Had a few days over in Dublin with the Parents. Got some birding in between the tourist things and the several pints of Guinness!
Malahide 24/3
Several flocks of Light-bellied Brent Geese out on mud 200 in total Greenshank, & 2 Barwit, 6 Little Egret, 3 Scaup and a Sandwich Tern.
Howth Harbour
Lots of sea birds back on Howth head - Fulmar, 320 Kittiwake, 200+ Gannet, 40+ Shag, Razorbill's, Guillemots, 6 Black Gulliemot. 2 Raven flew over and Rock pipt, Wheatear and Hooded Crow were all in the harbour too.
Skerries 26/3
RT Diver, 4 Eider, lots of Auks, Sandwich Tern, 14 Turnstone and Purple Sand.
Brown Meadow Estuary - Swords. (Lots of Mud and packed with birds)
Little Gull single ad with 1000's of BHG, 350+ Brent Geese, 36 Shelduck
480+ Blackwit, 25 Barwit, 17 Greenshank, 52 Dunlin, 90 Knot, 356 Golden Plover, Single Grey Plover, 9 turnstone, 300+ Redshank and a couple of oyc
After no water for a few days in Ireland came home to no internet
Dublin Aiport 26/12 - 6 inch of Snow Hooded Crow 3, Raven, Spahawk & Buzzard
Howth Harbour 27/12 - snow melting Skylark 3 feeding on a small grass patch middle of harbour + 30 flew over Redwing 10 on the grass along with a single Lawping and Rook.
In the harbour itself were juv Shag, 3 Little Grebe, 10 GCG, & 3 Black Guillemot and out at sea which was a tad rough 2 Little Gulls, 3 G N Diver, Fulmar & Guillemot.
Dollymount beach had a good selection of waders with 2 Greenshank, Sanderling, Knot, Grey Plover and Barwit.
With the Snow melting birds were flying out into the city to feed on football pitches with 350 Blackwits & 40 Oystercather in Coolock and another 150 Blackwit near the strand.
Visited the Estuary at Swords/Malahide on both 27th & 28th and was still pretty much frozen solid but was melting slowly. Birds resting on the ice included 6 Whooper Swan a White-fronted Goose, Grey & Golden Plover and a Greenshank fed on the cycle path. Ruddy Duck, 20 Goldeneye, 2 Pintail, 64 Pochard & 15 RB merg on the open water. 400 Dunlin, 350 Brent Geese and 3000+ Corvids flew over the area.
On the last day visited the Skerries & Balbriggin for a few more sea birds. R N Grebe was the highlight along with 2 more G N Divers, 5 Black Guillemots, lots of Rock Pipts and 3 Purple Sands.
