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.



Saturday, November 30, 2013

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 4 Pintail (female & 3 male) & Chiffchaff at Lisselan (JAP BS).

CROHAUN: Woodcock (").

DUNGARVAN: Barnacle Goose (AA).
GARRANBAUN: Merlin. (MC, CF)

BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 37 Whooper Swans & 15 Tufted ducks. (")

DERRIGAL: 24 Whooper Swans, ~273 Greylag Geese & 1 adult White-fronted Goose. (")

LISSELAN: 1 Gadwall. (")

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 15 Shoveler, 49 Gadwall, 5 Coot & 2 Tufted Ducks. (")

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: 2 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Ducks & 4 Coot. (")

DUNGARVAN: Barnacle Goose @ Ballyneety. 2 Shoveler & 4 Long-tailed Ducks off the pitch & putt course. (")

EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard. (")

Friday, November 29, 2013

BUNMAHON: Kingfisher; also 2 Fin Whales & a possible Humpback offshore (DC).

ANNESTOWN: Kingfisher (").

MID WATERFORD: Buzzard(").

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

BALLYSCANLAN: 3 Crossbills (DS).

TRAMORE. 37 Gadwall, 5 Shovelers and 6 Coot at Tramore boating lake (").

NEWTOWN CROSS (E of Kilmacthomas): Woodcock (MC).

HELVICK HEAD: Merlin & Minke Whale (ADM).

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

DUNHILL: Tree Sparrow in large flock of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Linnets & Reed Buntings (AJ).


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013

DUNMORE EAST to MINE HEAD:  6 Great Skuas, 3 Common Scoter (off Helvick Head), 4 Fin Whales (including 'Scar' last recorded off West Cork 11/11/2007), 5 Minke Whales & 30-40 Common Dolphins (ADM).

BALLYDWAN:  Adult Iceland Gull (DC).

DUNGARVAN:  Kingfisher at Ballyneety (").

BUNMAHON:  Kingfisher (").

ANNESTOWN:  Kingfishwer (").

MID WATERFORD:  Buzzard (").

Sunday, November 24, 2013

DUNMORE EAST: 1st-winter Glaucous Gull; also 30+ Common Dolphins between pier and Hook Head (DS).

TRAMORE: 4 Shoveler (SMH, MC snr).

BALLYVOYLE:  2 Great Northern Divers, 3 Fin Whales, 2 Minke Whales & a Porpoise (EB).
DUNGARVAN: Adult Yellow-legged Gull @ Ballyneety. 4 Long-tailed Ducks off the sports centre. (MC)

Saturday, November 23, 2013

TRAMORE: 2 Blackcaps (male & female) at Tramore House; 33 Common Scoter & a Great Northern Diver in Bay, from Ladies' Slip; Long-tailed Duck in Backstrand, between the spits (AJ).

Off DUNGARVAN BAY:  HUMPBACK WHALE & 3 Fin Whales just south of the Blackrock (EB).

BALLYVOYLE:  10 Choughs & 2 Great Northern Divers (").
BALLYSHUNNOCK: 17 Tufted Ducks. (MC, CF)

EAST WATERFORD: 2 Buzzards. (")

DERRIGAL: 22 Whooper Swans & 5 Greylag Geese. (")

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Male Shoveler. (")

TRAMORE: 11 Shoveler, 3 Coot & 45 Gadwall @ the boating lake. Greenshank with radio transmitter at Pickardstown. Adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose at the backstrand. (")

LISSELAN: 8 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Ducks & 4 Pintail. (")

DUNGARVAN: 4 Long-tailed Ducks off pitch & putt course. 3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls & an adult Mediterranean Gull @ Ballyneety. (")


TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 4 Pintail at Lisselan (MC, CF).

DUNGARVAN: Long-tailed Ducks still present off pitch & putt course (SMH).

Friday, November 22, 2013

TRAMORE: 5 Coot, 24 Gadwall, 2 female/immature Shoveler and female/immature Tufted Duck-type at boating lake (JF).

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (").
BUNMAHON: 2 Fin Whales, 50 Common Dolphins, 27 Common Scoter & a Swallow! (ADM).

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (KB).

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Nr DRUM HILLS:  Male Hen Harrier this afternoon (ADM).

