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Sea bird watching - Kilcummin head, near Ballina, Mayo

  • 22-07-2013 5:58pm
    #1
    Woodville56
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭


    Just wondering if this is a popular birding site ?
    Was thinking of a road trip to watch seabirds and Kilcummin Head comes up regularly as a key site for seabird migration . I'm not very knowledgeable on the seabird scene but would certainly give this location a try - anyone got any reports from there , or been there ?
    I read the occasional reports from Irishbirding of sightings there but just wondering if any knowledgeable birders hang out there regularly to give a newbie a hand with ID etc ..
    Cheers !


Comments

  • #2
    Capercaille
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,077 ✭✭✭Capercaille


    Woodville56 wrote: »
    Just wondering if this is a popular birding site ?
    Was thinking of a road trip to watch seabirds and Kilcummin Head comes up regularly as a key site for seabird migration . I'm not very knowledgeable on the seabird scene but would certainly give this location a try - anyone got any reports from there , or been there ?
    I read the occasional reports from Irishbirding of sightings there but just wondering if any knowledgeable birders hang out there regularly to give a newbie a hand with ID etc ..
    Cheers !
    http://www.birdwatchmayo.org/birding_sites/sites/kilcumminhead.htm
    The seabird migration don't really start till late August. Optimal condition would be a NW gale which pushes the birds towards the shore. For seawatching you really need a good telescope. The Bridges of Ross in Clare is a better location, since there are usually loads of people there during optimal times.


  • #3
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    some info on sites here if you haven't already seen it.

    http://www.birdwatchmayo.org/birding_sites/index.htm

    Downpatrick Head a bit further along the coast from Kilcummin is also pretty good if you get the right weather.
    Whatever about the birds the views on the drive from there, past the Ceide Fields towards Belderrig are spectacularly breathtaking.


  • #4
    trekie123
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9 ✭trekie123


    littlebug wrote: »
    some info on sites here if you haven't already seen it.

    http://www.birdwatchmayo.org/birding_sites/index.htm

    Downpatrick Head a bit further along the coast from Kilcummin is also pretty good if you get the right weather.
    Whatever about the birds the views on the drive from there, past the Ceide Fields towards Belderrig are spectacularly breathtaking.

    Hi there.
    I hope you can help me or even point me in the right direction. I plucked an adult black headed gull out of my local park lake where there are a flock of them. It was very low in the water and trying to get out. It appeared to have no buoyancy and it was soaked and shivering. Its feathers were clean and it had no smell of diesel or anything like that on it. I got it home and warmed it up with a hair dryer, fed and watered it and it is now in a large pen in my garden. It is eating well, is alert and everything looks fine however when it enters a large basin of water i have there it gets soaked again and still has no buoyancy. I have looked after many birds down the years but never a water foul and it has be baffled. I was wondering if something could have gone wrong with it ability to produce natural oils for its feathers or is there a natural ballast system water foul have in them. By the way this is the third black headed gull i have found there in the last six weeks. The first had been eaten. The second i found in exactly the same way as this one but it was too far gone and i could not save it. I would be grateful for any help you can give me with this one or maybe point me in the right direction.


  • #5
    V_Moth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,423 ✭✭✭V_Moth


    trekie123 wrote: »
    Hi there.
    I hope you can help me or even point me in the right direction. I plucked an adult black headed gull out of my local park lake where there are a flock of them. It was very low in the water and trying to get out. It appeared to have no buoyancy and it was soaked and shivering.

    Its feathers were clean and it had no smell of diesel or anything like that on it. I got it home and warmed it up with a hair dryer, fed and watered it and it is now in a large pen in my garden. It is eating well, is alert and everything looks fine however when it enters a large basin of water i have there it gets soaked again and still has no buoyancy.

    I have looked after many birds down the years but never a water foul and it has be baffled. I was wondering if something could have gone wrong with it ability to produce natural oils for its feathers or is there a natural ballast system water foul have in them.

    By the way this is the third black headed gull i have found there in the last six weeks. The first had been eaten. The second i found in exactly the same way as this one but it was too far gone and i could not save it. I would be grateful for any help you can give me with this one or maybe point me in the right direction.

    That is an unusual one all right. I think you are right in saying that for some reason the birds feathers are not waterproof (possibly due to surfactants?). Maybe have a look at Irishwildlifematters.ie - there is a good list of vets/wildlife rehabbers.


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