Irish wildlife observations 2011

Great picture of Great Northern Diver jw, interesting to hear of them around the country, I cant say Ive ever seen one myself up here yet.

Pleased that the thread is getting used by all, thanks all for the reports.

Al, Charlie, I wonder did yous see the same pod (?) of dolphins in Culdaff and Ballycastle, very possible.

Only thing I have to report this morning is 5 very nice black guillemot sheltering in the lee of Waterfoot pier (Co Antrim), I nearly forgot- saw a buzzard over Waterfoot bridge again this morning.

The black guillemot are a lovely looking seabird.

Thanks all.

Al, Charlie, I wonder did yous see the same pod (?) of dolphins in Culdaff and Ballycastle, very possible.

aye cathal, indeed, it was my first thought, the dolphins that i spotted in Ballycastle bay could very well have been the same dolphins that Al had spotted off donegal..
i tried to report the sighting just now on the link that Ciaran McFish provided there, but for some reason the website didnt want to 'take'/process the details once i had entered them. maybe im doing something wrong
Al counted 20(ish) dolphins but im sure I saw between 30 and 40. Heres the vid again (just for this topic..):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lr3mGR1vg_0

I saw my first Swallow of the year yesterday while float tubing for trout on a lake in the Bantry area. There was also about 60 House Martins feeding above the lake but I only noticed one Swallow in the flock of birds.

On the way to work last Tuesday I pulled over to make a phone call by the Ouvane estuary in Bantry Bay and I spotted an Otter feeding. I was working in Eyeries the following day and I went for a cast after work on the beach in the village and I spotted another Otter. I've seen Otters on all of the rivers that flow into Bantry Bay as well as the inner Harbour, two of the estuarys and one lake. Earlier in the year while watching Salmon on the redds on the upper part of the river Ilen I saw what looked like a Salmon over 4 foot long push it's way upstream over rocks in the shallows from one pool to the next. When the fish got to the clear water of a pool just upstream of where I noticed it first I saw that it was an Otter with a Salmon as big as it's self in it's mouth. The otter population in this area is very healthy and I would either see or hear one most days that I would be out fishing.

I saw two young Deer on the main road by the Coomhola estuary about 3 weeks ago. I stopped the van and ran back with the camera to get a shot but they had already ran back down off the road into the trees. I presume that they were Sika Deer as these are becoming a bit of a pest in this area. One landowner in the area has seen what he thought was a Muntjac Deer.

I saw my first Swallow of the year yesterday while float tubing for trout on a lake in the Bantry area. There was also about 60 House Martins feeding above the lake but I only noticed one Swallow in the flock of birds.

On the way to work last Tuesday I pulled over to make a phone call by the Ouvane estuary in Bantry Bay and I spotted an Otter feeding. I was working in Eyeries the following day and I went for a cast after work on the beach in the village and I spotted another Otter. I've seen Otters on all of the rivers that flow into Bantry Bay as well as the inner Harbour, two of the estuarys and one lake. Earlier in the year while watching Salmon on the redds on the upper part of the river Ilen I saw what looked like a Salmon over 4 foot long push it's way upstream over rocks in the shallows from one pool to the next. When the fish got to the clear water of a pool just upstream of where I noticed it first I saw that it was an Otter with a Salmon as big as it's self in it's mouth. The otter population in this area is very healthy and I would either see or hear one most days that I would be out fishing.

I saw two young Deer on the main road by the Coomhola estuary about 3 weeks ago. I stopped the van and ran back with the camera to get a shot but they had already ran back down off the road into the trees. I presume that they were Sika Deer as these are becoming a bit of a pest in this area. One landowner in the area has seen what he thought was a Muntjac Deer.

Very interesting post there Last Cast, brilliant otter sighting. I saw my first house martins of the year yesterday at Glenariff Co Antrim, no swallows yet but havent looked very hard.

Saw a pair of otters up in a local trout lough on Saturday evening. Nice sight.

Saw swallows and my first Hoopoe yesterday!Summer is coming!!!

about 3 weeks ago i saw an otter in Skibbereen town center... had to ask a local shop keeper to make sure i was not seeing this as it was dark.. about 7pm there is a small bridge at the back of fields car park (towards townsend st) i always have a look i have seen herons and small fry in the outlet here... apparently there are 2 otters that like to run around the car park behind fields and give the locals a scare.

i seen a Buzzard taking a young rabbit yesterday while i was out walking the dog there is also a few Ravens to be seen on my local patch

I get to see sika , foxes and badgers almost every night,
I'll get some pictures up later

I saw three otters last year, the first was on Liscannor beach, it looked like a black binbag blowing across one of the gullies until I noticed it was going the opposite way to the wind. It left the gully and didn't take any notice of the two anglers in front of it. The second was on the Shannon near Labasheeda, hunting about twenty feet offshore and the third ran across the road near Coole park very early one morning.
I met a birdwatcher near Liscannor who said he was watching Choughs but I wasn't convinced as what he showed me looked more like jackdoors. I always thought they had a bright red curved beak.

heres a chough photo for comparision

Chough by Ronald Surgenor, on Flickr

compared to a jackdaw

Jackdaw and cheesy wotsits by Ronald Surgenor, on Flickr
ignore the orange wotsits

Saw swallows and my first Hoopoe yesterday!Summer is coming!!!

you sure it was a hoopoe

Saw swallows and my first Hoopoe yesterday!Summer is coming!!!

you sure it was a hoopoe

i taught the same myself but the are a rare spring/summer visitor on the south coast esp by the sea

I saw on another forum that a Hoopoe was spotted on the golf course in Skibbereen on the same day that fastnet spotted one.

26th,30th march and 2/3 april had Hoopoe sightings in the cork area, www.irishbirding.com

Saw my first Black Guillemots of the year today, also plenty of terns arriving back...

We saw our first swallows down in the South east on Sunday.

two otters seen monday 4th.mum and pup,with the pup calling!

I saw my first Stoat today. I was driving down a small side road on the Sheeps Head peninsula and he was just sitting on the middle of the road. I was amazed at how small they are.

Interesting about the hoopoes, not something we'll get to see this far north, did see the 1st swallow this week, Thur evening, 1 bird. Driving a small upland road that evening (thur 7th April), I put up 3 curlew from the roadside while driving.

Black guillemots, otters and stoats, all good stuff.

seen approx 40 swallows and some diving gannets off killoughter wicklow yesterday evening,
i also noticed dozens of bumble bees flying about the place i never seen as many in my life very unusual sight