Welcome to the Waterford Birds blog, supplementing the Recent reports page of the main Waterford Birds website www.waterfordbirds.com. If it's not there yet it may be here (real-time postings when possible), along with extra details. Please post any updates, new reports or corrections by texting 0861701599 (alternatively - but this may delay dissemination of news - click Comments). The main website will be updated (including photos) at next opportunity.



Thursday, February 28, 2013

BALLYSCANLAN:  12 Crossbills (AJ).

FENOR:  48 Redwings at GAA pitch (").

GARRARUS:  7 Common Scoter & 3 Red-throated Divers (").

EAST WATERFORD:  Single Buzzards at 3 locations (MC).
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE:  17 Gadwall (JF).

EAST WATERFORD:  3 Buzzards (").

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 4 Long-tailed Ducks ((AJ).

TRAMORE BAY: 11 Common Scoters (9 male, 1 female & 1 1st-winter)  in NE corner, also 3 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver &  a Great Crested Grebe (PMW).
DUNGARVAN: Green Sandpiper at Brickey canal (JAP).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Merlin, 17 Red- throated Divers on sea & 52 adult Guillemots on cliff at Benlea (PMW).

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (MC).

COOLFIN / DERRIGAL:  13 Whooper Swans & 4 Greylag Geesee at Derrigal crossroads (PV).

KILMACTHOMAS:  Dipper on Mahon river, underneeath N25 (").

Monday, February 25, 2013

Nr DUNGARVAN: Barn Owl @ 1900 (EB).

DUNGARVAN:  Otter feeding in Quay @ 1300 (").

LISMORE:  2 Dippers swimming below the castle (PV).

BLACKWATER CALLOWS:  Crossbills heard aong the roadway, 63 Whoooper Swans, 250 Wigeon. 150 Teal & 100 Curlew (").
RAM HEAD:  7 Common Scoter on sea (ADM).

COLLIGAN WOODS:  Dipper & Treecreeper (FO'C).

BROWNSWOOD (nr Portlaw):  Long-tailed Tit (FJ).

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Drake RING-NECKED DUCK still present (MC).

Sunday, February 24, 2013

TRAMORE:  Male Hen Harrier flying east (AJ).
DUNGARVAN:  Slavonian Grebe off Ballynacourty pier, Red-throated Diver & 2 Common Scoter off Ballynacourty lighthouse (MC snr).
DUNGARVAN: Jack Snipe flushed just above Ballyneety bridge (JAP).

Saturday, February 23, 2013

HELVICK:  2nd-winter Glaucous Gull (PV).

BALLYNEVIN (nr Mothel):  3 Jays (JAP, BS, FO'C).

DUNHILL:  Water Rail calling (").

DUNGARVAN:  Slavonian Grebe & 2 Long-tailed Ducks between Gold Coast & Abbeyside, SPOONBILL roosting on Cunnigar opposite pitch & putt course, Merlin at Ballyneety & near Ballynagaul (").
TRAMORE:  Spotted Redshank at backstrand, 2 Great Northern Divers in Bay, Ring-billed Gull, 8 Shoveler & 14 Gadwall at boating lake (DS).
KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Adult male RING-NECKED DUCK visible from high road (JAP, FO'C, BS).

DUNGARVAN: Slavonian Grebe off Ballynacourty pier (CF).

BALLYVOONEY COVE:  2 Common Scoter (JAO, FO'C, BS), 

WATERFORD CITY: 2 Redpolls on feeder.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull (PMW) - was Iceland...

DUNGARVAN: 1st-winter Iceland Gull at Ballynagaul pier, 1st-winter Glaucous Gull & 2 Long-tailed Ducks off pitch & putt course, & total 6 Great Northern Divers around bay (3 inside Cunnigar (").

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (DS).
WEST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (DC).

Monday, February 18, 2013

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE:  Adult Ring-billed Gull, 8 Shoveler (2m 6f) & 22 Gadwall (DS).

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (DS).
HELVICK:  1st-winter Glaucous Gull (MC snr).

DUNGARVAN:  Slavonian Grebe showing well at Ballynacourty (AJ).

Sunday, February 17, 2013

DERRIGAL: 12 Whooper Swans (GH).
DUNMORE EAST: 7 Purple Sandpipers (Geoff Hunt).

Saturday, February 16, 2013

MONAVULLAGH MOUNTAINS:  12 Stock Doves (flock) & 15-20 Ravens at Coumaraglinmountain, Grey Heron near Crohaun (JAP, FO'C, BS, RAW).
BALLYSCANLAN:  12 Crossbills (AJ).

Friday, February 15, 2013

WEST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (MF).

Nr KILMACTHOMAS:  Tree Sparrow (DW, MC snr).

TRAMORE:  Ring-billed Gull at boating lake (").

EAST WATERFORD:  Single Buzzards at two locations (").

Thursday, February 14, 2013

DUNGARVAN:  Male Hen Harrier (MC).

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Long-tailed Duck, 41 Ringed Plover, 18 Grey Plover (AJ).
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE:  Ring-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, 3 Shoveler & 14 Gadwall (7 pairs) (AJ).

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

DUNGARVAN:  Slavonian Grebe & 2 Long-tailed Ducks off Ballinacourty pier (MC snr).

RAM HEAD:  Fin Whale & c15 Common Dolphins (ADM).
BLACKWATER VALLEY:  2 Green Sandpipers at Dromana Bridge (ADM).

