Stormys follow the boat along The Rhine

It was wet and windy from the south, It felt like Autumn.

I was in Ballyvaughan with not much on, I put the weather gear on and headed out to The Rhine.

I watched the Gulls following the Crab Boat from my bit of shelter.

I picked up a Storm Petrel that was following the brown rip current between the island and the boat, It soon joined in on the activity and I got a count of 4.

Whitethroat

Juvenile Med Gull

This juvenile med Gull has been around Clahane for over 10 days now.
Still mixing it up on the reef with Black headed Gulls, making chick like mewing calls for food.

Sandwich Terns and shorebirds

An afternoon wander in the sun took me to Aughinish.

A Stoat was hunting the sea wall on the causeway, but even with a few sightings i never got the camera on it.

50 Sandwich Terns gathered on the exposed rocks and dry sandbanks of the pool that is low in water

Shorebirds around the pool and seashore included Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Redshank, Turnstone, Little Egret and Shelduck

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Clahane 18 \7 \18

Its been a while since I have had anytime to get out along the coast and birdwatch. So I stopped in at Clahane back a few days ago to check my local patch.
A juv Kittiwake along with a Med Gull were feeding the high tide among 200 Black headed Gull
The other side of the road Reed Buntings , Rock Pipits and Stonechats all with young kept busy,
Further up the reef on the middle roost a few Sandwich Terns one with a silver ring on right leg

Kittiwake imm

Med Gull

Reed Bunting

Stonechat

Sandwitch Tern

Red throated Divers Lahinch beach

A calm day has has brought 7 Red throated Divers fairly close in to Lahinch beach, very flighty unsettled moulting birds, their busy activity was attracting Gulls to harass them also.

I took a few distance shots from the shoreline and got wet feet 

 

Spotted Flycatcher - Moanreel wood

Not many reports of Spotted Flycatcher within the county yet this spring so I was happy to find one in Moanreel wood next to my home, sharing the same Tree as a Juvenile Treecreeper

Treecreeper juvenile

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.