Brambling at Clahane

They come with the cold, and a cold morning it was.

A Brambling was a surprise to see around the seaweed washup over in the river corner at Clahane.

Quite elusive it would hide in the small reeds appearing perched on a washed up branch not socialising with the Linnet flock that contained Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

 

Cattle Egret near Lahinch Marsh

Cattle Egret remains a very rare bird within the county and I have only missed a few records

Ive seen them throughout Europe, in County Limerick and Wexford but its been a long time coming know I finally caught up with a Cattle Egret in Clare down near Lahinch marsh during the school run. It was feeding around Cattle in a field just above the marsh

Poor quality photos from scope camera video

Red throated Diver Lahinch Marsh

 This juvenile Red throated Diver has been up and down the river in Lahinch Marsh finally it came over to the ballyyellery corner just passing me in silence. There is plenty of these to be seen out in Lahinch bay but not often seen up the river.

American Golden Plover at Clahane

 This AGP on the high tide roost at Clahane with Golden Plovers for most part of the week

White tailed Eagle at the Kilkee Cliffs

 Take the coast road I said to myself.

Up from beneath the Kilkee Cliffs she came being harassed by Choughs soon a Raven and Rooks got involved and forced the young Eagle up high and over Kilkee town. I had blocked the road and the lad driving the tractor behind joined me to watch as she drifted back toward us high above us and then SW.

A Yellow browed Warbler and Raptors in on the east winds

 A cold morning up around the headland didnt turn up much apart from Meadow Pipits , so the morning progressed to a few gardens in Kilbaha , a few small flocks Great, Blue and Coal Tits were showing and a Yellow browed Warbler showed for not long , a bit of an east wind and no better place than Kilbaha to see one, other wise the area was quiet, SparrowHawks, Kestrels and Buzzard were seen in the village also drawing on the easterly weather

Sabines Gull in on a west wind

 A juvenile Sabines Gull was feeding offshore at Clahane in a blasting west wind , rarely coming in as close a the Black headed Gull flock but sometimes ending up in the mix due to the wind, it did not stay long and moved off , never the less always a good patch bird to find on my daily local rounds

Buff breasted Sandpiper on the Loop

 I tried to see this bird a few days back but got rained off the headland in a storm, but its stuck around all week tempting for me, 

I hadnt seen one in a few years and a late afternoon visit was well worth the drive down as the Buff Sand (once found)  put on a show running around the grasses picking Crane fly while keeping a short distance from myself.

Juvenile Arctic Tern

During the week a small Tern suspected to be a Little Tern was way out in Lahinch bay feeding in the wind with Sandwich Terns, as the Terns dispersed over the week the small one was left behind and was  fishing along the Liscannor coast, it turned out to be a pocket size juvenile Arctic Tern