May 27, 2018

Local Treecreepers

A few mornings a week Id push the pushchair and walk the kids to the end of our lane to `The Bridge` and back.
We see lots of local wildlife in this wooded area over hanging the Moanreel stream.
This week we`ve been treated to watching a pair of Treecreepers gathering insects in the trees around where we sit at the bridge and taken them off to their nest opposite the river.
 We dont stay long as not to disturb, but we`ll check their behaviour over the coming days during our walk.











May 25, 2018

Views from a Burren Peak

  Stunning views from Cappnawalla overlooking Ballyvaughan bay, a Quiet high up area of  Burren North Clare .


















May 21, 2018

House Martins - Lahinch

So I was sat on the sea wall at Lahinch with my father and we were just trying to snap a House Martin in flight, a difficult game .
There were about 5- 7 birds collecting mud from time to time and flying back into the village obviously nest building.
But a few days later questions were being asked right through Great Britain and Ireland as to where our migrating birds are..numbers seem to be massively down, especially, Swifts, Swallows and Martins.
So dont take for granted our birdlife, as one day it may be gone




May 14, 2018

Skylark

Walking the lanes near Lickeen lake this Skylark on a warm afternoon comes down from singing to take a dusting down and a peck around.










May 9, 2018

Rural Great crested Grebes

You get to see some magical photos of Great crested Grebes, many taken in city parks where birds are easy with humans, but you can rarely get close enough to rural Great crested Grebes for a good shot.
I was watching this pair at Lough Inchiquin, about as close as they come to shore





May 7, 2018

Purps among the shorebirds at Cloghauninchy Corner

The coast between Lahinch and Quilty was quite busy due to the Bank holiday weekend and not much was to be seen,,,,
But in a quiet west facing corner of a beach a small gathering of shorebirds were in the seaweed awaiting the drop of the tide among them 18 Purple Sandpiper, 25 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling, 24 Oystercatcher , 15 Turnstone & 20 Whimbrel






May 4, 2018

Great Northern Diver in early morning light

 Early morning at Corsiva Harbour on a windless glassy sea , for me there is no better place to observe Divers.
This bird was nearly in full summer plumage ,I watched why it fished the shallows for crabs.
There were plenty more Divers further offshore moulting winter feathers in rafts readying to make there way north  to breed