Loop Head - The day of the birds & Paddyfield Warbler

I was on the Loop to witness a fantastic drop off migrant birds.

I was along the Kilkee Cliffs photographing Choughs when a text came through from John Murphy   Nightingale at the lightouse, and i was 10 minutes away.

 As I got out of the car at Loop Head a Lapland Bunting landed  near and flew off followed by a Kestrel I walked to the South and 2 Whinchats were perched on a scrub. Here we go !

The lads had gathered in the grounds and I hopped over the wall.

 There were birds everywhere!!

  Meadow Pipits and Thrush galore. We worked together and panned out. We were finding Injured Redwings, Song Thrushes and  Pied Flycatchers.. Raptors were bombing the place!

Murf was determined to re-find the Nightingale...and went over the south wall.

We stopped for a moment.....I said Dave" Whinchat on the wall"..Murf was making his way back up as the Nightingale popped up on the wall with a few other birds. A Merlin then came though as a Short eared Owl went up.... FECK! ITS only 10 am.

                                                                                

Whinchats

Nightingale

Around the Lighthouse buildings  Redstart , Pied flycatchers, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcaps Chiffchaffs and plenty Sparrowhawks.

A very jumpy flock of Golden Plover came fast over the walls with a Pectoral Sandpiper within the flock, Jesus whatever next!!

It was time to walk the walls.

It didnt take long till a little Brown job flitted out from cover of a inner grounds wall and into the grass..

What was that?? Did ya get a shot...It then hopped up on the wall as Murf calls "Its a Paddyfield Warbler".

Pied Flycatcher

Redstart

Lesser Whitethroat

During the day the word had got out and Loop Head was the place to be.

Other birds were reported such as Hobby, Red throated Pipit, Ring Ousel and god knows what else it was some day