tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35445173589409828902024-03-08T11:34:18.822+00:00Dublin Bay Birds ProjectKeeping track of our waterbirds through marking and monitoringHelenBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892654239838598622noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-34905601007137059832020-05-25T18:17:00.006+01:002020-05-29T11:33:55.391+01:00Guest blog: The Knotty and intricate origins of Ireland's east coast wintering waders
We are excited to have a guest blog this month from Peter Knight and Rose Maciewicz from the UK about their research, and trials and tribulations relating to Red Knot Calidris canutus, with particular focus on Ireland and Dublin Bay.
Red Knot is one of the few species which can strike fear into the heart of Tara Adcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262574072413177535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-25022122840740244412020-04-22T15:20:00.000+01:002020-04-22T15:59:05.003+01:00Ode to April
For the last number of years, I’ve been lucky enough to live just a short hop, skip and jump from Dublin Bay. I’ve always known it was a special place. However, I don’t think I fully appreciated it until these extraordinary times have suddenly (and understandably) restricted my ability to visit it fully. Thankfully, a small portion of the bay, Tara Adcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262574072413177535noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-43939699666546087232019-08-28T01:35:00.000+01:002019-09-17T10:14:03.022+01:00A Tale of Two Oiks
Over the summer months we’ve been
receiving reports of how our feathered friends are faring at far-flung breeding
grounds. So, for this blog we’re going to open the files and take a look at how
two of the Dublin Bay-ringed Oystercatchers, or ‘Tjaldar’ in
Icelandic, got on over the last few months.
Oystercatcher on breeding territory, Scotland
Photo by Thomas McDonnell
Gudmundur Orn Tara Adcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262574072413177535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-57928446927447261592019-06-20T17:50:00.001+01:002019-06-20T17:56:46.122+01:00Mid-season update from the Dublin Port Tern colony
The Tern season is in full swing, and Dublin Port, with four
structures set aside for nesting Terns, is alive with the sounds and sights of
Common and Arctic Terns busily raising the next generation.
Terns over ESB platform in Dublin Port
Photo by Tara Adcock
So far this season we have carried out two nest censuses of
the Arctic and Common Tern colony breeding in Dublin Port. Numbers Tara Adcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262574072413177535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-6611417670695346472019-04-30T23:50:00.000+01:002019-05-01T10:54:13.235+01:00Terning our attention to summer
Winter is finally ending and with
its passing so too comes the departure of most wading birds from our shores as
they move to breeding grounds further northwest and northeast. However, as
numbers of wading birds drop we barely have time to catch our breath before the
Tern season is upon us. Even now, numbers are beginning to build as these tiny
seabirds return to our shores eager to get on withDalkey Ternshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05382050568885595250noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-51290957010573105582019-02-26T17:56:00.001+00:002019-02-27T10:00:14.719+00:00All your gulls coming home to roost
DBBP’s very own resident rock star, Ricky Whelan, has been bringing his sell out speaking tour, 'The Secret Life of Crows', to packed audiences across the nation. The intelligence of these birds has captivated crowds and, much like a revival, has led to conversions to the ‘cult of the crow’, or in less dramatic terms, people left with a renewed appreciation for the cleverness of Tara Adcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262574072413177535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-2371476087600741702019-01-31T12:24:00.000+00:002019-01-31T12:24:51.319+00:00World Wetlands Day, February 2nd 2019, in Dublin Bay
World Wetlands Day is an international day of celebration, to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. This massively important inter-governmental treaty provided the framework for the wise-use and conservation of wetlands around the world. It also formulated the criteria which are now used for identifying and placing legal protection onBirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-69179487836641503002018-12-18T15:47:00.000+00:002018-12-18T15:47:56.599+00:00And a... godwit... in a pear tree?When you think of Christmas the first bird that comes to mind is probably not the Bar-tailed Godwit. Yet there is one similarity between this bird and the jolly bearded man who delivers Christmas from the Arctic Circle - the journeys each undertakes.
