We have been watching and listening carefully and have identified lots of winged neighbours living in our vicinity.
Mostly the common and expected birds but a few rare ones too.
Birds we have identified here since January are:

Robin • Blue tit • Great tit • Chiff chaff • Greenfinch • Spotted flycatcher  • Chaffinch 
Coal tit • Jackdaw • Song thrush • Black cap • Blackbird • Goldcrest • Firecrest • Dunnock
Cuckoo • Curlew • Whimbrel • Little Grebe • Hooded crow • Turtle dove • Black headed gull  Greater whitethroat • Willow warbler • Raven • Buzzard • Goldfinch • Woodpigeon
Garden warbler • Linnet • Barn swallow • Meadow pippit • White wagtail • Long tailed tit
Starling • Carrion crow • Yellow hammer  • Magpie • Jay • Black redstart  • Redwing
Mallard • Mistle thrush • Bullfinch • House sparrow • Wren

Its comforting to know they are all here. It is around the areas of scrub where we hear them most, and of course in the ditches. The edges and boundaries, the last refuge in many cases for wildlife.

We made and installed five nesting boxes for the barn owl. This bird was quite common here in years past as we earlier mentioned. We had a helping hand from the Wexford Barn Owl Project on this one, and with their help we hope to be able to monitor any visitors should they arrive!

We built and installed a variety of nesting boxes with different openings and nesting spaces which may serve to attract and support several of the species listed above next spring.

As we’ve said inputs were quite underestimated, energy time materials and costs and it simply would not have been possible without the the record sales from Sean Scully and Dorothy Cross at our “Island” exhibition and auction by Whyte’s auctioneers in Hang Tough Contemporary last January.

We are waiting eagerly for the publication of Sean Scully’s “Endangered Skies” later in July! A huge thank you to all who have shown their support.

In every edge and boundary Where hounded beings dwell
My yellow blaze will burst to flame When given just the smell
Of a sun kiss that might fall upon My bristled thorns in spring
Or the nesting wren or song thrush Who might settle here to sing

The beauty that is everywhere Traveling from the hub
is from your core and mine
In Beams of love reflected up

And if a nightingale should come
And sing and die on heart pricked thorn

Not one petal would turn red But a goldfinch would be born No princes jewel
would make a fool

Of her body in the grass And old white moon
Would surely swoon
To hear of what had passed

And the badgers nestled in my roots Would waken to her sigh
And set forth out upon their paths Where the truth can be a lie

And in truth you come to me today
Your heart is worn and thin
Come, sing, and press your breast to mine Is mise leigheas don chroí
Is muid sceach geall agus aiteann buí