CARRIGNAGOUR (nr Lismore): Whooper Swans flying over at midnight last night (").

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

DUNGARVAN:  SPOONBILL on the Cunnigar, 3 Long-tailed Duck down from the Cunnigar tip, & 2 Whooper Swans W past pitch & putt course (FO'C).

Sunday, November 17, 2013

BALLYDWAN: Manx Shearwater W (DW).
BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: 18 Tufted Ducks & 9 Wigeon. (MC)

DERRIGAL: 11 Whooper Swans. (")

EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard. (")

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 43 Gadwall, 7 Shoveler & 8 Coot. (")

LISSELAN: 4 Gadwall, 1 Coot & 2 Tufted Ducks. (")

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR: Shoveler & 1 Tufted Duck. (")

DUNGARVAN BAY: Surf Scoter. (")

Saturday, November 16, 2013

DUNMORE EAST to just W of TRAMORE:  Great Skua, Glaucous Gull, Fin Whale, 7 Minke Whales, 11 Porpoises & 100 Common Dolphins from boat (ADM).

BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR:  13 Tufted Duck (CF).

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  2 Tufted Duck (").

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (").

TRAMORE: 41+ Gadwall, 9 Shoveler, diving duck species (Tufted Duck?), 7 Coot & adult Mediterranean Gull at boating lake (CF, AJ); Scaup & Coot at Lisselan (CF); 325 Brent Geese, 178 Dunlin, 62 Grey Plover, 10 Little Egrets, 49 Shelduck & a Merlin west of spits in Backstrand; Great Crested Grebe in bay (AJ).
DUNGARVAN: SURF SCOTER outside Cunnigar tip late afternoon, 330 LBbGulls there at dusk (MAD, PMW).

CLONEA: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull, 16 Great Northern Divers & 250+ Gannets (").

BALLYVOONEY COVE: 8 Red-throated Divers (JAP, EMcL, BS).

KILMURRIN: Mediterranean Gull (").

BUNMAHON: Mediterranean Gull (")
DUNGARVAN: SPOONBILL off pitch & putt course, 3 Long-tailed Ducks near tip of Cunnigar, 3 adult Yellow-legged Gulls & adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballyneety (JAP, EMcL, BS).

HELVICK HEAD: 3 Common Scoter, Black Guillemot, Common Dolphins & Porpoises (").

Friday, November 15, 2013

TANKARDSTOWN (east of Bunmahon):  2 Great Northern Divers on sea, Minke Whale & small numbers of Common Dolphins & Porpoises (ADM).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  16 Tree Sparrows, otherwise very quiet (JF).

TRAMORE BAY:  4 Great Crested Grebes (").

COLLIGAN WOODS:  Dipper (LB).

NW WATERFORD:  Buzzard (SOF).
HELVICK HEAD: 2 Great Skuas, 7 Common Scoter, a Great Northern Diver & lots of Gannets, Common Dolphins & Porpoises (ADM).

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Nr LITTLE ISLAND: Kingfisher close to Waterford Castle ferry (LR).

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

MUGGORT'S BAY (west of Helvick Head): Great Skua W (PMW).
RAM HEAD: Pomarine Skua, 7 Manx Shearwaters & 200+ Common Dolphins (ADM).

HELVICK HEAD to BALLYVOYLE: 200+ Gannets feeding/resting (PMW).
TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 17 Gadwall & female/immature Scaup (JF).
DUNGARVAN (I-WeBS count): SURF SCOTER in outer bay (between Ballynacourty pier & Cunnigar / Abbeyside) (PS, PMW); 2 Long-tailed Ducks near Cunnigar point (FO'C); SPOONBILL on Cunnigar (PS); VAGRANT EMPEROR dragonfly near sports centre @ 11:55 (PMW); totals 10 Great Northern Divers, 60 Great Crested Grebes, 42 Red-breasted Mergansers & 2 Goldeneye. Also a HUMPBACK WHALE, Fin Whales, Porpoises & Common Dolphins at/off Dungarvan bay this morning (RMcL).

CALISO BAY: Female Merlin (ADM).


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Nr WHITING BAY: 2 Tree Sparrows at feeder at Moord (JAP).

ARDMORE: Adult & first-winter Mediterranean Gulls (").

