Our Summer Visitors

Arequipa · 09-04-2021 8:44pm

This evening, I noticed 4- 5 large flocks of Brent Geese flying North, over the Sutton coast, Nth Dublin..

Would they be starting their migration up to Greenland / Baffin Island now?

Pretzill · 10-04-2021 8:45pm

Haven't seen any swallow's here yet - I thought I saw a couple flitting about a neighbours feild last week so I'm hopeful some will arrive soon. It doesn't feel like summer will come without them but mind you it's been freezing up here these passed few days.

Sligo
90m asl

Curiousness99 · 10-04-2021 10:27pm

Arequipa wrote: »

This evening, I noticed 4- 5 large flocks of Brent Geese flying North, over the Sutton coast, Nth Dublin..

Would they be starting their migration up to Greenland / Baffin Island now?

I noticed a good few just getting into proper v formations about a week ago, up really high in the sky but making enough of a racket for the dog to notice and bark at them

Curiousness99 · 10-04-2021 10:30pm

I haven’t seen any yet but my neighbor saw one solitary swallow yesterday; first one was 8 April last year

Up the Dublin hills, pretty cold and not many insects about I’d think

The feckin gritter has been out the last two nights!

bfa1509 · 10-04-2021 11:47pm

Was cycling my bike today when I suddenly heard one of the most ominous sounds I've ever heard. It was like sound effect from a futuristic film of some sort.

It sounded like a metallic object hitting another metallic object followed by a resonating hum, not unlike what a tuning fork sounds like when you clatter it off a desk.

I looked up to see where it was coming from and saw this unusual looking bird sitting on a branch. I don't know what it was but it stood up really straight, like it had perfect posture from it's back all the way up to the tip of it's head. I could only see it's silhouette so couldn't see any colours.

I did a search for various birds with an unusually straight posture and the closest I could find was a kingfisher:

Do these frequent Ireland's countryside much? Anyone have any idea from my description?

Edit:

On further inspection, it must have been a kingfisher! On this video at around 0:47-0:50 was very similar to what I heard (although maybe this sound just replaced the memory I had of it at the time). It was much louder/high pitched and for a longer duration when I heard it person

Tiercel Dave · 11-04-2021 12:00am

bfa1509 wrote: »

I looked up to see where it was coming from and saw this unusual looking bird sitting on a branch. I don't know what it was but it stood up really straight, like it had perfect posture from it's back all the way up to the tip of it's head. I could only see it's silhouette so couldn't see any colours.

How big was it, Kingfishers are quite small and would only frequent 'waterways'.....

bfa1509 · 11-04-2021 12:05am

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

How big was it, Kingfishers are quite small and would only frequent 'waterways'.....

About the size of a thrush or blackbird in length but no bigger. It wasn't a fat bird, it had uniform width. The posture of it was something I've never seen before, much straighter even than the kingfisher above.

Edit:

I've been doing more digging and it may not be a kingfisher but could be a bee-eater:

With a call similar to the first 10 seconds of this video:

Goldfinch8 · 11-04-2021 1:15pm

Just saw the first swallow of the year fly over the garden. I have eagerly anticipated their arrival each year since I was a child. Lovely to see them returning again.
Central Mayo.

New Home · 11-04-2021 6:19pm

It would definitely be much, much bigger than a kingfisher, but with the type of call you mentioned, a pheasant was the first thing that sprung to mind.

Rows Grower · 11-04-2021 6:57pm

Heard the cuckoo today a few times loud and clear, left it too late again this year to think about my boat rod, construction has started.

New Home · 11-04-2021 7:10pm

That's probably not a cuckoo's nest.

Rows Grower · 11-04-2021 7:20pm

New Home wrote: »

That's probably not a cuckoo's nest.

I know that, it's the House Martin's that visit every year.

I heard the Cuckoo a few times in the woods across the way while I was working outside the shed where that nest is.

Doctors room ghost · 11-04-2021 7:22pm

I think I saw a swift today probably a house Martin

Seth Brundle · 11-04-2021 7:42pm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

I think I saw a swift today probably a house Martin

Swifts are unlikely to be here for another 3 weeks or so

Doctors room ghost · 11-04-2021 7:53pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Swifts are unlikely to be here for another 3 weeks or so

Yeah I wasn’t sure.it was gone like a shot but it looked like a Martin the way it was flying

Tiercel Dave · 11-04-2021 8:32pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

Heard the cuckoo today a few times loud and clear.

Whereabouts are you Rows?.....

