2024 Cygnet News, Dublin, Kildare

28/07/2024 - TOTAL NESTS HATCHED = 20       CYGNET TOTAL = 106

15. Newbridge, Lakeside, Kildare.  CDIS & metal ring have still 8 cygnets.  Great that so many of them have survived the first 12 weeks. 

27/07/2024

At Naas Canal Harbour, in Co Kildare, CDPP & CDSN with 4 large cygnets.  They nested in the Harbour this year but just didn't get reports on the hatching.  (Thanks Lisa D. for the report)

04/07/2024

Luttrellstown Golf Course, Dublin 15

Received photo of one advanced cygnet (circa 5 Weeks old?) and CDAD

28/06/2024 

War Memorial, Islandbridge, Dublin 8. 4 Cygnets.  I'd given up on this pair nesting so nice that they've hatched.  Thanks Ian for report & Photos.

27/06/2024 

Skerries Mill nest has failed.  It takes many years after a swan is killed for a new pairing to establish themselves and produce and keep cygnets.  Any owner whose dog kills swan is responsible for years of no cygnets at that location.  

09/06/2024

Blessington Street Basin.  Received news that 5 Cygnets hatched 3 days ago.  It will be a while before I confirm the ring codes.

01/06/2024  

16. Waterville Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

CCLX (M) & CCLV (F) Have 5 cygnets today.

27/05/2024

15. Newbridge, Lakeside, Kildare.  CDIS & metal ring with 9 Cygnets

27/05/2024

14. Corkagh Park Fishing Lakes.  Photo of 9 cygnets sent to me.  I couldn't find them yesterday!  They have moved to a small secluded pond - wise move.  

26/05/2024

13. Kilbogget Park, Cabinteely, Dublin 18.  Cabinteely Open Forum have announced that the Kilbogget Pair have now 5 Cygnets

26/05/2024

12. Corkagh Park.  CCTF and 5 cygnets.   Male has lost his colour  (CCXN).

25/05/2024

11. Ballymount Park, Dublin 24.  CFBC & CFDF have 4 cygnets.  Despite being attacked by resident male daily, this is a great success for them.  Hopefully they can protect them.

22/05/2024

10.  Ballycragh Parklands, Firhouse, Dublin 24.  Reports on Facebook of 7 cygnets.  Going tomorrow to confirm.  CBLL(M) and CCXC (F)

16/05/2024

9. Tymon, Limekiln Big Lake.  CABF & Partner (Probably CABD) out with 8 Cygnets.  

Tymon Limekiln 8 Cygnets

14/05/2024

8. Bushy Park, Dublin 6W.  7 Cygnets made brief appearance.  CACC + CBTL (M)

13/05/2024

7. Tymon Park, Spawell.  CCFF & CDKI with 4 cygnets.  Another small brood.

Tymon Park, Spawell.  CCFF + CDKI with 4 Cygnets

11/05/2024

6. Tolka Valley Park, Finglas.  6 Cygnets out on the lake.  CCPN & Partner.

10/05/2024

5. Parkwest, Guinness Filters.  CFHP & yet to be identified female with 4 cygnets.  1 unhatched egg.  Small clutch.

Parkwest, 4 Cygnets.  1 unhatched egg.

01/05/2024

4. Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare

One cygnet showing but female still on the nest. More to follow?  Male W43528 (Colour ring missing CDBF)

01/05/2024

3. Fr Collins Park, Clongriffen, Dublin 13

Seven Cygnets on Twitter, thanks Paddy.  I know CCLK is the Male.  Female CDSV (Thanks Tom)

30/04/2024 

2. Sean Walsh Park, Dublin 24

Report with photo of Female CBKS & Male CFCF and 4 cygnets moving from big lake to hippo pond.  Small brood for a mature pair.  

27/03/2024

1. City West, Dublin 24

Well they got their nesting dates wrong!  City West pair with 6 cygnets.   Unfortunately the Pen CCSS was both lethargic and neck bent sideways and unable to lift it properly.  Taken with the 6 Cygnets into care.  No record of Males ring.  Must make a visit.

