Our summer visitors 2023

DBB · 04-04-2023 11:58pm #1

I was surprised that this thread hadn't started for 2023 yet, when I came along to record my first swallow sighting of the year!

This afternoon... one single swallow soaring about! Northeast Offaly. I think the earliest recording here before this was April 11th?

Heard a chiffchaff a couple of weeks ago too, and several times since.

How's everyone else doing on the sightings front?😊

Birdnuts · 06-04-2023 12:36am

Got a Swallow last weekend while visiting the Battle of the Boyne site outside Drogheda. Sister in Kildare says the likes Chiffchaff, Blackcaps, Sand Martins etc, have arrived in force near Naas in the last 10 days

Bsal · 08-04-2023 5:22pm

Had a Chiffchaff in the garden last week and my first Swallow of the year today in North county Dublin.

x567 · 09-04-2023 8:57pm

Quite a few swallows in East Clare over the last couple of days (first one seen by me on the 7th, but I was away for much of the preceding week). Noticeably earlier than the last couple of years.

SnowyMuckish · 25-04-2023 7:12am

Spotted my first swallow yesterday NW Donegal

Seth Brundle · 02-05-2023 7:51am

Apparently the swifts have reached Ireland and so with that in mind, I put up our second swift box yesterday along with a sound system. For the last few years, they have looked at the first nest box yet still chose to nest in the eaves once the feckin starlings leave (they're there again this year but I'd say that the young will be gone in a week or so).

SnowyMuckish · 02-05-2023 10:24pm

How does the old rhyme go..The cuckoo comes in early May? Heard my first one today bang on queue!

Ben Done · 02-05-2023 11:30pm

Sorry for the bad pics folks, they're just stills from a video of my dog out for his first swim of the year yesterday, but can anyone id the bird on the edge of the per?

Was thinking a cormorant, but this is very inland lake (Monaghan)

Screenshot_2023-05-02-23-25-49-675_org.videolan.vlc.jpg

Screenshot_2023-05-02-23-21-30-823_org.videolan.vlc-edit.jpg

Bsal · 03-05-2023 12:38am

Think it's a Cormorant.

DBB · 03-05-2023 6:28am

I heard my first cuckoo of 2023 a little over a week ago, on April 25th! In woodlands around the bogs between Ballivor and Kinnegad.

iniscealtra · 03-05-2023 6:34am

Cuckoo is here a week now and the swallows a week before that. West of Ireland

Bsal · 12-05-2023 7:16pm

Saw a few swifts flying around the Swords area yesterday.

Birdnuts · 13-05-2023 1:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120588718#Comment_120588718

Saw big numbers on a visit to Tipp last week in towns like Thurles and Templemore

Seth Brundle · 15-05-2023 12:05pm

After getting our swift boxes setup (moved one and added a second beside the hole in the eaves that they traditionally nest in plus a call system), there has been very little evidence of swifts here (Leixlip). They usually arrive around May 5th. Ten days later and pretty much nothing.

x567 · 16-05-2023 8:35pm

No swifts seen by me in my area either so far - much later than recent years. I did however see a hummingbird hawk moth in my un-mown wildflower area earlier. Probably my lack of knowledge, but didn’t expect to see one here as I’ve only seen them around the Mediterranean before now. Are they resident or some form of summer visitor?

Seth Brundle · 17-05-2023 7:42am

Seemingly they migrate from southern Europe...

http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=6072

Seth Brundle · 18-05-2023 8:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120598973#Comment_120598973

Our swifts arrived yesterday evening (yaay) and appear to be in our eaves again. Hopefully others will take one or other of the two nest boxes. Their arrival here is about ten days late (usually arriving here around May 5th)