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Zoo4m8 · 17-05-2017 07:51AM

Heard one on the Burren over a couple days last week and one here at home (north Wicklow) the other day, first time for many years..

cameramonkey · 17-05-2017 03:43PM

Saw one yesterday at Kilbride camp in North Wicklow.

OpenYourEyes · 17-05-2017 04:03PM

Have been doing some survey work on bogs last week and heard at least one cuckoo on every one of them!

Capercaillie · 17-05-2017 04:06PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Have been doing some survey work on bogs last week and heard at least one cuckoo on every one of them!

many breeding curlew?

OpenYourEyes · 17-05-2017 04:08PM

Capercaillie wrote: »

many breeding curlew?

In short, no! Though surveying this season didn't start as early as we'd all have liked. Likely that many nests lost already.

Capercaillie · 17-05-2017 04:10PM

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

In short, no! Though surveying this season didn't start as early as we'd all have liked. Likely that many nests lost already.

Terrible. I know of pair on nest in Kildare. Otherwise nothing.

vistafinder · 23-05-2017 09:48PM

I came across a hummingbird hawk moth yesterday evening. What an amazing creature.

Just incredible to see and hear.

Hotei · 24-05-2017 12:48AM

vistafinder wrote: »

I came across a hummingbird hawk moth yesterday evening. What an amazing creature.

Just incredible to see and hear.

I saw one last evening too. Fantastic creatures! I managed to get a shot, but the light was fading fast, so it's not the best to be honest. It was foraging on Bush Vetch. They've visited my garden several times over the years, and seem to love my Red Valerian.

vistafinder · 25-05-2017 09:43AM

Hotei wrote: »

I saw one last evening too. Fantastic creatures! I managed to get a shot, but the light was fading fast, so it's not the best to be honest. It was foraging on Bush Vetch. They've visited my garden several times over the years, and seem to love my Red Valerian.

Nice.
Id imagine they are hard to get a photo of. I had no camera but have gone back to check a few times since.

Red Valerian it is then.

Hotei · 25-05-2017 06:26PM

vistafinder wrote: »

Hotei wrote: »

Nice.
Id imagine they are hard to get a photo of. I had no camera but have gone back to check a few times since.

Red Valerian it is then.

Thanks vistafinder.
If the light is good, and you have your camera set to sports mode, you can get decent enough shots. Of course, where and when the subject turns up is another thing!

Bsal · 28-05-2017 10:20PM

Springwatch starts tomorrow Monday 8pm BBC2.

whyulittle · 04-06-2017 07:32PM

Two flybys past the house by a Kestrel today; even one was unexpected!

wexandproud · 11-06-2017 05:36PM

heard a discussion on the local radio station about the wildlife in the grounds of johnstown castle [ just outside wexford ] .They have recently got photos [ night vision cameras i pressume] of a 'pine martin', it said that all mammals that can be found in ireland have now bee seen on the estate , i dont know over what period of time

ED E · 16-06-2017 11:05PM

[Sorry if this is a thick question]

Any fawns in the Phoenix Park? Noticed some pics in my FB feed from abroad with some that cant be a month old and google tells me now is the season?

Might be a good opportunity with some long glass next week if so.

Zoo4m8 · 22-06-2017 07:12PM

Saw four Red Kites while on the M11 on Tuesday, one at Ashford, two at Redcross and one at Arklow...got me idly thinking why have they not spread northwards? I have seen one at Delgany some time ago and one here at the home farm near Greystones during the initial release period.
The countryside west of the M11 would seem ideal .. Do Kites and Buzzards share territory? The latter have become well established here over many years and is the only reason I can think of that might curtail the Kites expansion in this direction.

bernard0368 · 23-06-2017 11:50AM

Hi Zoom4m8, I have seen one regularly at Windgates just outside of Bray.

Billy Mays · 23-06-2017 03:50PM

Is there any record of Red Kites being spotted in the Phoenix park?

I think I might have see one near St Mary's Hospital last Sunday. I regularly see buzzards in the park and initially thought that's what it was but this bird had more of a forked tail than the fan tail of a buzzard and didn't seem as big.

I know kites are found in Wicklow and north county Dublin but would it be possible that one would be spotted so close to Dublin city?

Billy Mays · 23-06-2017 03:52PM

ED E wrote: »

[Sorry if this is a thick question]

Any fawns in the Phoenix Park? Noticed some pics in my FB feed from abroad with some that cant be a month old and google tells me now is the season?