Notes:

21/05/2024 Ballymount still Hell.  The new pair are still on their nest but the dominent male is staying 2 feet away.  I can see egg shell, so don't know if hatched or destroyed in the continuous battle

 18/05/2024 Ballycragh Firshouse.  Female on nest.  Male not close to nest.  Another week away.

13/05/2024 12th Lock - Still on nest

13/05/2024 Grangecastle Canal.  CDLZ + CDJD - Have abandoned their rubbish attempt at a nest and returned to Grangecastle Lake

13/05/2024 Leixlip - Still on nest

13/05/2024 Maynooth.  Nest no longer visible.  Male patrolling.  No cygnets yet.

23/03/2024 Parkwest.  CFHP Building

28/03/2024 Naas Ponds CDIS + CATL Building nest

02/04/2024 Ponsonaby Bridge CG, Naas CFDN Nesting

03/04/2024 Turvey CAFV & CBFV Building

03/04/2024 Turvey CDKK & CDXZ Building

04/04/2024 Bushy Park.  CACC (M) Female on Nest

05/04/2024 Tymon Limekiln CABF (M) Female on nest

05/04/2024 Tymon Spawell.  Female on Nest.  CDKI (M)

07/04/2024 Ballycragh Park, Firhouse D24, CBLL(M) and CCXC (F) on Nest

10/04/2024 Leixlip Royal Canal CDDH (M) Female on nest

15/04/2024 Tolka Valley park.  CCPN (F) on Nest Male code unconfirmed

17/04/2024 12th Lock. CDNN & CDJC Nesting

17/04/2024 Grangecastle Grand Canal.  CDLZ + CDJD - Rubbish nest, but a nest.

25/04/2024 Liffey Farleigh CCBA (M) Female still on nest

29/04/2024 Skerrries.  Odd one! 2 Swans on nests.  Possibly male on old nest? 

29/04/2024 Naas Harbour CDSN (M) Female still on nest

01/05/2024 Bushy Park CBTL (M) Female still on nest

04/05/2024 Poppintree Park. CBFI (M) Female still on nest but mantling.

04/05/2024 Ballymount Park.  Still HELL!  A second pair have nested on the 2nd Island.  Dominant male keeps attacking.  I assume resident pair CBIB (F) is on the big Island usual nest now out of sight due to vegetation growth.  CDIB (M) is attacking new pairs nest on small Island.  CFBC(M) & CFDF (F) are the new pair.  Here is todays fight actually on the nest. 

Ballymount. Dominant male trying to destroy others nest.  

04/05/2024 Corkagh Park Wildfowl Lake.  Female still on nest.  Male (CCXN) has lost his colour.  Instead of trying to evict 3 juveniles, there are now 9 juveniles to contend with!

05/05/2024 Waterville Park, Blanchardstown, CCLX (M) and Female still on nest.

09/09/2024 Tymon Spawell - Female still on nest. 

17 June 2023

 

17/06/2023

Season now in full swing and really busy.  This is not my job but my hobby so mainly at weekends

Great Black-backed Gull chicks to be ringed

Herring Gull Chicks to be ringed

Lesser  Black-backed Gull chicks to be ringed.

And one of my favorite birds.  The European Shag.  

European Shag - Baby Dinosaurs

European Shag - Showing off new ring.

1st June 2023

Swan hatching has reached its peak.  Already in the survey area which is Dublin, North Wicklow and East Kildare there have been over 100 cygnets hatched.  I have more emails to go through (Can't keep up with replies, but I will catch up).

23 Nests hatched, but probably more.

Kildare

Dublin Southside

Dublin Northside

May 2023

 24 May 2023

What a busy month.  With Swans there are both hatchings and thankfully 100's of sightings of my project colour ringed individuals.  All to be added to database and entered into the BTO for my Adult Survival project.  I am way behind with all the correspondence but I do some catch each evening.  Apologies if you are left waiting for a report, I will get to them.  Likewise with hatchings, I have only 10 nests on my spread sheet that have hatched, so at least 6 more to verify and enter.

Tymon Park - Spawell or Wellington Road Pond

Herring Gull survival project is also in full swing.  We have had many hours of ringing and ring reading.  Unfortunately,  it looks like we will not get to Lambay this year, but 94 Herring Gulls recorded so far in Dublin  The aim was to get to about 200 individuals, more if possible.

