	Séamus Feeney	Feeding intensely in a concentrated flock
15 May 2009	Long-tailed Skua		1	Ballinafad Bay, Lough Arrow	Dr David Gunn and John Gault, reported via Don Cotton	Hawking after Mayflies during an intense hatch on the lake. Long-tailed Skuas have been reported from this site in May in the past.