Resolutions and Solutions

We are now well into the New Year but it is by no means too late for resolutions. Waterford has an immense variety of and richness in its wildlife so make a decision now to get out and enjoy and experience some of these opportunities during the current calendar year.

So what can we expect?

Birds

Cattle Egret by Richard Zamora

Historically just over 300 different species of bird have been recorded in Waterford. In the last five years the numbers of different species recorded have been 187 (2013), 197 (2012), 203 (2011), 194 (2010) and 185 (2009). On the 4^th of January 2014, 112 different species of bird were recorded in Waterford on that single day.

Opportunities abound to see birdlife in the county and the following are some suggestions:

Spoonbill by Fran O'Connell

Dungarvan still hosts the overwintering spoonbill. Check out Ballyneety for the spectacular male goldeneye and accompanying dowdier females. Over the past several weeks two cattle egrets have taken up residence in the Bunmahon/Seafield area - southern Europe or Africa would be their more usual winter home. The boating lake at Tramore is presently affording close-up views of shovelor, gadwall, tufted duck and snipe along with numerous gulls and other wildfowl. 

Ring-necked Duck & Tufted Ducks by Bernie Sheridan

A careful search through the gulls should yield the North American ring-billed gull and an Artic glaucous gull. A male ring-necked duck is currently wintering at Ballyshunnock reservoir.

Kingfisher by Richard Zamora

A check out of the bridges crossing the rivers at Ballyvoile, Stradbally, Bunmahon and Annestown (among other rivers) should yield a dipper and perhaps a colourful kingfisher.

During spring/early summer a visit to the foothills of the Comeraghs or The Vee should produce a cuckoo. The distinctive call is obvious and with patience it should be possible to observe the bird itself.

In late April whimbrel migrate through Waterford on their way north to their breeding grounds. In some years literally thousands of these birds linger on the beach at Clonea as they feed up before resuming their journey northwards.

Whimbrel by Andrew Malcolm

Spring also offers the opportunity to experience the famous Dawn Chorus. At dawn numerous different species of bird sing loudly to proclaim their territories and re-establish contact with each other. Organised outings take place in Waterford and although it means an extremely early start it is well worth the effort.

Dipper by Fran O'Connell

In July/August watch from headlands such as Helvick and Brownstown during storms for seabirds pushed close to land by strong winds. Numbers passing can be spectacular and include shearwaters, skuas, auks, terns and other species.

Insects

With the warmer weather in spring insects make their appearance. Watch out in March and April for the spectacular male orange tip butterfly. A visit to Coumaraglinmountain in May/June should provide an opportunity to observe the green hairstreak butterfly. Its much rarer relative the purple hairstreak can be seen fluttering around the tops of oak trees in August/September. Colligan and Ballyrafter are good sites for this butterfly. The ideal habitat is the canopy of oaks overhanging streams. A visit to Mount Congreve may be rewarded with a comma – a recent Waterford coloniser.

The area between Annestown and Dunhill castle is excellent for emperor dragonfly and brown hawker in summer. Watch these large insects as they hunt and defend territories, resembling miniature helicopters as they fly to and fro.

Mammals

Fox by Andrew Malcolm

Everybody admires red squirrels and they are widespread in Waterford. The Towers at Lismore and Colligan Woods are good areas for the species. Pine martens are rarer and much more elusive but are present in the Kilrossanty and Portlaw areas. Watch the fields throughout the county at any time for foxes hunting.

Common Dolphin by Andrew Malcolm

Bats are also widespread in Waterford. Watch any waterways at dusk in the county

during spring/summer for the daubenton’s bat. Street lights attract leisler’s bats at night where they can be observed feeding.

Minke Whale by Andrew Malcolm

Harbour Seals by Bernie Sheridan

The Waterford coast is fast gaining a reputation as one of the foremost places in Europe for observing marine mammals. Fin whales (the second largest animal to ever exist on the planet), minke whales, humpback whales, bottle-nosed and risso’s dolphins are easily observable in season. Ram Head at Ardmore, Helvick Head and Tankardstown at Bunmahon are excellent vantage points. Dungarvan Harbour holds small numbers of

both grey and harbour/common seals.