Rows Grower · 11-04-2021 9:02pm

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Whereabouts are you Rows?.....

I'm in the hills of south Kerry 5km from the sea.

vistafinder · 11-04-2021 9:22pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

Heard the cuckoo today a few times loud and clear, left it too late again this year to think about my boat rod, construction has started.

Heard him this evening too in West Cork. Was very close when he started singing. Was trying to figure out which tree he was singing from. Eventually saw him taking off from a big Aspen.

bfa1509 · 11-04-2021 11:16pm

New Home wrote: »

It would definitely be much, much bigger than a kingfisher, but with the type of call you mentioned, a pheasant was the first thing that sprung to mind.

I think you could be right. I just looked up a pheasant call and that was probably the closest to what I heard. There must have been a pheasant hiding in the bush beneath the other bird I saw. Thanks a lot!

Can anyone recommend a good reference book that you can look up different birds of ireland? I was looking them up yesterday but couldn't see any great ones - either too texty or too picturey. I would like something that would have a bird per page with some brief info, what the call sounds like and locations you can typically find them.

Curiousness99 · 12-04-2021 8:36am

bfa1509 wrote: »

I think you could be right. I just looked up a pheasant call and that was probably the closest to what I heard. There must have been a pheasant hiding in the bush beneath the other bird I saw. Thanks a lot!

Can anyone recommend a good reference book that you can look up different birds of ireland? I was looking them up yesterday but couldn't see any great ones - either too texty or too picturey. I would like something that would have a bird per page with some brief info, what the call sounds like and locations you can typically find them.

complete Irish wildlife by Derek Mooney is pretty good and does way more than birds, doesn’t do sound though

Curiousness99 · 12-04-2021 8:39am

saw my first swallow early yesterday morning above my neighbours sheds

I’m hearing out for the cuckoo now

Tiercel Dave · 12-04-2021 9:09am

bfa1509 wrote: »

I think you could be right. I just looked up a pheasant call and that was probably the closest to what I heard. There must have been a pheasant hiding in the bush beneath the other bird I saw. Thanks a lot!

Can anyone recommend a good reference book that you can look up different birds of ireland? I was looking them up yesterday but couldn't see any great ones - either too texty or too picturey. I would like something that would have a bird per page with some brief info, what the call sounds like and locations you can typically find them.

I'd think "The Complete Guide to Ireland's Birds", Eric Dempsey, is a good, easy to use quick reference guide. Seasonal maps for all the species mentioned and also includes the Irish name if its known

https://books.google.ie/books/about/The_Complete_Guide_to_Ireland_s_Birds.html?id=aI56k8xmMBYC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Rows Grower · 12-04-2021 9:53am

vistafinder wrote: »

Heard him this evening too in West Cork. Was very close when he started singing. Was trying to figure out which tree he was singing from. Eventually saw him taking off from a big Aspen.

As the cuckoo flies it's only a few miles from where I am in south Kerry to west Cork. I heard him about 3pm so hope it wasn't the same one as I get a great kick out of randomly hearing him when I'm gardening.

Kamili · 12-04-2021 10:45am

bfa1509 wrote: »

I think you could be right. I just looked up a pheasant call and that was probably the closest to what I heard. There must have been a pheasant hiding in the bush beneath the other bird I saw. Thanks a lot!

Can anyone recommend a good reference book that you can look up different birds of ireland? I was looking them up yesterday but couldn't see any great ones - either too texty or too picturey. I would like something that would have a bird per page with some brief info, what the call sounds like and locations you can typically find them.

There's a brilliant app called Bird up that can take recordings of birdsong and identify them as you are listening. I have it on Android. It also lists the birds and a sample of their songs too.

Also the rspb in the UK have a great site with sounds to help identify birds

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird/

Doctors room ghost · 12-04-2021 6:56pm

Mooney goes wild tonight on the wireless at 10.he did a good section last week on the cuckoo

bfa1509 · 12-04-2021 10:57pm

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

I'd think "The Complete Guide to Ireland's Birds", Eric Dempsey, is a good, easy to use quick reference guide. Seasonal maps for all the species mentioned and also includes the Irish name if its known

https://books.google.ie/books/about/The_Complete_Guide_to_Ireland_s_Birds.html?id=aI56k8xmMBYC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

I actually had a pocket version of this waiting in my amazon basket pending any suggestions here, thanks!

athlone573 · 12-04-2021 11:01pm

Birds of Ireland (pictures by Mark Carmody) is a good pocket guide

Xeno-canto.org has recordings of birdsong from all over the world.

https://birdwatchireland.ie/product/finding-birds-in-ireland-2nd-edition/ also by Eric Dempsey is worth a look if you're seeking specific birds.

