Greenshank

All birders have their very own go to places for certain species, those places where you need a tick for a list and you just know you'll get what you're looking for.  In Meath I head to Fairyhouse for Yellowhammer, Baltrasna for Barn Owl and the Broadmeadow River in Ashbourne for Green Sandpiper.  Admittidley these spots don't always produce results, I mean you cant expect to see a Barn Owl every time you walk the lanes of Baltrasna, but I can be sure I'll get a far better hit rate than just about anywhere else in the county.

One other such place is on North Bull Island, one of the best birding spots on the East coast and a place I've written about in previous posts.  To the North of the causeway near the outflow is an area frequented by Herons, Little Egrets and Gulls, Teal are also common here as well as the massed ranks of common waders.  It's also a great spot to catch Greenshank on the low tide, this most elegant of waders is unmistakable as it probes the mud and scurries around never seeming to sit still for too long.

Although the Greenshank is a common Autumn/Winter visitor to Ireland it's still quite scarce at most coastal sites with most records for individual birds or pairs.  I was back out on the Bull on Saturday and just scoping across the mudflats when a flash of white lit up my lens, a lone Greenshank right where I could have predicted, North of the causeway, on the mudflats near the outflow.  I spent a couple of hours on location, covering the Island from the wooden bridge right down to Sutton and this was the only Greenshank on show all day!

Common Crane

There had been sightings of a Common Crane last week over at Rogerstown Estuary and as far North as Drogheda, it was presumed to be the same bird as it was never in the two places at once.  The crane is a scarce visitor to Ireland with most records in the Autumn or Winter months.  The birds that do make it here are thought to be from the Northern and Central European populations.

I was due a trip over to Rogerstown, so with the Crane in mind I headed over Sunday morning.  I took up position in the South Hide where GF was on warden duty for the day and waited.  It wasn't too long of a wait to be honest, less than an hour and out on the main channel, almost in front of the North hide the Crane appeared literally out of nowhere.

It was most likely roosting in one of the smaller side channels that feed into the main one, because it most certainly didn't come in to land, I mean who could miss something that big!  Instead it just seemed to stroll out into view and just stood there, never moving more than a couple of feet.  I took some record shots, but the quality is poor as the bird was easily half a kilometer away from me the whole time.  I waited about another hour in the hope it would move closer to the South hide, it didn't so I took myself off to the Bull and set up for the impending high tide.

Changing seasons

Today was a windy, showery day throughout Ireland, the first such day for quite some time, and the first day with that real Autumnal feel to it.  The temperature has dropped a few degrees over the last couple of weeks and the trees are beginning to shed their leaves.

 

The Starlings have begun the transition from their glossy blue/green summer plumage to their equally striking winter coats complete with white spots.  These photos were all taken in the last few days.

 

 

Song Thrush

As late in the year as it is there's still a bit around to see and hear before the Autumn influx of migrants arrives.  I was out local this morning and came across this little beauty belting out its song like we were back in April and not heading for mid September.

The unmistakable sound of one of our best song birds filled the air and it didn't take long to locate the source.  Sitting proud on the upper branches of a dead tree belting out its song like it was Springtime all over again was this beautiful Song thrush.

Common Sandpiper

Each summer Broadmeadow Estuary at Swords plays host to small numbers of Common Sandpipers.  I counted up to a dozen on a recent trip, but unfortunately they remained in and around the grassy areas in the middle of the estuary making viewing with the scope the only option.

They have been known to over Winter in Ireland on occasion, however the visitors we get at Broadmeadow tend to be of the Spring and Summer variety. 

Grey Wagtail

A few days ago I was out for a non birding walk (there's no such thing I hear you say!) with my daughter, we were on an insect hunt, she had a great big list from her insect finders starter kit and she was determined to tick off as many as possible.  Our walk took us along the Broadmeadow river which dissects Ashbourne North/South before eventually finding the Irish sea at Broadmeadow Estuary in Swords about 15 kilometres away.

There's a small footbridge near the entrance to the golf club from where we were attempting to identify all sorts of creepy crawlies (her words).  I couldn't help but notice a family of Grey Wagtails, 2 adults and 4 juveniles as they moved along the river, back and forth under the bridge.  This is the go to spot in Ashbourne if it's Wagtails and Kingfishers you're after, usually if you hang around for  a short while both can be had, however the Kingfishers give far briefer views than the Wagtails as they zip low and fast up and down the river.

I was back on the bridge this morning, this time alone and with bins and camera in tow.  I hung around for about 10 minutes before moving further up river, but I shared that 10 minutes with a single juvenile Grey Wagtail, no sign of the parents or siblings.

Dusk Chorus

Summertime has never really been my favourite time of the year to bird.  I really enjoy the cold autumnal and winter mornings were parka jacket , hat and gloves are the order of the day and the landscape a pallet of browns and greys.  For me summertime birding always leaves me feeling like I've left the house without some really important kit.... bins; check, scope; check, camera; check, winter coat, hat,gloves and flask of coffee, no wait a minute, it's the middle of June I wont be needing those today!

No seriously summertime is a great time to bird, we get our terns, we get cuckoo's, we get all our warblers, swallows and martins return, we get the brilliant spotted flycatcher back, if your lucky you'll catch a hobby or two, in summertime the list of visitors is long and diverse.  The days are so long you can actually work and bird in the same day, something that's almost impossible in the short winter days.  But all these things are not the best thing about summertime, the best thing about summertime is the noise.

