Friends of Sheskinmore Bird Species List Key Resident o Breeding visitor x Infrequent visitor v Common name Scientific Name JFMAMJJASOND Last seen, if before 2015 Notes Mute Swan Cygnus olor o o o ooo o o Resident, breeding. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus oo o o o o o Wintering. Small numbers are regular on Sheskinmore Lough. Snow Goose Anser caerulescens 2013 Rare winter vagrant. White-fronted Goose (Greenland) Anser albifrons flavirostris oo o o o o o Wintering. From 2010 to 2015 between 21 and 32 wintered annually. Numbers were formerly higher. Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus v 2010 Unusual winter migrant. Canada Goose Branta canadensis. oo o o o o 2014 Wintering. Over-winters annually or almost annually in small numbers. The origins of these birds are unknown. Some look noticeably smaller than typical feral Canada Geese. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis oo o o o o 2014 Wintering. Now not often seen feeding on the reserve, more often flying over. Brent Goose (Light-bellied) Branta bernicla hrota oo o o o o 2014 Wintering. Over-winters at Ballinreavy Strand where 45 were counted in March 2005. This species seems tamer and more aproachable than white-fronts or barnacles. Shelduck Tadorna tadorna oo o o o o o o o 2013 Shelducks may be resident but seem strangely scarce during the nesting season. Status on site is unknown. Wigeon Anas penelope o o o o Wintering. Often in small flocks on Sheskinmore Lough or feeding on grassland at eastern side of Ballinreavy Strand. Teal Anas crecca oo o o o o o o o Wintering. Up to 50 are regular on Sheskinmore Lough and they are also found in smaller numbers on the dune slack pools. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, breeding. Wintering flocks rarely exceed 30 birds. Tufted Duck Athya fuligula v v 2013 Unusual winter visitor to the lough Eider Somateria mollissima oo o o o o Wintering. Large dense flocks gather on Loughros More Bay, just off Carrickalahagh headland. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra o o 2011 Wintering. Often in flocks off Carrickalahagh usually interspersed with the eiders but in smaller numbers. Goldeneye Bucephala clangula v 2014 Unusual winter migrant to Sheskinmore Lough. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident at Ballinreavy Strand, possibly breeding on the south side of the estuary. Up to 20 seen in winter. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa 2011 Gun club released birds in the cereal plot Pheasant Phasianus colchicus ooo o Most audible and visible in the summer around McGlincheys Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata oo o o o o o o o o 2010 Wintering. Regular on the estuary off Ballinreavy Strand. They have been heard calling which is apparently rare on their wintering grounds. Great Northern Diver Gavia immer oo o o o Wintering. Regular on the estuary off Ballinreavy Strand. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis o o o ooo o o Resident. Regular on Sheskinmore Lough, probably breeding. Gannet Morus bassanus o o o ooo o Summer migrant, non-breeding. Visitor to the estuary south of the reserve. Often seen off Carrickalahagh headland. Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo o o o ooo o o o Regular visitor to Sheskinmore Lough. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, non-breeding. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, possibly breeding. Herons are often seen hunting off the rocks at Ballinreavy Strand and at Sheskinmore Lough. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos 2012 Unusual visitor from reintroduced population at Glenveagh. Other unconfirmed sightings since then Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus v v 2008 Rare spring and autumn passage migrant. The individual seen hunting over the Sheskinmore reedbed in June 2008 was a juvenile or a female Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus oo o o o o o Wintering. They are seen on the reserve from late August and females are much more regular than males. They may roost in the wet scrub at the reedbed.Irregular sightings in recent years Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, possibly breeding in the woods to the north of Sheskinmore Lough. Males and females are seen throughout the year. They often harass the large flocks of juvenile starlings that gather at the reserve from late summer. In winter, they are attracted by seed-eating passerines at the wild-bird cover by Kiltoorish Lough. Buzzard Buteo buteo oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, possibly breeding. Up to three are regular over the reserve. In 2001 one was seen with a recently killed young rabbit. Two forms of object-play have been recorded in the buzzards at Sheskinmore and an individual was also once seen bathing in Sheskinmore Lough. See here https://sheskinmore.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/playful-buzzards/ Osprey Pandion haliaetus v 2012 Unusual spring and autumn passage migrant. Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Resident, breeds in some years. Males and females are seen throughout the year. Family groups are sometimes seen over the reserve in late summer. Individuals have roosted in the rocky crevices on Mullyvea hill. In the past they probably nested in the ravens' nest at Tramore/Carrickalahagh; in the early 2000s kestrels were certainly regularly recorded at the nest in the breeding season. Merlin Falco columbarius oo o o o o o o 2010 Wintering. They have been seen in aerial pursuit of skylarks and meadow pipits and perched on fenceposts on the machair. Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus v 2002 Very rare vagrant. A white morph was seen in 2002. Peregrine Falco peregrinus vv v v v vv v v v v v Irregular visitor but seen throughout the year. In August 2003 an obviously inexperienced dispersing juvenile was on the beach at Ballinreavy; indicating that they breed in the local area. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, probably breeding. Regularly heard at the reedbeds around Sheskinmore Lough. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus oo o o o ooo o o o o 2011 Resident, probably breeding. The moorhens in the dune pools are very shy. When humans pass by they sometimes duck underwater and hold position with just their bills visible above the surface. Coot Fulica atra o 2004 Irregular visitor to Sheskinmore Lough. Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, possibly breeding. Small flocks of up to 150 are regular on Tramore and at the western tip of Carrickalahagh. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, breeding. Ringed plovers nest at Tramore and at the eastern side of Ballinreavy Strand. Outside the breeding season they are seen in small flocks, often with sanderlings and dunlins. Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria oo o o o o o o o o Wintering. While some overwinter, golden plovers also clearly pass through on spring and autumn migration. Highest tally was 120 in October 2005. Lapwing Vanellus vanellus oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, breeding. With the erection of the electric anti-predator fence at the machair breeding numbers might be expected to increase. Knot Calidris canutus o o 2005 Wintering. Present on Ballinreavy Strand in small numbers. Sanderling Calidris alba oo o o o o o o o Wintering. Up to 100 are regular on Tramore and Ballinreavy from August - April. Dunlin Calidris alpina oo o o o oo o o o o Resident? Recorded from late July to early May, often in mixed flocks with ringed plovers and sanderlings but usually in smaller numbers. Formerly bred on the machair. Snipe Gallinago gallinago oo o o o ooo o o o o Resident, breeding. Snipe nest on the machair and the lapwing anti-predator fence may benefit them too. They can be heard doing their aerial "drumming" displays into late summer. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola o o Wintering. Over-winters in small numbers in the woods to the north of Sheskinmore Lough and on the lower slopes of Mullyvea hill. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa v v 2005 Irregular visitor to Ballinreavy Strand. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica v v 2014 Possibly over-winters in small numbers but otherwise an irregular visitor to Ballinreavy Strand. Birds of prey Divers Wildfowl Rails Plovers & lapwings S&pipers & allies