whiskered tern ya bas!

Great views of a cracking whiskered tern at Lough Beg this morning. News broke late last night but thankfully it hung around today - a great way to draw level with our japanese reader, and of course only the fifth Cork record too!

Galley was quiet again this morning with just a few wheatears around and a swift over Long Strand (92).

sedgies

A good few singing sedge warblers this morning around the lake (91), but little else doing.  The male black redstart was still around, Galley's 3rd collared dove of the spring was knocking about Shite Lane, and there were a couple more whitethroats in. The Long Strand whimbrel flock had dropped to 10.

black red

A cracking male black redstart was the best of it this morning at Galley, with a whitethroat in Dirk Bay also new for the year (90). It was still quiet mig-wise, with 2 wheatears the only other migs. Two shelduck flew over and a flock of 32 whimbrel at Long Strand contained 2 summer plumage bar-tailed godwits, which was nice.

sneaky seawatch

Good numbers of manx shearwaters heading west off Galley this evening, with 2 bonxies and 7 puffins new for the year (88). On the mig front, just 4 wheatears were knocking about.

jack yer snipe

Flushed a jack snipe during the morning thrash round Galley (86), which was a patch tick, but sadly there was little else doing apart from 10 wheatears and 3 house martins.

globbies

A wander round Galley this afternoon produced 2 collared doves  and a wheatear at Shite Lane, however this was rather overshadowed by news of SIX glossy ibis over Farranfore (Kerry) this morning! Ah, well, at least collared dove was a year tick! (85).

more about

A bit more mig action this morning at Galley, with 2 willow warblers, 1 chiffchaff, 1 wheatear, 2 sand martins, 3 house martins and a female blackcap. The latter two species were new for the year, as was a sandwich tern on Kilkeran Lake mid-morning - where have they been? (84).

another mig

The slow spring continued today with 2 sand martins at Long Strand (81), and a singing willow warbler there too.

more migs

A brace of willow warblers this morning at Galley (80), but no sign of any other migs. Up to 20 red-throated divers and 5 great northern divers were loafing offshore.

a swallow at last!

Finally year-ticked swallow on the patch, when 1 flew over Long Strand late afternoon (79).

more ears

Spurred on by yesterday's results I twitched the patch from btown and scored a mighty 4 wheatears of my very own (78). A seawatch off Galley produced 3 common scoters and 2 great northern divers.

1st ear of de year

A wheatear this morning on the way to the lighthouse was the first sign of spring migration for a while.