a little venture off-patch pays off

Out for the first time in a few days and headed to Red Strand to check the off-patch gulls. I wasn't there long as a 1st winter little gull on the beach meant a quick detour to the top of Dirk from where it is possible to scan the distant gulls on Red Strand, provided a dog-walker hasn't flushed them in the meantime! My luck was in today, as the gulls were mostly at the closer end of Red Strand, and the little was still in amongst them (139), before it flew off to play in the surf with some black-heads. Always good to see them at Galley - I think this is about my 4th or 5th on patch over the years, so less than annual - bonus!  And more importantly, it takes me to 3rd in the challenge, with a week still to go!

Thought I'd have a wee look at the sea, as there was a reasonable south-westerly blowing.  There were a good few fulmars, gannets and kittiwakes skelping past, plus the odd band of auks - and in amongst them three darker fulmars slipped through too. This is the most I've seen off Galley in a day, and all were pretty close in. I'd say they were "D" for Dark, but not "DD", in the old Seabirds at Sea lingo.  Better was still to come though, as, whilst staring at the close waves pondering how much longer to give it, I noticed something big and dark flapping through on stiff wings. A quick look through the bins revealed a cracking great shearwater, which was filling the frame through the scope! Awesome! I think it must have been the closest one I've ever seen off Galley, and a very late date too - no records later than October in recent CBRs, although I did see a couple in early November last year I think. Cracking birds altogether!  All in all over the years I've done very little winter seawatching off here. Based on today, maybe I should do a bit more?

not done yet

A nice calm morning so grabbed the chance to scope for divers in the bay. A few red-throated divers and great northern divers about, but nothing in amongst them, but there was a lone sanderling on Long Strand - ker-ching! (138). So now just one away from 3rd place, assuming no progress on Donside - here's hoping!

last gasp

Not much time left this year so a bullfinch in the garden this morning was a veritable lifeline in the chase for 3rd place in the patch challenge (137). The bad news is I still need 2 more species to clinch third assuming boy roy scores no more before the year end. Time for the lake to start weighing in with ducks galore...

the wrong white-winger

Not much time or inclination for the patch today, despite a third-place finish still up for grabs. Did time my scanning of the lake well though, picking up both a 1st winter iceland gull and an adult winter med gull soaring around in the breeze. Sadly,its glaucous I still need for the year, and though the opportunity to string it was tempting, I managed to resist. Plenty time left yet!

patch news!

Eh? No entry since 24th October? Janey! No, I haven't been away (much) - I just haven't seen anything! Been out the odd time but got nowt for me troubles. Until Saturday morning. When my tardiness was duly rewarded with 4 (count 'em) gadwall on the lake (135). I only patch-ticked gadwall last december, when I had 4 (count 'em) birds on the sea - no doubt these are returning birds then, setting a new trend by wintering for 1 day only at Long Strand! I can confirm that they were slightly earlier than last year, but I still got 'em!

No sign of them next day, but wonder of wonders, instead there was a great crested grebe and a wigeon. In the same scope! Amayzing! Unfortunately the wigeon wasn't a year tick (or else I ticked it already without seeing one!), but the grebe certainly was (136) - only my 4th on patch, and one that always reminds me of dipping philadelphia vireo! The day that McA turned up the Loop Head one, I balked at going! I'd been on a great roll of successful twitches for it had been a mad yankee autumn, but somehow I got convinced I'd dip! It was really daft - I had child cover, I had no big deadlines, but I didn't go. Instead I spent all afternoon in the office refreshing birdguides every five minutes and trying not to think about philadelhia vireos. In between times I went and checked the lake and saw my first great crested grebe for the patch! Vindicated! That kept me going until the first "its still showing" text came in, and then I just felt sick!

Of course I drove up and back for it 2 days later and dipped completely - twat!

