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Recent Sightings |
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| New June 2008 Gallery Page |
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| 27th June 2008 Sligo harbour |
The young Iceland Gull and a Black-tailed Godwit were at Cartron Marsh, on the edge of Sligo Harbour today (M. Casey). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| 27th June 2008 Bunduff Lakes, Mullaghmore |
The Whooper Swan at Mullaghmore was seen in close proximity to a Whooper Swan and brood of cygnets today. These species have been known to hybridise in the past, so it will be interesting to monitor these cygnets as they grow (M. Bell). See Noah Lipham's photo on our June 2008 Gallery page. | |||||||||
| 25th/26th June 2008 Oyster Island, Sligo Harbour |
As of half-past midnight, there is still one love-lorn Corncrake
calling vigorously on Oyster Island tonight! He's in or around the
walled field at the eastern end of the island. Currently it's quite
breezy and wet but that doesn't seem to be deterring him (C. Davis, taking dedication to new lengths!). |
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| Blast from the past! 1985..... |
Click here
to see photos of Ireland's first recorded Great White Egret, which was
found at Streedagh in 1985, and was subsequently photographed at Moneygold, Grange by
our regular contributor Declan Skehan, who was then on a visit to
Sligo, the county that would become his home some twenty years later. Declan kindly scanned this photo from the prints he has in his collection from the days before digital. Any other photos of Sligo rarities from the past would be very welcome for inclusion on the site. Please contact the website if you need to have them scanned first. |
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| 25th June 2008 Mullaghmore |
A two-hour sea-watch from 11am to 1 pm at Mullaghmore head in poor conditions (overcast, frequent showers) produced lots of Manx Shearwaters (64 seen) good number sof Gannets, both adult and young birds (juvenile and first-summer Gannets were seen), a single Storm-Petrel was seen to follow a fishing boat, and there were also a few Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Fulmars about (S. Feeney). | |||||||||
| 25th June 2008 Easkey |
The Iceland Gull is still at Cartron. Good numbers of gulls in the harbour (maybe sixty altogether, mainly immature Common, Black-headed, Lesser Black Backed and Great Black-backed, but no 2008 birds seen yet (M. Casey) | |||||||||
| 24th June 2008 Easkey |
Tree Sparrows still coming regularly to peanut feeders in an Easkey garden (R. Burnhams, M. Casey). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| 24th June 2008 Lough Easkey, Ox Mountains |
Two recently fledged Common Sandpiper chicks were seen with their parents on the east shore of Lough Easkey, along the roadside. A Merlin flew across the road near the lake (M. Casey). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| 23rd June 2008 Tobercurry |
A Spotted Flycatcher was seen in a rural garden (M. Casey). | |||||||||
| 23rd June 2008 Cartron Marsh, Sligo Harbour |
The Iceland Gull was still present this morning and a Kingfisher was seen perched under the bridge leading into the marsh (M. Bell). | |||||||||
| 21st June 2008 Ballygawley |
A Peregrine Falcon was seen catching a Jackdaw, which put up a heroic struggle, escaped and flew off only to be caught again and killed. The Peregrine first struck over the village of Ballygawley, and finally subdued its prey in a nearby field (S. Feeney). | |||||||||
| 20th June 2008 Easky |
I have had several Tree Sparrows in my garden in Easky for several months now. Numbers have been up to 8 but I have at least 3 or 4 every day on the peanuts (R. Burnhams). | |||||||||
| 17th June 2008 Scardan, Strandhill Road, Sligo |
A Spotted Flycatcher was seen along the narrow lane that joins the Coney Island causeway to the Strandhill Road (D. Skehan). | |||||||||
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| 15th June 2008 Glencar Valley, Co. Leitrim |
A pair of Chough
were seen today on the cliff face just above the large forested area at
Glencar in Co. Leitrim. They flew into a crevice in the high
cliffs, presumably visiting a nest site (M. Bell), while a second pair were also showimg interest in a possible nest site further along the mountain (N. Lipham, J. Vangeldt). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| 14th June 2008 Yellow Strand, Ballyconnell |