Check out www.waterfordbirds.com for local wildlife updates and submission of records. If you have any questions or comments please email them to japwatntr@gmail.com.

Pelagic Birding and Dolphins

Gannet by Andrew Malcolm

On Friday the 9^th of August, 13 local birders and crew, captained by Martin Colfer, sailed from Youghal

along the Waterford coast in search of pelagic birds and perhaps some whales and dolphins.

Pelagic birds are birds of the open seas, which are unlikely to be encountered on land other than at breeding colonies.

Black Guillemot by Fran O'Connell

Gannets were quickly seen. These very large seabirds sustain themselves entirely by fishing. They dive into the sea, often from a great height, in pursuit of their prey. Once almost wiped out as a breeding species in Ireland, they are now happily thriving.

Auks (family name Alcids) are well represented in Irish waters by guillemots, black guillemots, razorbills and, everybody’s favourite, puffins. Looking comical and friendly puffins are, in reality, tough, ocean going birds, capable of surviving the harshest conditions. Puffins, like all auks, fish by pursuing their prey underwater, using their wings to propel themselves forwards.

Puffins by Dominic Clancy

Storm petrels are a tiny (sparrow-sized) totally pelagic species, which dip feed on the ocean surface. The name petrel is thought to derive from St Peter as their pattering on the surface of the sea is reminiscent of the Saint’s ability to walk on water. Storm Petrels are also known as “Mother Carey’s Chickens” after a supernatural figure representing the sea. Petrel’s tiny seemingly fragile appearance again belies their ability to survive at sea in the most extreme conditions. During the trip storm petrels were very much in evidence.

Manx Shearwater by Pat Veale

Sooty Shearwater by Andrew Malcolm

Shearwaters are a truly pelagic species undertaking huge annual migrations. The name derives from their flying method, whereby they appear to shear across the waves. Manx shearwaters breed in Ireland and migrate to waters off Brazil and Argentina in the winter. They were regular on the trip as were small numbers of sooty shearwaters. “Sooties” breed on southern ocean islands and disperse northwards along the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, moving east into our waters in July/August before returning south down the eastern side of the Atlantic to their remote breeding colonies in November/December.

Fulmar by Fran O'Connell

Almost always on view during the trip was the fulmar. Fulmars look superficially like gulls but their stiff winged flight and tube noses are obvious differences and more reminiscent of their close relatives albatrosses. The tube nose is an adaptation for excreting salt, which is picked up through their prey and seawater. Now a common breeding bird in Ireland this was not always the case. However with the demise of the human population on St. Kilda in Scotland and the subsequent reduction in hunting, fulmars quickly moved into all available breeding niches in Britain and Ireland.

Also in attendance on the pelagic trip was the kittiwake. This species is

Kittiwake by Dominic Clancy

named after its call. The kittiwake is a beautiful, dainty, small gull with jet black wing tips as if dipped in ink. This is a truly ocean going species which will never be encountered in dumps (as are other gulls) and only rarely on land. Dunmore East presents a good opportunity to see kittiwakes as they breed there on the cliffs in spring/summer.

Other species seen on the trip included several species of large gull, terns and a small pod of porpoises.

Martin Colfer regularly runs bird watching and whale watching trips from Youghal and is available on 087 265 7177.

Bottlenose Dolpin by Bernie Sheridan

Dungarvan was recently graced by a pod of bottlenose dolphins, comprising of ten to twelve individuals. The dolphins lingered for a few days, hunting between Ballinacourty Lighthouse and Ballyvoile. Bottlenose dolphins track their prey by the use of echo location. These dolphins are regular in Irish waters, with a resident population in the Shannon estuary and the most famous of all “Fungie” in Dingle harbour.