Basking Sharks . Liscannor bay

 A calming  ocean and a sudden arrival of over 20 Basking Sharks could be seen out off the mouth of Liscannor bay.

Spring change. Surfing in Clare

 As the winter passes and the swells ease to and from the south , surfing in Clare shifts from Lahinch which will only show small waves to the challenge of Doolins more open ocean reefs.

The clocks have changed and those evening glass offs are not to be mist. 

The views on the road home aint to bad either.

Surfing just offer you more.

The colour of Golden Plover and Purple Sandpiper

 A nice flock of Golden Plover were shining in the sunlight as they roost on the reef at Clahane .

A count of 9 Purple Sandpiper were to the side of the reef out of the wind where they can go unseen if you dont know where they hang out.

The sun was in the right place and the birds were all showing some nice colours

Spring arrivals at Doolin

A short walk down the `Black hole`, the name given to the bay by surfers where Doolin reef  meets the Cliffs of Moher. 

Wheatear and Sand Martins have arrived to join the Meadow Pipits, Stonechat and Linnets that are already building homes along the small patch along where the Aille river meets the sea.

A surprise overhead call gave away a Black tailed Godwit that came off the sea

 

An Eagle at the least

 Its come a time that turning up at the Loughs of Corofin to do some birdwatching is now not a fruitless exercise. 

You get to see an Eagle at the least if not two.

Always awsome.

Shovelers at Sandfield

  With Sandfield marsh flooded all winter it has attracted Wildfowl.

Shoveler Ducks were present all winter along with Teal, Moorhen, Little Egret, Snipe and Reed Bunting.

The Green winged Teal that was on Lahinch marsh has also joined the Eurasian Teal here, somewhere in the covers of the water foliage

Yellowhammer haven

 It was a beautiful day in the quiet countryside around the Burren lowlands of  North Clare.

 There is still few very rural traditional Cattle farming areas where the song of  Yellowhammers can be heard.

A song that not that long ago would have been part of country learning. A song of spring and forward looking to new seasons and harvest

Daytime Bat in March ?

 A daytime Pipistrelle Bat was a surprise at Willbrook .

A difficult creature to photo but glad I did as it shows that shes clearly pregnant.

But why? Has a roost been desturbed recently?

The answer could be a Pine forest that was felled after Storm Eoghin destroyed it.

 

White tailed Eagles at Atedaun

 Its nice that you can now regularly see White tailed Eagles around Lough Atedaun.

I was greeted one day with a show as three Eagles were saying Hello in Eagle language

2025 Consistant Winter Surf

After Storm Eoghin had past leaving us temporarily without water, electricity and Internet for over a month.

It didnt matter as the surf around Lahinch was pumping consistently throughout January through March.

A few sessions out on the point could be a bit busy, but a few early mornings mid week was just producing morning glass without anyone around.

When surf like this comes along I try to be On it sometime during day as practice makes confidence which is a must to compete with the ocean

Great to get back to fitness after a few years of knee injurys.

 

Green winged Teal -Lahinch marsh

 My friend Geoff yesterday picked up a Green winged Teal down in Ballyyellery corner of Lahinch marsh. 

The duck was quite a distance up river along the bank.

Salgados lagoon over the week.

 An average of 50 bird species a visit with a week total of 76 species for 5 visits

To be early before the boardwalkers gives more opportunity for calling Waterrail, Cetti`s Warbler and maybe a Little Owl. Cormorants and Glossy Ibis fly in also early at the place wakes up slow.

During the week, away from the boardwalk near and around the viewing hide there was more Marsh Harriers than birdwatchers and the reserve was peaceful with afind your own birds scenario

By 10am it starts to warm up and Caspain Terns are about , the Marsh Harriers are up and also Booted Eagles come by, with 2 pale phase most days

Open Grasslands surrounding the lagoon are good to watch  for flocks of Waxbill, Serin, Linnet , Greenfinch, Meadow Pipts , Bluethroat, lots of Chiffchaff and of coarse Moorhens

The Iberian Grey Shrike with a fly over Booted Eagle was my highlight of the week at the Rocky field near the Ruin. The Rocky fields was good for Red legged Partridge , Hoopoe, Black Redstart, Crested Lark and Spottless Starling.

Caspian Tern

Iberian Magpie

Granada Hare

Cormorants

Hoopoe

Zitting Cistacola

Iberian Grey Shrike

An Iberian Grey Shrike showed up on the posts surrounding a field I was watching

. I picked it up in the scope and then tried to think about how I was going to collect some photos, trying to re-position myself  round the field sides I grabbed a couple of snaps before it headed up into a tree a bit further way where I could only follow it through my scope. 

Any day you get a Shrike is a good day and I imagine that this will be my bird of the trip this winter.

`The field` above the lagoon

After a few days observing the lagoon area I passed the viewing hide and continued walking north into the scrub.

I came a cross a mud-stoney field that had been worked. It was busy with birds.

A Bluethroat was on the hop, loads of Crested Larks, Spotless Starlings, Waxbill,  White Wagtails, a good few Red legged Partridge were out in the open but always close to the borders where they can scurry into foliage when the Marsh Harrier comes. A nice male Black Redstart was showing well

Then bird of the week came onto a post, an Iberian Grey Shrike and that makes the day!

Bluethroat

Black Redstart

Iberian Grey Shrike

Crested Lark

                                                            Waxbill

Marsh Harrier Salgados lagoon

 Its not often you get a chance of Marsh Harrier thats not in flight. A few times during the morning this female came to several diffent perches before settling a while just up from the viewing area.

It was cold morning after a wet day. Thermals are nil and soon as it heats up the Storks and Raptors take to the air. A Theory of my own to why it was perching.

Salgados lagoon day 2

 Id skipped a day due to a bit of rain, but was up early at the hide area of the lagoon.

 An early dawn walk out with Waterrail and Cettis Warbler calls

I was the only person out there and the sun was coming out.

 An colourful adult Bluthroat was feeding along the edges of the grassland adjacent which holds quite a few small birds , Mipits, Chiff chaff , Crested Lark , Serin, Waxbills  and Finches come to this area. I also found a 1st winter Bluethroat that didnt have much blue further along the track

Usual ducks, Moorhens, a few Spoonbills, Herons were on the lake . A Ruff was also seen .

On the walk back a Swamphen was close to the bridge with the Coots

Bluethroat adult

Waiting for the sun to come up.

Western Swamphen

!st winter Bluethroat