September 2007 Sightings
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| August 2007 <<< | Back to Archive | >>> October 2007 |
| September 2007 | |||||||||||||||||
| 30th September 2007 Breeogue, Knocknahur |
A Barn Owl was seen hunting from a telegraph pole at about 9pm (T. Hunter). |
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| 30th September 2007 Cartron Marsh |
48 Wigeon, 8 Dunlin, as well as good numbers of Oystercatcher, Redshank and Curlew (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 30th September 2007 Mullaghmore |
18 Whoopers still present on front lake at Bunduff, with 28 Wigeon and a Little Grebe. Two Ravens were at the headland (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 28th September 2007 Mullaghmore |
18 Whooper Swans were seen on the front lake at Bunduff, not including the non-flying long-term resident on the smallest lake (D. Cotton). The 17 new arrivals are the first Whoopers reported in Sligo this autumn and included one juvenile. | ||||||||||||||||
| 28th September 2007 Sligo Harbour |
212 Redshank were seen at Cartron Point, a high count and most likely represents a mirgating flock that was resting on passage (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 27th September 2007 Upper Lough Gara |
8 Common Terns were seen as they hovered and plunge-dived for fish, 26 Wigeon were also present (D. Cotton). | ||||||||||||||||
| 26th September 2007 Sligo Institute of Technology |
At least 200 Pied Wagtails were seen going to a traditional roost in the college complex, mostly juvenile birds (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 26th September 2007 Raghley |
10 Brent, 160 Bar-tailed Godwits on the strand south of the causeway (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 25th September 2007 Lough Gill |
One juvenile Common Tern was seen feeding on the eastern part of the lake near Dromahaire (P. Keogh) | ||||||||||||||||
| 24th September 2007 Mullaghmore |
One Arctic Skua, one Great Skua and several Storm-Petrels seen from Mullaghmore Head in a strong west-south west wind this morning (D. Breen) Two eclipse drake Wigeon were on the front lake at Bunduff (M. Casey) | ||||||||||||||||
| 22nd September 2007 Cummeen Strand, Sligo Bay |
50 Brent Geese were seen at Gibraltar, including 17 juveniles (M. Enright). This sighting continues the pattern of a very early return of substantial numbers of Brent Geese from their breeding areas in the Arctic tundra of Canada and Greenland in autumn 2007. The good numbers of young birds seen with many flocks (including this one) tends to suggest that they had a good breeding season. However it is too soon to tell, on the basis of one year's observation, whether their early return reflects an earlier thaw in the Arctic this year, which would have allowed them to breed earlier, but these changing patterns are well worth monitoring as evidence accumulates of a quickening pace of climate change. | ||||||||||||||||
| 18th
September 2007 Lower Rosses, Rosses Point |
An adult Arctic Skua was seen chasing gulls in the area, and giving excellent views down to 20 metres, before it disappeared from view behind some dunes (D. Cotton). | ||||||||||||||||
| 16th
September 2007 Enniscrone Beach |
A Red-Throated Diver that was beached in high winds was successfully re-floated and released at the stream by passers-by and seemed to swim reasonably well out to sea (Anon, via D. Cotton). | ||||||||||||||||
| 15th
September 2007 Dooneen, Enniscrone |
Wigeon seen at Dooneen, Enniscrone (M. Gawley) | ||||||||||||||||
| 15th
September 2007 Knocklane Hill, Ballyconnell |
Two Peregrine Falcons seen (J. Dunleavy, D. Cotton). | ||||||||||||||||
| 15th
September 2007 Yellow Strand/Trá Buí, Ballyconnell |
317 Sanderling were seen along the strand (J. Dunleavy, D. Cotton). | ||||||||||||||||
| 13th
September 2007 Yellow Strand/Trá Buí, Ballyconnell |
76 Common Eider in a tight flock off the southern end of the beach (M. Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 13th
September 2007 Raghley Point |
14 Brent geese seen in the evening (D. Cotton). Early Brent sightings have also been recorded at other sites around the country: 30th August - Co. Kerry (E. Dempsey) 5th September - 5 at Dungarvan Strand, Co. Waterford (C. Flynn) 7th September - 2 at Sandymount Strand Dublin (N. Keogh) 9th September - 400 at Belfast Lough, including a few Dark-bellied Brent (B. Martin) 12th September - 19 at Sheephaven Bay, of which 12 were juveniles (D. Breen) |
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| 13th
September 2007 Lissadell, Gibraltar Point, Sligo Bay |
4 Brent Geese were seen off the point at midday (G. Scott) | ||||||||||||||||
| 12th
September 2007 Lissadell, Carney |
A flock of 170 Barnacle Geese was seen in flight over Lissadell this evening, the first sighting of the winter, and the earliest date that Barnacle Geese have been seen returning to Sligo in recent decades. The previous earliest date on record was 24th September 1988 (D. Cotton). Together with the early return of the Brent (see below), these observations tend to suggest that something may be affecting the migration pattern of these high Arctic breeders | ||||||||||||||||
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| 12th
September 2007 Ragley Point |
An Arctic Skua was seen repeatedly harrassing a small group of Herring Gulls as they fed near the pier, while a single Whimbrel foraged through the seaweed along the shore. A flock of 32 Light-bellied Brent Geese arrived at lunchtime, the first sighting of Brent reported in Sligo this autumn, although there are other reports around the country of early Brent arrivals. There were also 41 Bar-tailed Godwits, 11 Curlew and 23 Oystercatchers along the shoreline south of the causeway. A group of 6 - 8 Black Guillemots was feeding offshore (M.Casey). | ||||||||||||||||
| 11th September 2007 Sligo Institute of Technology |
At about
7.30 pm a tightly packed
flock of about 30-35 House
Martins
circled at a great height above the college (barely visible to the
naked eye), calling constantly, before heading off to the south -
probably on migration (M.Casey). |
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| 11th September 2007 Raghley Point |
A Sabine's Gull was seen off the headland (S. Geraty). | ||||||||||||||||
| 11th September 2007 Raghley Point |
On Tuesday 11th September at between 2.15 pm and 2.45 pm one adult Arctic Skua was on the sea just north of the harbour at Raghley (S. Geraty). | ||||||||||||||||
| 11th
September 2007 Raghley Point |
At least one White
Wagtail was seen with a flock of Pied Wagtails which
were foraging around the harbour construction site (M.Casey). |
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| 9th September
2007 Enniscrone |
A dark skua, either a Pomarine or an Arctic Skua, was seen at the mouth of the Moy estuary, from Enniscrone pier. Seven Brent Geese were seen over Bartragh Island. Red-throated and Great Northern Divers were seen in Killala Bay (M. Gawley). |
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| 9th September
2007 Knocknarea, near Strandhill |
Two Peregrine Falcons were observed, as they mobbed a Common Buzzard (T. Hunter). | ||||||||||||||||
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| 4th
September 2007 Cartron Marsh |
Single Wigeon
drake present - early Wigeon have been at this site before in
August/September, usually small numbers, and frequently just a single
bird (M. Casey). |
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