The Bar-tailed Godwit subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, holds the record for the single longest non-stop migration of any avian species, BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-74329618793034194812018-11-09T00:51:00.000+00:002018-11-13T16:00:45.093+00:00The Dublin Bay Birds Project - a quickfire digest of recent events (dive-bombing terns to evening gull watches)
We are continuing our quest to fill many of the gaps in knowledge about how birds use Dublin Bay. Being immersed in fieldwork and data the last while means we have not been blogging as often as we like to. It is now time to take stock, and look at what
has been going on.
The 2018 summer was equal parts challenging
and exciting with a big focus on the breeding tern colonies in Dublin
BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-58103782719901226652018-02-27T15:20:00.000+00:002018-02-27T15:20:17.631+00:00Lights, Camera, Action
Last week we embarked on our first ever project video shoot. The aim was to produce a short video to describe the motivation behind the Dublin Bay Birds Project, the activities we undertake, and of course highlight the beauty of Dublin Bay whilst giving the wintering waterbirds the starring role.
Filming Bull Island south lagoon from a vantage point close to the causeway Ricky Whelan
It BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-47311008262749023992018-01-16T16:00:00.000+00:002018-01-18T16:13:20.065+00:00Adding Value to a Days BirdwatchingBack in October 2015 the Dublin Bay Birds Project Team hosted a 'ring-reading’ event at Bull Island Visitor Centre, see here. On Saturday, February 10th 2018, we are pleased to be running another similar one and we would love you to come along.
Colour-ringed Redshank John Fox
The event acts as a way for us to thank and provide
feedback to the observers who have been BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-67741683138385203232017-11-03T14:23:00.001+00:002017-11-06T11:53:14.532+00:00New Book: Dublin Bay - Nature and HistoryA new book, Dublin Bay - Nature and History has just been published by Collins Press. The authors, Richard Nairn, David Jeffrey and Rob Goodbody have done a superb job in compiling all that is wonderful and interesting about the heritage (natural and built) of the bay.
Book cover from Dublin Bay - Nature and History
Collins Press
The book was launched on November 2nd by Senator BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-53920611843165538622017-10-20T15:28:00.001+01:002017-10-20T15:35:21.156+01:00Ready or Knot!
When out counting Terns in September I cast my eye over some
wader flocks - delighted to see some of our Dublin-ringed Oystercatchers back for another winter, as well
as some individuals ringed on their breeding grounds in Iceland. As my
scope-view moved across a flock of newly-arrive Knot – some carrying traces of
‘rusty’ breeding plumage and others with their plainer whites, browns and grey
Brian Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367042338202378020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-32871033508545842102017-08-28T09:13:00.000+01:002017-08-28T09:13:23.558+01:00The worst named bird in Dublin Bay!
At this time of year thousands and thousands of Terns gather
and roost in Dublin Bay before migration, providing an unforgettable spectacle
for birdwatchers and Dublin residents alike! It's one of the most
important tern gathering points for Europe and we've been monitoring it for
several years to find out how many Terns use it, what species are there, how
long they stay, and what kind of Brian Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367042338202378020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-33809135413564411062017-07-31T16:00:00.003+01:002017-11-24T13:27:54.435+00:00'PUL' the other one!
An important part of our work in Dublin Bay involves the
ringing of key waterbird species to learn more about the birds and how they use
Dublin Bay. As well as providing us with important information on their usage
of breeding/feeding/roosting areas within the bay, we also get some very
interesting ring resightings of ‘our’ birds from further afield – some of the Terns
we’ve ringed in Dublin Brian Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08367042338202378020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-20766216582978615532017-07-03T07:17:00.002+01:002017-07-03T07:19:07.684+01:00Dublin Tern Colonies Bursting With BirdsTern breeding season is in full swing! We had our first ringing visit of the year to Dublin Port to check up on our summer visitors from Africa. The terns now nest on several structures within the greater Liffey/Port area, such as the disused mooring pontoons near the Poolbeg Chimneys. Most of these support strong numbers of nesting terns, to the extent that some structures near full capacity BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-1874418530294739792017-05-10T12:47:00.001+01:002017-05-10T12:47:13.416+01:002017 Tern Season is Here
The longer the days get the fewer waterbirds we see in Dublin Bay. The Brent Geese are all but gone and we look forward to their return this autumn! But there's little time to reminisce on the winter season past as it's time to gear up for the immanent return of our breeding terns.
