CARRIGAVRANTRY: 3 singing Blackcaps & a Stoat this eve (LR).

EAST WATERFORD:  Buzzard (MC).

KILL:  Stock Dove (").

SEAFIELD (nr Bunmahon):  Green Sandpiper (DW).

Bird-race species lists from 27 April: here (total 116 species by 3 teams, highest total 102)

HELVICK HEAD: 18 Choughs at the high car-park (JJC, LC).

MONAVULLAGH MOUNTAINS:  Red-legged Partridges (1 seen & several heard) at two locations (JJC, LC).

DUNGARVAN TOWN: 4 Swifts tonight (MC sr, FO'C).

Atlas request - Grasshopper Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper, Jay, Yellowhammer

And some under-reported, under-recorded or sparsely distributed passerines:

More maps

Atlas request - Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Snipe, Stock Dove

See maps below for a few more under-recorded or under-reported species for which any and all records would be appreciated this breeding season (April-July 2013), or (if they add to the maps below) from previous seasons - see previous message for the details needed.

Records of a range of other scarce(r) or sensitive species (Hen Harrier, Buzzard, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Red Grouse, Woodcock etc) will also be valuable of course, but these are normally reported more completely.

More maps

Waterford Bird Atlas - request for breeding season records of Sparrowhawk and other species

The map below shows the preliminary distribution of Sparrowhawks during the breeding seasons of the the years 2006-2012, by 2-km tetrad. This is based on Waterford Bird Atlas fieldwork and other available April-July records for those years. One final season (2013) will be used to 'mop up' or fill gaps in distribution before the final maps are prepared for planned publication in 2014.

If you can add any 'new' dots this season (or for a previous season 2006 onwards), or upgrade an existing dot from possible to probable (or probable to confirmed) breeding, please email details to atlas @ waterfordbirds.com. Any records submitted (or previously submitted) to the Waterford Birds website will also be used.

Or submit details to the online BirdTrack system - via computer or the free BirdTrack app - but make sure that you've specified that your BirdTrack records are made available to county bird recorders, which will ensure they contribute to the Waterford Atlas.

The minimum details needed are tetrad & locality e.g. S50A near Dunhill Castle (or finer grid reference if you prefer e.g. S5101 or S514013), month and year (preferably full date), and level of breeding evidence. See list of breeding evidence codes. 

Maps of other species can be found here (not all updated yet), and further messages will be posted highlighting other target species for which help is particularly needed this final season.

Note on tetrads & grid references:
An explanation of tetrads is given here (on the national Atlas 2007-11 website, for which fieldwork is now completed). Tetrads or finer grid references can be obtained by clicking on the map of Ireland at http://www.gridreference.ie/, or read from Ordnance Survey Discovery maps (# 74, 75, 76, 82 & 85 cover Co Waterford). For smartphone users, grid references (up to 10-figure e.g. S5142501345) can be obtained using the (free) BirdTrack app, or using a number of inexpensive GPS apps including Irish Grid Ref Compass, Irish Grid Ref Worker and OS Grid to GPS Coordinate Converter.

HELVICK HEAD:  Whitethroat (JAP).

WHITING BAY:  c90 Whimbrel (MF).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 3 Long-tailed Duck just E of spits at 18:15, 75 Whimbrel (PMW).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Tree Sparrows, Wheatear, male Blackcap, Whitethroat, 15 Willow Warblers & 2 Chiffchaffs on land; Great Skua E, 22 Whimbrel W, 2 Red-throated Divers W (1 E, 1 on sea), Great Northern Diver on sea & 70 Manx Shearwaters W (10 E, 70 feeding) (seawatch 1120-1250, wind 3-4 SW); Dark Sword-grass moth trapped overnight (PMW).

KNOCKBOY (Waterford city): Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler (3) & Grasshopper Warbler all in song along River Suir this morning (PA).

BALLYSCANLAN: Crossbills (PV, DCr, JBo); Water Rail squealing, Sedge Warbler singing & Mute Swan in nest at Ballyscanlan Lake (AA, JF, AJ, PMW).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: 2 (feral?) Greylag Geese at Lisselan, Whitethroat singing at Pickardstown, Sedge Warbler singing at Saleen, Stock Dove displaying nr Corballymore Wood ( AA, JF, AJ, PMW).

FENOR BOG: 2 Sedge Warblers singing (").

DUNMORE EAST: 1st-winter Mediterranean Gull (").

WOODSTOWN BOG: 2 Water Rails squealing & 2-3 occupied Grey Heron nests (").

KILL: Grasshopper Warbler & Sedge Warbler singing at waste treatment works (").

BALLINLOUGH: Cuckoo calling & Sedge Warbler singing (").

BALLYVOYLE: Dipper carrying food to chicks in nest (").

CLONEA STRAND: 85 Whimbrel, 135 Bar-tailed Godwits & a Great Northern Diver (").

DUNGARVAN: 40+ Whimbrel, Barnawee / Cunnigar ("), Spotted Redshank off pitch & putt course (JAP, FO'C, BS, RAW).

KNOCKADERRY RESERVOIR:  Shoveler & singing Sedge Warbler (JAP, FO'C, BS, RAW).

BALLYSHUNNOCK RESERVOIR:  Great Crested Grebe (").

CLASHMORE BROADS:  Reed Warbler (first of year).

DUNGARVAN: Common Sandpiper nr Killongford pool (MC sr).

LISMORE: Swifts finally arrived (ADM).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: 2 Tree Sparrows, 5 Wheatears, 2 Common Terns W, 6 Red-throated Divers E (2 W, 3 on sea), 1 Great Northern Diver E, 34 Whimbrel W (AA, JF, AJ, PMW).

TRAMORE: 11 Common Scoter in bay, 225 Whimbrel & 3 Long-tailed Ducks in Backstrand ("), 6 Gadwall at boating lake (PV et al.).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: fall of 23+ Wheatears this evening (apparently during hail shower c20:05); also a Tree Sparrow, singing Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warblers, & 14 Whimbrel W (PMW.

DUNGARVAN:  5 Long-tailed Duck off pitch & putt course (FO'C).

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Cuckoo calling at Coolnacreena / Coolagortboy (per JAP).

BALLINLOUGH: Grasshopper Warbler & Cuckoo (DW).

CLONEA STRAND: 4 White Wagtails & 27 Whimbrel at Ballinclamper, 1705-1735 (PMW).

Nr TALLOW: yesterday (25/4) - Short-eared Owl found with a broken wing, now in care (MM).

Nr WATERFORD CITY: Swift over IDA Park on Cork Road (DS).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD: Cold & fairly quiet this morning - 2-3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, pair of Blackcaps & a Whitethroat.

IDA PARK (nr Waterford city):  2 singing male Blackcaps & a nesting pair of Chiffchaffs (DS).

HELVICK:  2nd-winter Glaucous Gull (TK) - up to 3 present in last week according to local fishermen.

BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  Merlin, Whitethroat, 5 Wheatears, 5 Chiffchaffs & a Willow Warbler (MC).