more seawatching

A two hour watch this morning produced 66 sooty shearwaters, 2 balearic shearwaters, 19 storm petrels, 1 bonxie , 1 arctic skua, 1 puffin and a peregrine.

full fat patch tick!

A call from HH about an osprey at White's Marsh this evening seen heading towards Kilkeran Lake had me out scanning the skies, and persistance paid off as it eventually appeared over the Rathbarry trees and appeared to go down into the pines at Castlefreke, maybe to roost? A full-on Galley patch tick, and only my 2nd irish one (113). A few waders on the lake too, with 4 lapwing, 2 greenshank and 1 common sandpiper this evening.

first cory's for ages

A cory's shearwater was the highlight off Galley this morning, with 3 sooty shearwaters and an arctic skua also moving.

long tail

An adult long-tailed skua hung around off Galley this morning for c. 5 minutes, settling on the water for a while too. Not that I was there, its becoming a bit of a patch bogie! Otherwise the seawatching was quiet today, with 4 balearic shearwaters, 17 sooty shearwaters, 17 storm petrels, 10 puffins and 12 common scoter.

a few waders

Definite signs of wader movement around Galley today, with 1 black tailed godwit (112) in with the curlew flock around the lake, 1 dunlin over the lake and 4 lapwings over. On the passerine front, 2 willow warblers and 2 chiffchaffs were kicking around Shite Lane this morning, in a light south-easterly breeze. The sea was still quiet, with 1 balearic shearwater, 5 sooty shearwaters, 1 bonxie and 10 storm petrels this evening. Two ruff remained around White's Marsh/Muckross, with an adult yellow-legged gull at Ross this morning.

waders on the move

Not much sign of wader action on the patch, with only 2 common sandpipers on the lakeshore this afternoon, however a ruff was at White's Marsh this afternoon, with 2 sanderling, 3 turnstone, 60 dunlin and 85 ringed plover at Owenahincha tonight.  One bar tailed godwit was in amongst black tailed godwits at Rosscarbery, with 15 greenshank and a juvenile med gull also there this evening. The wind died altogether this evening, with only 1 arctic skua, 1 balearic shearwater and c. 60 storm petrels off Galley tonight.

sw again

A wee south-westerly produced 1 great shearwater and 3 sooty shearwaters early evening, before the vis crapped out altogether.

warbler action

At least 2 willow warblers at Shite Lane and another in the garden indicated a bit of local movement at least, while a flock of c. 650 starlings was crying out for something pink to be in amongst them, but it wasn't!

migs are in!

Took the small fella for the first autumnal check of Shite Lane this morning, and we were flung headlong straight into mig action with cracking views of a collared dove on the telephone wires - a genuine Galley mig! Unfortunately there didn't seem to be much else around, but its all ahead of us!

satday morning

A few things moving this morning despite not much wind - 2 great shearwaters, 13 sooty shearwaters, 4 bonxies, 2 arctic skuas, 10 storm petrels, 16 puffins, 12 sandwich terns and 97 arctic terns in 4 flocks between 8 am and 12.  One bonxie and 2 common terns were off Long Strand late morning.

another great, another planet

Just the one lone single great shearwater past Galley tonight, (found by our dublin correspondant visiting his country retreat!)

great news, ted!

A seawatch from 6.30 - 8.15 pm produced 5 great shearwaters, 2 balearic shearwaters and 2 bonxies.

grey phal

A few bits passing this morning, with 3 sooty shearwaters, 1 balearic shearwater, 7 bonxies, 27 puffins and 12 storm petrels between 7 and 8.30, while an hour this evening netted 2 sooty shearwaters, 3 balearic shearwaters and a lingering grey phalarope.

little bit of movement through the crease

The first great shearwater for a few days went past Galley this morning, with 4 bonxies, 4 sooty shearwaters, 12 storm petrels and a few sandwich terns moving too.

birthday fea's

A quiet enough seawatch off Galley this afternoon, in a strenghthening southerly - just 1 sooty shearwater, 2 balearic shearwaters, 2 bonxies, 1 common scoter, 3 arctic terns and 2 sandwich terns until Rick shouted up a fea's petrel heading west and things went a bit mad (111) - happy birthday fella!

not quite bridges of ross

One sooty shearwater and 5 storm petrels this morning off Galley, with 1 balearic shearwater this evening. Looks like there's not going to be a whole lot of south-westerlies around all week either - feck!!