Del.Monte · 13-04-2021 8:24am

God be with the days when you learnt to identify bird songs by hours spent in the field - or bush - until you got to see the offending species singing/calling. And I'm talking before I had my first pair of binos.

Meanwhile, down here in the Sunny South East (Enniscorthy) I saw my first Martins and heard my first Swallow yesterday. The Martins too far off to identify but I'm going down to the Slaney today and should see Sand Martins if they are back.

athlone573 · 13-04-2021 9:22am

Grouse, curlew, corncrake easier heard than seen!

Ye get a fair few odd birds there in Wexford with the weather and prevailing winds.

NIMAN · 15-04-2021 8:37pm

Strange thing happened re: a birds nest.

Few days ago at breakfast I watched a small bird fly into the chimney which comes out from my oil burner housing.

I thought, "cheeky wee bugger, probably in pinching insulation to make a nest".

I was out and about around the house that day and saw nothing more.

Fast forward to today, when one of the kids noticed a small nest was built just inside the chimney (It's a horizontal one coming out from the side).

It was in early stages of build, and obviously I had no choice but to remove it, can't be having a nest getting burnt with exhaust heat.

I have now covered it up, but considering heating is on and off daily, surprised they were even considering it as a viable spot.

dobman88 · 15-04-2021 11:12pm

Didnt particularly want to start a thread for this question but...

There is a hedgehog in the back garden. Built up area. First time we've had one in. Dogs found him when they took far too much interest around the gate. He is under the gate, not stuck, seems quite happy. Dogs are indoor dogs anyway so wont be out for the night.

Anything I should do? Or just leave him to it?

bfa1509 · 15-04-2021 11:53pm

I notice a lot of people mentioning swallows here. They are one of the few birds that I hate! (maybe second to magpies or a grumpy goose)

They invade everywhere and leave a big mess...

Seth Brundle · 16-04-2021 8:01am

dobman88 wrote: »

Didnt particularly want to start a thread for this question but...

There is a hedgehog in the back garden. Built up area. First time we've had one in. Dogs found him when they took far too much interest around the gate. He is under the gate, not stuck, seems quite happy. Dogs are indoor dogs anyway so wont be out for the night.

Anything I should do? Or just leave him to it?

Assuming he isn't injured then leave him to it. It's probably gone now anyhow but may be back. Could he be living in your garden?

Silent Running · 16-04-2021 8:11am

bfa1509 wrote: »

I notice a lot of people mentioning swallows here. They are one of the few birds that I hate! (maybe second to magpies or a grumpy goose)

They invade everywhere and leave a big mess...

I love swallows. I guard against the mess by putting tarps under where they nest and then give them a quick pressure wash off at the end of the season.

For me, the reward is the beautiful, graceful flight of this bird. The aerobatics are something else when chicks are flight training. I could watch them for hours. Nothing says Summer to me like a sky full of swallows

vistafinder · 16-04-2021 10:31am

Rows Grower wrote: »

As the cuckoo flies it's only a few miles from where I am in south Kerry to west Cork. I heard him about 3pm so hope it wasn't the same one as I get a great kick out of randomly hearing him when I'm gardening.

Ahh your safe enough. Im a good distance from the kerry border. There is a couple singing here every year. Love hearing them. What a sound

Yester · 16-04-2021 10:31am

I don't think we are going to have swallows this year. They did arrive about a week ago and found their nest in the shed as usual, but left again quiet quickly. While they were here they did pick a fight with the local crows and I think they may have bitten off more than they could handle. There is only a small gap of a couple of inches over the door of the shed where they have the nest and for the first time ever I saw a crow go in there. There was barely enough room for him but he managed to wiggle his way in.

Just now I saw a swallow pass over the garden and the crows were after him straight away. Hopefully they manage to sort this dispute out. I may need to find someone with experience in Bird Law.

Silent Running · 16-04-2021 11:07am

Yester wrote: »

I don't think we are going to have swallows this year. They did arrive about a week ago and found their nest in the shed as usual, but left again quiet quickly. While they were here they did pick a fight with the local crows and I think they may have bitten off more than they could handle. There is only a small gap of a couple of inches over the door of the shed where they have the nest and for the first time ever I saw a crow go in there. There was barely enough room for him but he managed to wiggle his way in.

