CLONEA STRAND: 3 Mediterranean Gulls (1st-summer, 2nd-summer & ringed adult) at Ballinclamper; adult had ring number 3H97, Danish-ringed, previously seen at Ballinclamper 1st Sept 2007 (MC Sr).

Nr KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: 3 Woodcock roding, Grasshopper Warbler singing & a pair of Spotted Flycatchers in Boggaghbaun / Boggaghduff area, 21:55-23:00 (MC).

HELVICK HEAD: Sooty Shearwater (first of year), 4000 Manx Shearwaters (a lot of which flew west), 4 Minke Whales & a Porpoise (AM).

Nr KILMACTHOMAS: Buzzard & Spotted Flycatcher (PMW).

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 2 pairs of Mute Swans, with broods of 6 & 4 cygnets (Jim Power).

DUNABRATTIN HEAD (west of Boatstrand): 2500+ Manx Shearwaters & 70+ Gannets on sea or feeding within a mile offshore @ 08:00 (PMW).

TANKARDSTOWN / KNOCKMAHON (east of Bunmahon): 650+ Manx Shearwaters on sea @ 08:40 (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling @ 00:15 (PMW).

KILCLOONEY FOREST: Woodcock roding, 22:18 (PMW).

Nr LEMYBRIEN: Spotted Flycatcher at Ballylinch (PMW).

Nr KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: Cuckoo & Spotted Flycatcher in tetrad S00N, below Knockmealdown (DMcG).

CLONEA STRAND: 4 Mediterranean Gulls ( 2 Adults including green darvic ringed bird, 1 1st Summer & 1 2nd Summer ). (MC)

CLONEA STRAND: @ Ballinclamper: 3 Mediterranean Gulls (2 1st Summer and one Adult). Adult bird had green darvic ring but code not read. Arctic Skua chasing Kittiwakes offshore also. Noticeable arrival of Black-headed Gulls this evening including some juvenile birds. (MC)

NIER VALLEY: Jay & Spotted Flycatcher at Knockalisheen Bridge (DMcG).

BOHADOON MOUNTAIN (nr Crohaun): Woodcock (MC).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling @ 22:20 (DMcG).

CLONEA POWER (nr Rathgormuck): Spotted Flycatcher (DMcG).

Off BALLYVOYLE: c2000 Manx Shearwaters & 5 Minke Whales, 2 miles offshore (DCl).

CROHAUN: 2 Woodcock seen & 2-3 Snipe heard, 22:25-22:55 (MC).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE (apparently 2 males) calling tonight (Noel Rockett).

CLONEA STRAND: 1st Summer Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper. (MC)

HELVICK HEAD: 4 Minke Whales (AM).

BALLYMACMAGUE area (nr Ballylemon): Water Rail & 5+ Sedge Warblers (BL).

Nr BALLINLOUGH: Male Emperor dragonfly & a brood of Moorhen chicks on pond at north side of Ballinlough Cross Roads @ S440330 (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling again this morning (BL).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling c22:00 (Brian Lynch).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Tree Sparrow at old farm buildings at top if boreen; 50+ Manx Shearwaters feeding or circling offshore (PMW).

Nr KILROSSANTY: Pine Marten seen well, along track same in same forest, 09:45 (PMW).

Nr KILROSSANTY: 4 Crossbills in spruce/fir forest @ S317026, 09:30; later 5 (3 males & 2 females) at Briska Wood, further north (PMW).

TOURIG RIVER: 3 CATTLE EGRETS on Co Waterford side (John Power, Bernie Sheridan).

Yesterday:
MOUNT STEWART: 20 Painted Ladies & 3 Wood Whites (JP).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling @ 22:55 (PMW).

Nr LiSMORE: Male Hen Harrier (AM).

Tuesday, June 16 2009

FINISK RIVER: Kingfisher (DCl).

RAM HEAD: Sunfish (quite small individual), breached twice (AM).

DUNMORE EAST & PORTALLY: Early June total of 679 apparently occupied Kittiwakes nests at the 4 main east Waterford colonies (3 at Dunmore East), a 44% increase from last year (DMcG).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling @ 23:00 (DMcG).

SE COMERAGHS: 5 Wheatears (4 apparent territories) on Davmore (PMW).

Nr KILROSSANTY: Spotted Flycatcher near Aughatriscar Bridge (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling again last night from same (new) field as previous two nights.

ANNESTOWN BOG: Water Rail calling & 3 Sedge Warblers singing, 22:40 23:40 (PMW).

BLACKWATER VALLEY: 2 Common Buzzards. KNOCKANORE: 1 Yellowhammer & 2 Spotted Flycatchers. BALLINVELLA: 4 Yellowhammers (MC & CF)

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Pair of Tufted Duck on the backwater but no ducklings seen; breeding was (last?) confirmed here in the 1970s (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling @ 23:45 last night from same (new) field as 11/6 (PMW).

CLONEA STRAND: 1st-summer Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper (found by D Clarke). (MC)

NEWPORT REEDBED: Water Rail calling, Moorhen & Stock Dove (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: Male CORNCRAKE calling @ 22:40 but from a different field (DMcG).

CLONEA STRAND: Colour-ringed Black-head Gull - yellow ring right leg "2388", metal ring left leg (MC sr).

