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.