Recent Sightings - 14th December 2020
All real collection of exciting birds around today; too many to choose! A Scaup is being seen regularly with the Tufted ducks, it's been moving between all the water bodies. Two Kingfishers are often being seen chasing each other away from their favourite fishing spots. A huge flock of Curlew were seen roosting and foraging in the Peninsula field at high tide. A Peregrine falcon zoomed past the Limekiln over the Lough this morning. Potentially the most exciting SPOT this morning, was a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Great Spotted Woodpecker is a great sighting as they, until recently, were extinct in Ireland. These woodland specialists, although common in Britain, were thought to have gone extinct in Ireland during the 17th century, after large scale felling decimated Irish forests. Ireland remains to this day, with smallest percentage cover of woodland in Europe. However, within the last decade, Great Spotted Woodpeckers have gone from being a incidental blow- in, to a breeding bird once again in Ireland. County Down is their strongest foothold in Northern Ireland, with a number of pairs believed to be breeding in the Downpatrick area. Perhaps this bird could be this years offspring looking for it's own territory next year?! Regardless, it's GREAT to see the signs of this once locally extinct species, making a strong return to it's ancestral home. Hopefully, in the coming years, Great Spotted Woodpeckers will be a common sight in our Woodland here at Castle Espie.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent goose 69, Shelduck 270, Oystercatcher 170, Curlew 15, Redshank 18, Little egret 1, Greenshank 5, Turnstone 4, Dunlin 3, Grey plover 1, Eider 118, Lesser Blacked Gull 1, Peregrine Falcon 1, Grey Heron 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor centre
Mallard 116, Tufted duck 14, Moorhen 1, Gadwall 1, Goldeneye 1, Greylag Goose 3
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Teal 9, Mallard 13
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Moorhen 6, Redshank 6, Black-headed gull 2, Teal 65, Coot 2
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 9, Moorhen 2, Coot 1, Greater Spotted Woodpecker 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Egret 1, Little grebe 4, Scaup 1, Black-headed gull 1, Moorhen 1
Brickworks
Jackdaw 4, Blackbird 3
Limestone Lake
Kingfisher 2, Little Grebe 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Greenshank 1 , Black-headed Gull 1
Peninsula Field
Curlew 122, Rook 1
Woodland
Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Blue tit, Coal tit, Long-tailed Tit Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Jay, Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon
