Tuesday 21 April 2015

Quoile Pondage Nature Reserve

Friday morning (April 17th) saw David Miller and I at the Quoile for a dawn chorus. Yes we were there at 0550 having been up since 0430. We had a brilliant time with 48 species including the first house martin of the year, the first little gull for some time and a range of singing migrants. The water levels were spot on for wildfowl and waders and we also heard a drumming great spotted woodpecker from Finnebrogue Estate across the other side of the river.

Good water levels at Castle Island hide


Little gull

Little gull and black-headed gull
 There were willow warblers every 20 metres along the road and at least 6 chiffchaffs as well. As well as the little gull Collector's Bay still had good numbers of mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, shoveler, teal, wigeon and 3 pintail. There was also about 20 black-tailed godwit well into breeding plumage. We arrived back tired and happy at the aural experience as well as the bird list. Just for the record I recorded my first swallow and willow warbler at Oxford Island on April 10th.

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