The Hide (chat thread)

Zoo4m8 · 30-12-2014 10:29pm

Woodpigeon..

vistafinder · 31-12-2014 1:52pm

I was out doing a count of the garden birds yesterday and out of the grass came a bank vole to get some of the seeds.

Never saw one before and I spend a lot of time out in the garden.

Cute little thing dumpy, foxy in colour and sat on his ass using its front paws to nibble on the seeds.

Rosahane · 31-12-2014 5:16pm

A pair of bullfinches, a male and female have spent most of the day eating the buds in a flowering purple plum tree in the garden.
They spotted the buds before I did!

OpenYourEyes · 31-12-2014 5:22pm

Had a Peregrine over the garden today - only my third time seeing one in Roscommon, and they're probably my favourite species, so to see one from my bedroom window was a real treat

splish · 02-01-2015 10:20pm

Recorded 11 species in flower today as part of BSBI's New Year Plant Hunt. The aim is to record as many wild species flowering as you can in up to 3 hours over the New Year period. Species I recorded today were Gorse, Daisy, Ling, Alder, Common Ragwort, Western Gorse, Catsear, Wild Strawberry, Common Centaury, Bramble and Annual Meadow grass. Still time to get involved for anyone interested.

MeteoritesEire · 03-01-2015 1:40pm

so I've been seeing loads of these birds at night flying up and away from the lane verge as I drive along.My cousin suggested maybe nightjars but I never did get a look at one---until last night

me and the girl driving along and one was just sitting in the lane, I drove slowly up to within 6 feet of it and it just sat there giving us a great look.Only thought after to get a pic on her phone.Anyway it was a woodcock and when it flew away finally it was the same action and colour as all the birds I've been seeing.

Couple years ago I reported seeing a group of 6 birds flying over me with long beaks and told my cousin (who is big twitcher) that I thought I saw 6 snipe--he said probably woodcock and reckon he was right.There must be loads of them about here--on the coast Donegal

MeteoritesEire · 03-01-2015 1:40pm

so I've been seeing loads of these birds at night flying up and away from the lane verge as I drive along.My cousin suggested maybe nightjars but I never did get a look at one---until last night

me and the girl driving along and one was just sitting in the lane, I drove slowly up to within 6 feet of it and it just sat there giving us a great look.Only thought after to get a pic on her phone.Anyway it was a woodcock and when it flew away finally it was the same action and colour as all the birds I've been seeing.

Couple years ago I reported seeing a group of 6 birds flying over me with long beaks and told my cousin (who is big twitcher) that I thought I saw 6 snipe--he said probably woodcock and reckon he was right.There must be loads of them about here--on the coast Donegal

Bsal · 03-01-2015 5:12pm

Just back from a walk in Newbridge demense and saw 5 grey squirrels and a goldcrest and much more, great afternoon.

splish · 05-01-2015 9:09pm

Nice days birding at Lough Boora today with the highlight being good but distant views of Hen harrier. Also saw Lapwing, Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Kestrel, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Curlew, Redpoll, Siskin, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Raven & a covey of 12 Grey partridge. Great to see good numbers of Irish hare too.

Woodville56 · 05-01-2015 9:23pm

Robin in full voice this morning at 6.50am, followed shortly afterwards by calling Collared Doves !

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 05-01-2015 9:28pm

Robins, while the song changes, sing through the winter. Collared doves remain in pairs and reinforce the pair bond by calling in winter.

whyulittle · 05-01-2015 10:41pm

splish wrote: »

Nice days birding at Lough Boora today with the highlight being good but distant views of Hen harrier. Also saw Lapwing, Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Kestrel, Buzzard, Kingfisher, Curlew, Redpoll, Siskin, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Raven & a covey of 12 Grey partridge. Great to see good numbers of Irish hare too.

Fair play, I've never once seen a Kingfisher there!

splish · 05-01-2015 11:15pm

whyulittle wrote: »

Fair play, I've never once seen a Kingfisher there!

We were surprised to see it really. First time at Boora today but hope to get back again sometime.

Rosahane · 06-01-2015 12:12am

Went out this morning to put out the little suet and seed food that I got in Aldi for the robin and pair of blackbirds that visit us. Put them on the bird table and as i moved away the robin started calling his thanks from a tree about ten feet away

He got his breakfast before the starlings arrived!

Zoo4m8 · 08-01-2015 8:46am

North Wicklow, south Dublin followers of this forum might be interested in an evening run by Kilmacanogue History Society next Tues 13th at 8.30 in the Glenview hotel, Glen of the Downs.
It's entitled 'Wicklow birds-part of our heritage' with Eric Dempsey ,well know author and broadcaster ..... There is a small admission charge and as this is bound to be well attended, as most of the societies evenings are, it might be a good idea to be early for a seat with a view..:)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 08-01-2015 4:49pm

I was kept amused by 5 goldcrest in the hawthorn hedge and a flock of 12 long tailed tits in the trees, while having my coffee in the garden this morning. Their constant activity on a winter's day is inspiring.

OpenYourEyes · 08-01-2015 5:48pm

I had plenty of Whooper Swans along the River Suck today, with what looked like a good ratio of juveniles. Hopefully it was a good season for them overall.

