An apple a day....

Thanks to P.J Byrne for this lovely photo of a female blackbird in his garden.

Dundalk outing

Our outing to Dundalk Bay on Sunday February 14th- 'Valentine's Day' began with a bright sunny start which continued for the duration of our trip.

First stop was Dundalk Docks where a wide variety of Ducks and Waders where on display. These included Teal, Common Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. Across the motorway in the local park we viewed some less conspicuous types like Rough and Snipe.

As we continued on our journey we stopped at Navy bank and Blackrock were we watched Shellduck, Merganser and Brent geese take to the sea.

After a short 'Coffeee Break' we proceeded to the embankment along Lurgangreen where we saw some marvellous sights of Roosting Oystercatcher, Goldeneye, Pintail and large flocks of Waders and Geese as they broke the skyline.

The day turned out to be a cold one but lighting conditions were excellent for the accompanying photographers.

By the time we started homeward bound we had spent a most enjoyable day in Dundalk with some wonderful sights and a large variety of birds spotted.

Many thanks to all those who attended.

Report by Freddy McGavin.


photos from Dundalk
Clare took some amazing photos there.
Follow the link to see the great variety of birds they saw.

New nest boxes

Replacement of nest boxes in the forest.
After last year's inspection it was agreed to replace the nest boxes this year, as they had been up for some time.
After a period of time we had all boxes replaced, with the good news that all the boxes were used for nesting last year.
Finally I would like to thank Andrew Carlton for helping me both to make and put up the nest boxes.(P.J Byrne)

Dundalk bay outing

On Sunday 14th February, the Cavan branch will be visitng Dundalk bay.
It is a very popular spot and is one of the most important sites in Ireland for migratory coastal birds.
Bring warm clothing and a lunch.
Meeting at the docks at 10.30 a.m.
You can park at Lidl and cross the road to the docks from there.
Anyone wishing to carpool can meet at Bailieborough.

The first branch outing of the New Year will take place on Sunday 24th January. We will meet up at 10am at Drumlane Abbey car park, Milltown. At Miltown lake, we hope to see a selection of waterbirds including some whooper swans. We will also carry out  I-WeBS (Irish Wetland Bird Survey) counts on Milltown Lake and other lakes in the area.

It is recommended to wear warm waterproof clothing and appropriate footwear. Beginners and non-members are very welcome to attend all events!

For information on The Irish Wetland Bird Survey click here

To become a member of Birdwatch Ireland click here

Lough Sheelin's shores

Despite the snow and the rain and the cold, a brave few souls set off to explore the sites along the shores of Lough Sheelin.

The snow of the previous days had melted thankfully but the sky was grey so visibility was quite poor.

Michael has great local knowledge and had planned a route around the lake – from Crover to Mountnugent, stopping at Ross Castle and Sailors' Garden. We also visited Lough Kinale and Bracklagh. 
Though we started off slowly, with only a bird or two on view from the hotel grounds, this recorder soon found herself rapidly turning the corners of her book to remember our sightings! 
A goldcrest calmly flitted from branch to branch in front of us, allowing us to get a great close-up of this tiny bird. A flock of long-tailed tits took flight from trees near the water's edge.
Mute swans, wigeon, gadwall, teal, pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, cormorant, great crested grebe, little grebe, grey heron, an enormous group of coot (AKA a cover of coot!)  numbering around a thousand according to one estimate, and water rail all were on the water on the lakes.
In a field overlooking Lough Kinale we spotted some redwing and fieldfare along with starling and chaffinch.

Sadly, we weren't the only ones watching the birds; a hunter had set up decoys and a whirling device on the lake and as we watched some tufted ducks in flight coming to join the flock we heard the shots and saw them fall. 
Many thanks to Michael for leading the event, it's one definitely worth revisiting in spring. 
P.S if I'm missing any birds from our count please let me know!