Interestingly (maybe) the only other time that I get reminded of philadephia vireos is every time I wander down dirk, past the big tree where one hung about back in 1985! Its not there any more tho, its gone.

not quite heaving

The high expectations of last night weren't lived up to by the migrants at Galley today, unfortunately, despite lots of SE wind and rain for most of yesterday. I only managed a couple of blackcaps, the two yellowhammers again, a black redstart (that wasn't new), and in amongst the viz-migging chaffinches, a brambling which called once and wasn't seen (134). Whoop - still, they all count! The yellow-browed warbler remained in Dirk Bay apparently, though I shunned the place today!

A yellow browed at last!

Was getting a bit worried that I'd missed yellow-browed warbler for the year, so news of one in Dirk this pm was a big relief. Luckily it was calling a good bit so was easy to pin down in the bottom sycamores (133). It never feels like a proper autumn without a yellow-browed on patch!

With the wind due to go south-east tomorrow, there's still hope of a few more year ticks before the autumn is out!

bits and bobs

Been a bit slack on de blogging front of late, however this week netted both ring ouzel and golden plover on patch (132).  On the downside, I also managed to dip on a patch tick - crane, which flew over the garden while I was watching a red-eyed vireo an hour away - thats gotta hurt!

Patch gold again!

Gave Galley the works this morning, and was duly rewarded with three (count 'em!) year ticks (129). I did the head first and was impressed by the viz-migging. Plenty of common stuff streaming southwards, with approx. 250 skylarks, 80 chaffinches, 20 redpolls, 15 siskin and also c. 20 magpies going through the motions, before they chickened out and headed back inland again.

In the midst of all this action I picked up a coal tit banging around on telephone wires - a Galley mega! I've seen more yellow-broweds here, and they is far from annual. This one was the first since 2008, so was very welcome! The next highlight was a buzzard, which sadly I got onto a little late, but it must have almost flown over my head! Still, another good one for the year, which is almost guaranteed these days, but you never know! The final year tick was a fine pied flycatcher, which appeared to be fresh in - always great value.  The juvenile woodchat shrike was still loitering about the fields at Shite Lane too.

And the wind is still in the east, with light drizzle tonight.....can't wait till morning!

More dirty twitching at Galley

Hot news today of a barred warbler loitering in Dirk - big bird, small place and all that - "piece of piss" I thought! Gave it a while late morning but no luck in the fog, however a return visit late pm in the sunshine was inspired, as it showed briefly in a sunny buckthorn bush before retreating again. Full Fat Patch Tick! Result! (126). One day I'll get a nice showy one here tho!

In other news, while I was watching the barred, de langer turned up a whinchat at Long Strand, which was duly notched onto the "from the house" list - bonus! Had a cracking male in the spring so it wasn't new for the year, but they've been pretty scarce in the last few years! South-east winds tonight - who knows what will be out there tomorrow!

Galley gets a woodchat

Cracker (124)! Only me second on Galley, but the only one twitched with Batman & Spiderman in tow!

Shetland photo essay

Birding Sumburgh Head

News of the Siberian Blue Robin on Foula sinks in

Little Bunting - two of these was the best we could find

A good pie was hard to find this year - a worrying development

Isabelline Shrike - one of the birds of the trip!

migs in north-westerlies?

More Seatrack fun this morning, so of course the wind was totally arse for Galley. North-westerlies are great for the Bridges but crap for here. Still, I gave it an hour and a half and was rewarded with a balearic shearwater (great views - my first one for the survey this year!), an arctic skua and a few arctic terns - ho hum.

Did Dirk again then, as it seemed the best option out of the wind - the amount of cover is still terrifying but todays imaginery bird was a good one - I was staring into a sycamore and suddenly thought "what if yellow-billed cuckoo shuffled out into view now"....unfortunately one didn't but can you imagine the rush if it had? The great tits are still there, by the way.

Dirk came good late in the day though with news of a lesser whitethroat - good birds for here, have only seen a handful at Galley. I made it up there in time for brief but clinching views as it settled down to roost for the night (119).  Wonder what else is in there with it...

hanging in there

Birding with a hangover is not easy. I'd optimistically left all my gear out ready downstairs so I'd be straight out the door at first light but imbibery of the black stuff the night before put paid to that (4.5 measly pints - disgraceful!) However, I still wasn't up to much a couple of hours later and it wasn't till news of some rares in the south-west came in that I finally got my act together and got in amongst it on patch.  The previous days south-easterlies didn't seem to have brought that much in, but I did manage to stumble into a turtle dove.

