AGP on the Loop

Down in the Fodry at Loop Head on a windy showery morning can sometimes not be the best place to be.
 Plenty of Choughs ,Skylark and a few Wheatear about, but it took a while to find the Plovers.(deja vu).
The calls came as the Golden Plovers came to the Fodry from around the north of the hill.
They came down a few fields over so I trudged my way across the land to get some views.
The American Golden Plover was with them.

American Golden Plover ( furthest left) with Golden Plovers

Curlew Sandpiper at Quilty Beach

Not many small waders have come to the Clare shores yet and numbers have felt low for the month, but the weather has changed this week, Sanderling, Dunlin , Ringed Plover and Turnstone and now turning up, this Curlew Sandpiper was among the shorebirds at Quilty beach.

September morning on the Loop

A typical morning on The Loop.

The lighthouse carpark was a bit busy for me  so I came back 

1\2 mile and walked the fields around The west bank, the usual Stonechats on the field borders, a few Skylark ,plenty of Meadow Pipits , a small flock of 12 Snipe flew over.

The Choughs were entertaining, They boss the fields.

Back at the Gardens in Kilbaha was very quiet for small birds, a good few Blue Tits, Robins and Wrens were the song while Swallows were active feeding along the road.

Red Admiral Butterflys were around Blackberrys

A Curlew and 7 Teal were on the Pond with a Grey Heron and those horrible funky Mallards

The Bishops Curlew

It happened to be a mega low tide while I was in Ballyvaughan and even though birdlife was busy, it was mainly Gulls on show, not many small waders to be seen.
I went to Bishops quarter beach and caught up with the returning  Albino Curlew that habits the shore here (I think about 8 years now...must find out).
This season it seems to have a few marks , certainly on the left wing where it seems to have a normal coloured Curlew feather, a spot on the right wing and a bit of wear on the breast, maybe due to moult I wouldnt know.
For me its still a striking bird and brightens any dull day.

Juvenile Lesser black backed Gull

I was birdwatching at Liscannor Harbour watching a dark Gull some distance out on the sea, the light wasnt the best ,but the bird was busy harassing Herring gulls.
After a while the Gull flew passed the harbour and down toward the reef to where other Gulls were feeding on the high tide.
I felt compelled to not give up and headed over to get better views of what turned out to be a dark juvenile Lesser black backed Gull