American Wigeon - Ballyvaughan

Finishing the year with a scramble over the Burren before work to Ballyvaughan to see the American Wigeon was found a couple of days ago.

I had a feeling that good views were available at this spot and I was granted just that

 

Catching up with Semi P at Seafield

 I was unable to be at Seafield when the Semi Palmated Sandpiper was found and Identified  last weekish`,.... days passed ,, commitments flights away but on my way back from London Town , news that the bird was still possibly available had me straight to Seafield to find my Camera batteries dead.

I returned today for an hour till rain stopped play

A late bird but another to the list on a great season of birds at Seafield.

White rumped Sandpiper and Choughs

 It was a dull overcast quiet day overall , not much light for decent photos but plenty of birds available around the beach at Seafield.

Great to get to see another White rumped Sandpiper among the Waders. The bird had been found 2 days previous and hopefully it stays a little longer.

The Choughs were noisy with 2 pairs squabbling over seaweed space always entertaining and Seafield is a good place to see them up close

The 4 Glossy Ibis

The 4 Glossy Ibis have been mobile between Sandfield marsh and Liscannor favouring the puddle in the field next to Kilmacreahy graveyard.

Great white Egret - Sandfield Marsh ,Liscannor

Driving along the road the Great white Egret caught my eye on the marsh at Sandfield.

The bird was in cover walking about and I could not get a clear view from the road.

I parked up roadside a few hundred metres down the road with intention to walk down to it and hope for the best but the bird flew upto me and landed 15m away from the car and seemed to not be bothered that I was there .and carried on the search for what looked like Newts

 

Buff bellied Pipit Clahane 2nd Morning

 I was back down to Clahane during the morning to check if the Buff bellied Pipit was still about as it was not seen yesterday after I left.

Brian was up earlier than me and had managed to have seen the bird ,we just needed to re-find it.

Its a very difficult bird to pin down and mobile at times but we stayed on the same seaweed dump and Croc  going through Pipits and eventually patience paid off. Myself , Brian and Ray got views that we knew couldnt get any better.

The Cameras were firing, Snap away boy`z snap away ..

American Buff bellied Pipit at Clahane

Delighted to find an American Buff bellied Pipit at Clahane today.

 I was asked a question today. How did you find That ?

Well its in putting factors together

 Previous birds seen in the county have been seen during the first weeks of October

,A  bird was seen last week in Iceland

A great seaweed dump that was already noted , 

A westerly storm that just passed over the Atlantic

And making the effort to be there when these factors play out.

Stormed out Seafield

 Mad westerly winds took me to Lurga point Seafield for a sort of local seawatch.

Conditions were insane but offshore  9 Sabines gulls passed by as upto 5 Leaches Petrels were also further out. A Storm Petrel passed by close in and a Black throated Diver passed inside of Mutton
Gannets everywhere including inland where I got 1 in the air over Ennistymon

5 Curlew Sandpiper were on the beach and 2 Arctic Tern also

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Birds from the wind. Clahane

 The strong westerlies persist bring birds in off the ocean to find shelter and food along the shoreline.

The juvenile Sabines Gull has been feeding up here for over a week with the Black headed Gulls .

A Grey Phalarope came in doing laps of the bay before heading to the reef for shelter from the heavy rain.

Wilsons Phalarope and AGP at Doonbeg

 I had an hour or two left on a morning off , birding had been good coming down the coast, I made a decision  to go to Doonbeg to catch up with the American Golden Plover for the year that had been loitering all week.

Murf and Sean were at the roadside  , I got to see the AGP and had a quick chat with the lads before heading back up along the coast quite content with the mornings birding..

 Its that phone call  , turn the car around.. a Wilsons Phalarope has just been found on the beach at Doonbeg, I was only a few miles away so headed back where the Wilsons Phalarope (my 1st for Clare ) was on the shoreline with 4 Ruff and a Grey Phalarope..