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Image © Lorcán O'Toole 2010 |
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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.
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Watch out for Great Spotted Woodpecker in Sligo's woodlands In view of several unconfirmed reports of Great Spotted Woodpeckers in Sligo last spring, and another possible sighting near Ballintrillick in mid-January reported to us this week (courtesy of Lar Thermes), please remember that any reports of this newest Irish breeding species are welcomed at this website. All reported sightings will be followed up. Great Spotted Woodpeckers are now breeding in several Irish counties on the east coast, and will probably spread here eventually. Please try to obtain photos to confirm the identity, but only if you can do so without disturbing the bird, especially if there is any suspicion that the bird is breeding.
Please send any reports to sightings @sligobirding.com The photos show a female (left) and male (right) Great Spotted Woodpecker at their nest hole in Co. Wicklow. These photos were taken by Dick Coombes of BirdWatch Ireland under special licence. |
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| Image © Dick Coombes 2009 | Image © Dick Coombes 2009 | |
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Ring-reading news The BTO have confirmed that a ringed Herring Gull (GF09646) seen in Sligo Harbour on 14th March 2009 and again on 5th October 2009 was ringed by Chris Reynolds as a nestling at Mointeach Airinis, Isle of Lewis, in the Scottish Western Isles on the 23rd June 2003. This gull was one of a large number attracted into the harbour last March by spillage from the export of a shipment of fishmea from the Deepwater Quayl. Its reappearance in October suggests that it may be yet another regular wintering gull in Sligo from gull colonies in the northern half of the UK. Together with ringing evidence for movements of Storm Petrels and Barnacle Geese, these gull movements show how closely the western coast of Ireland is connected with Scotland's islands in terms of bird movements. Click on photos for full size image |
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| Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 | Image © Mícheál Casey 2009 |
Recent Sligo Sightings
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 |
09 March 2010 |
Ring-necked Duck |
|
1 | Lough Bo | Séamus Feeney |
Male, possibly returning bird. Near the pumphouse, only duck on lake. |
09 March 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
21 | Bunduff Lough, Mullaghmore |
Mícheál Casey |
Large Lake, plus one long-stayer on marshy lake |
08 March 2010 |
Merlin |
|
1 | Carrigeens, Ballinfull |
Declan Feeney |
Observer remarks: Adult female. Seems she has taken to our garden bird feeder - second visit in 10 days. Straight around the house at eye level, over the hedge to the feeder, an explosion of small birds and silence for 15 minutes. Brilliant! |
08 March 2010 |
Cormorant |
|
1 | Doorly Park, Sligo Town |
Val Robus |
In full breeding plumage, a very well marked individual |
08 March 2010 |
Common Buzzard |
|
1 | Templeboy | Mervyn Gawley |
On way home, having seen two more between Omagh, Co. Tyrone and Belleek, Co. Fermanagh! |
08 March 2010 |
Common Buzzard |
|
1 | near Inishcrone | Mervyn Gawley |
Still present daily |
08 March 2010 |
Goosander |
|
1 | Ballysadare Estuary | Séamus Feeney |
|
08 March 2010 |
Glaucous Gull |
|
1 | Pollnadivva Harbour, Easky |
Séamus Feeney |
First winter bird still present |
08 March 2010 |
Cackling Goose |
|
2 | Ballintemple | Will Soar, Craig Holden, et al via Derek Charles |
Seen by visiting group of UK birders with 700 Barnacle Geese at 9am. No Common Eider seen this morning |
08 March 2010 |
Canada Goose |
|
1 | Ballyconnell | Will Soar, Craig Holden, et al via Derek Charles |
|
07 March 2010 |
Peregrine Falcon |
|
1 | Ardtermon Strand, Raghly |
Martin Enright |
Flew entire length of Ardtermon Strand, quite low, causing uproar among the waders |
07 March 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
28 | Lissadell | Don Cotton |
Skein flying north |
07 March 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
30 | Cloonagh Lough, Ballyconnell |
Don Cotton |
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07 March 2010 |
Light-bellied Brent |
|
90 | Strandhill Beach | Tom Murray |
|
06 March 2010 |
Tree Sparrow |
|
1 | Easkey | Robin Burnhams |
Reappeared in village garden where seen before - first sighting for a long time |
08 March 2010 |
Goldeneye |
|
2 | near The Holy Well, Lough Gill |
Declan Feeney |
Pair of Goldeneye seen, also Great Crested Grebe |
06 March 2010 |
Ruddy Shelduck |
|
1 | Gibraltar Point, |
Paul Keogh |
|
06 March 2010 |
Merlin |
|
1 | Culleenamore, Strandhill |
Séamus Feeney |
Perched in a tree |
06 March 2010 |
Goosander |
|
1 | Ballysadare Estuary | Mark Carmody, Martin Enright |
From Silver Falls Car Park |
06 March 2010 |
Brent sp. |
|
1 | Ballygilgan Strand, Lissadell |
Séamus Feeney |
A Brent goose on the strand near the Goose Field showed features of Gray Brant/Grey-bellied Brent, a race of brent goose that breeds on some of Canada's arctic islands, esp Melville Island |
05 March 2010 |
Red Grouse |
|