A half-arsed scan of the curlew flock by the lake late pm produced a black-tailed godwit (118), which I thought was quite impressive given my still banging hangover! I'm never drinking (murphys) again etc etc.

caps

Flat calm in Dirk Bay this morning so was hopeful of stumbling into something. Four blackcaps (116) and a willow warbler wasn't quite what I had in mind, but better than the usual great tits (which were also still there).

Also discovered I'd forgotton to tick off common scoter earlier in the year - bonus! (117).

twitchy sab's!

After two days of huge south-westerlies and bugger all seabirds (too windy?) news of a juvenile sabine's gull hanging about on patch was most welcome. It was quite a big twitch in the end with 7 people there at its height, and kev even got out of the car (though he was scanning from inside it with the window up when we got there - what's that all about?)

A scan of the seaweed strewn lagoon at Long Strand produced another year tick this evening in the form of turnstone - two in a day, I'm on fire! (115).

all the b's

Another Seatrack morning so up to Galley with the lark. Conditions were once again flat calm, as they've been pretty much every survey morning, still we stuck it out for 2 hours. Highlight waa 2 great shearwaters, one of which was nice and close, plus 5 sooty shearwaters and 3 bonxies. However, the reward came on the way back when a fine bar-tailed godwit flew over calling (113).  Think this was about my 5th for Galley, where waders are never easy. All good.

Back up to the light for the IWDG Whalewatch Day this afternoon. A good turnout, with probably over 200 people there over the afternoon. Not much fish action, but a distant blowing fin whale was seen by quite a few folk.  Better than that was a balearic shearwater, which snuck past with a few manxies, while everyone was looking for blubber (114).  Three sooties and a handful of storm petrels was the rest of it.  However two year ticks in a day at this time of year has to be good!

the autumn starts here!

A puff of south-eaterlies mid-morning so I dragged the bike out of the shed for the first autumnal visit to Shite Lane. Its looking really good just now, with loads of birds jumping around - mostly sparrows and finches but must drag in a rosefinch this year - fingers crossed!

A goldcrest in the sycamores turned out to be a year tick (112), while a willow warbler was also knocking about - a taste of things to come...

great seawatch

A slow start to the morning seawatch which eventually got going as a few great shearwaters began to lumber past (110). A couple were nice and close - there's something very special about large shearwaters - you have to stay on them all the way by - class! A good few sooty shearwaters were scooting through too, and another pomarine skua late in the watch was good. Not a bad morning's work in the end.  111 including the common tern on de lake from last sat too.

very tystie

First morning out on the patch for ages! Did a couple of hours seawatching in flat calm conditions for the Seatrack project - still a fair few manxies moving (c. 800 per hour), the majority were going east though, never a good sign! Highlights were 6 arctic terns west, 1 bonxie east and best of all, two black guillemots belting east - not guaranteed on patch so good to bang them in (108).  Oops, forgot to year tick guillemot too so actually 109.

common sand

A common sandpiper at Long Strand this pm was the first sign of waders beginning to move (107).

that'll be cory's on then!

Tried again this morning but still not much of note - 1 arctic skua and 15 storm petrels were both new for the year, while 25 common scoter and 3 bonxies were mere padders.

However, this evening was a completely different story. News of some cory's off Ballycotton late pm dragged me back up to Galley for an hour and half of cory's shearwater flypast action. It was pretty special - out beyond the stream of manx was a stream of cory's! Drifting past in twos and threes at some points, with a load more further out. Some of the nearer ones showed really well - a real bonus after drawing a blank last year! In the end, we reckoned there'd been a minimum of 1,200 cory's past, and they were still going by when I left, although the rate had dropped off. Two sub-adult pomarine skuas just before I left were another bonus, as I missed them last year too (106).

the dugbirds are back!

