Well, start of a new year has come to mean start of a new species list.
Last year I managed learn 126 bird id's, I was hoping for 150, but there you go. I know some people might see that many species over a couple of days but I'm not a huge number gatherer - quality not quantity for me at this stage.
Arrived back in Drimnagh last night, a little down to be back tbh. I left Yorkshire on the 29th for a wedding near Carlingford and stayed there until last night. Woke up this morning, with Dublin's grey concrete giving a whack to my senses. I'm missing farmland!
I really wish there was more public access to farmlands walks in Ireland.
I think a walk in Wicklow is called for.
Over Christmas I had received an email about possible Brent Geese around Crumlin, so decided I'd go and check the inland feeding sites in the area.
I did the rounds of Eamon Ceannt (Sundrive) park, Pearse park, the roundabout and Brickfields park but didn't see any geese or evidence that they'd been using these sites yet.
I drove over to Stanaway park in Crumlin to see if Waxwings were still there, but I didn't see any sign of them or any berries left on the trees.
Looking around the parks around gave me 26 species, most notable were 2 male Black caps and 6 Long Tailed Tits in Brickfields park and 1 Lesser Redpoll and 40 Linnets in Sundrive. There were a lot of Redwings around, probably about 80 in Sundrive but only 1 definite sighting of a Fieldfare in Lorcan O'Toole Park, Crumlin. I kept an eye out for Brambling, but still the bird is eluding me.
Happy new Birding year to everyone, here's to the changing seasons.
