May 2017 - My 1st + 2nd CR Grey Heron

May 27th

After glorious weather on Thursday and Friday, Saturday was a wash out.  However, after checking some nests I went to Howth.  I recorded 7 Darvic rings on Great Black Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls.

 GBBGU 2CR was ringed in 2009.  It should be nesting but seemed to be still pairing up.

However, bird of the day was 3CA,  Although a locally ringed Gull, it was last recorded in Boatstrand , Waterford.  That is 162Km away.

May 21st

Another nest was hatched today on my rounds of Swan Nests.  The 2nd Naas Nest.

May 20th

The nesting Census is changing daily with 18 monitored nests hatched to date.  However, I am always on the look out for anything with a CR Ring.  Today I spotted my 2nd CR Heron.  Orange Ring K14

Heron K14 on the River Liffey 

At Broadmeadows Estuary I photographed this 3cy Herring Gull with an Isle of Man Ring. I photographed it from near where the photo of the swans below was taken.  You can see the gulls out on the mud bank.  The photo isn't great but the ring is legible.  T5YF

At Broadmeadows I read 50 rings and no new Swans to add to the annual survival project or RAS. In the photo below the Swan in the middle has no rings!!  Where did it come from!

May 13th

My days are spent checking Mute Swan nests and counting Cygnets!  7 Nest sites checked today and two more have hatched during the week.  I also followed up on a tip and located the nest of CASP and CASZ.  I hadn't seen this pair since they were going up and down the Canal looking for a nesting site in March, so good to find where they are nesting.

Grand Canal - The Park West nest has hatched.  

May 7th

Still busy reading Swan rings for my RAS project.  Even at Broadmeadows, I am still re sighting one or two new Swans at each visit to that location.

MUTE SWAN CAPV at Broadmeadows

There was a big twitch on the far side of the Estuary with a Marsh Sandpiper showing very well. Both photos taken with the Nikon P900

May 1st

Out and about checking Mute Swan Nests in Dublin.  Another couple of nests have hatched.  However my CR bird of the day was a Heron.  My club have been Colour Ringing them for a few months, but this is the first observation away from the ringing site.

CR Heron in Dublin on the Royal Canal

Heron Orange K00

Cygnets on the Royal Canal at Shandon Gardens.

Finished off a glorious day in Broadmeadows and Colour Ringed another 6 Mute Swans.