Gave Galley an hour this evening for the craic, and was duly rewarded with a sooty shearwater (102).  The only other thing of any note was a bonxie. Hope this isn't the shape of things to come! Still, thats the first year tick in about 6 weeks so can't complain!

garden tick

Desperate times with little happening on the bird front. However, a surprise garden tick was spotted at lunchtime - unusual enough at Galley, though evidently the population is expanding slowly.

south west at last!

The first decent south-westerly blow for ages this morning so headed up to Galley early to see if there were any skuas moving. Not much to start with apart from manxies, but things eventually picked up with 10 puffins, 2 dunlin and an arctic tern for the year (101). Otherwise, could only manage a couple of bonxies and 16 fly-by great northern divers, 14 of which were in sparkling summer plumage. Shame none had white bills though!

galley swifts

Two swifts over Kilkeran this morning were new for the year (98).

all doved up

Twitched all the way to Shite Lane in the van this morning as I was too bunged up with a snot-tastic head cold to walk that far. Failed to see the 2 reported spotted flycatchers, however, my incompetence was rewarded when the flycatcher finders returned to the scene of their crime only to turn up a turtle dove, which flew into a sycamore. I pointed myself towards the very tree and as I approached, sneezing all the while, out flew the dove, straight onto the year list - result! Not quite annual at Galley, well they probably are, but my catching up with them isn't, so a good one (97).

redpoll over

A flyover redpoll was as good as it got this morning - ho hum (96).

Sunny stroll

A grand evening for a stroll down to Shite Lane. Nothing much doing in the bushes but did pick up ringed plover for the year on the beach. Back at the house, my local informant informed me of a flock of whimbrel heading south along Long Strand, containing a smaller wader - 5 minutes later there it was, booting over - knot (95). A tricky one to get at wader-deprived Galley! But why are all the waders heading south?

another dove from above

No migs today, but did manage a stock dove, which was welcome for the year (93).

thats more like it!

Out at 6.30 am this morning - bit early but needs must! I'd been out for 2 hours and seen nothing birdy, just 2 basking sharks and 2 foxes. A quandry - will I hoof round the outer section of the patch and be late back home, and still prob see feck all? Or will I be good and get back a bitteen early? Thankfully, I took the sensible option, and approximately 20 minutes later was knee-deep in migs! First a wryneck, followed seconds later by a male whinchat - both spring firsts for me at Galley, and both big surprises!  (92). Excellent!

Redefining standards in record shots! Gav, where am I going wrong?

adhering to rule #162

As Wanstead Birder puts it "Always go and see shrikes". So when news of a woodchat shrike at Ross came in, I did. And it was nice! As was the male blue-headed wagail in the same field! Self-perpetuating hot-spot! Who'd have thought?



Certainly put the measily whitethroat I had on patch this morning in the shade (90)!

early morning gropper

The small fella demanded an early walk this morning and a good job he did, for it netted us a reeling grasshopper warbler, just off patch. A quick retrace of steps, and a listen and it was on the list (89). He heard it too, it was reely close, but unfortunately he wasn't for up for looking for it. Still, a good one for the patch, by no means guaranteed every year, so delighted, if a little tired.

struggling on

The hoped for south-easterlies didn't bring a big rush of stuff so had to resort to cashing in bankers in a 3 hour slog this morning. First up was house martin back at the cliff colony, followed by 3 manx shearwaters when i glanced seaward soon after. There was a modicum of local interest in the form of 2 male yellowhammers together and a collared dove, but nothing to get the pulse racing! Back home, a sedge warbler was giving it large from the lakeside reedbed, moving me onto 88 for the year.

another quality mig

Was out scouring all suitable shrike hedgerows this morning for a woodchat or similar. Didn't manage to find one, but did bump into a calling tree pipit, which flushed up onto some phone wires, and gave reasonable views despite the best efforts of the small fella (85). My first spring one at Galley, and I've only had two in the autumn so a pretty good score!  Three wheatears and a singing chiffchaff were the only other migs encountered.

wood warbler oml

After a few days holiday, it was good to get back on the patch this morning, and even better to connect with the wood warbler at Shite Lane, first found on Saturday. It was even trying out a few verses of its song this morning, and generally flopping about in the trees looking big and chunky and exciting! An excellent patch tick, and only my 2nd ever in Ireland, after my first out on Blanan on Cape Clear back in 1991.

