Sunday, 5 April 2026

Swan Nesting notes. Cygnets already!

 


10/05/2026




Fr Collins Park  - Hatched
Sean Walsh Stadium - Hatched 7.  6 surviving
Grand Canal Dock - Hatched
Grangecastle - Hatched 6. 
Sean Walsh Park, Big lake 7 Cygnets
Tymon Limekiln - Hatched and all predated.  
Airside Retail - Failed.  Female back at Broadmeadows.

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!

07/04/2026.  Female still sitting. Male not observed.

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

Bray, Dargle River


12/04/2026 Unfortunately, their first nest was washed away and the 4 eggs lost. They have rebuilt and again are on 4 eggs. Same pair as last year CFVF + CDAX

Broadlough, No report yet

Broadmeadows


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

Broombridge,

12/04/2026 Nest confirmed. Rings yet to be read. Thank you AM.

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.

07/05/2026.  I am not sure if there is a nest.  Plenty of places on the Island and in the reed bed where it might be but I haven't seen one.  W43633 is the male (metal Ring read)  I note the metal ring was replaced 2 years ago on CBTL.  Same swan

Carton House, No report yet

Castleknock Golf Club, No report yet

Castleknock Train Station,


15/04/2026 CCFL present. No other swans or nest observed. Thank Alan.

Craddockstown GC, No report yet

Castletown House, No report yet

Caves Marsh, Malahide, 

03/05/2026 CBFK and Mate sitting on eggs.  1 egg out of nest.  Thanks Tom & Maureen

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)

24/04/2026 CDSV + CCLK with 6 cygnets.  1 Egg Unhatched - Thanks Tom C.

Gollierstown Bridge, Grand Canal, No report yet

Grand Canal Basin,
27/04/2026 On instagram.  2 Cygnets and Pen in the lock being rescued.  Full clutch size unknown.

Grangecastle Business Park.

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

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

18/04/2026 6 eggs visible in the nest but probably 7. Thanks Enda

05/05/2026.  Hatching, a few heads seen but pen firmly still on nest

07/05/2026.  6 Cygnets out on the lake.  

Kilbogget Park

18/03/2026 CCKX (F) + CCIB. This is messy! Male killed 2024 by dog, 2025 died as a result of oil spill?. 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.

12/04/2026. CCKX (F) + CCIB. Last years 3 cygnets still on other lake. Thanks Peter.

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,


17/04/2026 Female on nest. Male present. Rings still to be confirmed. Thank you Caitríona.

Naas Harbour, No report yet

Naas Ponds, No report yet

Newbridge Liffey


Nest, one un-ringed and the other possibly CDIZ, yet to be verified. Thanks DdP

Newbridge Lakeside,

14/04/2026. There is a nest confirmed at this location. Pair unconfirmed but probably CDIS & CFKN. Thanks DdP

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.

18/04/2026 Sitting Pretty with male in attendance.

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

18/04/2026 Female still on nest. Turning eggs. Male metal ring only - un-read.

Russborough House, No report yet

Ryewater Aquaduct,


01/04/2026. Nesting at the Louisa Bridge end this year. CFPH (M), female not identified yet. Thank you CL. Last year the female was CDDH but to be confirmed for 2026.

Sally Mills, No report yet

Sallins, Co Kildare

23/04/2026.  Nesting.  Male colour ringed but not read.  Thanks Conor W.

Santry Demense, No report yet

Sean Walsh Park – Big lake

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

CFCC (F) & CCXC (M) have 7 cygnets

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

26/04/2026 - Still on nest.  Male far away so probably not hatching this week.

28/04/2026 - What do I know!  Hatching today.  3 Cygnets DHE

30/04/2026 7 Cygents although one looks very week

05/05/2026 6 Cygnets

Shandon Gardens, No report yet

Skerries Mill,


14/04/2026. Confirmed nest at this location. Rings unread. Thanks AM.

15/04/2026. Male CCVP, Female on nest also ringed but unable to read. Thanks Jan

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!

10/04/2026 - Confirmed nesting in the reed bed. Worrying location as this is now an attenuation lake and liable to rise rapidly in heavy rain

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.

13/04/2026 Still no sign of this pair nesting. Although ringed as 2 years +, she is probably only 3 years old. Technically can nest but rare.

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.
10/05/2026 When I got there there was only one remaining cygnet.  Pen took off to chase a Gull with the one remaining cygnet on its back.  It fell and a Heron predated it before the pair realised that they were missing the one remaining cygnet.  

UCD, No report yet

War Memorial, No report yet

Waterville Park,

18/04/2026 Female on nest. Male CCLX close by. Juvenile CFSB still present in the lake - unusual.Zoo, Africa Plains, No report yet








Saturday, 4 April 2026

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.

Sunday, 15 March 2026

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