leaving it late

Another morning seawatch off Galley produced 2 bonxies, 2 arctic skuas, 2 sooty shearwaters, 1 manx shearwater and a juvenile pomarine skua, which was badly needed for the year (128).

great shears at last!

A pretty good seawatch this morning, with 16 bonxies, 12 arctic skuas, 12 sooty shearwaters, 80 manx shearwaters, 150 kittiwakes and 2 great shearwaters (127) past Galley in 2.5 hours.

bramblefinch

Pretty quiet at Galley again today with 1 chiffchaff in Dirk and another at Shite Lane this afternoon, where a male brambling put in a brief appearance (126).  The greenish warbler was still at Dunnycove today.

dusky ya bas!

A wet and windy day and me being marooned in Cork city turned rather fortunate when news of a dusky warbler at Ballycotton broke - a cracker it was too, although once again I suspect our japanese reader would disagree!  Back at Galley, a quick check of "marsh lane" this evening for yesterday's firecrest produced two of 'em - marvellous!! (125).

greenish still there

The greenish warbler was still at Dunnycove this morning, in sycamores.  Galley was quiet today, with 4 swallows at Long Strand the only sighting of note.

greenish at dunnycove

Quiet again at Galley this morning with a 2nd winter mediterranean gull at Long Strand, 1 swallow and a merlin at Galley and 1 chiffchaff, 3 redwing and a blackcap in Dirk.  News of a greenish warbler nearby at Dunnycove late afternoon provided a welcome distraction - cracking views!

soggy reed

A couple of chiffchaffs were knocking about Shite Lane, with 4 goldcrests this morning. Finally caught up with the reed warbler in Dirk Bay this afternoon, but there was nothing else there (124).  Two ruff, 2 little stints and 1 curlew sandpiper were still at White's Marsh this afternoon.

another new ybw

An afternoon slog round the patch yielded another new yellow browed warbler at Shite Lane but little else mig-wise. Brief morning and evening seawatches produced 2 bonxies and a sooty shearwater.

back to mizen

Quiet again at Galley this morning with just the reed warbler still in Dirk Bay (dipped again!) Headed back to Mizen mid morning for great but brief views of the blyth's reed warbler there (eventually!) A cracking bird too, not that our japanese reader will be interested!. Also had yellow browed warbler and red breasted flycatcher there.

another load of tits

Not much doing at Galley this am, with just a late sedge warbler and the same blackcap at Shite Lane.  Dirk had a reed warbler and a couple of chiffchaffs, as well as a party of 5 long-tailed tits moving though, while I was dipping on the reed (123).

new ybw

A new yellow browed warbler was in the sycamores at Shite Lane this morning, with 1 chiffchaff, 1 spotted flycatcher and 1 blackcap also knocking about there.

2 more year ticks

A redwing and a spotted flycatcher at Shite Lane this morning were new for the year (122), with 1 female blackcap and 2 chiffchaffs also there, while 2 more chiffchaffs were in Dirk Bay.

buff bellied pipit ya bas!

Just had to head to Lissagriffin (Mizen Head) this morning for great views of one of 2 buff-bellied pipits there. A cracking bird it was too - see here for images & footage, courtesy of HH.  Galley was quiet with a single chiffchaff at Shite Lane this evening.

new yellow browed in

Galley's second yellow browed warbler of the autumn was at the bottom of the lane to Bealacoon Cove this morning, with a un-nailed redstart sp. around the farm at Shite Lane.  All this while I was poaching on Cape Clear where I finally ticked garden warbler for Ireland, my first for approximately 8 years! Also caught up with yellow browed warbler and red breasted flycatcher there.

sharpy again

A quick check of Galley this morning revealed nothing much new, with just the lesser whitethroat at Shite Lane and 3 fin whales blowing c. 3 miles south of Galley light.  Headed back to Ballycotton for more views of the sharp-tailed sandpiper in better light - brilliant views of a cracking bird! A few little stints, curlew sandpipers and ruff were also present.

 

This afternoon a curlew sandpiper was at Clonakilty, while 3 little stints and 4 ruff were on White's Marsh.  Back at Galley, a pied flycatcher was new in, as was a coot gracing Kilkeran Lake with its presence, and a fly-over buzzard there was also a welcome year tick (120).  Three curlew sandpipers were at Rosscarbery.

out of the blue

The usual wander about Galley this morning produced little except for a sedge warbler and a few redpolls and chaffinchs until I returned to Shite Lane where a lesser whitethroat appeared (first since 2004!) followed closely by a yellow browed warbler (117).

 

Just happened to be heading to Ballycotton this evening when news broke of a juvenile sharp-tailed sandpiper there (also 4 species of american wader present there today!). Had great views of it, and had enough time to nail the newly found pectoral sandpiper before dusk. More than a wee bit lucky!

tits oot!

Had a brief seawatch this morning and had 1 sooty shearwater and 1 bonxie, but there was no visible influx of migs elsewhere today.

 

Wandered down Dirk Bay again this afternoon for the 2nd time today (had nowt first time) so it was quite a surprise to find a brace of coal tits there - showing down to 10 feet no less (115). The first at Galley since 2 in the same trees in 2005 - actually, there's so much cover in Dirk there's a fair chance its the same birds! That hermit thrush from '98 is probably still in there too!

another grape lover

The second grey plover in a week flew over Galley this morning, calling away. Still nothing much else though, although the winds have finally gone south east this afternoon - not for very long though. Still a few chiffchaffs and at least 2 wheatears knocking about.  The lesser yellowlegs was seen again at the Red Benches in Clonakilty today.