Birds of Sligo

brianthebard

The ornithological variety of course. Have you seen any interesting birds in your area? At our house, a few miles outside Coolaney, we have blue tits, goldfinches, bullfinches, and the normal gang of large song birds. Sometimes herons stop in the field on their way to a river or stream. We can also hear a nearby cuckoo but I've never seen one. Anyone here like birds?

Gillie

brianthebard wrote: »

The ornithological variety of course. Have you seen any interesting birds in your area? At our house, a few miles outside Coolaney, we have blue tits, goldfinches, bullfinches, and the normal gang of large song birds. Sometimes herons stop in the field on their way to a river or stream. We can also hear a nearby cuckoo but I've never seen one. Anyone here like birds?

Only the Human or Roasted Chicken on a Sunday Variety

Interestingly though I saw a swan walking along Hughes Bridge yesterday at rush hour! He had the sense to stay on the footpath though!

I've seen a couple of pheasant (sp?) in the woods from time to time.

Basq

Pfft... misleading title.

Not impressed!

magnumlady

I was waiting for you all to start about Aine (who I hear has retired??)

Anyway yes I've seen herons, pheasants and loads of others. I keep trying to get good photos of them,but failing miserably.
I've never seen a cuckoo either, mind you saying that I wouldn't have a clue what one looks like if I did see one.

TequilaMockingBird

Your such a nerd Brian!

Ms Xiney and I saw a heron flying along the Garavogue River today in town. I love it when the swans fly along there.

brianthebard

You called me a nerd on an internet forum! Paradoxical!
ML, I keep trying to get pics of magpies but the buggers are camera shy ( I really like magpies). Cuckoos are like this. Apparently a group of cuckoos are called an asylum, is that why people use the word cuckoo to mean mad?

magnumlady

Ahh right, thanks for that, I'll keep a look out. I never knew they were called an asylum...cool!
The magpies are usually up and about before I am.

redarmyblues

I lived in millbrook a few years ago and i seen kingfishers quite a few times on the back river, in the autumn and spring.
keep an eye on the cathedral tower for falcons. The pool below Barton Smiths is a good place to see dippers, they are the birds that walk underwater. Cartron marsh for waders of all kinds.

Xiney

Brian - come up to the top of Ashbury Lawn, there's always at least a dozen magpies around there.

And yeah! We saw an Ardea cinerea cinerea (Grey Heron) fly past today! I tried to contain my biogeek enthusiasm but unfortunately I think I came off as a total nerd.



I'd really like to learn the local birds and their calls though. There are some I've never heard before.

(Fun fact - I can identify the frogs of Quebec based on their calls... I can even imitate some of them. Oh, I'm fun in a pub...)

magnumlady

Xiney were you anywhere near the swans by the Quays a few weeks ago with your camera? I'm sure I saw you?

Xiney

Nope, wasn't me.

I haven't taken the camera out for much lately, sad to say. Hoping to grab a few shots of the old industrial schtuff in finisklin to continue my industrial devolution series... but... *sees mods moving in for the kill*

right. enough of this off topicness!

Gillie

magnumlady wrote: »

I was waiting for you all to start about Aine (who I hear has retired??)

Val please!
I'm eating Breakfast.
Her name such require spoiler tags!:eek:

Gillie

Xiney wrote: »

(Fun fact - I can identify the frogs of Quebec based on their calls... I can even imitate some of them. Oh, I'm fun in a pub...)

I'm sure the French ppl of Quebec are not impressed that you've referred to them as Frogs!

Xiney

I'm French Canadian too though, so I get a pass.

...and of course I met the actual amphibian variety.

magnumlady

Xiney wrote: »

Nope, wasn't me.

I haven't taken the camera out for much lately, sad to say. Hoping to grab a few shots of the old industrial schtuff in finisklin to continue my industrial devolution series... but... *sees mods moving in for the kill*

right. enough of this off topicness!

Thats why the woman I was looking at gave me such a strange look then :-)

magnumlady

Gillie wrote: »

Val please!
I'm eating Breakfast.
Her name such require spoiler tags!:eek:

Why has she retired anyway?

Gillie

magnumlady wrote: »

Why has she retired anyway?

Please god!:(

tuppence

Theres a peacock in Ballintogher. But there is!
Does he count?

brianthebard

Um I guess he counts, I was thinking wild birds but no need to discriminate. I see that the swallows are back.

CountingCrows

brianthebard wrote: »

Um I guess he counts, I was thinking wild birds but no need to discriminate. I see that the swallows are back.

Ahh the swallow - the bird of love

guinnessdrinker

brianthebard wrote: »

Apparently a group of cuckoos are called an asylum, is that why people use the word cuckoo to mean mad?

Cool, I never knew this, although it seems to make since now!

redarmyblues wrote: »

I lived in millbrook a few years ago and i seen kingfishers quite a few times on the back river, in the autumn and spring.

I used to live there too but never seen any kingfishers, and I still have never ever seen one.

tuppence wrote: »

Theres a peacock in Ballintogher. But there is!
Does he count?

I have seen these guys though, pretty cool!

tuppence

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

Cool, I never knew this, although it seems to make since now!



I used to live there too but never seen any kingfishers, and I still have never ever seen one.



I have seen these guys though, pretty cool!

You dont expect to see them wanderng round a rural village in Sligo. thats kinda cool! :cool:
i thought asylum meant 'place of refuge' , but got bad connotations cause of some of the places themselves.Is thsi asylum refrence a new association with the cuckoo?

magnumlady

So maybe thats why that film is called 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest?'

