Brownstown Birds

4/12 1009: DUSKY WARBLER at Anne Valley, feeding & calling frequently along stream 1.2 km upstream from Dunhill Castle (DS) - 2nd ever Co Waterford record (same finder as the Brownstown Head October 2024 bird!)

Note the ‘casually cool’ introductory paragraph, equalled by the extract from Professor Newton’s response…

A hugely significant publication from the great RJ Ussher in the Irish Naturalist of 1897: Great Auk bones in kitchen middens at Tramore Sandhills - barely 2 km (as the auk can’t fly!) from the 1834 live capture of the species between Brownstown Head & Ballymacaw, Co Waterford

also the initials of the ringer…

8/11: Red-breasted Flycatcher & Firecrest ringed today along with 3 Blackcaps & 5 Chiffchaffs (AA)

8/11 1124: YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER (new), Red-breasted Flycatcher, Firecrest, Black Redstart & Swallow on Brownstown this morning (DW MC PA AA)

8/11 0820: Red-breasted Flycatcher still present on Brownstown Head (MC)

7/11: RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER (6th site record) at the chalet garden before heading inland towards the willow garden, FIRECREST at ‘Paddyfield corner’, Black Redstart, Siberian Chiffchaff (in willow garden), 8 Common Chiffchaffs & a Blackcap (DW)

Radford’s Flame Shoulder moth

2nd Radford’s Flame Shoulder of the week & 3rd ever for Brownstown Head last night (26/10) in a catch of just 5 moths, a Rusty-dot Pearl the only other migrant @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #mothsireland

Long-tailed Tit in mist-net

Redwing

Lesser Redpoll (adult male)

Lesser Redpoll (adult male)

26/10: Ringing highlights today were 17 Long-tailed Tits, a Redwing & 6 Lesser Redpolls (incl 3 adult males) in a total catch of 35 new birds

Radford’s Flame Shoulder

Delicate

Feathered Brindle

Dark Chestnut

Radford’s Flame Shoulder (2nd Brownstown Head record following one in 2024) was the migrant moth highlight Monday night (20/10/2025) plus a Delicate; residents included Feathered Brindle (rare/localised in SE Ireland) & a Dark Chestnut #migrantmothuk #mothsireland

A White-point was the migrant-moth highlight Friday night (17/10) - 1st Brownstown Head record, but previously recorded at the opposite side of Tramore Bay, in July 2022 #MigrantMothUK #mothsireland

A surprise, fresh Bordered Gothic in trap overnight 16/10 on Brownstown Head - latest-ever Irish record by 27 days? Near-identical to local individuals previously trapped here in June, evidently ruling out a blow-in… #mothsireland

17/10: Another YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER ringed on Brownstown Head this morning (MAD PMW) - 3rd in 6 days !

Delicate

L-album Wainscot

Scarce Bordered Straw

Palpita vitrealis

Eight species of (likely/possible) migrant moth on Brownstown Tues night (14/10) included single Delicate, L-album Wainscot (4th site record), Scarce Bordered Straw & Palpita vitrealis, plus 14 Rush Veneer, 7 RdPearl, 2 Silver Y & a DSGrass #migrantmothuk #mothsireland

15/10: another YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER ringed this morning (PMW), 2nd in 4 days

A few more of today’s Radde’s Warbler - part of a good catch of 66 new birds including 14 Chiffs, 3 Blackcaps, 7 Goldcrests, 16 Goldfinches & 2 Meadow Pipits

14/10: RADDE’S WARBLER ringed in the willow garden, Brownstown Head this morning (PMW) - the 3rd ringed in same garden in the last 10 Octobers (2016-2025), 6th Co Waterford (& 3rd Brownstown) record

1st-year male European Stonechat from last week - the wait continues for one of its eastern relatives (still missing from the Brownstown & Co Waterford lists)

Migrant & other autumn highlights among small moth catches on Brownstown Head this week included (clockwise from top left): L-album Wainscot (11/10/2025), Green-brindled Crescent (11/10), Vestal (7/10) & Feathered Ranunculus (9/10) #mothsireland #migrantmothuk

12/10: YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER ringed in the willow garden, Brownstown Head this morning (PMW)

27/9: juvenile Cuckoo, 2 Reed Warblers & a Whinchat on Brownstown today (DW)

20/9: Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, 2 Spotted Flys, Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Reed Warblers, 7 Blackcaps, a Willow Warbler, c.10 Chiffchaffs & 10 Wheatears on Brownstown (incl Coolum glen) (DW MC)

19/9: Whinchat, Wheatear, Pied & 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Garden Warbler, Reed W, Whitethroat, Blackcap, 2 Willow Ws & 3 Chiffs on Brownstown today (AA MC)

Given the season, some potential/target autumn-to-early-winter additions still needed for the Co Waterford list, based on national / adjacent-county status, local habitat / coverage, optimism & personal bias! Suggested best bets underlined - some hopefully just days/weeks away…

White-speck

Palpita vitrealis

Pearly Underwing

Dark Sword-grass

Migrant moths in garden traps on Brownstown Head last night (13/9): 1 White-speck, 2 Palpita vitrealis, 1 Pearly Underwing, 6 Dark Sword-grass, 34 Rush Veneer & 4 Rusty-dot Pearl (PMW)

14/9: Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher & Wheatear (MAD PMW). 13/9 (Sat): 2 Pied & 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Reed Warbler & 2 Wheatears (MC JR PMW)

A busy enough start to the autumn season - latest updates on waterfordbirds(dot)com - with expectations high for the coming weeks…

9/9: SABINE’s GULL off Brownstown Head late in evening (MC)

9/9: Reed Warbler, Pied Flycatcher & 2 Spotted Flycatchers in main willow garden (AA)