2015 Spring Migrant Watch

Birdnuts

Tis the time of year folks when we welcome back our friends from sunnier climes. To kick it off I'll just mention that the first Sand Martin of the year was reported from the Waterford coast yesterday.

stevensi

A wheatear in Louth as well....

OpenYourEyes

Sand Martin in Wicklow too, and the UK have had their first Swallow and Osprey!

Woodville56

Ticked the first Sand Martins of the season up here in the north Midlands today !

Woodville56

I know that technically they're not migrants in the "long distance traveller " sense of the word, but the return of noisy Black Headed Gulls in big numbers to the inland lakes is another real sign of Spring awakening, for me anyway. There's always a few hanging round these parts over the winter but today the lake islets here are hives of excited returning gull activity, staking out or reclaiming their breeding sites !

Arequipa

Anyone wanna guess the date of first arrival of a swallow to our shores?
I will guess March 27th!!

whyulittle

A swallow recorded at Boora on Saturday, on a BWI branch outing so you'd assume it was correct!

https://www.facebook.com/BirdWatchIreland/posts/10152693320526643

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

whyulittle wrote: »

A swallow recorded at Boora on Saturday, on a BWI branch outing so you'd assume it was correct!

https://www.facebook.com/BirdWatchIreland/posts/10152693320526643

Timing is spot on. The first arrivals are usually mid march.

Birdnuts

A couple of Sand Martins back at their quarry breeding sites in Blessington today.

OpenYourEyes

Had my first Chiffchaff of the year in Kilkenny last week!

splish

Several Chiffchaffs in Ballon & Kildavin, Co. Carlow over the weekend.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Out fishing in the north east this morning and I heard that unmistakable call, then he perched beside me - Chiffchaff!

Spring has arrived for me.

stevensi

Had a blackcap calling this morning. One of my favourite bird songs...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

stevensi wrote: »

Had a blackcap calling this morning. One of my favourite bird songs...

Unless you are in the north west Blackcaps are resident.

Woodville56

Cole Quick Back wrote: »

Unless you are in the north west Blackcaps are resident.

I haven't seen wintering Blackcaps in these parts - north midlands, none visiting the birdfeeders either. I think they're fairly unobtrusive birds outside of the singing/breeding season or unless seen visiting bird tables, so they could have been around but just not as visible ?

stevensi

Cole Quick Back wrote: »

Unless you are in the north west Blackcaps are resident.

Not sure if they are resident in Ireland. I believe the birds we get in Winter are birds that are now moving in from the continent. They depart our shores and are replaced in the Summer from Migrants from the South.

Still nice to hear the song..

Desmo

Blackcaps are kind of resident. When I was a kid, they bred here and were fairly strictly summer visitors with occasional over-wintering birds. I ticked my first one in the early 1970s in the Botanic gardens in January. Now you get lots of over-wintering birds but they seem to be a completely different population to the summer visitors. It seems that the winter guys leave in the Spring and head north and east and the ones that breed here arrive from the south.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Point is, they are here all year round. Some birds have been found to remain here all year. They are not purely a spring migrant.

Woodville56

Had my first Chiffchaffs of the year yesterday, 2 different locations. From Irishbirding it seems they're well and truly arrived, with sightings logged mainly in the eastern half of the country.

Half-cocked

2 Chiffchaffs in the garden this morning (Dublin), 6 Sand Martens near Castledermot (Kildare) this afternoon.

splish

Had a swallow near Kildavin, Co. Carlow on Saturday.

OpenYourEyes

A few Sand Martins in Roscommon today but I havn't seen any Swallows here yet.

Birdnuts

Visiting relations and got to see/hear a good few Chiffchaffs and few Swallows knockin about the Corbally branch of the Naas Canal today.

Bsal

Seen my first swallow of the year in Howth today.

whyulittle

Spotted my first Sand Martins of the year today, annoying a poor innocent Sparrowhawk!

OpenYourEyes

Plenty of Swallows in the general Carlow/Kilkenny/Kildare region the last few days - hoping for my first Roscommon one of 2015 soon!

Woodville56

The good weather of the past few days resulting in an influx of summer migrants ? The local woodland alive to the sound of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs these mornings. Blackcap heard also ( not found here overwintering) and a first , solitary Swallow showed up on Tuesday!

OldRio

Just before eight o clock this morning the distinct call of the cuckoo. Stopped me in my tracks. Listened again and it repeated its call. In Leitrim.
3 days earlier than last year.
Over the last number of years we get the cuckoo one day followed by the swallow the next. We shall see tomorrow.
Spring is sprung.:D

Zoo4m8

"Spring is sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where the birdies is?"

Anon (I think!).

DBB

I'm way up on the northeast coast of Antrim, have been here for 8 days and have just seen the first swallows and house martins Actually... I heard them before I saw them!

OpenYourEyes

Several other species that are either passing through Ireland or have overshot their breeding grounds have been reported this week too - several Hoopoes in Wexford and Cork, Osprey in Wicklow, Red Rumped Swallow, Wryneck etc.

House Martins are arriving too!

OldRio

First Swallow today. Saw it flying about the farm. The cuckoo is certainly making itself known.:pac:

fleabag

Just seen, and heard, two swallows flying over the house. We're in West Waterford and they were heading North. Can't tell you how happy this makes me

OpenYourEyes

Mod Note: Fleabag's thread merged with 2015 Spring Migrant Watch thread.

Deub

My first 2 swallows in 2015 in Cork this evening. Nice to see these beautiful birds !

vistafinder

Saw my first one this morning in West Cork aswell.

downwesht

3 Swallows Skibbereen today!

dessierb

Swallows in good supply in Mayo. Castlebar Glenisland this evening

whyulittle

2 Swallows here in Athlone today!

Half-cocked

1 Swallow over Sutton, Co Dublin today.

thyme

Four or five Swallows here for the last couple of weeks, they've started on the old nests already.

fryup

anyone hear the cuckoo yet?

Tiercel Dave

The nicest evening we've had here in East Galway in almost two weeks and the Cuckoo has announced himself!

Arequipa

Hi! I live in North Dublin & have noticed that a fair few Brent Geese are still feeding on the Bull Island mudflats..

Should they have started their flight north by now?

A

OpenYourEyes

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi! I live in North Dublin & have noticed that a fair few Brent Geese are still feeding on the Bull Island mudflats..

Should they have started their flight north by now?

A

Some leave earlier than others. I'm sure the first few left around a month ago, and the last few will be going over the next week or two I'd imagine.

There are still a few brent and a few greenland white-fronted geese on the slobs in Wexford too apparently, but its the same every year.

OldRio

fryup wrote: »

anyone hear the cuckoo yet?

9th of the month and nearly every day since. In Leitrim.

Arequipa

The Brent Geese are fab birds: I real sign of the arrival of Autumn & arrival of Spring!

On another note..I saw my first swallow flying over my Mum's garden in Sutton earlier today...great to see one again!

Arequipa

I have always wished I could travel off South with the swallows in the Autumn to warmer climes, only to return in Spring!

OpenYourEyes

A thin scattering of swallows along the old road between Roscommon and Galway today, with a few around the Corrib in Galway City itself - they're here, but still in low numbers!

Sandwich Terns calling and fishing in Galway Bay, and a White Wagtail moving through on passage too.

vistafinder

A few more flying around the sky here today.
Is there anything better than having your hands in the warm earth and hearing that sound of summer flying around the sky above your head.

Magic

Woodville56

First Cuckoos (2) of the season heard early this morning here in the north midlands ! It's dawn chorus time again ! Willow warblers & blackcaps warming up nicely too !