Swan Nesting notes. Hoping for a good season!

 

06/04/2026

As part of the Mute Swan Survival project, the counting of nesting swans has started.  The following is the log notes which will eventually be cygnet numbers.  A whole new season, hopefully better than last year.  They can and will nest anywhere, but we check the traditional nesting locations.

Swan nest.

Adamstown12th, Lock, 

05/04/2026 on 1 egg

06/04/2026 CDJC + CDNN - on 2 eggs.  Same pair as last year.  Ditch dredges so nesting on tow path!

Airside Retail Park

05/04/2026.  New pair nesting.  CCBL & CFPT

Ardclough, No report yet

Balcarrick GC, No report yet

Ballycragh Park

No adults present.  3 of last years cygnets still present but out on the grass.  CFVZ CFVX CFZK.  Dense vegetation on the Island but fairly sure nothing happening here in 2026.

Ballymount Park

03/04/2026.  10 Swans present and can't see an obvious pairing among them.  No nesting observed

Barrettstown, No report yet

Blanch IT

CFVJ & CDKB (M?).  (Thank you Jan).  Out on the grass, not on a nest

Blessington Basin, No report yet

Bohernabreena Reservoir, No report yet

Broadlough, No report yet

Broadmeadows

05/04/2026.  Difficult to yet see nests.  No nest count.

Broombridge, No report yet

Bushy Park

26/03/2026 - W43 is all I could read.    Assumed W43628 which was CBTL.  No sign of female.  Reed bed very dense so not sure if present.

Carton House, No report yet

Castleknock Golf Club, No report yet

Castleknock Train Station, No report yet

Craddockstown GC, No report yet

Castletown House, No report yet

Caves Marsh, Malahide, No report yet

Chapelizod, No report yet

Corkagh Fishing Lake

04/06/2026  CDJV + CCDD nesting

Male on nest when I arrived and female some distance from the nest.  1 addled egg near the nest.  Still at laying stage

Corkagh Wildfowl

04/04/2026 CDKZ + CDJK nesting

Not sure how far along they are as the female came over to me on the bridge.  If incubating she would remain on the nest.

Corrstown Golf Club - Swords, No report yet

Druids Glen, No report yet

Fairview Park, Tolka.  

31/03/2026  30m before Distillery Bridge.  The pair was copulating on the river, so assumed still in laying stage.  This is an un-ringed pair.  Thank you JF for your report

Fr Collins Park.

06/04/2026. CCLK + CDSV sitting on at least 5 eggs.  (Thanks Tom C)

Gollierstown Bridge, Grand Canal, No report yet

Grand Canal Basin, No report yet

Grangecastle Business Park.

04/04/2026 Female still firmly on nest.   CDJD Present

06/04/2026 CDJD on 7 eggs.  CFZD (M) present.

Kilbogget Park

18/03/2026 CCKX (F) + CCIB.  This is messy!  Male killed by dog last year.  CCKX back from Bray with new male CCIB.  However, some of last years cygnets and 3yo CFLB present, it could be yet another fight before nesting.

Kileen Golf Club Nest 1, No report yet

Kileen Golf Club Nest 2, No report yet

Knock Lake, No report yet

Lucan Weir, No report yet.  

02/04/2026 CBAV still at Broadmeadows.  CDLV was on the Grand Canal in Feb,  works at Lucan Weir still ongoing.

Luttrellstown Castle Nest 1, No report yet

Luttrellstown Castle Nest 2, No report yet

Luttrellstown Castle Nest 3, No report yet

Lyons Estate, No report yet

Maynooth, No report yet

Naas Harbour, No report yet

Naas Ponds, No report yet

Newbridge Lakeside, No report yet

Osberstown, Naas, Kerry Pond, No report yet

Parkwest

15/03/2026.  CFHP & CFHS Same pairing as last year.  Nest built but not observable.  Think already incubating.

Palmerstown GC, No report yet

Palmerstown GC 2, No report yet

Peoples Park, Phoenix Park, No report yet

Poppintree Park, 

Report from VH 18/03/2026 that they are already on nest.  To be followed up

Russborough House, No report yet

Ryewater Aquaduct, No report yet

Sally Mills, No report yet

Santry Demense, No report yet

Sean Walsh Park – Big lake

Male – Territorial.  CCXC – On Island nest 3 eggs visible when turning them

Sean Walsh Park Stadium

16/03/2026 CFCF and CBKS are back in their original nest site behind the stadium, and I think have been on eggs for maybe about a week already, Thank you DHE

Shandon Gardens, No report yet

Skerries Mill, No report yet

St Stephens Green, No report yet

Tolka Valley Park, (2 Lakes) No report yet

Tulfarris GC, No report yet

Turvey

05/04/2026.  Territorial pair.  No sign of nesting yet.  Old Male, new female this year.  CDVT & CAFV(M)

Tymon Limekiln.