Might be a good opportunity with some long glass next week if so.

Saw a doe with a fawn in the park near Chapelizod gate last Sunday

Zoo4m8 · 23-06-2017 07:26PM

bernard0368 wrote: »

Hi Zoom4m8, I have seen one regularly at Windgates just outside of Bray.

I'm not far from Windgates and would use the road from time to time, same goes for the Killruddery estate but all I see are Buzzards, maybe a visit to Specsavers is called for!

recedite · 23-06-2017 08:20PM

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

the only reason I can think of that might curtail the Kites expansion in this direction.

I was thinking the same thing myself, but I don't know if anyone has done any research on it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 23-06-2017 09:10PM

recedite wrote: »

I was thinking the same thing myself, but I don't know if anyone has done any research on it.

Experience in the UK has shown buzzards and red kites will often share their territories and they usually don't have a problem with each other at feeding stations.

It's still very early days and less than 10 years since the first successful breeding in Ireland following the reintroduction project.

Zoo4m8 · 24-06-2017 07:12AM

There does appear to be overlap in the uk though I'd consider the feeding stations an artificial environment and not necessarily a true indication of tolerance.
Ten years is certainly early days but the expansion from their 'hq' in Avoca has been rapid and to me at least appears to have stopped roughly around Ashford in the north.
Because they have been so successful I would have thought that at this stage there would be pressure on available breeding territories.

recedite · 24-06-2017 08:49AM

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

I'd consider the feeding stations an artificial environment .

You might be onto something there. Aren't they still being fed at Avoca? Perhaps the kites are not comfortable with flying any further from the feeding station? A sort of "range anxiety" like electric car owners apparently suffer from.

OpenYourEyes · 24-06-2017 10:10PM

recedite wrote: »

You might be onto something there. Aren't they still being fed at Avoca? Perhaps the kites are not comfortable with flying any further from the feeding station? A sort of "range anxiety" like electric car owners apparently suffer from.

I don't think they've been fed for years? To the best of my knowledge the feeding was only done around the time of releases to ensure the birds had a good start.

From what I've heard before Red Kites are slow at expanding their range. Look at the Woodpeckers for comparison - they started off in Wicklow in the very recent past too and are now breeding in several counties, with sightings in plenty more counties too!

Zoo4m8 · 24-06-2017 10:41PM

Good point..maybe the Kites are slow to expand and as very social birds are probably not very territorial , anyway I've asked a couple questions in the Red Kite section of the Eagle site so I'll see what they have to say..
Open to correction but I don't think they are feeding now right enough..
Re Woodpeckers, I've had a bird here in the garden a couple of days ago that I'm convinced was a Woodpecker , he flew over head near me but with the sun in my eyes it was difficult to make out the markings, I resorted to keeping the bins beside me at mealtimes as with the hot weather we would have the sliding doors open in the kitchen.. Every time I heard him I would rush out to have a look but the little bugger made sure he was well out of sight in the middle of a large conifer.
He apoears to have gone now, maybe just as well, I think the other was half was considering having me committed ...:rolleyes:

recedite · 25-06-2017 06:52PM

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

I've had a bird here in the garden a couple of days ago that I'm convinced was a Woodpecker

I got a great view of one in the garden last winter. he was scooting up the trunk of a tree like a treecreeper, then when he got to the top he would glide down to the base of the next one. That's in Delgany, not too far away from you. Never saw him again though; they don't seem to hang around in one place for long.

Zoo4m8 · 26-06-2017 07:20AM

Good to hear they have been seen in this neck of the woods..( 'cuse the pun..)

Rosahane · 28-06-2017 04:28PM

My wife may have spotted a kite last week between Kill and Ardclough. We were driving along and she was watching what she initially thought was a Buzzard until when we were passing almost underneath it she saw the V tail.

Keplar240B · 14-07-2017 03:11PM

Collite eucalyptus plantation about two years old, like walking thru some alien planet or something, really fast growing, I posted on here about them when they where planted about two years. The leaves are untouched by wildlife,
strange pale red and greens , and they look sick but they not just the way the leaves and branches hang

Anyone know how long the harvest cycle is or how big they get?
Some of the tallest ones there are nearly 20 feet I guess.

[IMG][/img]

[IMG][/img]

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-07-2017 03:52PM

They look like eucalyptus should look. Normally they are thinned at 5 or 6 years old and then finally at 15 years old. The height depends on the variety planted. They are a valuable source for bees and other pollinating insects.

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