Little Terns at Baltray 2010

This years effort at Baltray produced 94 chicks from 43 pairs of little terns. Amazingly there was no predation at all, largely thanks to the effort of the many voluntary wardens; the overnight work in particular. We also had tremendous luck with the weather, with Spring tides arriving only after almost all fo the chicks had hatched (and so were able to move and avoid the water). The little tern protection scheme at Baltray is run by the Louth Nature Trust - full details of the season are here.

Ornithology Birdwatching Course O'Fiach Institute Dundalk 2010

Breffni Martin will be running a 10 week ornithological/birdwatching course at the O'Fiach Institute In Dundalk this Autumn. The details are here. Download the pdf brochure. Classes will begin in Septermber 21st 2010 and run from two hours, from 7 to 9pm. To sign up please contact the Institute.

The classes will be delivered in a relaxed manner and very much tailored to the interest and level of the attendees. We will try to include some outings. The following is the expected syllabus, this may be varied in accordance with interest and level of attendees.

Week 1
Introduction to birds: what are they and why are they important.
Identification of garden birds. Garden feeders, nesting boxes etc.

Week 2
Bird behaviour: what do birds do and why do they do it?
Identification of waders and shore birds.

Week 3
All about birds of prey.
Identification of birds of prey and owls.

Week 4
Territory, sexual behaviour and breeding.
Identification of countryside birds

Week 5
Bird migration: where do they go and why? Finding rare birds.
Identification of seabirds.

Week 6

Bird ecology: how birds interact with the environment.

Identification of wildfowl (ducks, geese and swans)

Week 7
Bird conservation: how are birds protected in Ireland.
Breeding birds in Ireland and the Irish bird atlas.

Week 8
Bird evolution: how did birds evolve?
Overwintering birds in Ireland - focus on Dundalk Bay and Carlingford Lough.

Week 9
Bird anatomy and health. How to deal with an injured or starving bird.
Rare and scarce birds in Ireland.

Week 10
Review of course
Bird identification quiz

Events in Autumn/Winter 2010

August - pelagic off Clogherhead - date to be announced depending on weather conditions
August - seawaching outing off clogherhead - date to be announced depending on wheather conditions
Monday 6th September - corncrake conservation in ireland - anita donaghy
Sunday 19th September, 1:00 pm - walk along Navvy bank, meet at Soldiers Point, Dundalk
Starting September 24th - photographic exhibition of shorebirds by mark carmody, louth county museum, dundalk
Monday 4th October - Jim Wilson - shorebirds of ireland (author of book of same title)
Monday 1st November - a year in birds - a photographic journey of irish birds - eric dempsey


All illustrated talks starting at 8pm at the Spirit Store, Dundalk Docks, Dundalk, County Louth (http://www.spiritstore.ie/)

Email bmartin@regintel.com for more details.

Rescue of Herring Gull Chick

Jeanette from Drogheda rescued this herring gull chick which fell from its nest in Caple Street in Dublin. Herring gulls are increasingly nesting in urban areas, partucularly along esturine rivers. When the chicks get lost or become trapped in various man-made structures, pandemonium often ensues with the terrified chick or juvenile bird calling for its parents, and parents swooping and screaming at terrified pedestrians trying to rescue chick. It shoudl be remembered that herring gulls are highly protected in Ireland partly due to a recent collapse of up to 90% of their population following implementation of the landfill directive. Herring gulls are red-listed by Birdwatch Ireland for this reason.

Fifth Carlingford Birding Weekend - 28 - 30th May 2010

For the Fifth Carlingford Birding Weekend we decided to try something a bit different, focusing on the birds of the mountains rather than the shore. In the summer months the Irish shores are largely bereft of birds who spend our summer breeding further north in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Scandinavia and further east. However we have several breeding species in the mountains that are of interest and these were our targets. The weekend started Friday evening with an illustrated talk by Eric Dempsey of Mooney Goes Wild at the Four Seasons Hotel. Then we were up at 7am on Saturday morning to look for grasshopper warbler and cuckoo but were beaten back to the coast by unseasonable driving rain, and so spent the morning observing the black guillemots, dunlin, sanderling and others at giles quay, then other seabirds at balaggan point (shearwaters, gannets, terns). That night we returned to the Cooley mountains for woodcock and grasshopper warbler which duly performed. On the Sunday morning we went up to the mast on Annaverna and carefully made out way down where we found breeding wheatears and a jay, as well as all the other usual mountain birds (buzzard, kestrel, ravens etc).

Waiting for the roding woodcock to show in the Cooley mountains - they did show at 10:13pm, and the grasshopper warbler chimed in just after they left.

Over 60 species were seen over the weekend included the following:

1. Sand Martin


2. Whitethroat


3. Swallow


4. Blackbird


5. Song Thrush


6. Dunnock


7. House martin


8. Shelduck


9. Ringed Plover


10. Little Egret


11. Oystercatcher


12. Redshank


13. Curlew


14. Wren


15. Chiffchaff (Singing)


16. Woodpigeon


17. Feral Pigeon


18. Black Guillemot


19. Rock Pipit


20. Sanderling


21. Dunlin


22. Hooded Crow


23. Gannet


24. Common Gull


25. Sandwich Tern


26. Cormorant


27. Manx Shearwater


28. Meadow Pipit


29. Fulmar


30. Greenfinch


31. House Sparrow


32. Mallard


33. Great Black Backed Gull


34. Herring Gull


35. Black-headed Gull


36. Swift


37. Blue tit


38. Goldfinch


39. Jackdaw


40. Rook


41. Magpie


42. Robin


43. Starling


44. Bullfinch


45. Pheasant


46. Great Tit


47. Kestrel


48. Chaffinch


49. Long-tail tit (Calling)


50. Woodcock


51. Grasshopper Warbler


52. Linnet


53. Willow warbler


54. Skylark


55. Wheatear


56. Raven


57. Grey Herron


58. Jay


59. Pied Wagtail


60. Buzzard

New Bird Panel at Soldier's Point

A new bird panel by renowned wildlife artist Micheal O'Cleary has been erected at Soldier's Point at the end of the Navvy Bank in Dundalk. This entirely original design and artwork was sponsored by Dundalk Town Council with contributions from local Birdwatch Ireland and Louth Heritage. The panel shows the main species of bird that can be seen from the Navvy Bank along with the different prey items that they feed on, emphasising how the shape and size of the birds bill is adapted to the kind of prey item on which they depend.

This now panel joins a previously erected panel and a telescope at the site. In further work to enhance the biodiversity interest of the area, several bird tables have been erected, and a LINNET plot is planned to provide feeding for overwintering birds.

Dawn Chorus - Thanks

Thanks to Derek Watters, Branch Treasurer, for covering our radio spot on Dundalk FM radio on the 15th May and to Peter Phillips for facilitating the event at 4am on Sunday 16th at Rathesker Woodland. Thanks also to everyone for showing up despite the weather.The predicted rain did not materialise but it was cold, which meant that when folks arrived there was complete silence, until a lone blackbird struck up starting the gradual buildup to the full chorus. A special thanks also to Brendan Sheils for help with identifying calls.