May 31, 2021

Buzzard at Willowbrook

 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.






May 30, 2021

Med Gull at Corronroo

 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.






Common Terns

 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.






May 23, 2021

Green Island

Green Island is a beautiful peace of coastline found at the southside of Lahinch Bay , a great place for a reef walk on a calm evening.
The last of the Whimbrels continue to pass through during the end of May.
A male Wheatear showed on his outlook post.


May 21, 2021

A beauty spot by a bridge

 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








May 19, 2021

Pearl-bordered Fritillary - Mullagmore

 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.






May 17, 2021

An Iceland Gull for May at Clahane

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. 




Black headed Gull


Herring Gull

Iceland Gull with Herring Gulls

Kittiwake

May 13, 2021

Cuckoo flying round my Garden

 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 . 











May 10, 2021

Kilmacreedy high tide

 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.









May 8, 2021

Barnacle Goose at Sandfield

A Barnacle Goose was associating and feeding with Whimbrel in `the goose fields` behind Sandfield marsh along Liscannor road.