Bird Atlas 2007 - 2011

Well in the end after almost 10 years from planning to publication the Bird Atlas 2007 - 2011 is in print.  I got my copy in December 2013 and the first thing I noticed was that this is a book of proportions befitting the effort that went into producing it. It's large, it's heavy and comes in at over 700 pages.  I suppose it was never going to be any different really,  it contains the results from over 19 million individual records provided by thousands of volunteers over a four year period for both breeding and winter seasons.

The Barn Owl entry - my very own records are on there

I spent hundreds of hours over those four years rambling up and over the lanes and fields of Co Meath, listening, looking, recording.  At times it was hard, I missed out on so much that was happening around the country because of Atlas commitments.  So many great birds I just never made it to, but there's no regrets, none at all, not when you have in your possession a scientific work as substantial as this to which you contributed even a small part and you see your own name in print and attached to it.

A page from my Winter 2008 records for South  Ashbourne

This Atlas will help shape and direct Bird Conservation throughout Ireland and Britain for the next 10 years and beyond that's how important it is.  I've spent a whole lot of time over the last year and some months reading, researching and just being consumed by the facts, figures and encyclopedic knowledge contained within its pages.

Another White-tailed Sea Eagle poisoned

I've written about atrocities such as these previously on this blog.  This is only the most recent in an ever increasing number of mindless, incomprehensible acts of barbarity carried out against Ireland's birds of prey in recent years.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/eagle-that-was-about-to-lay-eggs-poisoned-in-connemara-1.2179652

Until there is proper, robust legislation to protect our wildlife the perpetrators of these crimes will continue to carry them out safe in the knowledge that in the remote chance that they'll actually get caught the punishment isn't any sort of a deterrent.

Wren

They may be one of the smallest birds we have, but that dosen't stop them making a lot of noise.  This little beauty was in full April voice in front of my house on Saturday morning, what a little belter!

Twite

Twite are an uncommon resident species, best seen in Winter in coastal fields and along the shoreline.  Gyles Quay in Co Louth has in recent years been as good a place as any to catch these small finches, they've appeared there over the last few Winters in small flocks on and off.

A flock of upwards forty birds was back at Gyles Quay in recent weeks and below are a few shots I took on a recent trip along the Louth coast.

Spoonbill

I took a trip up the Meath - Louth coast this morning stopping off at the usual spots.  At Seabank which lies between the better known locations of Lurgangreen and Annagassan a Shorteared-Owl quartered the salt marsh lifting all the smalls at roost.

A scope of the very distant lowering tide line gave up a very rare find for this part of the country, a Spoonbill.  Most records for Spoonbill in Ireland are from the South and South-West coastline and even these are few and far between.  In fact a quick reference of the Bird Atlas 2007-11 when I arrived home showed up no records for Spoonbill on the East coast of Ireland at all during that particular four year period.  Furthermore Spoonbill were only recorded in eleven 10km squares during the Atlas and all were on the a fore mentioned South to South-West coastal region.

All of that makes this 1st Winter Spoonbill more than just a good bird for the region, it makes it a great bird for the North-East.  Apologies for the quality of the shots but this bird really was a long way out on the mudflats.

Redshank

The Redshank is a very common resident in Ireland.  It can be found along the shoreline and on estuaries throughout the country, its numbers swell in Autumn/Winter with the influx of birds from colder regions. They do breed in Ireland but only in small numbers as most of our visiting birds depart at the start of spring for whence they came.

These shots were taken this morning at Sutton Creek in Dublin.  There were plenty of Redshank around, foraging amongst the seaweed, racing up and down the shore just on the tide line.

Tufted Duck

The Tufted Duck is a widespread common fresh water duck that can be found in ponds and lakes throughout Ireland.  There may be good numbers of them around but that has never stopped them being one of my favourite ducks, they just look amazing when seen up close, well the male does but as with many birds the female is a touch on the brown and dull side.

These ducks are part of the small group that can be found on the ponds at Bushy Park, Dublin.