It was a dull overcast quiet day overall , not much light for decent photos but plenty of birds available around the beach at Seafield.
Great to get to see another White rumped Sandpiper among the Waders. The bird had been found 2 days previous and hopefully it stays a little longer.
The Choughs were noisy with 2 pairs squabbling over seaweed space always entertaining and Seafield is a good place to see them up close
The 4 Glossy Ibis have been mobile between Sandfield marsh and Liscannor favouring the puddle in the field next to Kilmacreahy graveyard.
I was back down to Clahane during the morning to check if the Buff bellied Pipit was still about as it was not seen yesterday after I left.
Brian was up earlier than me and had managed to have seen the bird ,we just needed to re-find it.
Its a very difficult bird to pin down and mobile at times but we stayed on the same seaweed dump and Croc going through Pipits and eventually patience paid off. Myself , Brian and Ray got views that we knew couldnt get any better.
The Cameras were firing, Snap away boy`z snap away ..
Delighted to find an American Buff bellied Pipit at Clahane today.
I was asked a question today. How did you find That ?
Well its in putting factors together
Previous birds seen in the county have been seen during the first weeks of October
,A bird was seen last week in Iceland
A great seaweed dump that was already noted ,
A westerly storm that just passed over the Atlantic
And making the effort to be there when these factors play out.
Mad westerly winds took me to Lurga point Seafield for a sort of local seawatch.
Conditions were insane but offshore 9 Sabines gulls passed by as upto 5 Leaches Petrels were also further out. A Storm Petrel passed by close in and a Black throated Diver passed inside of Mutton
Gannets everywhere including inland where I got 1 in the air over Ennistymon
5 Curlew Sandpiper were on the beach and 2 Arctic Tern also
The strong westerlies persist bring birds in off the ocean to find shelter and food along the shoreline.
The juvenile Sabines Gull has been feeding up here for over a week with the Black headed Gulls .
A Grey Phalarope came in doing laps of the bay before heading to the reef for shelter from the heavy rain.
I had an hour or two left on a morning off , birding had been good coming down the coast, I made a decision to go to Doonbeg to catch up with the American Golden Plover for the year that had been loitering all week.
Murf and Sean were at the roadside , I got to see the AGP and had a quick chat with the lads before heading back up along the coast quite content with the mornings birding..
Its that phone call , turn the car around.. a Wilsons Phalarope has just been found on the beach at Doonbeg, I was only a few miles away so headed back where the Wilsons Phalarope (my 1st for Clare ) was on the shoreline with 4 Ruff and a Grey Phalarope..
I was back down to Seafield during the morning to see the Curlew Sandpiper flock which is now in the 100s.A Little Stint was still available , The shorebird numbers has risen also with more Sanderling, Dunlin showing. A few Black tailed and Bar tailed Godwit were coming in off the sea as were 5 Grey Phalarope that joined in on the high tide feeding showing well.
With the influx of Glossy Ibis throughout the counties and plenty being seen on the loughs.
I fancied my chances of finding one locally at Lahinch marsh and after a while two birds were showing next to a flock of Mallard but they didnt take long to walk into the Tussock grass and disappear.
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