WATERFORD CITY: Another new breeding-season site for Reed Warbler... 

Off HELVICK HEAD: 3 Storm Petrels 5 miles south of Helvick, also 2 Swallows going east low over water seen from boat (FO'C). 

Off HELVICK HEAD: Storm Petrelp 2 miles off Helvick, also 6 Common Scoter & 6 Common Dolphins (FO'C).

Yesterday (29:7) off HELVICK HEAD: 

CASTLETOWN FEN:  Green Sandpiper (MC).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Adult Mediterranean Gull (").

RAM HEAD:  22 Common Scoter W, 20-30 Common Dolphins & a Risso's Dolphin (ADM).


Tuesday, July 26, 2016

CLONEA BAY: Adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 adult Common Terns & 2 Whimbrel at Ballinclamper (JF).


Sunday, July 24, 2016

ARDMORE:  Mediterranean Gull at beach (NJB).

TRAMORE:  2 Common Sandpipers on rocks between pier & beach (AJ).


Saturday, July 23, 2016

CLONEA BAY:  Adult Roseate Tern at Ballinclamper in morning (MC) & east end of Clonea beach, 14:30 (JF).

ARDMORE:  2 Mediterranean Gulls at beach (NJB).

RAM HEAD:  3 Fin Whales due south at 15:30 (").


Thursday, July 21, 2016

HELVICK HEAD:  2 Puffins at 11:30 (NJB).

CASTLETOWN FEN:  Green Sandpiper at the pool this evening (MC).

CLONEA BAY:  3 Arctic Terns & 2 Common Terns at Ballinclamper (FO'C).

DUNGARVAN:  Only up to 25 Swifts in town centre (").

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Female/immature hen Harrier (ADM).

Nr ARDMORE:  2 recently fledged Long-eared Owls calling & showing well in the early hours (J Proudfoot).


Monday, July 18, 2016

DUNGARVAN: 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls & 3 Common Sandpipers at Ballyneety Bridge, another Common Sandpiper opposite the Park Hotel (PV).

BUNMAHON:  Juvenile Mediterranean Gull in field immediately west of Bunmahon beach (MC).


Sunday, July 17, 2016

ARDMORE:  6 Mediterranean Gulls (adult & 5 2nd-calendar-yrs) at Curragh, also a summer-plumage Black-tailed Godwit there (ADM).

Off MINE HEAD: Sooty Shearwater 2.5 miles SW of Mine Head (FO'C).

KNOCKMEALDOWN MOUNTAINS:  Female Hen Harrier (").

Nr LISMORE: Crossbills in garden again at Carrignagour (").

DUNGARVAN:  17 Common Sandpipers together at Killongford (EAMacL); Kingfisher at old dump & a Common Sanspiper upriver (PV).


Saturday, July 16, 2016

Nr LISMORE:  3 Crossbills (juvenile & 2 males) in garden at Carrignagour (ADM).

CLONEA BAY:  Adult Mediterranean Gull, 4 adult Roseate terns, adult Common Tern & adult Arctic Tern with Sandwich terns (MC).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  6 Common Sandpipers at Lisselan (DS); Mediterranean Gull & 3 Common Sandpipers at Pickardstown (AJ).

BROWNSTOWN HEAD:  10 Storm Petrels mp3-lured overnight (AA, PMW); a dead Greater White-toothed Shrew found on land (PMW), first record for the site apparently though recorded previously arround Tramore Backstrand/

HELVICK HEAD: 6 Great Skuas, a light-phase Pomarine Skua & 10+ Puffins (2 flying carrying sandeels) (3-hr seawatch; FO'C, JAP).

DUNGARVAN TOWN: Yellow-legged Gull (").

CLONEA BAY: 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls & 5 Common Terns (MC snr).

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND:  Cuckoo on the seawall at Lisselan, adult Mediterranean Gull & another Cuckoo at Kilmacleague (DS).

