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.