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Grasshopers
Caterpillar
 

Image  © Declan Skehan 2010

14 July 2010: Stunning close-up shots of Grasshoppers and a caterpillar taken in Union Wood

 

 

Manx Shearwater

Watch out for colourful shearwaters in 2010!

Watch out for coloured Manx Shearwaters on autumn passage this year. Several have been colour-dyed with harmless dyes at Skomer, Island, off Wales and at Copeland Bird Observatory off County Down in Northern Ireland,in a studyinvolving Chris Thaxter and Shane Wolsey of BTO, Kerry Leonard of Sterna Environmental, and colleagues from the University of Oxford and Copeland Bird Observatory. This project aims to colour-mark up to 40 breeding Manx Shearwaters in mid-July 2010, in order to gain more information about foraging areas and migration pathways of these birds. Different colour dyes will be used for Skomer and Copeland birds to avoid confusion; both dyes are harmless to the birds and have been used successfully on a range of seabirds and waders in previous studies. The dye should remain visible for several weeks.

Oystercatcher

Another victim of plastic waste dumped in the ocean

Click here to read this article and some disturbing photos by Northern Ireland birder Craig Nash on his blog 'Peregrine's Bird Blog'.

Male Star has left Sligo

After a long and eventful stay of almost a year in Sligo, Male Star has moved on in the past few weeks to the Tyrone shores of Lough Neagh.

 

For more information, check out the Golden Eagle Trust website.

Recent Sligo Sightings

All reports are posted as reported by contributors, without confirmation.


Please send any sightings of interest to sightings@sligobirding.com

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

Date
Species
Photo Number Site Observer Remarks

             
             
26 July 2010 Long-eared Owl   3 near Tobercurry Mícheál Casey

Fledged young calling from different parts of an extensive broadleaf plantation.

22 July 2010 House Sparrow Photo 1 Collooney Conor McElhinney An abnormally yellow bird, apparently an example of xanthochromism - an abnormal excess of yellow pigment in the plumage. The ppearance of several birds in the area over the years and the fact that this is clearly a 2010 juvenile being fed by parents suggest a genetic factor in this case
15 July 2010 Swallow   4 Beltra Conor McElhinney Fledged young roosting in a domestic garage.
18 July 2010 Crossbill   8 Rooghan,
Sooey
Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy Mobbing a Sparrowhawk
17 July 2010 Crossbill   1 Union Wood,
Collooney
Declan Skehan Heard
16 July 2010 Arctic Skua   1 Raghly Joe & Sean Geraty Also good few Manx Shearwaters
15 July 2010 Common Buzzard   1 Lissadell Declan Feeney Gliding over the wood
15 July 2010 Jay   4 Slish Wood Declan Feeney A family group making a lot of noise in the woods.
15 July 2010 Manx Shearwater   c. 20 Yellow Strand,
Ballyconnell
Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy  
15 July 2010 Sandwich Tern   22 Yellow Strand,
Ballyconnell
Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy  
15 July 2010 Red-throated Diver   1 Yellow Strand,
Ballyconnell
Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy  
15 July 2010 Common Eider   220 Yellow Strand,
Ballyconnell
Don Cotton & Jean Dunleavy  
14 July 2010 Spotted Flycatcher   4+ Markree Castle,
Collooney
Declan Skehan At least two pairs
9 July 2010 Common Eider   50 Raghly Don Cotton May include some of yesterday's birds
9 July 2010 Common Eider   120 Yellow Strand,
Ballyconnell
Don Cotton

 

 

8 July 2010 Canada Goose Photo 4 Lough MacNean,
Blacklion,
Co. Cavan
John Foss Naturalised feral birds seem to be moving steadily west.
8 July 2010 Long-eared Owl   2-3 Manorhamilton Road area,
Sligo Town
Francis Gonley

Recently fledged young heard calling, seen perched in trees

 

8 July 2010 Long-eared Owl   2-3 Holy Well area,
Sligo Town
Séamus Feeney

Recently fledged young heard calling, seen flying

 

8 July 2010 Pine Marten   1 Hazelwood,
Sligo Town
Mícheál Casey Crossed the road at Half-Moon Bay at lunchtime
2-5 July 2010 Corncrake   1-2 Easky Robin Burnhams

In a garden

 

4 July 2010 Long-eared Owl   2 near Ballygawley Séamus Feeney

Downy young seen in a nest in a spruce plantation

 

1 July 2010 Spotted Flycatcher   2 Collooney Declan Skehan

Near the railway station

 

             
June 2010            
22 June 2010 Corncrake   1 Kintogher,
Rathcormack
Vonna & David Gunnne Calling
22 June 2010 Wheatear   2 Easky John Foss  
18 June 2010 Sparrowhawk   1 Keash Gregory Daly

Flying along the road for a considerable distance.

18 June 2010 Common Sandpiper   6 Loch na Léibe,
Ballymote
Gregory Daly Very vocal
15 June 2010 Stonechat   1 Caravan Park,
Strandhill
Gregory Daly Proof of recent breeding in the area.
13 June 2010 Common Tern   1 Lough Gara Gregory Daly  
13 June 2010 Reed Bunting   1 Lough Gara Gregory Daly Nesting pair
13 June 2010 Corncrake   1 Kintogher,
Rathcormack
Tim Gordon  
13 June 2010 Osprey   1 Lough Melvin,
Co. Leitrim
E. Wilson and M. Finney via Marius Breen.  
12 June 2010 Ringed Plover   3 Collooney Business Park Séamus Feeney A pair bred successfully on waste ground
             
 
   
Other sources of bird news if you are visiting Sligo this summer: Other sources of information on bird sightings in County Sligo:

- Joe Doolan's Irish bird news website:  www.irishbirding.com

- The Irish page on Birdforum: www.birdforum.net

Please continue to report Sligo sightings as usual to this site, and rarities can also be notified to Joe Doolan on 087 234 7296 by email to sightings@irishbirding.com