Other year ticks this morning included 2 swallows (back at their nest sites in my absence) and a scouting party of 5 shelducks over (84). A yellowhammer was also knocking about.

 

more black reds

A pleasant couple of hours around Galley (via an early morning visitation to pay homage to the white-winged scoter in Kerry). At least three black redstarts were knocking about (2 nice males & a female type), while 5 wheatears and a good few (15?) phylloscs, mostly willow warblers, were knocking about Shite Lane & the Top Lane hedges. Nothing better than that, but it felt like something could jump out at any moment - maybe tomorrow?

more migs

Gave Galley another bash this morning but not a whole lot obviously new - 4 wheatears and at least 3 phylloscs were still messing about on the top lane but not much elsewhere. Two sandwich terns were back on the yellow buoys on the lake this lunchtime, bringing up 81 for the year.

morning dove

A couple of fly-pasts by a collared dove were very welcome this morning (80). Usually only get 2 or 3 in a year at Galley, so always good to see.

Skived off this afternoon and bumped into a smattering of migs. A cracking male black redstart was the highlight, but a mixed flock of phylloscs was good practice to work through this early in the spring with 2 chiffchaffs and a willow warbler working the hedges on the top lane. A couple of male wheatears completed the haul - all good (79).

ooo migrants

Two male wheatears were frolicking in the field edges on Galley this morning (75) - great to have them back! One day later than last year, but in almost exactly the same place. And they got here before wanstead!

a pleasant day for a pheasant

Another cracking sunny calm spring day at Galley, and on all such days it is really hard to resist the lure of migrant bashing! A quick check of the trusty CBR revealed that while its still about 2 weeks till the wheatears get here, there was more than a fighting chance of a hoopoe lingering somewhere, with at least 2 late Feb records on south Cork headlands in recent years. Armed with that knowledge, I had to give it a lash!

Sadly, it wasn't to be, however did put up a couple of female pheasants which hadn't yet got onto the year list, so at least that was something (72). And, there's any number of places you could hide a hoopoe on a Galley - might have to go for another look tomorrow!

bonxie on de lake

A casual scan of the lake mid-morning produced a bit of a surprise in the form of a large dark blob sitting on the water! A check through the beaten-up house scope necessitated a move outdoors and the big scope, when all was revealed - a rather knackered looking bonxie! (72).  Although regular on passage off Galley, mostly in autumn, I haven't seen one in winter here, and certainly not on the lake! He hung around for about half an hour before getting up and lumbering through the garden airspace on his way back out to sea, pursued by a bunch of meddling gulls.

A couple of other easy year ticks of late, with kittiwake & the Dirk wintering whimbrel both netted recently.

look at that mealy moulying

as they say on Shetland. Think that might be something to do with fulmars though, of which I saw none today. Did finally catch up with the Connonnagh mealy redpoll, which was nice! Had cracking views of it on the bird table and up in the trees around the garden this afternoon, while child number 2 slept in the car, blissfully unaware. Sometimes sneaky twitches work out grand!

Also gleaned another year tick this morning, when I spotted a merlin hunting over the fields by the house (67). Moving along nicely now.

some year ticks at last!

Finally got round to reinstating the bird table this morning after it got knocked flat in the recent gales. My luck was in too, as while refilling the feeder, I heard an unfamiliar call. It took a few seconds before I twigged - yellowhammer! Yes boy! Luckily, I'd brought my scope out to scan the lake, so was able to grill it in a bush before it flew off. A good one for the year, as there's usually only a couple of records at Galley in a year.

A sparrowhawk flashed through the same area this lunchtime, perching on a post long enough to nail it. Two year ticks in a day, after weeks of nothing! Maybe the midwinter lull is nearly over? 66 and counting...

making a meal(y) of it

went for a look at a likely mealy redpoll today, near Connonagh. Although not split from lesser, unlike the UK, its still a good bird for Cork! The bird has been coming to feeders in a garden since early Jan, but until today hasn't been photographed. Shots are viewable here. Did see some lesser redpolls but the incessant wind and rain proved most unhelpful. Maybe tomorrow, if it ever stops raining!

patch predictions

As the birding has been so slow lately, I thought I'd try my hand at predicting the next 3 patch ticks for Galley, to give me something to aim at this year...