26/03/2026.  Female CABD   Male – Colour missing W43468.  Asleep on grass with 3 cygnets from last year

29/03/2026 – Female missing (Might be nesting).  Cygnets still tolerated and male still will not let them out to ring!

Tymon North.

29/03/2026  New Pairing.

CDNZ with new young female, a 6, but probably only 3 years old.  Ringed this morning 29/03/2026 CHHA.  No sign of nesting yet.  Partner from last year nesting SWP Stadium

Tymon Spawell  (Wellington Road)

26/03/2026 CCFF & CDKI Territorial but near traditional nest site.  3 cygnets from last year present

29/03/2026 Female on Nest.  3 cygnets from last year still present.

UCD, No report yet

War Memorial, No report yet

Waterville Park, No report yet

Zoo, Africa Plains, No report yet

Mute Swans - Adult Survival 2026

 04/04/2026

Ballymount Park. 03/04/2026

The Mute Swan Annual Survival project 2026 has started.  Officially, the methodology is called a RAS, (Re-trapping Adults for Survival), but it is more like Swan Bingo!  Last year there were 239 Swans recorded in the project boundaries, 104 new Swans ringed and probably another 50 Swans, some were outside the project boundaries but might be recorded this year.   So looking for about 370 mute swans.  The first week is easy, large herds of young Swans at Swords and Bray, small herds at a few parks.  After that it starts getting hard, maybe 50 pairs nesting or holding territory.  

The 2025 Project birds.  As they are recorded in 2026, marked in Yellow

Unexpected sightings are swans not recoded within the boundary last year.

Each Swan in Dublin is individually identifiable by the colour ring.

2026 Great Black-backed Gull Season starts

15/03/2026 

 March is a fantastic time of year for birds, particularly exciting for all the IMRG Gull projects. The Black-headed Gull numbers continue to decline as they depart for their breeding grounds, Herring Gull adults increase as they return ready for nesting. The Great Black-backed Gulls is always my primary focus for producing annual Survival survival stats by way of BTO RAS. My first trip to Howth Harbour for the 2026 season and only 5 rings read and of those, 2 were last years Juveniles. Another was an adult only ringed last year but two old blue ringed adults recorded. My aim is always to record as many as physically possible.  In 2025, exactly 100 colour ringed GB were recorded within my Dublin project boundaries.  (Many more were recorded outside the project boundaries)  All GB's recorded had wintered in Dublin.  So I'm still waiting for those which wintered many miles from Dublin to return.  The furthest wintering spot for these magnificent Gulls is Northern Spain.  1000KM+ although most stay within 200km

Below 1PH, ringed 2012 and 3CN ringed 2013.

Below 5K4:D.  Adult only ringed in 2025 and has wintered locally at Broadmeadows Estuary, Swords

Below are Second Calendar Year 1M1:D + 0M2:D

23 - 24 August 2025 - Ring Reading Dublin

 24/08/2025

Seapoint

Today I had to contend with Paddle boarders continually harrying the roosting birds.  I don't think they were doing it on purpose, but every time birds landed they approached.  Very quickly there were only 2 terns and 4 med gulls left.  Only read 1 Tern Ring.  The rocks here are such an important roosting location as they are usually not accessible to people or dogs.

At the Forty Foot in Dun Laoghaire, there were lots of metal ringed terns but it took a while to find a colour Ring.  

Eventually saw a Sandwich Tern with an Orange Ring.  KKP is another one that is probably from Lady's Island in Wexford.  

The aim of the morning was to read Med Gulls and three were recorded.  Two yellow rings, which were deployed in Dublin, and a Green ring on a med that comes to Dublin every year after breeding back in Germany.

23/08/2025

With my main project seasons coming to a close or over, time for a bit of ring reading.  Started in Dublin City on the Tolka River at Fairview.  I am back counting Swan broods now they are 12 weeks old.  (Fairview pair had 8 cygnets and still have 6 which is really good).

High up on a building I recorded a Herring Gull C26:D.  First record since 2021!  Nice to know its alive.

I went to The Great South Wall as the tide was really high.  Here, the railings near the sewage works provide a high tide roost for all types of Terns, Black-Headed Gulls, Cormorants and other species.

First Ring was one of our Irish Midland Ringing Group Black-headed Gulls Green 2AFD.  I haven't cropped the photo as it shows the railing roosts well.

There is some coming and going and eventually a Polish Juvenile was also recorded.

Also on the Railings was one of my project Great Black-Backed Gulls 570:D.  From the Dalkey Island Colony.

I moved on to Seapoint.  Disappointed to find people climbing on the rocks and the High Tide Roost was gone.  Only One Bird Recorded at this location.  Another of my project Great Black-Backed Gulls again from Dalkey Island 8J6:D

I continued South to Sandycove and the Forty Foot.  Quite a Few Mediterranean Gulls but no Rings.  Far out there were Sandwich Terns.  But even with my Nikon P950, the rain was heavy enough to blur the photos.  I recorded 1 only.  Did you know that Sandwich Terns from Wexford head north to Dublin before they migrate south?