NEWPORT: Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Yellowhammers along road between Newport and Knockanore. (MC)

RAM HEAD: 2 Basking Sharks; also an as-yet unidentified largeish raptor species flew in over sea into Ardmore Bay (AM).

Near WOODSTOWN: Buzzard (DMcG).

HELVICK HEAD: Minke Whale & 7 Basking Sharks (AM).

DRUM HILLS: In Garrynagree / Scordaun area, male Cuckoo calling nr Scordaun, and totals of 10 Whitethroats (8 singing), 2 Sedge Warblers, 1 Blackcap & 7 Chiffchaffs singing, 18 Willow Warblers (16 singing), & 62 Painted Ladies (PMW).

RAM HEAD: Total of 169 apparently occupied Kittiwake nests in annually-monitored study plots covering most of the colony - a substantial (47%) increase compared with 115 nests in the same plots last year (PMW).

DUNGARVAN: 35 Little Egret nests at colony (Pat Smiddy).

BLACKWATER VALLEY: 33 Little Egret nests at main colony (PS).

DUNGARVAN BAY: 9 Great Crested Grebes & 1 Red-breasted Merganser off White Strand. (MC)

NEXT BREEDING SPECIES FOR CO WATERFORD?


Nearest breeding Cettis' Warblers in SW Wales are only 150 km (90 miles) from east Waterford (today's 'bird of the day' map from Bird Atlas 2007-2011 website). Species is spreading in England & Wales, and two Irish records (east Cork and Wicklow) in spring since 2001.

Other possibilities that might beat Cetti's: Cattle Egret (recorded in Co Waterford as late as June this year for the first time) or Great Spotted Woodpecker (reported in Co Kilkenny this year, and confirmed breeding in Wicklow and elsewhere on east coast).

HELVICK: At least 4 Bottlenose Dolphins off the pier this evening. (MC)

CLONEA STRAND: 2nd-summer Mediterranean Gull at Ballinclamper (Mick Cowming Sr; photo (c) Micheal Cowming).

EAST WATERFORD: CORNCRAKE calling again in early afternoon (Jim Power).

Nr KILSHEELAN (R.Suir): Upriver from Kilsheelan bridge: a Kingfisher at Gurteen Lower, on Co Waterford bank; recently fledged Blackcap and good scatter of both Banded & Beautiful Demoiselles (damselflies) along Co Tipperary bank (PMW).

TIBBERAGHNY / TINHALLA area (R. Suir): Kingfisher & 4 Little Egrets at Tibberaghny (Co Kilkenny), Spotted Flycatcher nr Tinhalla (Co Waterford), also 6 Blackcaps & a Sedge Warbler singing (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: Male CORNCRAKE calling, early evening (Jim Power).

TOURIG ESTUARY: 4 CATTLE EGRETS feeding on Waterford side of river (MC). . NEWPORT: Male Yellowhammer. (MC)

KILCLOONEY (east Comeragh foothills): Dipper nr Kilclooney Bridge; 5 Blackcaps singing, 6 Whitethroats (3 singing), 20 Willow Warblers (16 singing) & 7 Chiffchaffs (6 singing) around forest, also 5 Painted Ladies (PMW).

EAST WATERFORD: Male CORNCRAKE still calling last night (PMW).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: STRIPED HAWK-MOTH (new individual) caught in moth-trap last night (PMW).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Seawatch 20:45 - 21:15 (wind f.1-2 S) produced 1 Great Skua E, 136 Manx Shearwaters E (23 W) & 80 Gannets circling / foraging (PMW).

DRUM HILLS: Male Cuckoo calling SW of Pulla Cross Roads (PMW).

Nr DUNGARVAN: Barn Owl tonight (MC).

MINE HEAD: 20 Common Dolphins, 2 Porpoises & 7 Basking Sharks (AM).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 10 Painted Ladies, 2 Red Admirals & 10 Silver Ys (MAD, PMW).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: A late Whimbrel at Ballinattin, 135 Oystercatchers feeding east of the spits (PMW).

CARRIGNAGOUR (nr Lismore): Spotted Flycatcher (AM).

EAST WATERFORD: 1 CORNCRAKE calling briefly this morning in same area, then again after 10 pm (Paul Archer, JJ Cahill).

EAST WATERFORD: 2 male CORNCRAKES calling tonight from adjacent silage fields at a confidential site (MC, CF, MAD, PMW). 1 male calling here for almost a week, 2 birds (possibly a pair) seen c3 nights ago (Noel Rockett).

CASTLETOWN FEN: 2 Grasshopper Warblers singing, & a Cuckoo calling (MC,CF).

RAM HEAD: Pomarine Skua, 3-400 Manx Shearwaters, 20 Common Dolphins & a Basking Shark (AM).

Near POULDREW (R. Suir): Reed Warbler singing on Waterford bank, same place as in early May = 'Territory' (probable breeding) for Atlas (PMW).

FIDDOWN (R. Suir): 3 singing Reed Warblers - 1 on Waterford bank, 1 on W tip of Fiddown island (Co Kilkenny) & 1 on Kilkenny bank; also 8 Blackcaps, 4 Sedge Warblers, 7 Chiffchaffs & 4 Willow Warblers, all singing (PMW).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 3 STRIPED HAWK-MOTHS caught last night (PMW).