Summering Whoopers

Birdnuts

Folks i'm currently doing a bit of birding for my Hols in the Turlough areas around Ballinrobe/Hollymount in SE Mayo. Today alone I have clocked several apparently summering Whoopers on a number of the larger Turloughs which carry some water all year round. Does anyone know is this behavior on the rise as I assume all these bird should be in Iceland by now??. Is anyone else seeing them on their patch?? Also got 2 pairs of Widgeon today which is nearly as unusual for the time of year too!!

Half-cocked

I know a Whooper expert, I'll check with him and get back to you on that. Sounds interesting.

Half-cocked

So, apparently Whoopers already breed here in Ireland on Lough Swilly in Donegal, and at Lough Beg, Co. Derry.


What sort of numbers are you seeing in Mayo?

OpenYourEyes

We do get the odd pair breeding, in the locations Half-cocked mentioned, but I think there may have also been the odd pair in the north-west in the past too. We also get the odd single bird remaining - likely birds that didn't feel capable of migration, possibly including some birds cared for in captivity for a while before being released.

The fact that you're seeing 'several' is interesting - are they paired up, on their own, or in small groups? Any sign of plumage to indicate they're first-year birds?

Birdnuts

Half-cocked wrote: »

So, apparently Whoopers already breed here in Ireland on Lough Swilly in Donegal, and at Lough Beg, Co. Derry.


What sort of numbers are you seeing in Mayo?

Saw half a dozen between 2 large turloughs. Actually bumped into the NPWS ranger who covers the district next door to this area in Ballinrobe today and he was suprised too!!

Birdnuts

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

We do get the odd pair breeding, in the locations Half-cocked mentioned, but I think there may have also been the odd pair in the north-west in the past too. We also get the odd single bird remaining - likely birds that didn't feel capable of migration, possibly including some birds cared for in captivity for a while before being released.

The fact that you're seeing 'several' is interesting - are they paired up, on their own, or in small groups? Any sign of plumage to indicate they're first-year birds?

There was a pair last year at Carrokeel Turlough but only a single this year at that site. On the other larger Turlough there was several birds scattered along the length of the site including a pair that was wandering well away from any standing water in a hay field,grass was long so was hard to confirm if they had young chicks following them around or not. The problem with this latter site is that it is vast(3km long), well vegetated in parts and a good bit back from viewing points on the road - so confirming whether birds are pairing up or are sitting on nests is difficult cos the entire site is in private hands. Its certainly something I'm going to keep an eye on and will try to get more "manpower" to cover the site better.

OpenYourEyes

Actually that reminds me, the Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel are trying to step up their game this year and have a bit of an online presence - it would be well worth letting them know about it!

http://irbbp.org/submitting-your-record/

Birdnuts

Ok folks theres definatly something going on with Whoopers this year - yesterday i was back in my place in Erris North Mayo and was driving past a small shallow freshwater lake near the coast that is always popular with wintering Whoopers. Spotted a single swan on it and decided to come back later with the binos just to be sure - I kid you not, another Whooper!! Thats both ends of the county (80 miles apart!!). I'm rather flummoxed by all this!!

PS - everyone who has wintering Whoopers on their patch should check out what swans are hanging about right now - you never know!!

Birdnuts

Just off the phone to a M8 living near Castlebar - a single Whooper seen on Islandeady Lough today which is near the town. Bird appeared to have a neck injury which might explain its failure to migrate in this case

stevensi

Saw a Whooper last Sunday at Tacumshin...