2 glaucs

An adult glaucous gull was at Red Strand this morning, with 2 lesser black-backed gulls which were just visible from Dirk Bay (72).  A 2nd winter glaucous gull flew past Long Strand this afternoon.

eejit

A little egret at Long Strand today was the first for the year (71).

ringo

A ringed plover at Long Strand this evening was the first one there for the year (70).

halfway!

Two red-throated divers and a shelduck at Long Strand this morning were new for the year, as was a squealing water rail there this evening (69).

lesser legs seen again

The lesser yellowlegs was seen again at Rosscarbery today - first time its been seen this year, as far as I am aware.

back in front

A wander around Dirk Bay this afternoon produced a drake pheasant and 7 turnstones for the year (66), as well as the overwintering whimbrel and 2 great northern divers.

mute records

A brace of mute swans on Kilkeran Lake this lunchtime were new for the year (64).

lapwings!

Two lapwings sheltering on the banks of Kilkeran Lake this afternoon were a good addition to the patch year list (63) - only saw 6 of 'em last year!

glauc

A 1st winter glaucous gull at Long Strand late afternoon was a valuable year tick, while a great northern diver and several fulmars off Galley this afternoon were also new for the year (62).

the great island bird race

Today was the annual great island bird race and 9.00 am saw 5 teams set out from Kennedy Pier in Cobh for the race.  It was an excellent day weatherwise but hard work finding birds. Having won outright 2 years ago, and tied in first place last year we were up for the treble but with our usual 4th team mate swanning around in Sri Lanka and our second fiddle golden plover expert overseas in Japan we were always going to struggle.  Indeed so it turned out as we could only struggle to tie in 3rd on 88, with the 4th place team on 85. A sterling effort by HH and his team came in second with 91 but it was the usual suspects (DOS, PD & PM) who ran out the winners with a whopping 94. feckers - we'll get 'em next year!

 

Good birds were quite thin on the ground though most teams managed both glaucous, iceland and ring-billed gulls.  Bird of the day was a fine tree sparrow, a great find by 1 team and a good county record.

 

slowing up

Just 2 patch year ticks today; sparrowhawk and skylark which makes 59.

a few more

Managed to add teal, guillemot, razorbill, kittiwake, snipe, linnet and reed bunting today, moving the total onto 57.

braving the elements

Bit wet and windy this afternoon but managed mistle thrush, rock pipit, grey wagtail and chough for the year despite the weather (50).  A bar-tailed godwit was also at Long Strand again this afternoon.

only 364 birding days left!

Gleaned a few more species today, the best of which were a 1st winter mediterranean gull on Kilkeran Lake, a peregrine over Long Strand and a female merlin at Shite Lane.  Patch year list now on 46.

happy new year challenge

A stumble around Galley this afternoon produced 1 bar-tailed godwit, 1 chiffchaff, 1 whimbrel but bird of the day was a black guillemot in Dirk, which I missed at Galley last year. Year list total by the end of the day was 36.