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Bird records November-December 2005

 
Waterford bird records, November-December 2005

December 2005
 
Last updated 20 Feb 2006.
 
Sat 31 Dec:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe, 45 Wigeon, 25 Teal, 24 Tufted Duck, 24 Pochard & an Otter.
KILMEADEN POOLS:  3 Shoveler (male & 2 females), 2 Green Sandpipers.
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR:  Chiffchaff.
 
Tues 27 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  2 Mediterranean Gulls (1st- & 2nd-winter).
BALLYVOONEY COVE:  5 Common Scoter.
KILMEADEN POOLS:  Green Sandpiper & Water Pipit.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe & 2 Whooper Swans.
BALLINLOUGH:  5 Whooper Swans.
COOLFIN/DERRIGAL:  Pink-footed Goose & 272 Greylag Geese at Derrigal cross-roads; Green Sandpiper & Chiffchaff at Coolfin; 75 Wigeon along River Suir.
FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY:  Little Egret & 39 Whooper Swans (on Kilkenny side), Stock Dove.
LISSELAN (nr Tramore):  3 Yellowhammers.
 
Mon 26 Dec:
LISMORE area:  10 Yellowhammers nr Lismore, 17 Crossbills between Lismore & the Vee.
 
Sun 25 Dec:
PICKARDSTOWN (Tramore road):  Wing-tagged Red Kite - also seen 9 & 12 Jan 2006.
 
c.25 Dec:
BALLYLEMON, CAPPAGH:  Male Blackcap.
 
Fri 23 Dec:
ARDMORE:  Adult Mediterranean Gull.
 
Sat 24 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  2 or 3 Chiffchaffs & a Whimbrel at Knockanpower Lower (Ring); also a Whimbrel at Ballynacourty.
HELVICK HEAD:  Small numbers of dolphins & Porpoise.
 
Sat 17 Dec:
CAMPHIRE BRIDGE (R. Blackwater):  Green Sandpiper.
 
Fri 16 Dec:
LITTLE ISLAND (I-WeBS count):  Totals included a Little Egret, 59 Wigeon, 1163 Lapwing, a Jack Snipe, 86 Redshank, a Greenshank & 2 Turnstone.
 
Weds 14 & Thurs 15 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  Male Goosander at Ballyneety.
 
Tues 13 Dec:
KILMEADEN POOLS:  Water Pipit still present, also a Water Rail & Choughs heard.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe still present.
 
Sun 11 Dec:
KILMEADEN POOLS:  Water Pipit.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe.
BALLYDWAN:  2 Common Scoters & male Black Redstart.
CLONEA STRAND:  6 Great Northern & 69 Red-throated Divers - also more Red-throats than usual at other sites east to Bunmahon.
BALLINARD:  4 Purple Sandpipers.
 
Sat 10 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  Adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety, 2 Blackcaps and female Brambling in town
 
Thurs 8 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  Mediterranean Gull (with a green colour-ring) at Ballyneety.
 
Weds 7 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  Adult Black Brant & adult dark-bellied Brent Goose at the CBS football pitch.
 
Tues 6 Dec:
BLACKWATER  & BRIDE RIVERS:  Total count of 557 Whooper Swans (mainly Co Waterford).
 
Mon 5 Dec:
Nr TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Report of a Spoonbill seen in flight - can anyone provide further details?
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe.
KILMEADEN POOLS:  Water Pipit.
 
Sun 4 Dec:
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Red-necked Grebe.
KILMEADEN POOLS:  2 (possibly 3) Water Pipits (the first since last winter's birds) & 2 Green Sandpipers.
DERRIGAL/COOLFIN:  Pink-footed Goose & 180 Greylag Geese (one with white neck-band 'NBX') at Derrigal Cross; Green Sandpiper & Kingfisher at Clodiagh Bridge.
DUNGARVAN:  In Ballyneety area, 2 Tree Sparrows & 5+ Bramblings at the dump, male Goosander & an eastern-race Jackdaw (1st county record) opposite the Park Hotel.
VEE GAP:  Male Hen Harrier.
 
Sat 3 Dec:
DUNGARVAN:  Black Brant on pitch & putt course near the sports centre; Tree Sparrow & 4 Bramblings in stubble field near the old dump at Ballyneety.
CLONEA STRAND:  Purple Sandpiper, Black Redstart & Chiffchaff at Ballinclamper.
BUNMAHON:  Long-tailed Duck & 15 Common Scoters.
 
November 2005
 
Sun 27 Nov:
Nr THE VEE:  5 or 6 Crossbills; also 4 or 5 Jays & 2 Red Squirrels between there & Lismore. 
WOODSTOWN STRAND:  10 Brent Geese, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Knot & 5 Sanderling.
 
Sat 26 Nov:
BLACKWATER CALLOWS:  Male Hen Harrier between Lismore & Cappoquin, Little Egret west of Ballyduff.
 
 
Thurs 24 Nov:
DUNGARVAN (I-WeBS count):  Black Brant (off the Youghal road), 972 pale-bellied Brent Geese; female Goosander, Curlew Sandpiper & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety. 
CLONEA STRAND:  36 Ringed Plover, 10 Sanderling Purple Sandpiper & 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.
 
Wed 23 Nov:
WHITING BAY:  Red-throated Diver.
 
Sun 20 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town:  Female Brambling.
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  10 Little Grebes, 28 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 2 Goldeneye, 46 Wigeon & 30 Teal.
BALLINLOUGH:  Water Rail.
KILMEADEN POOLS:  2 Water Rails & 24 Moorhen.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  2 Redwings, 2 male Blackcaps & 10 Redpolls.
 
