An Iceland Gull for May at Clahane

The shores along Lahinch bay and Clahane still had good numbers of Gulls over the last few days. 

A lot of  Herring Gulls, Black headed Gulls, Common Gulls and Kittiwake and Whimbrel were picked flies from the seaweed and I was surprised to find an Iceland Gull in the month of May among them. 

Iceland Gull

Black headed Gull

Herring Gull

Iceland Gull with Herring Gulls

Kittiwake

Kilmacreedy high tide

 Kilmacreedy is the northside of Lahinch bay approaching Liscannor.

A small low pressure was close to the coast producing a one day swell of waves and wind from the southwest and it brought  a lot of Gulls to within Lahinch bay.

I sat up on the rocks near the graveyard and just let the birds pass me as they come across the bay.

Many Herring Gulls , Great Black backed Gulls, Kittiwake and Whimbrel were the commonest but a few Dunlin and a Bar tailed Godwit were travelling with the Whimbrel

The Barnacle Goose which I found the previous day flew in and landed in the field behind me.

Breaking January

The waves break all though the first few weeks of January.

Some days the sun would break to heavy rain clouds producing rainbows.

Some days the wind would batter.

The rivers filled.

 Life goes on along the coast,

Herring Gull

As the sun rises

Lahinch salt marsh

Empty beaches  

Shags -Killard Point

Back to Loop

Its been a few months now since I was down at the headland.

I took a walk from the lighthouse area towards the Fodry.

A few juvenile Kittiwakes and Guillemots are still on the cliff faces.

Rafts of Guillemots were out on the water and Gulls were patrolling for a meal.

Gulls along the seaweed

Herring Gulls ,Common Gulls, and 2 Iceland Gulls monitor the washed up seaweed along the high-tide shoreline of Lahinch  sea-front. 

 Common Gull

 Iceland Gull

 Herring Gull

Iceland Gull

Strange Herring gull

While at Clahane a Herring gull was standing out from the rest, a big yellow tip on a black bill, dark eye shades and very black primary feathers.
The change into adulthood i believe
Photo it anyway...is a Good looking oddbod

Gulls are in at Liscannor

Liscannor Harbour packed with various gulls, Herring gulls , 100 Kittiwake , 20 Lesser black backed gull and a Little gull just up the coast all feeding in the windy hightide wash

White winged gulls are in with the storm

Iceland gull

Glaucous gull

A big westerly storm has built up numbers of Gull on the coast.
Here a Iceland Gull and a Glaucous Gull cruise around Clahane in 50 mph wind , joining hundreds of Herring ,Common and Black headed gull for fine dining on seaweed insects washed into the sea by the waves

Seafield

A very busy bird area today was the shore of Seafield,Quilty , with thousands of Dunlin , Sanderling,Turnstone & Purple sandpipers probing in the high tide seaweed

Loop head

Summers day at Loop head, a few late breeding Guillemots on the cliffs, plenty of adult and Juvenile gulls, young Herring gulls being quite easy to approch