October 16, 2015

Birdwatching on Inisheer ,a small guide


Birdwatching on Inisheer.
My reason for going to Inisheer was to search in hope for some migratory birds on an island where there isnt much, if any information on birdswatching at all
Inishmore the more western of the three Aran Islands over the past years has been quite remarkable for migrants, so why not Inisheer, after all it is an island in the atlantic that has a lighthouse,a lough and a pub on it
All week a steady easterly weather flow has bought small passerine birds west.
Today a SE breeze,dry with high cloud cover , we caught the Doolin -Aran ferry at 10;00 with arrival on the island at 10:40
A short 30 minute walk brings you to the north end of the lough.
2 Mute Swans, 12 Wigeon,1 Moorhen we on the water ,a Jack Snipe was flushed.Song Thrush ,Blackbirds, Mipits and small finch flocks feed on wildflower seeds in the surounding paddocks

The Lough looking south


A the south end of the Lough a Willow gorge runs along a small valley that links the lighthouse all the way to the lough offering some if not the only cover on the island (apart from walls).
A Rabbit Warren starts the opening to the Gorge,Brambles run down into the gorge joined with Willows and dead wildflower patches, the walls of the gorge offer a thick ivy cover, the Willows thicken then blend into a reed bed on the lough shore
We made our way along the ridge looking down.
We were delighted to find 2 Yellow browed Warblers ,2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap along with Blackbirds ,Wrens,Dunnock ,Stonechats and Robins.
The Willow Gorge looking north

At the lighthouse (an hours walk from harbour) a Wheatear showed , a few Gulls and a Turnstone flock and a few Cormorant and Curlew were on the reef, small flocks of Starlings were swirling around, a Kestrel was in the area, otherwise it was quiet
We were thinking maybe that this area with a westerly air flow may suit American migrants better



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