Go for a walk in the middle of December and the only sound that greets you is the sound of your own footsteps.  Go for a walk in the summertime and it's a completely different experience.  The constant calling of the young, the territorial singing of the adults, the countryside quite literally explodes with noise as the avian population comes to life, hunts, feeds, mates, defends and dies all to the tune of natures chorus in the daily struggle between life and death.

As I've busied myself around the garden over the last few weeks I've been treated to the dusk chorus from the birds who call the trees and hedgerows around the house their home.  I took a walk a few nights ago and took some shots, there were plenty of other birds calling but these were the ones who made themselves available to the lens.

Meadow Pipit

Linnet



Chaffinch

Wren

Blackbird

Yellowhammer

Common Whitetroath

Of all the Summer visitors to these shores there are those that I look forward to seeing and hearing more than others.  The Whitethroat is a common widespread Summer visitor and a bird I look forward to seeing every year.

It really is a sight to behold as it flies high into the air singing its little heart out and then dropping to the nearest bush from where it continues to sing.  It just repeats this ritual literally all day during the early days of summer, up and down all the while filling the air with its calls.

male Common Whitethroat

Calling from on high

A very windswept Whitethroat

I've come across a few singing males this Summer in and around Ashbourne, but until last Sunday I didn't have my camera with me to record them.  The two males pictured here were both displaying on the same patch of scrub just off the Baltrasna to Kilbride road.  They were both there three days running (I haven't been back since) and on the third day I spent some time just sitting there watching them compete with each other as they both laid claim to the patch.

Stonechat

A couple of hours to kill over the weekend and I decided to keep it local and headed up towards Ashbourne Rugby Club.  There's an old abandoned building site that would have been a housing estate by now if the economy hadn't collapsed, but over the years nature has begun to reclaim the site and it now has its own small reed bed, and stubble field to go along with the existing stream and mature trees.

On this latest visit I had Whitethroat, Linnet, Redpoll, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Lapwing, and Stonechat, along with all the other usual suspects from the tit, finch and warbler families.

 There were a couple of very obliging male Stonechats at either end of the patch, each as bold as the other.  The Stonechat is a common bird in Ireland, it can be found on most outings, however its abundance shouldn't detract from its appearance, it really is a little cracker.

 

 

Reed Bunting

The Reed Bunting is a common resident species which can be found on wetlands and bogs across Ireland.  The male is a very distinctive bird with its black and white head features sitting on a portly brownish grey body.  As with most birds the female of the species is rather more dull and hence more difficult to spot.

Male Reed Bunting in a typical pose

The contrast in colours between head and body are clearly shown in this shot

You can usually count on the male to perch atop a reed or bush and sing aloud, his call an unmistakable give away to his location.  The female on the other hand tends to prefer to sit much lower down and as she is predominantly quite combined with her natural camouflage she can be extremely difficult to locate.

Typical female pose, low to the ground and well hidden

 

The shots here were all taken around the reed bed at the Bull Wall end of the North Bull Island.  There are two different males in the shots, but as you'd almost expect the female shots are of the same bird.

I've attached a link to Tom Cooneys excellent website dedicated to North Bull Island, its a great reference point for anyone thinking of paying a visit.

http://www.bullislandbirds.com/

Grey Heron

The Grey Heron is a common resident species which can be found throughout Ireland.  It can be found on lakes, rivers, marshes, canals etc, in fact just about anywhere water can be found.

This particular bird was at the ponds in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, a place I've been visiting with great regularity ever since I was a young boy and grew up a short bus ride away.  The gardens are awash with wildlife and are a good place to get some interesting species if you are prepared to put the time in.  Species like Kingfisher, Dipper, Tree Creeper and Waxwing are just a few of the great birds the gardens have given me, along with all the regulars.  I've attached a link to the gardens below.

http://www.botanicgardens.ie/

This Grey Heron was oblivious to me as it went about its business.  The Herons roost in some of the trees in the gardens and also in the trees that run along the Tolka River on the St Marys School side, so there are usually a Heron or two to be had on every visit.

If you find yourself in Dublin with a few hours to spare I'd strongly recommend a trip out to Glasnevin.  A walk around the gardens is a really great way to pass the day away.

Jackdaws in April

I've been lucky enough to have many birds nest and rear young at very close quarters over the years, there are an abundance of places in and around Ashbourne that offer nesting opportunities.  This year I've taken particular notice of a group of about 5 or 6 pairs of Jackdaw who set about nest building and foraging in and around some farm buildings not far from home.

There have always been Jackdaws in this particular area, what drew my attention to them this year was witnessing them actually removing the hair from the backs of a local beef cattle herd and bringing it back to the units  in the adjoining fields.  I witnessed this over a number of days and have attached some photos.

I don't think he'll miss  just a little bit......

Ah here, now your getting greedy!

I took a casual walk around the farm units and the tell tale signs of Jackdaw nest building were to be had everywhere.  On one building there are a number of industrial roller doors and it appeared the Jackdaws were busy preparing nests between the tops of the doors and the flashing on the actual building.  I witnessed a constant movement of Jackdaws in and out with materials over a period of a couple of weeks.

One of the roller doors being used as nest sites

On my last visit I could clearly hear the calls of young Jackdaws from above at least 2 of the roller doors as the adults went about the business of gathering the food the young would need to fledge and leave the nest.  Alas all was not well as beneath one of the doors I found a freshly broken egg on the ground, it was a very mild day and the egg was still wet, it must have fallen only minutes before I arrived.  The good news was that at least one adult was still moving in and out of the gap above the door and when I returned some days later there were the calls of young chicks to be heard.

One less mouth to feed for the parents....

An adult earlier in the month during the building phase