The ESB Dolphin,
Dublin's largest Common Tern breeding colony Helen Boland
As I write DublinBirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-17105523034608375362017-03-27T13:10:00.003+01:002017-03-27T13:10:50.043+01:00New Web App to Record Your Wader ResightingsThe Dublin Bay Birds Project Team has developed a Web App to capture your colour ring wader resightings.
With the Dublin Bay Birds Project now well into its fourth year of monitoring we have learned quite a bit about our avian subjects, on what to expect from them and where to expect them to show up! With 525 waders (incl Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshanks and Curlew) now BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-7413687637322399662017-03-01T14:38:00.002+00:002017-11-24T12:05:41.057+00:00News from Namibia
Since autumn 2014 we have been colour ringing Common (Sterna hirundo) and Artic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) in Dublin Bay. We colour
ring chicks under licence at the breeding colonies within the confines of the Liffey and Tolka Estuary. In addition,
we catch and colour ring adult terns on Sandmount Strand where they gather en masse to roost ahead of autumn
migration.
"PAT" a colour BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-58769203151619826172017-01-23T15:37:00.001+00:002017-01-23T15:37:14.930+00:00Dawn Patrol - Brent Goose Census in Dublin Bay Scopes, clickers and coffees were essential kit last Friday as a crack BirdWatch Ireland team of 8 quietly slipped into position ahead of sunrise. The pre-dawn preparations were vital to ensure we got accurate counts of all the Brent Geese that had roosted overnight on the tidal waters of Dublin Bay. From Dun Laoghaire to Sutton, the Tolka Estuary, Liffey outer and all around Bull Island BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-69581355445432051022016-09-21T10:01:00.002+01:002016-09-22T08:46:21.672+01:00Clouded Vision: This month's top 40
We had a load of graphs in the last blog, which focused on the summer months, but as the year moves on, we should too. There are stacks of data to be written up and reported on this month, and because we’re sitting looking at graphs, trend lines and error bars all day every day, we thought we’d find a different way to represent what’s happening in the Bay this month.
Interpreted as “BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-69268786252396327332016-09-02T13:35:00.000+01:002016-09-02T13:36:42.002+01:00Summer holidays in Dublin Bay
We know quite a lot about the waterbirds that spend the winter in Dublin Bay, with decades’ worth of monitoring through I-WeBS (the Irish Wetland Bird Survey) and its predecessors having shaped our knowledge and formed a large database of information that can be drawn on. But year-round counts by the Dublin Bay Birds Project since 2013 have revealed a few surprises for summertime in the bay, BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-66943335810068744932016-07-08T08:36:00.001+01:002016-07-08T08:38:47.741+01:00Return On InvestmentThe Dublin Bay Birds Project team took the opportunity to colour-ring some adult common terns on Sandymount Strand, County Dublin last autumn and our efforts have already been rewarded!
We have blogged a number of times about ringing the tern chicks that are born at the Dublin Port breeding colonies. But did you know we have also managed to successfully catch and tag adult birds? Of course&BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-53503209716490043472016-05-16T13:33:00.000+01:002016-05-16T13:33:13.074+01:00Running Rings Around Me
A Dublin Port Common Tern colour-ring has been recovered on Rockabill, but all is not as it seems.
Part of our routine monitoring of our tern
colonies involves ringing (and sometimes colour-ringing) the chicks before they
fledge. And a good proportion of the chicks that hatch on the east coast of Ireland
each year are ringed. Over time, this allows us to build a picture of where
theseBirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3544517358940982890.post-81311904262604264202016-04-06T18:31:00.000+01:002016-04-06T18:31:20.405+01:00All at Sea: Migrating Oystercatcher checks out research vessel
One of our trusty project
contributors and prolific ring-reader, Niall T. Keogh, is on a boat hundreds of miles away, in the middle
of the ocean, but he’s still managing to find reasons to get in touch with us
about Oystercatchers, and we're so glad that he did!
“Monday 28th March 2016 saw the
R.V. Celtic Explorer over the Rockall Bank, approximately 245 nautical miles WNW
of Tory Island, BirdWatch Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15843909978412105683noreply@blogger.com0