Monday, February 11, 2013

TRAMORE:  Spotted Redshank, 3 Long-tailed Duck, 28 Red-breasted Mergansers & 64 Ringed Plover at backstrand, single Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver & Great Crested Grebe in Tramore Bay off the prom (AJ).

BALLYVOYLE HEAD:  Fin Whale off head this afternoon (ADM).

Nr DRUM HILLS:  Male Hen Harrier (MC snr).

Sunday, February 10, 2013

HELVICK:  2 2nd-winter Iceland Gulls (MC snr).

Saturday, February 09, 2013

TRAMORE:  Merlin, Water Rail & Small Tortoiseshell butterfly at Lisselan (JAP, FO'C, BS); total 1100 Brent Geese at Backstrand including Lisselan, 4 Shoveler & 31 Gadwall at boating lake (PMW),

BUNMAHON:  2 Red-throated Divers (JAP, FO'C, BS).

BALLYVOONEY:  5 Red-throated Divers (").

DUNGARVAN:  Slavonian Grebe & 3 Long-tailed Ducks (male & 2 female) off Ballinacourty (").
DUNGARVAN: SPOONBILL at Killongford (MC).

HELVICK HEAD: 2nd-winter Iceland Gull (").
BROWNSTOWN HEAD / TRAMORE BAY: Total 235 Red-throated Divers (a record county total) on almost flat-calm sea - 160 SE of the head (east to at least as far as Benlea), & another 75 in Tramore Bay, off east coast (west to Great Newtown Head & Tramore pier); also 4 Great Crested Grebes, a Great Northern Diver & 2 Porpoises in the Bay (PMW).

DERRIGAL: 13 Whooper Swans & 1 Brent Goose with Greylag flock (250+) (MC, CF, DW).
CLOHERNAGH (nr Tramore Backstrand): 8 Crossbills (7 male & 1 female) just NE of Corbally church (JAP, FO'C, BS).

LISSELAN: Merlin (MC, CF, DW).
DUNMORE EAST: 1st-winter CASPIAN GULL showing well @10:10 but left later, also 1st-winter Iceland Gull (JAP, FO'C, BS).

Friday, February 08, 2013

DUNGARVAN:  Long-tailed Duck off Ballynacourty pier (MC).

Thursday, February 07, 2013

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Hen Harrier @ c17:40 (ADM).
HELVICK:  2nd-winter Iceland Gull (MC snr).


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY O6, 2013

ARDMORE: 3+ Mediterranean Gulls including colour-ringed 2nd-winter 'E666' - ringed in Antwerp, Belgium, in June 2011 (ADM).


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY O5, 2013

DUNGARVAN:  Brambling, Blackcap & 17 Siskins at Strandside, SPOONBILL & 2 Long-tailed Ducks at the Cunnigar (DC).

VILLIERSTOWN: Long-eared Owl (").

 LISMORE:  Kingfisher (").

WEST WATERFORD: Buzzard (").

Monday, February 04, 2013

WATERFORD CITY:  Siskin in another garden today - female at Francis Street, 2nd record there in 6 years (DS).
DUNGARVAN:  Male Brambling in garden at Clonea Road (MC snr).

WATERFORD CITY:  Male Siskin on peanut feeder.

Sunday, February 03, 2013

BLACKWATER CALLOWS:  158 Whooper Swans - 123 Lismore to Ballyduff, 35 west of Ballyduff (TM).

DUNMORE EAST:  2nd-winter Iceland Gull & 3 1st-winter Glaucous Gulls (Dermot Breen).
DUNGARVAN / HELVICK: 3 Iceland Gulls (2nd-winter & 2 1st-winters) moving between Helvick & the Cunnigar, 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull at Killongford (MC).

Saturday, February 02, 2013

WATERFORD CITY:  c10 Waxwings at Ardkeen village (Mark Redmond per MC).

DUNMORE EAST:  CASPIAN GULL outside harbour wall & Little Gull (JF), 3rd-winter Iceland Gull & 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull at pier. Lots of activity offshore with 100+ Common Dolphins and 5+ Fin Whales (DS).

ARDMORE:  Otter on Curragh strand early this morning (ADM).

BALLINCLAMPER:  Merlin (DC).

LISMORE:  Jay & 2 Treecreepers (").
DUNGARVAN: SPOONBILL off pitch & putt course, Water Rail at Killongford (MC, CF); 2 male Crossbills at Ballynacourty (MC, MC Sr.); Slavonian Grebe off Ballynacourty pier (MC).

WHITING BAY: 65 Sanderling, Great Northern Diver, 4 Red-throated Divers, 14 Brent Geese (MAD, PMW).

ARDMORE BAY:  5 Red-throated Divers W, Great Northern Diver & Great Crested Grebe in bay (").
TRAMORE:  Short-eared Owl,  Kingfisher & 4 Ravens at Lisselan, also dead Fox washed up on shore no obvious injuries (AJ).
DUNGARVAN:  Kingfisher at Brickey canal (DC).

LISMORE: Kingfisher at canal (").

TALLOW: Dipper on Bride river (").
DUNMORE EAST: 2nd-winter and 3rd-winter Iceland Gull still present at pier (RZ).
DUNGARVAN: Black Redstart fem, Promenade, Abbeyside, by soccer field (MC, CF).

Friday, February 01, 2013

SEAFIELD: 3 Green Sandpipers (DW).

EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard (JAP).
LISMORE:  2 Kingfishers at canal (DC).

WEST WATERFORD:  2 Buzzards (").

DUNGARVAN:  3 Long-tailed Ducks, 8 Great Northern Divers & 5 Goldeneye inside Cunnigar (").