Bearded Reedlings

I was watching an adult Bearded Reedling skimming over the reed beds with a bill full of food. Yeh Great....but on my way back to the car i was walking around the reeds when 1 by 1, 5 little fellas with there chimming call popped up to take a look of me stuck  knee deep in mud..one chirpped" Welshman..tick".

Tac and back

Its that time of year again that I pay my annual visit to Tacumshin lake Wexford.

5am I left Clare, arriving at Tac at 8:20

An overcast warm morning with not great light.

I was greeted by two Eygptian Geese and a Marsh Harrier on the Main Lake, a walk to the sluice where I met up with Killian (in the same spot as last year).

 2 Little Terns showed near to the beach 

Eygptian Geese

Little Tern

 With the weather looking to maybe rain, I headed back to East end.
Plenty of Reed specialists live here and im always keen to see them when I visit.  Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting and &  Bearded Reedling.
The Forsters Tern showed for a brief 30 seconds over the pond

Reed Warbler

Reed Bunting

Bearded Reedling

After mid day I headed round to Lingstown and The Whitehole where the star of the show The Red footed Falcon had been seen over the past few days.
I met up with Cian & Thomas Cardiff and we caught up with the Falcon high in the sky feeding on Dragon flys.
A few Quail were calling from nearby reed beds and a Marsh Harrier past by again

Red footed Falcon

Marsh Harrier

Around 4pm I left Lady Island Lake and I was home 7;45 with a bag full of birds. Content.

Local Treecreepers

A few mornings a week Id push the pushchair and walk the kids to the end of our lane to `The Bridge` and back.
We see lots of local wildlife in this wooded area over hanging the Moanreel stream.
This week we`ve been treated to watching a pair of Treecreepers gathering insects in the trees around where we sit at the bridge and taken them off to their nest opposite the river.
 We dont stay long as not to disturb, but we`ll check their behaviour over the coming days during our walk.

Views from a Burren Peak

  Stunning views from Cappnawalla overlooking Ballyvaughan bay, a Quiet high up area of  Burren North Clare .

House Martins - Lahinch

So I was sat on the sea wall at Lahinch with my father and we were just trying to snap a House Martin in flight, a difficult game .

There were about 5- 7 birds collecting mud from time to time and flying back into the village obviously nest building.

But a few days later questions were being asked right through Great Britain and Ireland as to where our migrating birds are..numbers seem to be massively down, especially, Swifts, Swallows and Martins.

So dont take for granted our birdlife, as one day it may be gone

Skylark

Walking the lanes near Lickeen lake this Skylark on a warm afternoon comes down from singing to take a dusting down and a peck around.

Rural Great crested Grebes

You get to see some magical photos of Great crested Grebes, many taken in city parks where birds are easy with humans, but you can rarely get close enough to rural Great crested Grebes for a good shot.
I was watching this pair at Lough Inchiquin, about as close as they come to shore

Purps among the shorebirds at Cloghauninchy Corner

The coast between Lahinch and Quilty was quite busy due to the Bank holiday weekend and not much was to be seen,,,,
But in a quiet west facing corner of a beach a small gathering of shorebirds were in the seaweed awaiting the drop of the tide among them 18 Purple Sandpiper, 25 Dunlin, 22 Sanderling, 24 Oystercatcher , 15 Turnstone & 20 Whimbrel

Great Northern Diver in early morning light

 Early morning at Corsiva Harbour on a windless glassy sea , for me there is no better place to observe Divers.
This bird was nearly in full summer plumage ,I watched why it fished the shallows for crabs.
There were plenty more Divers further offshore moulting winter feathers in rafts readying to make there way north  to breed