Prediction 1: alpine swift - I've seen 3 in Ireland; 1 in the north and 2 out of HH's famous five in Cork City, but the nearest I've got to one at Galley turned out to be a peregrine! Obviously early spring is favourite, and I can just imagine one scooting around over Long Strand and the lake - not long till March now....

Prediction 2: rosefinch -  perhaps a surprise choice, but I've only seen 1 in Ireland, on Cape in the early 90's. Mizen, Cape and even the Old Head seem to get them pretty regularly, but again, not 1 i've had a sniff of at Galley. After getting my first ones for about 12 years on Shetland last autumn, its definately time for one here, and I reckon either the fields around Shite Lane or the Top Lane in September are the best bet.

Prediction 3: garden warbler - another glaring omision from my Galley list! Had a possible last October that flushed out of a bramble patch but never really got on it so would be good to nail one properly! Perhaps not the most exciting find I could go for, but I think I've only seen a couple on Cape since moving here - desperate times! 

Wonder how it will all pan out?

full fat patch tick

A lovely morning at Galley, and with no distractions, I headed out, with a big slog round planned. Hadn't got further than the beach when I noticed 5 blobs sitting on the beach - a quick check with bins, convinced they'd be oiks, so was amayzed to see 5 shoveler sitting there! Patch Tick! Incredible! (64)

Patch Gold!!!

Luckily KC showed up in time to verify them before they flew off. After that mammoth success, there didn't seem much point in continuing further, especially with the news that it was very quiet, so I bailed, and headed home to gloat on the net! A check of the lake later revealed that they'd relocated there, and looked quite settled. A long awaited patch tick, and a total surprise - patch listing don't get much better than that!

Anas Fantabulosa

Not been a whole lot happening on the patch, though I have added fulmar and greenshank in recent days (63).  Much more exciting is the news that the Patch List Challenge has got its own multi-author blog (They're all the rage these days, dontcha know?) Yes indeedy, now you can see at a glance what all the other runners and riders have been scoring on their patches, whilst getting up-to-the-minute updates on the latest scores on doors. Its all right here, right now!

The results of the best find poll unsurprisingly came out in favour of lanceolated warbler being the best patch find, with a whopping 13 votes to 5 - which means that 18 people actually bothered to vote, (and three of them were me!) Congrats to Reg at Collieston anyway, keep up the good work.

vote time!

I wasn't going to do one of these this year, but there's been a lot of high brow debate going on over whether lanceolated warbler or caspian tern would be the best patch find. Its kind of irrelevant anyway (funny that it should appear on here then!), as Reg found both on his Collieston patch, but, for the record, which would you most like to find on your patch? You'll find the vote buttons over to the right, over there...

thats more of it, ted

A couple more patch year ticks today, in the form of a fieldfare in with a langer-load of redwings, plus a cruising peregrine (61).  A goldeneye and 4 tufted ducks remain on the lake too.

brent bingo!

An afternoon surprise in the form of a pale-bellied brent goose on the lake, which was most welcome for the year - only my 3rd record on patch I think. Other year list gank was gannet off Long Strand, plus a few lesser black backed gulls on the lake (59).

shnipes

Wasn't out today either, despite the nominal bank holiday, though did check the lake (4 tufted duck).  It was looking likely that today was going to be year tick free, until I was rewarded for helping out a neighbour with a dusk flight of calling snipe over (56). Result!

a few more

Wasn't out birding today, but did glean a few more additions from the garden, most notably an adult winter med gull, a coot and a female wigeon on the lake (55).

aff at the toot

First bird of 2011 was curlew, as I pulled back the curtains, sans hangover too! By the end of the day I'd reached a respectable 46, with nothing particularly unusual. A female goldeneye and 3 tufted ducks on the lake were probably the best of it, in patch terms. A long way to go yet!