What type of bird?

Conchurl

i took the springer out for a walk earlier and he put out a type of bird i never seen before, it had a light brown belly and dark brown head and wings about 14-18 inches in length and it had a fat belly, the wing span was less than a pheasants by a small bit ans it was in the wet corner of the field surrounded by rushes and a shallow drain behind it. any idea what it is my father said it might have been a hawk of some sort.

Birdnuts

Going on your description and the habitat, it could be a Bittern - used to breed here in wetlands and might do so again, currently a scarce vagrant in Ireland. Another outside possbility is a short-eared owl - likes that type of habitat and unlike other owl species is active during the day.

PS: I assume your familiar with the likes of woodcock etc.

Conchurl

Birdnuts wrote: »

Going on your description and the habitat, it could be a Bittern - used to breed here in wetlands and might do so again, currently a scarce vagrant in Ireland. Another outside possbility is a short-eared owl - likes that type of habitat and unlike other owl species is active during the day.

PS: I assume your familiar with the likes of woodcock etc.

i looked at few pics of short-eared owls there and it doesnt look like on of them.

it sort of looked like this only fatter and light brown belly with dark brown wings and head, but i didnt think that the beak was as long as in this pic. http://www.rspb.org.uk/images/cache/bittern_flight_300_tcm9-150397_v2.jpg

Conchurl

sort of looked like this woodcock but bigger and that the beak was short.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/images/cache/woodcock_tcm9-166903_v2.jpg

Birdnuts

Bitterns have the ablity to stuff their faces with food and so can have very bloated stomachs - the length of their bill can be hard to make out in certain light conditions making it look much shorter then it actually is.

PS: You should post this in Nature and Birdwatching since theres alot of experienced birders there that could help you:)

Conchurl

Would they frown upon me taking out the dog to train him to hunt pheasants and woodcock so i can shoot them when the season opens in a few months.

Birdnuts

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German pointer

Conchurl wrote: »

Would they frown upon me taking out the dog to train him to hunt pheasants and woodcock so i can shoot them when the season opens in a few months.

Have a look at the thread I started "Sancutary and dogs" a few posts down from the start and some of the lads are giving out about training dogs in the breeding season

deerhunter1

German pointer wrote: »

Have a look at the thread I started "Sancutary and dogs" a few posts down from the start and some of the lads are giving out about training dogs in the breeding season

I believe it is illegal to hunt a dog even for training purposes over ground birds after march due to nesting and young chicks and hens sitting on nests

German pointer

deerhunter1 wrote: »

I believe it is illegal to hunt a dog even for training purposes over ground birds after march due to nesting and young chicks and hens sitting on nests

I am not hunting them as the original posts state, Just want to know if a dog can go into a santcuary after a bird shot outside it or if a dog can be walked inside a santcuary in season or out of season. I see you are from Limerick, can a dog be walked in Westfields or the banks of the Shannon even though it is a santcuary? That is all I am asking.

deerhunter1

German pointer wrote: »

I am not hunting them as the original posts state, Just want to know if a dog can go into a santcuary after a bird shot outside it or if a dog can be walked inside a santcuary in season or out of season. I see you are from Limerick, can a dog be walked in Westfields or the banks of the Shannon even though it is a santcuary? That is all I am asking.

Yes I would say to that, I have been doing it for years no issues yet. Most of the Banks of the Shannon are not a sanctuary

German pointer

deerhunter1 wrote: »

Yes I would say to that, I have been doing it for years no issues yet. Most of the Banks of the Shannon are not a sanctuary

Is not Corbally opposite Longshore, Lanarone, Plassy, Longshore itself, Barringtons Pier etc not a sanctuary? I know below Coonagh both sides is ok.

deerhunter1

German pointer wrote: »

Is not Corbally opposite Longshore, Lanarone, Plassy, Longshore itself, Barringtons Pier etc not a sanctuary? I know below Coonagh both sides is ok.

Parts of those areas you mention are sanctuary, About 200 yards below Barringtons pier the sanctuary ends.