a mig at last!

A female marsh harrier made a brief appearance over Long Strand this afternoon, heading east with a hooded crow in attendance (94). Only the second swift of the year was hawking over Long Strand this evening.

stocktaking

A brace of stock doves over Long Strand this lunchtime were a welcome year tick (93), especially as I can now stop looking at wood pigeons in hope!

whiskered tern ya bas!

Great views of a cracking whiskered tern at Lough Beg this morning. News broke late last night but thankfully it hung around today - a great way to draw level with our japanese reader, and of course only the fifth Cork record too!

Galley was quiet again this morning with just a few wheatears around and a swift over Long Strand (92).

sedgies

A good few singing sedge warblers this morning around the lake (91), but little else doing.  The male black redstart was still around, Galley's 3rd collared dove of the spring was knocking about Shite Lane, and there were a couple more whitethroats in. The Long Strand whimbrel flock had dropped to 10.

black red

A cracking male black redstart was the best of it this morning at Galley, with a whitethroat in Dirk Bay also new for the year (90). It was still quiet mig-wise, with 2 wheatears the only other migs. Two shelduck flew over and a flock of 32 whimbrel at Long Strand contained 2 summer plumage bar-tailed godwits, which was nice.