Cory`s Season at the Bridges

 August has seen a steady flow of westerly direction winds, the sea is at its peak temperature.

 The food is flowing our way, followed by thousands of Cory`s Shearwaters which have been consistent for the month so far and other seabirds using the winds, this brings them close to the coast where its possible to see them before they venture back into open ocean on a migratory quest.

Today alone 500 Cory`s per hour and the beauty and excitement of a Fea`s Petrel at 1145.

Great, Sooty and Manx backed up the Shears as did Long tailed, Arctic, Pomarines made up the numbers for the Skuas, still Bonxies remain rare this year

Shearwater morning off the Bridges of Ross

 Up early, and there seemed no wind, so I decided on going to Lahinch swimming Pool for a morning swim. As I came to the coast at Lahinch a steady west wind was blowing so I motored down the coast and was at the Bridges of Ross by 7:30am. 

You know ITS ON when see the Cory`s Shearwaters passing from the carpark......

When I got to the headland ,Brian Mac and Sean Holland were the early birds seawatching from the hollow and both were wearing big smiles due to the quality of birding that was on offer.

Over the morning over 2000 Cory`s had past by along the Manx line, which today was the Cory`s line which is close in for big Shearwaters, over a 100 Great Shearwaters were in the mix with a 20 or so Sooty Shearwaters on top of our local Manxies 

A Wilson Storm Petrel passed by at 10;30

Storm Petrels were also numerous with a count of over 50

Cory`s Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Manx

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

A Stint in the stoney bays of Loop Head

I was enjoying nice morning amung the bays of Loop head. 

Laragen bay and Ross bay are a stand out beautiful area. These bays are surrounded in smooth stones shaped by the ocean.

A Little Stint was among the seaweed with a few Dunlin a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper that was on a small patch of sand and elusive in the stones. Reed Bunting,  Wheatear and White Wagtail were flycatching in the stones.

 A Peaceful Place with calls from Whimbrel

Black throated Divers past the Bridges of Ross

 

A quiet feeling for birdlife around Loop head and the gardens had me at the Bridges of Ross from 11- 1pm

Its such a different ocean to watch each month with different species to observe and October lends itself to our wintering species as well as the ocean going lot.

These 2 Black throated Divers were the 1st that ive seen here past the bridges.

Generally the ocean was bare but 1 Leaches Petrel, 3 species of Diver, a couple of Grey Phalarope , 10 Arctic Tern, Peregrine Falcon and a few  Snipe and the one that got away was a nice return for 2 hours of fresh air. Welcome to winter

Gannets at the Bridges of Ross

 "What do you want to do boy?"..."I want to see Gannets". I Cant say No to that.

A nice day had myself and my son walking the west coast.

We headed out of the of tourist season in Lahinch south to the Bridges of Ross where we were the only people here hanging out along the path over the bridge and on the extreme west reefs.

 We got to see a pod of Dolphins plenty of Gannets and a few Manx Shearwater.

I

The Bridges

 So it was the 1st weekend of westerly winds and Seawatching season takes off.

I made it down early friday morning at 7:30 ,the visabilty was poor and the wind was still SSE birds were few but a splash and Dorsal Fin of a large Blue fin Tuna was good by 9am the wind shifted to WSW and the Manx Shearwaters and Sooty Shearwaters were coming past in good numbers. Handfuls of Great Shearwaters were in with a couple of Storm Petrels and a Sabines Gull, then of to work

I missed Saturday , but made a brief apperance on Sunday but passage was generaly slow, a few Bonxie were close in as were a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins

Leachs Petrel from the Bridges of Ross

A Seawatch at the Bridges gave n early passage of Leach`s Petrels  a stiff NW wind brought one or two close enough for a photo before the sea spray took over 

Bonxie at the Bridges and the Waders start to arrive

Up early and along the coast.

My 1st birds were at Quilty beach ,where a juvenile Greenshank came in off the sea with a scatty peep which were shortly chased by a male Peregrine.

The Bridges of Ross was quiet with only the 1 Bonxie among the steady flow of Manx and Gannets.

At Doonbeg a few Waders have arrived. Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel.

Morning of Manx and Skua from The Bridges of Ross

An endless stream of Manx Shearwaters really, would some up this mornings seawatch at The Bridges of Ross.
A few dozen Sooty Shearwater , 3 Great Shearwater, 3 Pomarine Skua , 5 Bonxies and 1 Arctic Skua were the best of it for myself.