IRISH BIRD NEWS - July 2004

Gull-billed Tern - North Slob NR, Wexford. © John Murphy

Pectoral Sandpiper - Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. © Colum Flynn

Mediterranean Gull - Juvenile, Bull Island NNR, Co. Dublin, Co. Wexford. © Eugene Archer

THU 1 JUL - The dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford) has been identified as a Short-billed Dowitcher, the 3rd Irish record. A female Smew was at Cloheen Marsh, Clonakilty (Cork), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull still at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

FRI 2 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher still present at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

SAT 3 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway), female Smew at Cloheen Marsh and Spoonbill at White's Marsh, Clonakilty (Cork).

SUN 4 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher still at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford) 3 Ospreys were seen today with singles still at Lough Beg (Derry) and Lurgangreen (Louth) and another was at Salthill (Galway), 2 Storm Petrels were noted off Ballagan Point (Louth) and the American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull continue to be seen at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

MON 5 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway) and a Green Sandpiper was at Rogerstown (Dublin).

TUE 6 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway), 2 Green Sandpipers were at Rogerstown (Dublin) female Smew at Clonakilty and a Spotted Redshank was at Lough Beg (Cork).

WED 7 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher still at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford) where a Spotted Redshank and a Ruff were also seen, Marsh Harrier, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper and 3 Little Gulls at Tacumshin (Wexford), Little Gull off Cape Clear (Cork), and 9 Mediterranean Gulls were at Sandymount (Dublin).

THU 8 JUL - The Short-billed Dowitcher continues to be seen at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), a Great Shearwater was seen off Helvick Head (Waterford), American Herring Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

FRI 9 JUL - A Bee-eater was found today at Termon Hill on the Mullet Peninsula (Mayo), Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford) and a Temminck's Stint was at the Quoile Pondage (Down).

SAT 10 JUL - A 2nd cal.-year Laughing Gull was discovered at Lough Beg (Cork), female Montagu's Harrier at Tacumshin and Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Kilcoole (Wicklow), 15 Green Sandpipers were at the Mallow Sugar Factory Lagoons and Smew at Clonakilty (Cork), 3 Scaup were at Dernesh Lake (Donegal).

SUN 11 JUL - A Gull-billed Tern was seen at the North Slob and the Short-billed Dowitcher was still at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), 2nd cal.-year Laughing Gull seen again at Lough Beg (Cork), the Greater Yellowlegs was reported again from the Quoile Pondage (Down), a Quail was heard near Ballinahinch (Antrim), American Herring Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

MON 12 JUL - Gull-billed Tern at the North Slob and female Montagu's Harrier at Tacumshin (Wexford), 10 Green Sandpipers were at Mallow Sugar Factory Lagoons (Cork) and the American Herring Gull was still at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

TUE 13 JUL - Gull-billed Tern at the North Slob and Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), a Quail was heard at Coursetown (Kildare).

WED 14 JUL - Gull-billed Tern at the North Slob, Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake and 2 Marsh Harriers at Tacumshin (Wexford), a Pectoral Sandpiper was found at Nell's Pond, Glounthaun (Cork), 11 Mediterranean Gulls were at Sandymount (Dublin).

THU 15 JUL - American Herring Gull plus single Glaucous and Iceland Gull were at Nimmo's Pier (Galway), 2 Yellow-legged and 7 Mediterranean Gulls were at Gormanston (Meath), Little Egret at Lurgangreen (Louth).

FRI 16 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), 2 Marsh Harriers, a Jack Snipe and a Garganey were at Tacumshin (Wexford).

SAT 17 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher and 10 Little Egrets at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), an Osprey was seen at Threecastles near Blessington (Wicklow), a Quail was heard at Robert's Cove (Cork), 9 Mediterranean Gulls were at Cobh, Spoonbill at Clonakilty and Ring-billed Gull at Lough Beg (Cork), a Yellow-legged Gull was at Seabank (Louth), Reed Warbler at Pollardstown Fen (Kildare)and a Laughing Dove, of unknown origin, was reported from a garden in Ballymena (Antrim) and has apparently been there since mid-May.