WEST WATERFORD: Buzzard (").

EAST WATERFORD: Buzzard (AJ, PMW).
DUNGARVAN: SURF SCOTER & Black Guillemot off Ballynacourty pier, but distant (MC); Green Sandpiper at Killongford pool (MC sr).

HELVICK HEAD: 2 Swallows (MC sr).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: GLOSSY IBIS (flying N over Kilmacleague / Clohernagh fields, then headed NW, c09:15) (DMcG); also Short-eared Owl, north saltmarsh, Long-tailed Duck west of spits, 5 Whooper Swans at Riverstown, Scaup at Lisselan, & 828 Brent Geese (DMcG, AJ, PMW).

TRAMORE BOATING LAKE: 22 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler (2 male) & 8 Coot (JDP).

Saturday, November 09, 2013

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 14 Common Scoter W (PMW).
DUNGARVAN:  SPOONBILL off the pitch & putt course, adult Yellow-legged Gull & adult Mediterranean Gull at Ballyeenety (DW, CF); Black Guillemot off Ballynacourty pier (MC).

CLONEA:  Merlin at Ballinclamper (DW, CF).

BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR: Adult Mediterranean Gull (").

TRAMORE BAY: Great Skua W across bay off Newtown Cove (PMW).
DUNGARVAN: Female/1st-winter type SURF SCOTER off Ballinacourty Pier (MC).

ANNESTOWN: Merlin & Kingfisher (JAP, BS).

DERRIGAL/PORTNASCULLY: 59 Greylag Geese at Derrigal cross, 10 Whooper Swans on Co Kilkenny side at Portnascully (PMW).

TIBBERAGHNY (Co Kilkenny): Adult Mediterranean Gull & 8 Whooper Swans (").

Friday, November 08, 2013

BUNMAHON:  Kingfisher & Fin Whale (DC).

ANNESTOWN:  Kingfisher (").

MID WATERFORD:  2 Buzzards (").

DUNGARVAN:  35 Red-breasted Mergansers & 12 Great Crested grebes (AJ).

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS: Big flock of Crossbills still present in Killballyboy Woods on Co Tipperary side (ADM).
TRAMORE: Scaup, adult Mediterranean Gull, Kingfisher & a Chiffchaff at Lisselan; 17 Gadwall, 3 Shovelers & a Coot at the boating lake (DS).


Thursday, November 08, 2013

TRAMORE: 35 Gadwall & 3 Shoveler (male & 2 female/immature) at the boating lake (JF).

Monday, November 04, 2013

RAM HEAD:  2 Great Skuas, Arctic Skua, Merlin, Fin Whale, Minke Whale & 50 Common Dolphins (seawatch 11:00-12:45) (ADM).

Sunday, November 03, 2013


WHITING BAY:  Mediterranean Gull (NJB).

TIBBERAGHNY (south Kilkenny):  7 Whooper Swans (2 juvenile) (FJ).

TRAMORE:  Scaup at Lisselan, 8 Gadwall at boating lake (JF).
BLACKWATER CALLOWS: 115 Whooper Swans between Lismore and Ballyneroon. (MC)

CAMPHIRE: 29 Whooper Swans & 8 Greylag Geese. (")

WEST WATERFORD: Buzzard. (")

HELVICK: Otter. (")
TRAMORE: 4 Swallows past, Ballycarnane Woods (AJ).
DRUM HILLS: Male Hen Harrier (MF).

Saturday, November 02, 2013

DUNGARVAN: Swallow at the Lookout today (FO'C).
BROWNSTOWN HEAD:
Seawatch 8:25-11:25 (JB, PMW, wind 8 SW):
Great Skua: 4 W.
Manx Shearwater: 2 W.
Fulmar: 1 E, 75 W.
Gannet: 26 E, 365 W.
Kittiwake: 17 E, 150 W.
Large auks: 18 E, 70 W.
On land, just a Chiffchaff noted.

Friday, November 01, 2013

BALLYSHUNNOCK: Male RING-NECKED DUCK, 3 Scaup, 21 Whooper Swans & 6 Stock Doves. (MC)

BLACKWATER CALLOWS:  89 Whooper Swans west of Lismore (TM).
DUNGARVAN:  Hummingbird Hawk-moth in garden (JAP).