For Great Black-backed Gulls, this year has been somewhat of a disaster.  As an apex predator, it looks like last winter bird flu has has a massive impact.  Shenick Island has gone from approx 50 nests last year to about 20 this year.  This sort of crash seem to be replicated at each colony I visit.

To date we have only recorded 50 of the target of 100 individuals.  They are just not around.  As with all species I do have many outstanding sightings to process, but there doesn't seem to be many new sightings on first review

April 2023

April 24th 2024

First cygnets hatched in Dublin.  Sean Walsh Park, Stadium Pond.  Only 2 visible according to my observer but more to follow, still in the nest.

April 2nd, 2023

This is my really bust time of year.  The Great Black-backed RAS and Herring Gull RAS kicked off on March 10th.  It has been shaping up for a disastrous season with numbers low and ring reads extremely low.  However, April 1st was a better day with 13 GB Rings read.  Hopefully, they are just late returning to Dublin this year and that Avian Flu hasn't decimated the population.

1PH, first sighting since March 2022.  This is quite typical.  They winter usually somewhere within 500KM some even winter in Spain.  

MUTE SWAN SURVIVAL RAS

First one this year was a surprise.  At the Avocet Twitch in Broadmeadows, CDID photobombed a group photo at the twitch!  Photo from twitter @JohnC1809.  Really made me laugh. 399 more to find - minimum.

Migration Starting?

February 2023

I have started colour ringing Black-headed Gulls in my local parks.  On Saturday 11/02/2023 I recorded one at Bull Island.  What is unusual is that the Southside ones usually roost on Sandymount Strand. Daily travel is East-west. No record of going north south or south north before.  Movement usually starts late Feb.  Is this one on the move to its breeding ground already?

The movement distance is not significant.  I have ones from my Local Park from St Petersburg and Ukraine and everywhere in between.  The significance or oddness is the direction.  1,000's of Black-headed Gull ring reads and this is a first.

08/06/2022

I do many bird ringing projects, but time involved in these projects which is not my job, means I haven't been maintaining my blog.  At this time of year my following projects are most active.  I am still active on Twitter - @Graham Prole

Great Black-backed Gull - Adult survival RAS

50 Adults identified by colour rings, so far, in my survey area.  Many of my project GB are also being reported but outside my RAS boundaries.  These are used for my own statistics on survival. 27/05/2022

Mute Swans of Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow Adult survival RAS

159 Individual  Adults re-sighted.  Identified by Rings  27/05/2022.  Where are all my Swans?  I should be at well over 200 by this stage.  Last year I re-sighted 258.  Almost 100 missing.

House Sparrows - Adult Survival RAS

Urban, Island and Rehab Herring Gull Project

Mute Swan Nesting survey.  The focus of this page.  The number of nests fluctuates each year as does cygnet numbers and survival to 12 weeks.  Monitoring this is part of the adult survival data.  Understanding age profile v success rate and other factors is really important in monitoring this species.

DAILY CYGNET NEWS

23/06/2022

Broadmeadows, Swords

CCJT & CBKZ (Missing Colour ring) have 2 cygnets _ Thanks Tom

Broadmeadows, Swords

CALP & CCVP with 4 cygnet - again thank you Tom

08/06/2022

Russborough House Lake, Blessington, Co Wicklow

Six cygnets reported today!  Great news, thank you Mary.

Tandys Bridge, Naas, Co Kildare.

Nest is hatched but no sign of the family.  The un ringed pair and five cygnets spotted at Lock N3 further down Grand Canal.  Thanks Deaglan

Grangecastle Business Park.  

Hatching yesterday.  2 Cygnets hatched but she is still on Eggs

02/06/2022
Knock Lake, North County Dublin.

2 Cygnets.  Rings on adults still not read.  Thank you Phil

31/05/2022

Waterville Park, D15

Still on Nest

Blanchardtown IT, Corduff - D15

Confirmed they have lost all their cygnets. :( 

29/05/2022

Waterstone Park, Liffey

CAPJ (M) and female with at least 1 on her back.  Count is 1, unless further updated.  Thank you Jan

28/08/2022

Castleknock Golf Club

CBKK + CBKL with 2 cygnets

27/05/2022

Ballymount Park

Hatched, CBIB with 3 cygnets

Rathcoole Park

Still turning her eggs.  Couldn't see the male today.

