Whinchat - Shannon Callows

I was in the meadows of the Shannon Callows near Banagher early in the morning.

Summer breeding Whinchat was the target species. I got to see over 8 individuals during a 2 hour walk through the meadows adjacent to the river also drumming Snipe, Redd Buntings, Sedgd Warbers, Blackcaps and a few Swift.

Bar-tailed Godwit Liscannor

Bar tailed Godwit are generally a winter visitors to the shores of Ireland and most birds have now left.

This bird is on its way north to Scandinavia,  it may have travelled all the way from as far as South Africa and starting to show breeding colours that we don't often see here.

Gannet in Lahinch

I had a call early morning to say that a large aggressive Seabird was on Lahinch prom and a FB post was out to the concern about this bird and its safety.

I was in Lahinch so I collected the Gannet and released it to the sea at Liscannor harbour .

I believe the bird may have been caught out at night in the fog and came in to lights of Lahinch  and onto the stone seafront where it was tired but still a handful. 

 

Great Northern Diver in Summer plumage

It's May and most of the Great Northern Divers have migrated North,  but a handful of birds can still be seen within Lahinch bay and they are in spectacular summer plumage.

The Barn Owls Dinner table

A fresh Shrew believed to be a Greater white toothed Shrew lays on the feeding table of a Barn Owl, a smelly place where rodents and Starlings are torn up, swallowed and spat back out

The amount of pellets on the floor and poo stained rock sugest this is a regular feeding spot and I know it has been for years.

Local Tree Sparrows

Every spring I would visit a local location to see how the Tree Sparrows are fairing.

Today I only got to see 3 birds that were skulking among reeds and Willows close to whereby and hopefully incubation is taking place.

Fox and cubs

 Within the fields a Fox watches over her 3 cubs as they explore , She rested as they roamed giving out calls to any threats such as Magpies, Jackdaws and 2 juvenile Ravens that would often show interest in bothering her, She was aware of me but I was at a good distance enjoying the views

Linnet

Linnet is a species of Finch common to our fields.

 Considered a boring little brown job of a bird they can be easy overlooked and a male singing in a tree is well worth a watch .

 The Linnet may have got its name from the fondness of Linseed.

 

Reed Bunting

A Reed Bunting was showing off on his chirping perch on a local walk in the forestry of Ballyea

Eiders and Divers at Moy beach

I was down on Moy beach checking the surf which was small, a nice day with an offshore wind I checked the birds within the bay of the  TVseries `Smother`.

The  two Eiders that had over wintered the otherside of Lahinch bay were here as were 3 Red throated Divers, 6 Great northern Divers, a few new spring Lesser Black backed Gulls. 

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