Let us know what birds you see in your area

Let us know what birds you see in your area. Anything new in your garden?
Interesting bird behaviour? Increased or decreased numbers of birds?
What have you seen lately around Dublin or on you day trips from Dublin?
Email us news@dublinbirding.ie and we will publish your news on this website.

For National News - to report sightings of rare birds in Ireland including Dublin call the Birds of Ireland News Service (BINS) 01 8307364. To hear the most recent updates on rare bird sightings call 1550 111 700 (premium rates apply).

THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISERS DURING APRIL, 2007

Lorraine Benson, , Manus Curran, Daithi de Brun, Gary De Lacy, Eric Dempsey, David Dillon, Joseph Doolan, Donal Foley, Eoin Foley, John Fox, Gerald Frank, John Gallagher, Sean Geraty, Brian B Gormley, Brian M Gormley, Miryam Harris, Sean Hogan, Noel Keogh, Niall T Keogh, Aidan Kelly, Jim Lawlor, Pat Lenihan, Anna Lloyd, Dermot McCabe, Oscar Merne, Pirmin Nietlisbach, Bill Quinn, Heather Quinn, Adrian Rooney, Moray Souter, Robert Vaughan, David Walsh.

Sedge Warbler.Wintering in Senegal this long haul tiny 12 gram migrant flies fast, direct to Ireland in April. The males tend to be site faithful but not the females!

A Kilcoole Sedge Warbler, Sean Geraty

30 April, 2007
Cuckoo calling throughout the day at Native Woodland Trust site in Farnaght Co. Leitrim. 4 Yellowhammers in Kingswood Heights in Tallaght.JL

Sunday 29 April, 2007
220 Sandwich Terns at Merrion Gates this morning. SH Two Swifts in Bray this evening. OM The Spotted Redshank is still at Rogerstown and a Ring Billed Gull, 2 Little Gulls and 3 Ruff are at Swords.There are also two Dippers on the Tolka with Grey Wagtails also present.ED At Knock Lake this weekend (great to see that the bird-hide is the right way up again!) there was a Sedge Warbler and 8 Sand Martins.BBG

Saturday 28 April, 2007
5 Sandwich Terns , 3 Ruff at Swords Estuary, singing Sedge Warbler along Estuary Rd and lots of Kingfisher activity on Broadmeadow River, looking upstream from bridge. Pair of nest building Bullfinches here also.GF At Lough Dan, Co Wicklow today there were 2 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, Stonechats & a Cuckoo calling.AR At Kilcoole today there was 1 Brent Goose, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Wheatear, 5 Sedge Warblers and 9 Little Egrets. Present also was a first summer Little Gull and a pair of Gadwall in Webbs field.SG

Sandwich Terns have arrived and have been seen all week around Dublin. Sandymount Strand is probably the best place at the moment. These are our largest terns and easy to pick out from other terns and gulls. Pat Lenihan's photos capture well the features of these striking and handsome sea birds.

Sandwich Terns at Sandymount
Pat Lenihan

26 April, 2007
A dead Common Porpoise was seen on Sandymount Strand as well as 60 Sandwich Terns. From Howth there were good numbers of Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Black Guillemots, Manx Shearwaters as well as two Bottle-nosed Dolphins and 4 Grey Seals.PN An evening stroll along Kilcoole produced c.200+ Sand Martins, a 1st-summer Little Gull, 2 White Wagtails and a male Gadwall in Webb's Field. A Grasshopper Warbler was singing from the north end of "the Buckthorn bushes". (NK and NTK)

25 April, 2007
Two Swifts seen flying up by Ormand Quay to day at 5pm. MH In Bray harbour there were 24 Kittiwakes with over 30 Sandwich Terns just off shore this afternoon.RV

23 April, 2007
2 Common Terns were seen out in Dublin Bay from the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire. (NK)

Sunday 22 April, 2007
At the Bull, north of the causeway this afternoon there were 3 Swallows, 9 Wheatear, 10 Sandwich Terns. 2 Whimbrel, 2 Little Egret, 69+ Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Golden Plover, 20 Dunlin, all well into summer plumage, 30 Ringed Plover,150-200 Brent still about, Skylark plentiful.BMG .At Kilcoole this morning there was a male Yellow Wagtail, a 1st-summer Little Gull, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose with 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 10 Whimbrel and 16 Black-tailed Godwits in Webb's field, c.12 Little Terns on the Beach, a Carrion Crow at The Breaches, c.500 Gannets flying south at sea, plus several House Martins, Sand Martins, Swallows and Wheatears.NK