1 | Ox Mountains | Mícheál Casey |
Near Lough Easkey |
03 March 2010 |
Common Buzzard |
|
1 | near Inishcrone | Mervyn Gawley |
Feeding on frogs for the past week |
01 March 2010 |
Common Eider |
|
8 | Streedagh Point | Robin Burnhams |
Four pairs |
01 March 2010 |
Black-tailed Godwit |
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12 | Streedagh Point | Robin Burnhams |
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01 March 2010 |
Hen Harrier |
|
1 | near Ballinamore, Co Leitrim |
John Davis |
Female Hen Harrier hunting over rough ground just south of Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim on March 1st |
01 March 2010 |
Greenshank |
1 | Finned, Ballysadare Bay |
John Foss |
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| March 2010 | ||||||
28 February 2010 |
Pink-footed Goose |
|
6 | Rathscanlon, Tubbercurry |
Mícheál Casey |
Six seen close to dusk, flying rapidly and low, callling, looked as though they had been flushed close by. Flew south-east over broad-leaved forestry, calling constantly, then four split off and flew south, passing low overhead. |
25 February 2010 |
Purple Sandpiper |
|
14 | Easky | Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
|
25 February 2010 |
Common Eider |
|
c. 20 | Pollaheeney Harbour, Easky |
Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
|
28 February 2010 |
Glaucous Gull |
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1 | Pollnadivva Harbour, Easky |
Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
First winter |
28 February 2010 |
Tree Sparrow |
|
Min. 13 | Aughris Village | Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
The highest number of Tree Sparrows seen in Co. Sligo for a very, very, long time...... |
27 February 2010 |
Whooper Swan |
|
1 | Bunduff Lough, Mullaghmore |
Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
Single bird swimming towards observers, possibly the long-staying non-flying bird. |
27 February 2010 |
Long-tailed Duck |
|
2 | Mermaid's Cove, Mullaghmore |
Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
|
27 February 2010 |
Ruddy Shelduck |
|
1 | Gibraltar Point, Cummeen Strand |
Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
Still present |
27 February 2010 |
Goosander |
|
1 | Ballysadare Estuary | Séamus Feeney & Joe Donaldson |
Seen from Silver Falls Car Park, still present |
25 February 2010 |
Mediterranean Gull |
|
1 | Bunduff Strand, Mullaghmore |
Don Cotton & Mícheál Casey |
Adult, almost in full summer plumage |
25 February 2010 |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
|
1 | Ballysadare Estuary | Séamus Feeney |
First returning Lesser Black-backed Gull of Spring 2010. Seen from Silver Falls Car Park, |
24 February 2010 |
Goosander |
|
1 | Silver Falls Car Park, Ballysadare Estuary |
Séamus Feeney, Michael Bell |
Still present |
23 February 2010 |
Ringed Plover |
|
1 | Inishcrone Harbour, |
John Foss |
Colour-ringed bird, no details on origins yet available. Photo on February Gallery page here. Also see John Foss's amazing collection of images of Leitrim and Sligo wildlife in his online gallery page here. |
23 February 2010 |
Barn Owl |
|
1 | Drum, Ballygawley |
Kevin, Nicole, and Mark Gallagher, Rachel Hennessy |
Flew into a sand paddock where horses were being exercised, dropped into a drain where it may have caught something, and then flew off, giving amazingly close views to the observers. |
22 February 2010 |
Kingfisher |
|
1 | Quay St, Sligo |
Declan Skehan |
Flew up river, calling, at dusk |
22 February 2010 |
Carrion Crow |
|
1 | Ballyconnell | Mícheál Casey |
Seen briefly in the roadside fields that run down to Yellow Strand |
21 February 2010 |
Lesser Redpoll |
|
30 | Templehouse Bog, |
John Davis |
Adult male |
21 February 2010 |
Hen Harrier |
|
1 | Near Ballinagare, Co. Roscommon | Michael Bell |
Adult male |
21 February 2010 |
Golden Plover |
|
120 | Easkey | Robin Burnhams |
|
21 February 2010 |
Hen Harrier |
|
1 | Ballyconnell | Andrew Tweedie via Derek Charles |
"Ringtail" i.e. juvenile/female. |
21 February 2010 |
Cackling Goose |
|
1 | Ballyconnell | Brad Robson, also Andrew Tweedie via Derek Charles |
|
21 February 2010 |
Twite |
|
3 | Raghly | Brad Robson, Mícheál Casey |
In usual place at harbour |
21 February 2010 |
Tree Sparrow |
|
1 | Raghly | Brad Robson |
Heard, in garden near the causeway |
20 February 2010 |
Grey Plover |
|
1 | Dunmoran Strand | Robin Burnhams |
|
20 February 2010 |
Golden Plover |
|
40 | Raghly | Denis Weir, Derek Charles, Wilton Farrelly |
|
20 February 2010 |
Golden Plover |
|
30 | Yellow Strand | Denis Weir, Derek Charles, Wilton Farrelly |
|
20 February 2010 |
Twite |
|
1 | Raghly | Michael Bell |
In usual place at harbour |
20 February 2010 |
Carrion Crow |
|
1 | Ballyconnell Strand | Denis Weir, Derek Charles, Wilton Farrelly, Michael Bell |
Possibly the first county record. At the northern (caravan) end of the strand, initially. Seen later at around 3 pm at the Knocklane end of the strand (M. Bell). Ussher reported possible Carrion Crow sighting in Sligo in 1897 (per Don Cotton). |
| Other sources of bird news if you are visiting Sligo this summer: | Other
sources of information on bird sightings in County Sligo: - The Irish page on Birdforum: www.birdforum.net |
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