A Great Northern Diver was seen in Brown's Bay, just off Yellow Strand today (D. Cotton, J. Dunleavy). | |||||||||
| 14th June 2008 Strandhill |
A dead Basking Shark was washed ashore on the rocks at the western end of the runway of Sligo Airport at Strandhill. The carcass, which was quite decomposed, and whose head was missing, measured 6.5 m long (so the fish would have been 7.5-8 m long originally). Exceptional numbers of sightings of Basking Sharks have been recorded on the south and west coasts of Ireland this year (D. Cotton). | |||||||||
| 13th June 2008 Cartron Marsh |
Iceland Gull still at Cartron Marsh (M. Casey). | |||||||||
| 11th June 2008 Cartron Marsh |
A 2nd calendar-year Iceland Gull was seen just off the shore by the new promenade (M. Casey). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| ROSCOMMON SIGHTINGS PAGE | A few Roscommon sightings submitted to the site over the weekend have been posted to a new Roscommon sightings page - click on new button above to access the new page. This joins the Leitrim and Donegal pages on the BirdWatch Sligo website, where sightings from counties adjoining Sligo are posted on the Sligo site for the benefit of birders visiting the region. This does not represent a "land grab" by Sligo branch, but is a temporary measure until such time as these counties develop their own websites, when these records will be made available to them and these temporary pages on the BirdWatch Sligo site will be closed. | |||||||||
| 9th June 2008 Aughris (Old Village) |
Tree Sparrows still present at Aughris, still carrying food (M. Casey). | |||||||||
| 8th June 2008 Geevagh area |
A male Merlin was seen at a wind farm near Geevagh (D. Skehan). | |||||||||
| 8th June 2008 Sligo-Dublin Road (N4) between Ballysadare and Collooney |
A pair of Common Buzzards were seen just off the road on the N4 between Ballysadare and Collooney (D. Skehan). | |||||||||
| 8th June 2008 Aughris (Old Village) |
A pair of Tree Sparrows
were seen carrying food to young in a derelict farm building near the site of
last year's breeding record at Aughris. These birds were seen
during BirdWatch Sligo's branch outing to Aughris Head (M. Bell). This
is the first reported sighting of a Tree Sparrow in County Sligo for nearly a
year (since a juvenile Tree Sparrow was seen at this site on 10th July 2007). Photos are on the June 2008 Gallery page |
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| 7th June 2008 Mullaghmore |
Two Choughs were seen and heard calling as they flew by the headland. One Whooper Swan (presumably the long-staying non-flying individual that has been present for at least threee years) is still on the lakes at Bunduff (M. Bell). | |||||||||
| 7th June 2008 Knocknarea |
A single Chough flew off a cliff face on Knocknarea today (M. Bell). | |||||||||
| 3rd
June 2008 Corncrakes at Oyster Island, Coney Island, Rosses Point, Raghly and Templeboy |
One Corncrake
was calling steadily from Oyster Island - opposite Hackett's - and
another from up near the lighthouse. There may have
been up
to four Corncrakes
on Oyster Island this season (C.
Davis). Corncrake has also been seen on the road on Coney
Island (J. McGowan via
C. Davis). Ciaran
Davis recorded one of the Corncrakes as it called on Tommy's Island in
the early dawn, just off Rosses Point. This was recorded on a
mobile phone and contains a very pleasant seasonal mix of dawn
chorus and Corncrake. The audio clip is available as an mp3 here (make sure you have your speakers turned up). On the subject of Corncrakes, BirdWatch Ireland's Corncrake Fieldworker for Connacht, Tim Gordon, adds: "I've had a report of one Corncrake heard at Raghly Point, unconfirmed, and there's one been confirmed near Templeboy, in the townland of Ardogelly. As the previous highest Sligo total (in the last 15 years at least) is 5 calling birds, its looks its going to be good year for them. |
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| 3rd
June 2008 Mullaghmore |
A Great Skua was seen among a flock of gulls feeding on a shoal of small fish about 1 km off Mullaghmore Head - the fish could be seen breaking the surface. Three unidentified whales were reported in the area yesterday (D. Cotton). Also, several Basking Sharks have been seen off south Donegal in recent days (Irish Times). | |||||||||
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