The peacock sounds cool

il gatto

CountingCrows wrote: »

Ahh the swallow - the bird of love

Brilliant:pac::D

Anything that's in a book of Irish birds should be around Sligo as Ireland's habitat is quite small and diverse enough in most parts to facillitate most breeds. Probable exceptions would be some sea birds maybe. You should be able to see all the usual such as finches (Chaff, green, bull and gold), wrens, robins, thrushes and mistle thrush, tits (there, I've said it:)) (great(aren't they all;)), blue, coal etc.).
There's loads others like kingfishers, pheasants, grouse, herons and a range of hawks/falcons. They're generally a bit tougher to find (except pheasants which are stupid).
An odd day along a river in the country should produce alot of photos. Take what moves and identify later if you don't know what it is (what I do anyway). Some of the small ones require a focal length of at least 200mm++ to get really close up.

Xiney

il gatto wrote: »

Some of the small ones require a focal length of at least 200mm++ to get really close up.

Don't forget that you'd need a fast 200 mm lens

*sigh*

il gatto

Xiney wrote: »

Don't forget that you'd need a fast 200 mm lens

*sigh*

Yeah. *sigh*. f5.6 just doesn't cut it. I delete more pictures than I keep. Some day, when my car decides to let me keep some of my money for myself, a Canon 100-400 IS will be winging it's way to me. It's the same aperture but the IS would be great and is a hell of a lot cheaper than a prime Canon L. Some day:(.

Xiney

I think if Mr. Xiney and I ever win the lottery I'll just hand over my share to Canon/North Face/Le Creuset and be done with it.

tuppence

And of course theres three ducks that cuddle up beside each other in the middle of Connaughton road car park, They are the wonderful. People double check when they see them every time. Think its lovely to see them taking over. They have a much right and all that, Urban and wild side by side.
Am sure theres a photo in that somewhere. (that and the peacock in Ballintogher )

Xiney

Exciting news (for me) - I've just identified the bird outside that sings "PeTer PeTer PeTer PeTer"! It's aparently a Great Tit, and what he's really saying is "Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher" but whatever. I knew a lot of birds in Canada but here I haven't got a clue except for House Sparrows, Magpies and Crows. I can add Great Tits to that list now too :P

I used this website to find a candidate:
http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Default.aspx?tabid=452
And this one to confirm the call was correct:
http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/greattit.htm

Xiney

il gatto wrote: »

Yeah. *sigh*. f5.6 just doesn't cut it. I delete more pictures than I keep. Some day, when my car decides to let me keep some of my money for myself, a Canon 100-400 IS will be winging it's way to me. It's the same aperture but the IS would be great and is a hell of a lot cheaper than a prime Canon L. Some day:(.

As I found out this morning/afternoon, even 200mm doesn't cut it if the stupid bird isn't in the bush right next to you.

I've got a lot of pictures of little birds away in the distance. Useless!!

(did get a shot of Knocknarea though)

bobcar61

I was driving through town today and once I got to Hughes Bridge the was a massive traffic jam all because of a Swan in the middle of the road!

tuppence

bobcar61 wrote: »

I was driving through town today and once I got to Hughes Bridge the was a massive traffic jam all because of a Swan in the middle of the road!

Probably heading over to have a word with the ducks in Connaughton road car park. Ah must have been lovely to see. Puts things in perspective:)

starbelgrade

A pelican with a broken wing landed in my back yard a few years back... had to call the RSPCA to rescue the poor sod.

I like-a-da-burds.

garth-marenghi

Heres a link to local bird watching group in sligo with some details of local activities, corhownagh near ballisodare is meant to be good for a variety of species, there was an information display there at one stage on what birds could be spotted but think its totally vandalised and gone now:(
http://www.sligobirding.com/index.html

starbelgrade

garth-marenghi wrote: »

think its totally vandalised and gone now:(
http://www.sligobirding.com/index.html

It was taken over by www.sligodogging.com :eek:

brianthebard

There's a nesting swan down by the bridge beside the cafe arabica if people want to see it. I got to see some of the eggs and took tons of pics. I don't have my card reader with me today though so I'll post them next week.

Xiney

How cool!

I've never seen a cygnet before, are they really uglier than ducklings (ducklings are pretty cute, granted)

brianthebard

Oh that reminds me there are ducklings on the river too. They aren't yellow any more (if indeed wild ducks ever are). The swan eggs are huge btw. Oh and your originial question-yeah cygnets aren't great looking, they are big scrawny grey things for quite a long time. Have you seen the juvenile heron thats on the river lately? At least i think its a juv, its about half the size of any heron I've ever seen.

brianthebard

Look at the little blighters hanging out with maw and paw, aren't they lovely?

magnumlady

awwww

brianthebard

Also this is a pic of the swan at the side of the bridge sitting on her eggs. They haven't hatched yet afaik, she's still sitting there.

DenMan

Kestrels can be found in the West of Ireland and have recently been spotted in Clifton and Hazelwood. Great birds of prey.

brianthebard

Yeah there used to be one near where I live and about a month ago me and my cousin saw one sitting on a gate when we pulled up to it. Cool stuff.

Xiney

aw, cute!!

I haven't seen the juvenile heron on the river, although I do see a nice looking heron from time to time around Rosses Point.

AlmightyCushion

I was clearly mistaken about the content of this thread.


*pulls up trousers*

TequilaMockingBird

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I was clearly mistaken about the content of this thread.


*pulls up trousers*

To. Much. Information.

magnumlady

I finally got to see some today.....so cute! (Cygnets that is:D)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnumlady/2586371371/

starbelgrade

You sure that's not an albino duck?

muffler

starbelgrade wrote: »

You sure that's not an albino duck?

Ah the resident comedian strikes again. Why dont you post something positive for a change instead of being a muppet in every thread.

starbelgrade

Whatever.

TequilaMockingBird

Brianthebirdmanbard the eggs still haven't hatched, we had a look today. The little cygnets are gorgeous!