wigeon ya bas!

Three wigeon on the lake this afternoon were the first ones since Sept 06, so were very welcome for the year list (134), which brings up 100% for the patch challenge too. Two med gulls were also there (ad & 1st w) plus 2 lapwings.

baltic

A firecrest was (still?) in Dirk Bay today, with a 1st w med gull seen on the lake in the afternoon. Feckin freezing too.

new ybw

A new yellow browed warbler was skulking in Dirk Bay this afternoon - otherwise it was quiet though.

bully's special prize

A lone bullfinch knocking about the trees at Shite Lane this morning was a bit of a surprise - only my fourth for the patch, after 3 this January. Quiet otherwise, with small numbers of chaffinches knocking about, 2 flyover bramblings (133) and a few goldcrests, and the firecrest still present in Dirk..

firecrest still aboot

The firecrest was still in Dirk this morning, bouncing around the gardens and being very mobile. About 30 chaffinches and a few redpoll around too, with a 1st winter med gull and a bar-tailed godwit at Long Strand.

pleasant valley sunday

A firecrest, a blackcap, 3 chiffchaffs, 4 swallows and a few siskins were in Dirk this morning. A buzzard was at Long Strand this evening. The cattle egret was at White's Marsh this morning with 3 otters there too.

late seawatch

A look at the sea this evening after it finally stopped raining produced 5 arctic skuas, 1 pomarine skua and a manx shearwater.

chilly but

A bit parkie this morning around Galley, but still signs of a few things on the move, with the first 2 redwing of the autumn, an adult winter med gull at Long Strand and 5 swallows and 1 house martin, which were the first for quite a while, with the local birds having headed off weeks ago. A juvenile american golden plover was at Muckross Strand near Clonakilty this evening.

more long tails

Seemed quiet in a brief look at Shite Lane this morning. A party of 7 long-tailed tits at Long Strand was only the second time I've seen them this year.

all wet'n'orrible

Very wet for most of the day but the yellow browed warbler was seen again at Shite Lane this morning.

greasy grebe

Seemed quieter out around Galley this morning, after the weekend's excitement. There was still one yellow browed warbler at shite lane, and another in dirk, with 3 swallows & 3 chiffchaffs there. Still good numbers of goldcrests about, and a couple of flyover redpolls too. A 1st w great crested grebe on Kilkeran Lake this afternoon more than made up for not going to Loop Head for the philly vireo (132).

flyer's moon

Very bright and clear last night so it was no great surprise that there was no sign of the swainson's thrush this morning in dirk bay,although 2 yellow browed warblers were still around. Elsewhere there were 2 med gulls at long strand (ad w & 1st w), 1 wheatear, 1 yellowhammer and 1 golden plover over, a new firecrest and yellow browed warbler at shite lane, with several goldcrests, and a new yellow browed warbler at long strand.

The balloon went up again this afternoon, in the form of a white throated sparrow on Cape, so we all had to go twitching again. The bird was eventually pinned down and good views were had by all - result!

Galley gets a swainson's

Ireland's 5th ever swainson's thrush was found in Dirk Bay this afternoon, and what a cracker it was too. The bird showed very well in sycamores, feeding and moving around the canopy, sometimes overhead. It seemed fairly oblivious to the birders below. Also in Dirk today were 2 yellow browed warblers, 1 firecrest, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 blackcap and a couple of chiffchaffs (131).

scarlet tanager

After yesterday's excitement, I was looking forward to giving Galley a good kicking this morning, in the still, calm conditions.  Hadn't got further than shite lane, where there were a few goldcrests, when I got the call that had me high-tailing it to Garinish, near Dursey for excellent views of the scarlet tanager - what a cracker!

let the twitching begin....

Eventually had to go and see the juvenile little blue heron at Letterfrack so left the house at 3.50 am, and was back by 15.00. It was a good bird too, well worth the trip! Image © carmo

two in a row!

Another patch tick today, in the form of 6 adult whooper swans on Kilkeran Lake all day (129).  Not much else doing apart from 2 coal tits in the garden and another 2 in Dirk Bay.

patch tick!

Good conditions for a seawatch this am produced a Galley patch tick in the form of a grey phalarope, which landed briefly on the sea before heading on into the sw gale - (128). Little else moving though, with just 2 storm petrels and 2 common scoter west in 1 hour.  An adult yellow legged gull was at Owenahincha this afternoon.

another lesser whitey

A lesser whitethroat in sycamores at the end of Dirk Bay this morning seemed to be new. There were plenty goldrests and a couple of chiffchaffs there too, plus a wheatear at Long Strand.  This afternoon 3 brent geese flew past Galley, 2 coal tits were still in Dirk and a tufted duck was on Kilkeran Lake.