Spotted Redshanks and Waterrail

 With good day of North east winds and a very low water level , Lough Atedaun is showing a lot of Birdlife. 2 Spotted Redshanks a rarety at this site were with a small flock of 8 Ruff.

The low water also tempted Waterrails out into the open, a bird we often  listen to but seldom see.

I came back the next day ! Spotted Redshank remained with Ruff but distant a Green Sandpiper made its way along the southside and 2 Kingfishers were on chase

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.

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

Marsh Harrier upsetting Godwits at Atedaun

"The Marsh Harrier is about" , ya say to yourself as the Black-tailed Godwits go up.

With the Art of surprise gone, the Godwits are safe in the air and the Marsh Harrier wanders off  to look elsewhere

Photography is what it is at Lough Atedaun car park, your generally down light and distant from the action, but Lough Atedaun isnt a lake to be overlooked., far over a White tailed Eagle perches in a tall tree.

All happening at Lough Atedaun

 The water table is low at Lough Atedaun.

Ive made a few visits this week in a variety of weather conditions because the birding has been good.

White tailed Eagles , Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier on the aerial prowl.

 Black tailed Godwits and  Lapwings are in good numbers joined by Redshank, Ruff, Snipe and Little Egrets and a good number of ducks such as juvenile Pintails, Eclipse Shovalars, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and plenty of Mallard.

 A Common Sandpiper hopped along the slipway. A Kingfisher past in a flash into the reeds .#

Common Terns Lough Atedaun

 A pair of Common Tern were hawking the Lily pads and resting on the lake boulders at Lough Atedaun during the afternoon

The water is low and vegetation is high. Hundreds of Mute Swan and Mallard were along the edges on the far side with Curlews and Lapwing

A female Kestrel was chaperoning a youth high above calling, as were Willow Warblers in the hedgerows

Otter at lunch at Lough Atedaun

 I was out at Lough Atedaun just after midday with my 2yr old daughter having a snack, there is a gap in between the trees on the west side of the carpark that I birdwatch through. I could see 4 Mute Swans were staring at the same swampy flood patch then an Otter climbed a rock  `sniffing``....

It entered back into the water and headed in our direction moving through the submerged grasses and reeds, the  Mute Swans moved off togeher..checking behind ( they reminded me of 4 surfers that had seen a Shark on the inside).

Again the Otter came out up on a rock in front of us..sniffing...sniffing, it seemed to have no problem with us, and I was talking to a child! with a few "sshhhhhss and "Come heres" put in. The Otter then swam straight under me , to close to photo made its way to land where it sniffed out a dead bird ,which I think was a Lapwing. I devoured it bones and all in front of me, before being scared of by a Spaniel.  

Great crested Grebes - Lough Atedaun

The water levels were high at Lough Atedaun,

Not much wildfowl or Swans about, but the game was on for the Great crested Grebes.

Not quite in full show yet as the females were checking out all the males and so forth.

Great white Egret and Hare at Lough Atedaun

  After finding and viewing  Great white Egret from the opposite side of the lake over in the remote swampy drainage area of Lough Atedaun , and that meant it was going to be a challenge to get anywhere near this bird to get any decent record photos. I sneaked down a few lanes tried a few fields gathered some permission to cross land through a wood and I was in a whole new rather untouched Burren lowland area full of Hare.

Lough Atedaun in the rain

I sat in the rear of my vehicleusing the back door as shelter from the rain overlooking Lough Atedaun. using my video setting on my 600D which works kind of well at low light and distance
The Great White Egret was showing well over the other end of the lough and is great bird to have  here
Lapwings, Teal and Wigeon made up the numbers. A Hooded Crow pestered a Marsh Harrier out above the lough, it moved past downlight, I followed in the binoculars as it swooped into where the ducks were feeding across the lough.then there was birds everywhere in the air, I lost the Marsh Harrier but these 25 Pintail came into the reed bed closest to the carpark.

Marsh Harrier

Loughs and Woods and lazy days

I took a lazy trip up through the Loughs and woods that cover an area between Corofin and Ennis north. I do this sort of drive regularly at this time of year but always take a new set of backroads and a different route.
I always start at Lough Atedaun though, probably becuase its your best bet on a rare bird. Next along the Lough line was a quick stop at Lough Cullen, always a peaceful lough with under rated views.

Lough Atedaun

Lough Cullen

Lough Cullen - views toward the Burren

A good count of 180 Whooper Swan were gracing the Turlough near Lough Cullen ,calling and being busy

I headed off from there and into the woods of Dromore to do a few woodland walks that I havent done and to check the lakes for ducks.
The wood was quiet, feeding on berries were Redwing and  Blackbirds and Robins being the most seen.
The joy of the wood though was my first sighting here in this wood of a Red squirrel and a large but small Beetle was found along the road

Black tailed Godwits in Airshow

Black tailed Godwits were attempting  to settle at the shorelines of Lough Atedaun , Corofin.

 Near 500 birds in unsettled flocks were giving an airshow over the lough, joined by a few Lapwing ,Redshank and Dunlin.