Ross`s Gull at Galway

 A few days ago during storm Franklin a  Mega rare Ross`s Gull was seen off Mutton island Galway. Yesterday in better weather it was seen again in the area. Id waited a few years to see one so I headed to Galway hoping to beat the weather and see the Gull.

OMG! the walk out along the causeway to Mutton was horrendous, 60mph SW wind and rain blizzard, waves crashing on the walk out, an Otter was eating on the sea 10 m away but no hope of getting the camera out. By the time  I reached the sheltered side of the island even my coat pockets were full of water.

I searched the Gulls and found a Little Gull among the Black headed Gulls that were also roosting on the east side, an Iceland Gull or 2 were also present, tidy but not what I came for, I sat watching.

Distant a Ross`s Gull approached the Island from out near the east Bouy, maybe it was the flight pattern or wing pattern but instantly I said " Gotcha "!  as I followed it in, then it came right passed me and back out into the bay where it gave distant views

Little Gull

Little Gull

Water Pipit at Clahane

  My old friend Geoff Pearson called me yesterday to say that he had an unusuallly light coloured Pipit on the Seaweed at Clahane , I arrived and the Pip was on the seaweed in the corner standing out, as I got out of the car the bird vanished as an oncoming westerly wind  churned up and I failed to see it again.

This morning was a lot clearer and the Water Pipit was again on the seaweed, but moving around to the field often being chased by the Rock Pipits and the handful Meadow Pipits in the rock field. I noticed it had damage to one of the tail-slide feathers which helps ID the bird in the crowds . Also as other Pipits, Wagtails, Redshanks, Starlings etc all go up together when startled, on a few occasion's this bird stayed very still on the seaweed .

Slavonian Grebe - Poulnasherry

 I went down to Poulnasherry bay to try and catch up with a few birds that had been seen during the week. I was at the east side of the mouth of the bay at low tide, I was searching the edges of the shores in my scope where an Otter was running along a mudbank, Wigeon, Brent Geese, Great crested Grebe and a few Great northern  Divers were into the bay, a search out on the water outside the mouth produced the Slavonian Grebe but it was far out past the depth Bouys.....I waited , but the Grebe remained deep.

I left to go round to the west side of the mouth of Poulnasherry bay at Moughna where the light was better.... again I waited...and a pushing tide brought the Slavonian Grebe in toward the mouth of the bay where it and I spent the afternoon in the sun, Offshore in calm conditions the male Velvet Scoter made an appearance, an impressive duck that.

Velvet Scoter

   It was low tide and I walked down along the beach at Kilmacreedy side of Lahinch beach to get a bit closer to two Eider that I found in the scope from the harbour at Liscannor, the birds were down light but close to shore as they moved toward 3 Scoter that were also close in, but 100 yards away toward the inagh river entry. 

This female Velvet Scoter was with two Common Scoter and all 5 birds were together at one point, so the walk was worth while

Clahane reef birds and Sandfield Barnacle Goose

  

Outside the invasion of Gulls on the middle reef a few birds were to be found foraging on the south reef with 8 Purple Sandpiper , 2 Greenshank , 15 Oystercatcher and 6 Brent Geese

On the way back home a lone Barnacle Goose was in the field along the river creek at Sandfield

Purple Sandpipers

Golden Plover

Brent Goose

barnacle goose

An Xmas Swallow

 Strange but true, an off season Swallow was buzzing around the reef at Clahane  mainly along the cliff side sometimes rapidly circling the bay low and fast over the seaweed, late evening lack of light I stood no chance of much of a flight shot but great to see the day after xmas .

A busy month of Surfing

 Between a bit off work and parental duties ive been sneaking in regular to surf the the reefs of Lahinch during the recent swells.

Merlin at Clohnahinchy

 A very active Merlin was buzzing about Clohnahinchy beach area trying to catch anything small birds it could surprise, I watched the acrobatics as it chased all the small birds off the reef and field into the air.

 Now trying to photo this at low light is near impossible as the bird is just to quick at directional changes and you loose it, but its great fun

Eider on a Seaweed rock

 A beautifuI morning and I was right out on the sand on a very  low tide at Kilmacreedy end of Lahinch beach.

I could see the female Eider that has been around a few weeks, She was roosting on a rock of seaweed as the tide had retreated and somehow I was on the side of the light.

 I watched as she nibbled along the seaweed but didnt consume it, to me she was filtering organisms and small periwinkles that cling to the weed, maybe a midnight snack left for breakfast

The Twite time at Clahane

Around the first few weeks of November Twite have a habit of dropping into Clahane to feed on seed on the roadside and edges of the sea walls. Linnets also come here in good numbers to do the same thing, but rarely do the flocks mix, the Twite just seem a bit more wary and tend to feed off the road in among the grasses and stones 

Yesterday morning I seen a single Twite , today Clahane  produced 10 Twite that were feeding well along the roadside and boulder field but disappeared after a Kestrel came through .