Little Gull at Clahane

A Little Gull still with juvenile plumage was  at Clahane during the morning Dip feeding along the shoreline at high tide.

The Egyptian Vulture

Seems kind odd to be out tracking an Egyptian Vulture out in the fields of Roscommon.

After a short while of searching around the areas that the bird has been seen over the last few days I saw it far back in at tree beyond the roost tree, then it flew to the ground where we moved for better views.

 It just sat there on a log on the edge of a field at 108m! {googlemaps}

On leaving , as I was on the main road I could see Big Bird was soaring over the fields I pulled over and got great flight views as it circled over the fields

Great Bird.

1st view as found

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.