Sat 19 Nov:
LISMORE area:  54 Whooper Swans, Dipper, many Jays & 2 Yellowhammers.
BALLYDUFF:  10 Whooper Swans, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Chiffchaffs.
BOGGAGH, nr the Vee:  Male Hen Harrier.
DUNGARVAN:  Female Goosander & 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety.
BALLINARD (Ballynacourty Pt):  Adult Yellow-legged Gull, female Brambling.
BALLYVOONEY COVE:  Single Great Northern & Red-throated Diver; large auks (Razorbill & Guillemot) passing E at c.2700 per hr (670 E 1550-1605 hrs).
 
Wed 16 Nov:
RATHMOYLAN:  Brambling.
 
Sun 13 Nov:
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Brambling.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND (I-WeBS count):  Totals included 656 Brent Geese, 102 Mallard, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 26 Little Egrets, 437 Oystercatchers, 2-3000 Golden Plover, 93 Grey Plover, 51 Ringed Plover, 45 Sanderling, 443 Curlew, 340 Black-tailed Godwit, 411 Redshank, 13 Greenshank, 49 Turnstone & a Jack Snipe (full details).
 
Sat 12 Nov:
Near LISMORE:  Buzzard just outside the town, and Crossbills still present in a garden.
BUNMAHON:  Snow Bunting.
 
Wed 9 Nov:
ARDMORE:  8 Common Scoters.
 
Mon 7 Nov:
WATERFORD CITY:  Jay, Maypark Lane (by Waterford Regional Hospital).
Near DUNGARVAN: Merlin at the Master McGrath monument.
Near LISMORE:  Crossbills present in garden, and also seen at the Vee woods, on Tipperary border.
 
Sun 6 Nov:
ARDMORE:  Adult Mediterranean Gull on beach.
Near LISMORE:  Crossbills again present.
ANNESTOWN:  Male Hen Harrier.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  200 Skylarks, Chiffchaff & a flock of 40 Choughs.
COOLFIN/PORTNASCULLY:  72 Greylag Geese on Kilkenny side of R. Suir (at Portnascully).
FIDDOWN/TIBBERAGHNY:  2 Little Egrets.
 
Sat 5 Nov:
HELVICK HEAD:  4 male Blackcaps & a Black Redstart.
CLONEA/BALLINARD:  15 Great Northern Divers, 10 Choughs & a (late) Clouded Yellow butterfly.
BALLYVOONEY COVE:  Male Surf Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers & a Great Northern Diver.
 
Fri 4 Nov:
WHITING BAY:  Wheatear still present.
DUNGARVAN: Another late Wheatear, at the Cunnigar.
 
Thurs 3 & Fri 4 Nov:
Near LISMORE: 17-20 Crossbills, now feeding on beech-nuts in a garden here.
 
Thurs 3 Nov:
ARDMORE:  Black Redstart on beach.
RAM HEAD:  Glaucous or Iceland Gull today or yesterday.
WHITING BAY:  A late Wheatear.
 
Weds 2 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town:  *Chimney Swift still present where found last night, just south of the N25-bypass between Fairlane & Kilrush roundabouts (3rd & 4th coming from the west). Also a Swallow.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Black Brant still present.
HELVICK HEAD:  Great Skua.
ARDMORE BAY:  Red-throated Diver.
 
Tues 1 Nov:
DUNGARVAN town:  *Chimney Swift found in late afternoon (1st county record) - this follows an influx of up to 8 birds of this North American species in Co Cork over last few days.
TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Black Brant ('Pacific' race of Brent Goose) off Saleen.
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Long-eared Owl & 4+ Black Redstarts.
.click below for larger images

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Mediterranean Gull, adult, Ardmore, 23 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

rtdiver_clonea_17dec2005_mg_4620s.jpg
Red-throated Diver, Clonea Strand, 17 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

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Goosander, male, Dungarvan, 15 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

goosander_male_dungarvan_15dec2005__mg_4448s.jpg

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Black Brant, adult, Dungarvan, 7 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

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Dark-bellied Brent Goose, adult, Dungarvan, 7 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

brentsubsp_dungarvan_dec2005_mg_4251s.jpg

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Redshank, albinistic or leucistic individual, Tramore, Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

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Brambling, Dungarvan, 11 Dec 2005 © M. Cowming

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Water Pipit, Kilmeaden pools, 5 Dec 2005 © D. Clarke

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Red-necked Grebe, 1st-winter, Knockaderry Reservoir, 4 Dec 2005 © C. Flynn

rngrebe_1stwinter_knockaderry_3_4dec2005.jpg

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Red-necked Grebe, Knockaderry Resr, 3 Dec 2005 © P. Archer

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Goosander, female, Dungarvan, Nov 2005 © D. Clarke

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Yellow-legged Gull, adult, Ballinard, 19 Nov 2005 © C. Flynn

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Snow Bunting, Bunmahon, 12 Nov 2005 © D. Clarke

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Chimney Swift, Dungarvan, 1 Nov 2005 © D. Clarke

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Black Brant, Tramore Backstrand, 1 Nov 2005 - insets compare with light-bellied Brent © P. Archer

blackbrant_2_tramore_1nov2005.jpg

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Note: Sightings listed here are reports, not necessarily authenticated records.  * = species for which the Irish Rare Birds Committee currently requires substantiating descriptions or photographs.  Records are regularly updated, and older records added or amended where necessary .  Many thanks to observers who provided records above - any further records (current or older) would be appreciated.  
 
Please email any sightings, or text details of scarcer species to 0861701599; to report sightings of rarities to the national  Birds of Ireland News Service (BINS), phone 01-8307364.

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