Whimbrel, Annagassen, Co Louth. Bill Quinn

Saturday 21 April, 2007
See today's Tolka Trip Report to Monaghan in Trip Reports. An Osprey was seen heading north offshore at Bremore, Balbriggan this morning . At Rogerstown main hide (southside), the summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was present. A Dark-belied Brent still present too in the flooded field with 15 Pale-bellied Brent. AK At Kilcoole there was 2 Common Sandpipers in The Breaches and 16 Whimbrel in Webb's field, along with the Dark-bellied Brent Goose.NK

19 April , 2007
4 Wheatears seen at the Poolbeg.NK

18 April, 2007
The usual pale 1st-winter Iceland Gull from Sandymount Strand was seen at Blackrock, feeding on the shore near the baths/DART Station. 2 pairs of Skylarks, 2-3 singing Stonechats, Reed Buntings, pair of Long-tailed Tits and 2 singing Willow Warblers at Irishtown Nature Park. NK

Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes are taking up residence at the Balscadden cliffs, Howth, with more than a dozen Black Guillemots in the harbour. There was a Carrion Crow with a Hoodie (aka Hooded Crow) at the East Pier. Still some Brent around the Bull and Swords with Golden Plover and Black-tailed Godwits showing in breeding plumage. Two Common Sandpipers at Swords. DMcC

2 Buzzards were seen this morning at the roundabout after the airport.GdeL

16 April, 2007
At Kilcoole this afternoon, where things are really quietening down now, there were over 400 Golden Plover, 78 Brents, and one Dark-bellied Brent. No sign of the Garganey and there were only 9 Teal and one Wigeon. Three pairs of Shovelers were interesting. There was a trickle of Swallows, 2 Sand Martins, 2 Willow Warblers and 3 Wheatears.OM

Sunday 15 April, 2007
Lots of Swallow reports received this weekend from Wexford to Dundalk!

Brent Geese and Golden Plover numbers were both down at Kilcoole/Newcastle today (72 and c 500 respectively). Migrants included one Whimbrel, four Willow Warblers. MS

Saturday 14 April
A wonderful sunny Dublin morning produced a Ruff at Swords, a Dark-bellied Brent at Rogerstown and up to 6 Whimbrel and four Little Egrets. ED

At Dundalk Bay, where there are still 8,000 waterbirds present, including 2,500 Black-tailed Godwits, 900 Redshanks, 1 Ruff, 400 Brents, 2 Whimbrel. A sprinkling of Swallows, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap on the landward side. Also 10 Sandwich Terns. This afternoon at Swords there were 395 Black-headed Gulls, 435 Black-tailed Godwits, 160 Redshanks, and the Ruff was still present. A drake Shoveler was unusual at this site.OM

At Kilcoole today there was 1 Wheatear, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, ( very difficult to see these ground hogging birds) 1 Ruff, 2 Dark- bellied Brent Geese ( see Sean's photo above) and 1 Willow Warbler. SG

12 April
Common Sandpiper flying upstreams and a Grey Wagtail, 2 Sand Martins and a Swallow south of Kilbride in Co. Wicklow. on the Liffey at the Ballyward Bridge.PM

11 April, 2007
Goldcrest carrying nesting material - Dodder walk, Clonskeagh today 2pm.JG 6 singing Willow Warblers and possibly the most inland Little Egert in Dublin (?) roosting in trees in Corkagh Park, Clondalkin tonight. DdeB Swallows making themselves at home in Kilteel, North Kildare today. 3 birds around all afternoon, have already been in and out of their traditional nesting site in a disused garage.JL

10 April, 2007
Willow Warblers singing today along the Dodder path in Clonskeagh. JG

9 April, 2007
At Rogerstown today 1 1st winter Glaucous Gull and 1 Spotted Redshank coming into summer plumage (photo below - left with common Redshank) A singing Willow Warbler and Blackcap at Turvey, Donabate and a first Swallow reported on the northside this year seen at Sluice Marsh, Portmarnock.DD

At Kilcoole this morning there were over 1000 Golden Plover flocking in spectacular formations in the air while on the ground 300 Brent Geese were feeding on the grass below - one Dark-bellied Brent Goose among them. One Buzzard soared above the N11 between Shankill and Bray. LB

