A wet Buzzard at Bunny

 

It was a wet day..very wet.

The water in the loughs of the burren lowlands were quite high.

A few Goldeneye and a Great crested Grebe were out in the center of Lough Muchanagh .

A wet Buzzard was a welcome site toward Lough Bunny

Arctic /Common /Mealy type Redpoll

 

This little Redpoll was hanging around the shelter of a coastal lane outside of Kilkee.

Certainly not a Lesser Redpoll( our default Redpoll in Ireland) and fairly tame even approaching the legs of a old Dog while it was barking.

Local Beach Birds

 A short walk with the kids at Lahinch beach during a brisk morning will always find few local birds in there habitats , Wagtails ,Stonechats and Rock Pipits on the Rocks, the Black headed Gulls in their regular spot on the reef and Cormorants and Red throated Divers chase fish in the shallows and were giving a winter feel to the beach.

Pied Wagtail

Red throated Diver

Black headed Gull

Cormorant

Rock Pipit

Yellow browed Warblers and Tits on Show

 Yellow browed Warblers are still getting around headlands and moving through the country. Birds have been found in and near coastal towns of County Clare and even on show in inner city Dublin.

They do get a little easier to see as the leaves are falling from the trees, I believe this bird has been in the same Kilbaha garden for over a week now, not much more in rarities in the village but still a good visible passage of  Chaffinch, Blue , Great and Coal Tits 

Otter at lunch at Lough Atedaun

 I was out at Lough Atedaun just after midday with my 2yr old daughter having a snack, there is a gap in between the trees on the west side of the carpark that I birdwatch through. I could see 4 Mute Swans were staring at the same swampy flood patch then an Otter climbed a rock  `sniffing``....

It entered back into the water and headed in our direction moving through the submerged grasses and reeds, the  Mute Swans moved off togeher..checking behind ( they reminded me of 4 surfers that had seen a Shark on the inside).

Again the Otter came out up on a rock in front of us..sniffing...sniffing, it seemed to have no problem with us, and I was talking to a child! with a few "sshhhhhss and "Come heres" put in. The Otter then swam straight under me , to close to photo made its way to land where it sniffed out a dead bird ,which I think was a Lapwing. I devoured it bones and all in front of me, before being scared of by a Spaniel.  

Migration through and over the Loop

 The day was nice with little wind, I arrived in Kilbaha just before midday , I could see there was a few extra Chaffinch and Great Tit around the harbour , as I made my way up the lane it was evident that a migration of Tits was coming through and over the village from the west, certainly to many to count and photo, just watch as they skip through the bushes and trees and past me, soon each garden was holding numbers of Blue Tits, Coal Tits and Great Tits, Chaffinches were also gathering in numbers.  2 Yellow browed Warblers , 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap and a Goldcrest were in the gardens as was my 1st for the autumn Redwing 

Hen Harrier and Chiffchaffs at Loop

 Its October and every keen birder wants to find a rarity. News of rare birds from headlands and islands makes me get up early and head for Loop Head.

There wasnt much in the way of rare birds or birds for that matter anywhere between the lighthouse and Kilbaha gardens, Ill settle on female Hen Harrier which I found perched on a clump of mud at the west bank, but as soon as the camera was lifted the bird was on the wing and gliding past me.

The weather showed up for an hour and 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were in Senis Garden with some Blue Tits, Great Tits and Goldfinches

A single Pink footed Goose

 On my way home from Clahane when I was delighted  to spot this Pink footed Goose alone and feeling lost in Sandfield Marsh Liscannor. Its the 3rd time Ive seen this species at this site.