Grangecastle Business Park

Still on eggs

Corkagh Park, Fishing Lake

Interesting:  Nest empty.  Male patrolling.  Pen and Cygnets may have been on the Island out of view.

24/05/2022

Island Bridge have hatched - Four Cygnets in the rowing clubs pictures

Phoenix Park, Peoples garden.  5 Cygnets - Thank you Niall

22/05/2022

Lakeside Newbridge

2 Cygnets - final count.  (CATL) Thanks Deaglan

Naas Ponds

CBPD & CBXT  7 Cygnets Thanks again Deaglan

Citywest Business Campus.

Of the 7 hatched last week, there are 5 remaining.  CCSS has taken them down to the lower pond.  Cob CCAJ has remained at the lake they nested on at Lake Drive.

Waterville Park, Blanchardstown

CCLZ is still on eggs.  

18/05/2022

Poppintree Park, Naas Harbour, Naas Ponds Hospital, Tandys Bridge are all still on eggs.  Very unusual for the Kildare nests not to be first to hatch.

17/05/2022 Ballycragh Firhouse

4 Cygnets yesterday but only 2 left today. :( 

17/05/2022 Turvey Ponds, Rogerstown

4 Cygnets recorded today.  Thanks Jan

15/05/2021 Tymon Park Spawell (Wellington Road}

CCFF & CCFH have 5 cygnets

12/05/2022 Tymon Park, Limekiln Top Lake

CABF & CABD have 7 cygnets today.  (Known as Diarmuid & Grainne)  Thanks Brian

11/05/2022 Tolka Valley Park

CCPN with 6 cygnets.  Thank you Caoimhe

08/05/2022 Fr Collins Park, Donaghmede, 

4 Cygnets and  1egg remaining.  Thank you Tom

07/05/2022 Sean Walsh Park - Big Lake

Now only 4 Cygnets 

07/05/2022 Park West, Liffey Filters.

Two cygnets hatched apparently yesterday.  2 unhatched eggs left.  

07/05/2022 Blanchardstown IT, Corduff, Blanchardstown, D15

One hatched last night and was off with Cob and all fluffy.  3 Hatched between 10 & 11am.  One egg still to go.

07/05/2022 Waterville Park, Blanchardstown.

Still no sign of hatching.  They failed to hatch any last year, so keeping fingers crossed.

06/05/2022 Lakeside, Newbridge, Co Kildare

2 Cygnets but female still on eggs.  CATL.  Might be 2 nests.  Thanks Deaglan.

04/05/2022 Tymon Park, Dublin 24

I got a message to say 7 cygnets in Tymon Park.  Tymon Park, Limekiln big lake. CACJ & CACI (Known as Bonnie and Clyde)

03/05/2022 Bushy Park, Terenure, Dublin 6

5 Cygnets - Thanks Gregory

29/04/2022 Sean Walsh Park Big lake.

CBLK pen with 5 Cygnets.  DHE -Thank you

25/04/2022 - UCD Reilly Lake

Un-ringed pair - 3 Cygnets 

06/05/2022 Still 3 cygnets

24/04/2022 - Sean Walsh Park, Dublin 24, Stadium Lake

Cob Yellow CCHJ & Pen CBKS - 7 Cygnets

2021 Mute Swan nests in my study area.

DUBLIN, KILDARE & NORTH WICKLOW

06/06/2021

It is gradually coming to the end of the Swan hatching season.  Below is yet another update.  

Mute Swan nesting in 2021 seems to be an odd year.  Lots of nests but low production.  

Rathcoole Cygnets hatched as did Goldenbridge / Davitt Road among others.  However, War Memorial Gardens appear to have hatched and lost all 7 in the first 3 days.  Lots of Swans and nests is not always a sign of a healthy Swan population.  The age profile is a key factor.  Presently we have a lot of young inexperienced swan parents.  A more accurate reflection will be the 12 week old Survey.  

Rathcoole Park Cygnets

Chart updated 06/06/2021.