Worth highlighting that the international Whooper and Bewick Swan Census is coming up the weekend after next (and including the wekk before and after), so if you come across any of those Swan species or know a good haunt get in touch with the Birdwatch Ireland office, or make sure to record them on Birdtrack and I'd say the records will be included!

See link here:
http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/SurveysProjects/IrishWetlandBirdSurvey/Additionalsurveys/Swancensuses/tabid/970/Default.aspx

splish · 08-01-2015 6:11pm

Delighted to see 4 goosander on the river Slaney today. Friend of mine who runs the Wild Carlow facebook page took this photo.

gzoladz · 08-01-2015 10:39pm

Following the carefully written instructions posted here by OpenYourEyes one or two weeks ago, last Sunday evening I detoured into Bull Island to look for suspicious birding activity.

Shortly after, a flock of Redshanks got agitated... I started scanning carefully the poles in the mudflats with my binocs and I saw what looked like a white dot at the top end of one of them.

I pulled my scope from the boot of the car, and I could now see a quite large bird perching on top of it, but between the distance and my limited experience I was not sure what it was.

So I asked a fellow birdwatcher who had stopped by to have a loom and he confirmed that it was indeed a peregrine falcon

it was actually my first one.

Woodville56 · 09-01-2015 8:32pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I had plenty of Whooper Swans along the River Suck today, with what looked like a good ratio of juveniles. Hopefully it was a good season for them overall.

Worth highlighting that the international Whooper and Bewick Swan Census is coming up the weekend after next (and including the wekk before and after), so if you come across any of those Swan species or know a good haunt get in touch with the Birdwatch Ireland office, or make sure to record them on Birdtrack and I'd say the records will be ]

Noticed a large flock of swans today spread across flooded fields where the M6 crosses the River Suck at Ballinasloe - not sure which species, it was blowing a gale so didn't stop to scope them.

OpenYourEyes · 09-01-2015 11:54pm

Woodville56 wrote: »

Noticed a large flock of swans today spread across flooded fields where the M6 crosses the River Suck at Ballinasloe - not sure which species, it was blowing a gale so didn't stop to scope them.

Sounds very probable they were Whooper Swans too. If its the area I'm thinking of, Greenland White-fronted Geese used to use it years ago too!

Woodville56 · 10-01-2015 12:44am

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Sounds very probable they were Whooper Swans too. If its the area I'm thinking of, Greenland White-fronted Geese used to use it years ago too!

It was on left side of the motorway heading towards Galway, just past the bridge over the river, in the flooded fields.

Capercaille · 10-01-2015 12:48am

Woodville56 wrote: »

It was on left side of the motorway heading towards Galway, just past the bridge over the river, in the flooded fields.

With the demise of our wintering Bewick Swans. it would be either whooper or mute swan.

OpenYourEyes · 10-01-2015 2:33am

Yeah, I think that area is known as Poolboy - used to have GWFG, not sure what else, but most places that have/had GWFG would have Whoopers too!

OpenYourEyes · 10-01-2015 7:39pm

I was at a turlough in Roscommon today that I visit regularly every winter, and was just saying to my Dad "It's strange we havn't seen any Greenland White-fronts here this winter" - as I finished my sentence I panned left with my binoculars and spotted 131 Greenland White-fronts!

Capercaille · 10-01-2015 7:45pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I was at a turlough in Roscommon today that I visit regularly every winter, and was just saying to my Dad "It's strange we havn't seen any Greenland White-fronts here this winter" - as I finished my sentence I panned left with my binoculars and spotted 131 Greenland White-fronts!

How are the GWFG numbers this year? Countrywide and on the Slobs?

OpenYourEyes · 10-01-2015 7:56pm

Capercaille wrote: »

How are the GWFG numbers this year? Countrywide and on the Slobs?

The most important count on the slobs is the Spring count - so we should hear over the next few weeks how things are doing there.

They won't really have a good picture of the other flocks until the autumn when all the records etc come in, but the expectation is that the smaller flocks will keep getting smaller, and flocks like Wexford, Lough Swilly, Little Brosna, the Suck and the Midland Lakes should stay largely the same.

I didn't get a chance to age the flock I saw so I didn't manage to get an idea of how breeding success might have been!

Anyone interested who mightn't have seen it, read the synopsis of the November conference about halfway down this page: http://www.wexfordwildfowlreserve.ie/

whyulittle · 11-01-2015 3:11pm

A handy reference for tagged Birds of Prey.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=598191803645159&id=345679678896374

Rosahane · 12-01-2015 12:21pm

For the first time in weeks I saw the buzzards in Castletown this morning.
Unfortunately I was at the other side of the park and hadn't the binos with me.

A lot of calling from a group of three together and a singleton which approached the others, wheeled away a few times and then had a bit of an aerial tussle with one of the group before they all went out of sight.

I think a pair successfully reared two chicks there this year. Was what I saw mating behaviour or chasing the chicks out of the territory?

whyulittle · 15-01-2015 8:02pm

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/75002/Birding_Opportunity.html

I wouldn't have thought there could be any confusion between a Hen Harrier and an Eagle Owl! A Long-eared Owl or an escapee maybe?

The Hide (chat thread)

Comments