I was traveling back home from Corofin passing through Willowbroook, I tend to slow down here as the clearing next to the forest is full of singing Warblers and Ive seen Red Squirrel here also.
Further up I could see a brown Raptor moving over the creek and back into the forest. It came out and onto a perch. I watched as a very busy hunting Buzzard was eying up a few juvenile Goldfinches but they were proving to be tricky to catch.
I was looking for a Med Gull at the Gull colony as I found them breeding there before but not this year, maybe they are but I didnt see any.
I was checking a the bay at Corronroo when a pot bellied full summer plumaged bird circled the bay.
Every year I visit a small Tern and Gull nesting colony in North Clare.
This year I was delighted to find good numbers of Common Tern here, Pretty much its Sandwitch Terns and Black headed Gulls that make the numbers and 2 or 3 pairs of Common Tern nesting on the edges on any year but this year there could be upto 12 pairs, accurate counts not possible as one side of the colony cant be seen.
Its a small little nook that I stop at every so often.
The small copse next to the river holds singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps , A Treecreeper busy rounding trees along riverside that was splashing with trout and a Grey Wagtail bobbing on a river rock. A Mute Swan flies by in peace.
Its 15 minutes of happy place
I was hoping that one day I come across these little Burren specialists.
This Pearl-bordered Fritillary flutterbied passed me and came down just off the road near the Mullagmore cross, where 3 bus loads of people happened to walk by, not one person noticed I was photographing Irelands rarest butterfly.
I hope they enjoyed there visit as much as I did.
The shores along Lahinch bay and Clahane still had good numbers of Gulls over the last few days.
A lot of Herring Gulls, Black headed Gulls, Common Gulls and Kittiwake and Whimbrel were picked flies from the seaweed and I was surprised to find an Iceland Gull in the month of May among them.
 |
| Herring Gull |
 |
| Iceland Gull with Herring Gulls |
 |
| Kittiwake |
I was in the kitchen doing what you do with the door open , but I was listening to the Cuckoo that was calling in the area as I worked away
See ,there is tricks to seeing the Cuckoo or it happens in a surprise chance moment..
After a short while of listening to the distance of the Cuckoo, the call came from the backyard but the Cuckoo saw me first and they dont stick around, it didnt go far, just down the lane calling from the trees again before the local Hooded Crows shoooed him off back towards mine .
Kilmacreedy is the northside of Lahinch bay approaching Liscannor.
A small low pressure was close to the coast producing a one day swell of waves and wind from the southwest and it brought a lot of Gulls to within Lahinch bay.
I sat up on the rocks near the graveyard and just let the birds pass me as they come across the bay.
Many Herring Gulls , Great Black backed Gulls, Kittiwake and Whimbrel were the commonest but a few Dunlin and a Bar tailed Godwit were travelling with the Whimbrel
The Barnacle Goose which I found the previous day flew in and landed in the field behind me.