CLONEA: Adult Roseate Tern & 2 adult Common Terns, 20:50 (JAP).

DUNMORE EAST:  4 Mediterranean Gulls (2 adults, 2nd-cal-yr & 3rd-cal-yr) & a Black Guillemot (MC).

ANNE VALLEY:   Yellowhammer along the Anne Valley walk (DS).

RAM HEAD:

Seawatch 16:45-18:15 (wind 6-7 SW, PMW):

'Blue' Fulmar ('D') 1W

Sooty Shearwater 1W

Manx Shearwater 325W

Puffin 7W.

HELVICK HEAD: Seawatch 12:00-13:30: 13.30: 1 dark/phase Arctic Skua, 6 Storm Petrels, 7 Puffins, 2 Common Terns, 1 Arctic Tern & lots of Manx Shearwaters, Gannets & large auks (JAP).

Saturday, July 09, 2016

HELVICK HEAD: 

Seawatch 10:15-15:15 (EAMacL, BS, JAP):

Puffin 46

Sooty Shearwater 8

small shearwater sp. 1 at 14:00

Storm Petrel 6

Bonxie 4

Arctic Skua 1

Common Tern 2

Otter 1  

DUNGARVAN: 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls at Barnawee, 3-4 Common Sandpipers & 2 Whimbrel at Killongford, Yellow-legged Gull at Dungarvan town (JAP, BS).

CLONEA BAY: Sub-adult Mediterranean Gull at Clonea, 2 Common Sandpipers at Ballyvoyle & 1 at Ballinclamper, 3 Great Northern Divers in bay ("). 

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Common Sandpiper at Pickardstown, Lapwing & 5 Greenshank at Lisselan (AJ).

HELVICK HEAD:  2 light-phase Arctic Skuas harassing Kittiwakes, 1 dark-phase Pomarine Skua, 18 Common Scoter (3+15), Black Guillemot carrying food, & large rafts of Manx Shearwaters feeding offshore (JAP).

DUNGARVAN:  Common Sandpiper & 2 Whimbrel at Killongford, Yellow-legged Gull on foreshore opposite pitch & putt course (").

DUNGARVAN:  OSPREY flew over near old glass factory on approach to town (ADM).

HELVICK HEAD: 60-80 Common Scoter W 92 big lines 30-40 each) & 18 E (6+12), a Minke Whale & lots of Manx Shearwaters (").

TRAMORE:  Reed Warbler singing at reedbed at north end of Tramore boating lake (AJ) - a new breeding season site for the species.

RAM HEAD:  GREAT SHEARWATER (quite close in), several thousand Manx Shearwaters (off Cape Island Co Cork), 12 Common Scoter W & 4 E, 2 Puffins & 20+ Fin Whales (ADM).


Monday, July 04, 2016

DUNGARVAN:  Male HOBBY flew over town at 21:25, heading west but chased by Black-headed Gulls then flew south (FO'C).

DUNGARVAN:  3 Common Sandpipers, Ballyneety; 1 Wigeon, Western Bay (BS, FO'C, RAW, JAP).

CLONEA BAY: 2 Common Sandpipers & a juvenile Dipper at Ballyvoyle; another Common Sandpiper at Ballinclamper; juvenile Wheatear at Clonea (").

ARDMORE: 2 2nd-calendar-year Mediterranean Gulls, Curragh strand (").

Nr WHITING BAY: 7 Tree Sparrows at Moord (").

BLACKWATER VALLEY: 3 Stock Doves & a juvenile Dipper at Clashmore; 2 Yellowhammers be Clashmore; eed Warbler at Raheen Quay, Clashmore Broads (").

GRAIGUEARUSH: Grasshopper Warbler reeling & 2 Redpoll (").

VARIOUS:  85 species for the day (").

TRAMORE BACKSTRAND: Stock Dove & 13 Shelducklings (10 + 3) at Lisselan, 157 Curlew on saltmarsh (AJ).