Med Gull at Clahane

A new flourish of near West winds and the shorelines birds change again. High tide Clahane was very busy with Black headed and Common Gulls feeding. 

This Med Gull was in the mix, as we're a few Kittiwake.

Kilbaha and the winds go east

As I approached Kilbaha flocks of hundreds of Fieldfare had come off the sea and were scattered over the fields and roads.

The Yellow rumped Warbler still remains , this time low down in Keatings.

The easterly winds brought a tidy looking Yellow-browed Warbler that was busy at Senis with 2 Goldcrest.

The Willow warbler seen at Gibsons ringed locally is a long stayer.

  

 

 

Phalarope phun photography

 The wind was blowing, thats what has brought these birds in off the ocean 

 For 3 days weve had Grey Phalaropes entertaining us between Clahane and Liscannor harbour and some can be very tame,

 The 2 days were very stormy and windy as we watched these birds deal with it while trying to feed on the high tide shoreline, but the wind has turned to the east  now and they shall now depart us, entertaining little things  I must say.

Heres a small collection of photos of a few of the birds.

5 Grey Phalaropes at Clahane

This morning there was to be no birding, I was planning 2 hours surfing Lahinch and back.

 Geoff Pearson phoned- he has 3 Grey Phalarope at Clahane. On my way,  SO a short detour was made. Sure enough there they were spinning about and somewhat aerial 

 Another 2 joined the feeding party inshore at hightide

'5' phals 

The light was awful so they were hard to photo but great fun to watch. 2 Kingfisher were flying the bay also.

Yellow rumped Warbler- Kilbaha in Wet weather

The morning still dark with thunder and lightning from the SW.

With the Yellow rumped Warbler still available and weather condtions pretty bleak a stroll through the gardens with the company of Murf was on the cards, Thanks to sheds and pubs to escape the down pours of hail and rain.

A few Redpoll, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Tits were about the village. Yellow rumped Warbler only showed for a few minutes for me and well enough too.

Red Kite floating distantly

A few days back, I was on my way back to Ireland but I was still in Wales with an hour to spare, I took a quick detour to Penclawdd Pill to just to test a new scope on the estuary marsh.

In the distance slowly floating, circling was a Red Kite , it was down light but a grace to watch in the air as it lifted high over the village and over the hills.

 One day with luck the national bird of my home country with be up-light and in focus, until then the Hour is over .

Yellow rumped Warbler - Kilbaha

I was in Wales but on my way home when news came through of a Myrtle/Yellow-rumped Warbler in Kilbaha. Ffs.

Well I had hoped to be down on the friday anyhow but another American warbler of such quality made sure I was early.  

As I arrived Ian Stevenson had a sighting and I missed it by a minute, then no sign for maybe 45 mins, then a quick feeding display to take the pressure off the 5 lads that also made the effort.

Again the bird went low into the leaf cover long enough to send lads walking the streets and headlands.

I came back later and for a minute ..the Myrtle popped up and it was still hard to see.

October Bridges of Ross.

The start of October. Loop Head seems to have been the place to be for all styles of Birdwatching, from Land, Sea and in air ' we've got it covered."

Today at the Bridges was no different. I got high counts of Grey Phalarope and Leaches Petrel , 2 juvenile Sabines Gulls, Arctic Terns, Bonxie, Red throated and Great Northern Divers, a Long tailed Skua flew over the top. A showy Basking Shark was just outside the bay for 30 minutes being buzzed by Phalarope. 

Long tailed Skua

Sabines Gulls

Back for more Baltimore Oriole

This morning I had to go back and chance some better views of the Baltimore Oriole.

I was in Kilbaha at 8am the REV showed briefly and the Baltimore Oriole was coming out from the cover of the garden to feed on Blackberries in the surrounding borders of the fields. Still elusive but you can't hide that Orange for to long.. an opportunity arose for a few photos but you had to be quick, this bird don't show for more than a few seconds before it seeks cover.

The lady next to me viewing was from Baltimore....meer garden bird to her, a few laughs 😃 

By 11am the street was busy with birders ,I moved off to the headland for Merlin and Hen Harrier..

Baltimore Oriole and Red eyed Vireo -Kilbaha

  Checked into the bing on the phone. and it was time to leave the Golden Plovers at Clahane and head to Loop Head for a Red eyed Vireo that young James Organ found during the outing.

Sure enough a few people were on site and the Vireo showed for small moments around the garden of the Rural resettlement for most of the day.

It was a bit of a surprise after midday as an Orange yoke showed in the same garden,, a bit of shuffling around between the lads and a Baltimore Oriole showed for a few snaps, I took an ID photo from the adjacent field...but.. "All I just seen was a can of Fanta",  and then the bird remained elusive, later I found the bird feeding on Blackberries below the garden down but it soon flew off and down toward Keatings.

A good vibe was made by all involved that added to good day