Cripes! What a day! Birding wasn't much of an option this morning having been up with a sickly child all night, but a call from CC just after getting out the shower changed all that... "Drop the kids, there's a female red-flanked bluetail at Shite Lane!!" I think I was there about 3 minutes later, luckily I'd had the foresight to get dressed first!
A nervous few minutes while I put the news out on corkbirdnews - hands were definately a bit shaky, while we waited for it to show again! And then suddenly, there it was! A bluetail! On Galley! Fantastic! Ireland's 3rd record and the first one in spring, on me feckin patch! Wowzers!
The rest of the day passed in a buzzy blur! Wandered out again after lunch for another look at it, and again it showed really well after a bit of a wait. Hearty thanks to CC for finding it and providing these shots for the blog too. The bird was still present this evening but will it break the mould and stay for a second day (the previous two haven't...)
Photos copyright Ciaran Cronin
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