SUN 18 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), 2 Marsh Harriers, a Yellow Wagtail and a Garganey were at Tacumshin and a Wood Sandpiper was at Bannow Bay (Wexford), Yellow Wagtail also at Kilcoole (Wicklow) and 15 Little Egrets, a Whooper Swan and a Green Sandpiper at Broad Lough (Wicklow), American Herring Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway)

MON 19 JUL - Pectoral Sandpiper found at the Cunnigar in Dungarvan Bay (Waterford), single Great, Balearic and Sooty Shearwaters past Galley Head (Cork), American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway),

TUE 20 JUL - The 2nd cal-year Laughing Gull was reported again from the estuary near Lough Beg (Cork), 3 Great, 1 Cory's and 1 Sooty Shearwater past Mizen Head, 4 Great, 2 Balearic and 1 Sooty Shearwater plus 3 Great Skuas past Cape Clear (Cork), a Turtle Dove was seen at Farranfore (Kerry).

WED 21 JUL - A Fea's Petrel was reported past Galley Head (Cork) while a Wilson's Petrel and a Cory's Shearwater were noted off the Bridges of Ross (Clare) a Cory's was also seen from Cape Clear (Cork), Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake (Wexford), a minimum of 7 Green Sandpipers were at Mallow SFL (Cork) and the American Herring Gull and Glaucous Gull were still at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

THU 22 JUL - An Osprey was seen at Pontoon on Lough Conn (Mayo), 1 Great Shearwater was noted off Cape Clear, 1 Balearic and 1 Sooty Shearwater plus 40 Common Scoter were off Galley Head (Cork), 3 Sootys at the Bridges of Ross (Clare), Spoonbill at Clonakilty (Cork).

FRI 23 JUL - The Osprey was seen again on Lough Conn near Pontoon (Mayo), Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake and 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Little Gulls were at Tacumshin (Wexford).

SAT 24 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher at Lady's Island Lake, Garganey and Marsh Harrier at Tacumshin (Wexford), American Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway).

SUN 25 JUL - An adult Great Knot was seen briefly at the Swords Estuary (Dublin), an adult Baird's Sandpiper was found at Tacumshin (Wexford) while the Short-billed Dowitcher was still at nearby Lady's Island Lake, 28 Llittle Egrets were at Broad Lough (Wicklow), an adult Sabine's Gull was reported from Ramore Head (Antrim), 2 Cory's Shearwaters were noted past Galley Head (Cork) and 20 Sooty Shearwaters, 6 Pomarine Skuas and 1 Leach's Petrel were the highlights at Kilcummin Head (Mayo) during seawatching on Saturday pm and Sunday am.

MON 26 JUL - American Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull and imm. Yellow-legged Gull at Nimmo's Pier (Galway), 2 Wood Sandpipers were at Kilcoole (Wicklow).

TUE 27 JUL - 2 Wood Sandpipers and 4 Curlew Sandpipers were at Kilcoole (Wicklow), Osprey at Lough Cullin (Mayo), 1S Ring-billed Gull at the Bull Island NNR (Dublin).

WED 28 JUL - 2 Wood Sandpipers were at Kilcoole and 30 Little Egrets and 2 Curlew Sandpiper were at Broad Lough (Wicklow), a Little Stint was at Templetown beach (Louth), a Pomarine Skua was seen off the Old Head of Kinsale (Cork) while a Spotted Redshank was at nearby Kinsale Marsh, 2 Sooty Shearwaters and 50 Common Scoter were noted off Galley Head (Cork).

THU 29 JUL - A Great White Egret was seen today at the North Slob (Wexford) along with 15 Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper, 8 Little Egrets were also seen at Booterstown Marsh (Dublin), the Spoonbill was at Cloheen Marsh, Clonakilty and a Cory's Shearwater was the best off Cape Clear (Cork).

FRI 30 JUL - 1 Great and 3 Sooty Shearwaters were noted on a pelagic 7 miles south of Galley Head (Cork) along with 3 Fin and a Minke Whale, single Ring-billed, Glaucous, Yellow-legged and American Herring Gulls were at Nimmo’s Pier (Galway).

SAT 31 JUL - Short-billed Dowitcher, Wood Sandpiper and 6 Little Egrets were at Lady’s Island Lake, a Yellow Wagtail and 2 Little Gulls were at Tacumshin and 23 Little Egrets were at the North Slob (Wexford), 39 Little Egrets were at Broad Lough and a Wood Sandpiper was seen at Kilcoole (Wicklow) and at least 40 Roseate Terns were roosting on Maiden Rock off Dalkey (Dublin).

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