Sunday 8 April, 2007
We have received many reports this weekend of Willow Warblers from Bray to Dundalk. In Dundalk this morning at low tide, amidst the seaweed on the riverbed, seen from the pathway along the riverbank there was a Temminck's Stint together with the long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher and 5 Ruff. ( photos on www.irishbirdimages.com ) The riverbank pathway is an excellent place to watch waders in Dundalk at low tide.LB At Bray Head this morning there were 130 Black Guillemots, two higher than the 2004 total, which was the highest ever recorded.OM

Saturday 7 April, 2007
A Kestrel was seen hovering up and down the James Larkin Road overlooking the North Bull Island between Wongs Resturant and where the Howth Road meets the coast road this afternoon . MH There was a Chiffchaff in the Phoenix Park today, at the back of the Aras. Also there were three Jays near the Knockmaroon Gate entrance.BG A Carrion Crow (see photo above) has been seen around Portmarnock over the last two days. DD At the Slieve Blooms today the following birds were seen; 1 Raven,1 Kestrel,1 Sparrowhawk,1 Jay, Siskin, Pair of Grey Wagtails,1 Dipper, 3 Red Grouse, 2 Male Hen Harrier ( one sky dancing),1 Female Hen Harrier. AR Adrian also saw a Red Squirrel and a Hare.

6 April, 2007
1 Raven & 2 Red Grouse seen at Tonelagee Mountain (Wicklow). Also, Sika deer & a Mountain Hare. AR At Kilcoole this morning 24 Red Throated Divers were seen close to the shore. See Pat's photo below. In the same area there were 5 Swallows, 2 Sand Martins, 3 Wheatears and 1 Willow Warbler. The Golden Plover flock numbered 1265.PL,MS In the Broad Lough, there were 121 Black-tailed Godwits and a Wheatear was seen nearby.MS

5 April, 2007
One Willow Warbler in song, North Park, North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11. (industrial estate with small pools & trees). JD At 7.30 am one Peregrine Falcon was plucking breakfast already in the early sunshine on the east side of the Central Bank on Dame Street. LB One adult Lesser Black- backed Gull among 38 Herring Gulls - mostly first winters in Stephen's Green. Also 2 singing Blackcaps one at either side of the pond, and another Blackcap in Merrion Square. 2 Black Guillemots at Sean O'Casey bridge.RV 5 In Kilmacud there were three Buzzards soaring - see photo below. They headed off in a NW direction towards Goatstown.MC

4 April 2007
There were 4 lovely Long- tailed Tits and 6 Goldfinches in Anna's garden in Castleknock.AL
A Buzzard was seen over the lake in UCD, Belfield during the afternoon, being mobbed by a Rook. Last seen drifting towards Donnybrook. NTK A Manx Shearwater seen in Dublin Bay from Irishtown Nature Park. NK

3 April 2007
There was a Chiffchaff in song along the Dodder (Clonskeagh) today around 2pm. JG A well marked 1st-winter Glaucous Gull flew over the Poolbeg. NK

A Tolka favourite! Long-tiled Tit, Botanic Gardens, John Fox

2 April 2007
A very tame Goldcrest, two Longtailed Tits and two Golfinches in Heather's garden in Howth today.HQ One Swallow was seen flying north into the wind over the marsh at Kilcoole and a Sandwich Tern was feeding along the beach. The Garganey still present today at Kilcoole also the Dark-bellied Brent but not the Green-winged Teal. The Brent count was 550, and Golden Plover were at 825, but Wigeon had gone down to only 88. Still 148 Teal and 67 Oystercatchers - very high for this site. There seems to be eight good pairs of Mute Swans holding territories, one of which has already built a nest in BWI's little sanctuary at the north end.OM Still one pale 1st-winter Iceland Gull present at Sandymount Strand late in the evening. NK

Sunday 1 April 2007
A female Wheatear seen at Poolbeg today. BG At Dundalk Harbour the Long-billed Dowitcher was still present also a Ring-billed Gull, Common Gulls, and Black-tailed Godwits in summer plumage. ( See Bill Quinn's photo below) Also a good flock of Common Scoters off Balbriggan.BQ,HQ At Swords estuary/Malahide this morning there was 1 Ruff, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Grey Plover, 20 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Greenshank, 70 Teal, 360 Redshank and 410 Black-tailed Godwits.OM,DF,EF