Just now I saw a swallow pass over the garden and the crows were after him straight away. Hopefully they manage to sort this dispute out. I may need to find someone with experience in Bird Law.

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. They arrived and checked out their lodgings, then vanished for over a week, but now they're back and installed in their old spot.

They're well able to handle Crows, Just yesterday I saw them driving some kind of bird of prey from their patch, I wasn't close enough to identify it. They give the Magpies hell too.

They also give the local feral cats a hard time, swooping at them. The local tom cowers when they're having a go at him.

dobman88 · 16-04-2021 11:11am

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Assuming he isn't injured then leave him to it. It's probably gone now anyhow but may be back. Could he be living in your garden?

Yeah, he was gone when the missus went to check before going to bed last night. I suppose he could be living there. He would have access behind and to the side of the shed where the dogs can't get to and he looked fine where he was last night. Tucked under the gate but in a way he could hardly be seen and the dogs couldn't get at him.

Will keep an eye out for him, he seemed grand but since I've never seen one around before I was just wondering should I be doing anything like leaving food/water or whatever.

Seth Brundle · 16-04-2021 11:24am

dobman88 wrote: »

Yeah, he was gone when the missus went to check before going to bed last night. I suppose he could be living there. He would have access behind and to the side of the shed where the dogs can't get to and he looked fine where he was last night. Tucked under the gate but in a way he could hardly be seen and the dogs couldn't get at him.

Will keep an eye out for him, he seemed grand but since I've never seen one around before I was just wondering should I be doing anything like leaving food/water or whatever.

He probably has everything he needs. Possibly no harm in leaving out a shallow clean bowl of water.
One point though - absolutely no milk!

Silent Running · 16-04-2021 11:30am

Seth Brundle wrote: »

He probably has everything he needs. Possibly no harm in leaving out a shallow clean bowl of water.
One point though - absolutely no milk!

This, and don't put any pet food out for them that might contain fish.

The dogs won't be able to do any harm, unless the Hedgehog is injured. The only thing that can unroll them is a badger. The dogs won't think it's fun when they get spiked.

New Home · 16-04-2021 1:37pm

The dogs can still injure them if they bite them or hit them with their paws, I wouldn't risk it, even though the dogs would get hurt, too.

Tiercel Dave · 20-04-2021 7:15am

Cuckoo made it to East Galway yesterday, the 19th about noon....

Seth Brundle · 20-04-2021 8:12pm

Saw my first swallows of the year at Ferrans Lock on the Royal Canal (just west of Kilcock). Lovely to see them as they swooped down over the water.

Goldfinch8 · 21-04-2021 5:45pm

Just heard the cuckoo for the first time this year and it sounds even sweeter on such a lovely spring afternoon.
Central Mayo.

Birdnuts · 22-04-2021 12:54am

Goldfinch8 wrote: »

Just heard the cuckoo for the first time this year and it sounds even sweeter on such a lovely spring afternoon.
Central Mayo.

RU near Snugboro just outside Castlebar?? Some density of Cuckoos there most summers!!

Goldfinch8 · 22-04-2021 3:23pm

Birdnuts wrote: »

RU near Snugboro just outside Castlebar?? Some density of Cuckoos there most summers!!

I am out the Ballyvary direction Birdnuts so not too far away from Snugboro as the cuckoo flies!
I initially felt that there was a lot more cuckoos about than is the norm last April and May in our own locality. The more I thought about it however, it was probably due to the fact that I was at home during the first lockdown and consequently I could spend a lot more time out in the garden than usual. The good weather last spring also allowed for a lot more opportunities to do things outside and I certainly heard a lot of cuckoos. In fact I recall one particular bird regularly calling in a field across the road from my garden and I could hear it becoming more and more hoarse as the days went by until it's call was barely audible in the end. That was the first time that I had noticed something like that.
It is still good to hear though that they seem to be more than holding their own in places such as you have mentioned.

OldRio · 22-04-2021 4:21pm

Heard the Willow warbler in full song. The Cuckoo is very late this year. Very few Swallow at the moment.
Co. Leitrim

feartuath · 23-04-2021 4:35pm

Cuckoo has arrived.

OldRio · 23-04-2021 7:16pm

Just checked the horses and the call of the Cuckoo in the background. Delighted.
Leitrim.

Curiousness99 · 23-04-2021 11:39pm

All quiet up the dublins hills on the cuckoo front and the swallows are very sparse

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