This is normally in range for Sandwich tern Rings but not today.  I could see the orange ring but not 100% on the code

Did manage 1 ring,  Looks to be a Wexford bird.  Orange [KNN]

I finished off in Bullock Harbour to see what's passing through.  6 Meds but no rings.  This years Juvenile Great Black-backed was the highlight.  Too many to upload all the Bullock Birds, but all GB's and no Herring Gulls rings again.

2025 Mute Swan productivity

02/06/2025 14:15 Swan Nesting Census 2025

The Swan nesting census is nearly finished for 2025.  My boundaries are the greater Dublin area which includes East Kildare and North Wicklow.   2024 was very poor and below what is needed to maintain the population.  We only had 116 cygnets hatch and many of them did not survive the first 12 weeks.

The following is the outstanding nests / data .

Baldoyle Estuary. New nest site.  Still nesting.  Neither Swan identified.  

Ballymount Park.  Still nesting.  

Blessington Street Basin.  Neither adult identified yet.

Castletown House.  I have not visited this lake to see results of nesting.

Corkagh Park, Wildfowl Lake.  Still nesting.

Hatchings listed alphabetically below, the current situation is as of 01/06/2025 20:10 is 119 cygnets hatched.

Adamstown, 12th Lock on Grand Canal.  

01/06/2025, 4 Cygnets.   Make CDNN & Female CDJC

Ballycragh, Firhouse, Dublin 24

17/05/2025. 5 Cygnets

08/09/2025 Still 5 cygnets

Blessington Street Basin, Dublin7

12/05/2025. 6 Cygnets.  Both parents - rings not yet read.

Bray, River Dargle

New nest site.  22/05/2025 3 Cygnets.  Female un-ringed!

Broombridge

29/05/2025. 4 Cygnets hatched

Bushy Park, Rathfarnham

11/05/2025 5 cygnets.  Female un-ringed.

10/09/2025 3 Cygnets

Caves Marsh, Malahide Yacht Club.

01/06/2025 hatched 4

Chapelizod, Liffey

18/05/2025 Hatched 6.  

06/07/2025 Island Bridge  CCZZ (M) unringed F & 4 Cygnets

Corkagh Park, Fishing Lakes

20/05/2025 hatched 6.

30/08/2025 - Female taken into care by Kildare Wildlife.  Lethargic.  Put on drip.  No update.

03/09/2025 - Female returned to Corkagh Park

06/09/2025 - CCDD M & CDJV + 5 cygnets

Corkagh Fishing Lakes 02/02/2025 13 days old.

Fairview Park, Tolka River

31/05/2025. 8 Cygnets and both swans un-ringed.

23/08/2025 Still 6 Cygnets.

Fr Collins Park, 

11/05/2025 hatched 6 Cygnets

Gollierstown Bridge, Adamstown

24/05/2025 Hatched 4 Cygnets

Grangecastle Business Park

10/05/2025.  Hatched 4.  However it soon reduced to 3.

02/09/2025 Still 3 Cygnets at Grangecastle.

Lucan Weir

30/05/2025.  Hatched.  Just 1 Cygnet.  Spot the cygnet?  The cygnet is now called Spot.

14/09/2025.  Spot has survived.  1 Cygnet

Naas Harbour, Co Kildare

24/05/2025 Hatched 3 cygnets

Newbridge, Lakeside

17/05/2025 Hatched 9 cygnets

23/07/2025 Still 8 Cygnets

04/08/2025 7 Cygnets remain.

Parkwest Guinness Filters, Clondalkin

10/05/2025 Hatched 3 Cygnets

06/09/2025.  No surviving Cygnets

Poppintree Park, Ballymun

25/05/2025 Hatched 8 Cygnets

Ryewater Aquaduct / Confey. Leixlip, Co Kildare

17/05/2025 Hatched 3 cygnets

Tolka Valley Park, Finglas

24/05/2025 Spotted with 4.  These always leave the Park when hatched and travel down the Tolka to Griffith Park.  They arrived with 4.  No way of knowing how many hatched.

Tymon Park, Limekiln Lake, Tallaght, Dublin 24

21/05/2025 Hatched 8 Cygnets

06/09/2025 4 Cygnets remain. :)

14/09/2025 managed to confirm the metal. CABF  - Colour missing - Metal read.  

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Tymon North, Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24

15/05/2025.  Hatched 7 Cygnets

19/07/2025    Still with 5 Cygnets

09/09/2025    Still with 5 Cygnets

Tymon Park, Spawell end.  (Also called Wellington Road Lake).

10/05/2025 hatched 5

University College Dublin, Belfield

19/05/2025.  New Pair, un-ringed.  Hatched 2 Cygnets

14/07/2025 - Still 2 Cygnets - Nessa Childers.