A day out

I've been swamped with college these days that my birdwatching has suffered as have I, so I had to do some last weekend, So where to go and what to see. There has been a Least Sandpiper at Blackrock in Co Kerry for the last couple of days and a bird like that would give me life tick and that was too hard to turn down. So I head down and on the way I had a quick view of a Merlin flushing a flock of Lapwing and a Peregrine being mobbed by a couple of Grey Crows. When I got to Blackrock the Least was on show but very flighty but I managed a couple of shots. There was also great numbers of Golden and Grey Plover,Ringed Plovers, Sanderling, Dunlin, Bartail and Blacktail Godwits, Crulew, Knot, Oystercatchers, and Gulls while above in the sand dunes a large mixed flock of finches were feeding on seed and 12 Choughs were rooting around for grubs in the sand. I also had a couple of kestrels, Stonechats, Rock and meadow pipts,Redshank, Greenshank, Great-norther Diver, Great Crested Grebes, Shelduck, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard and Pale-bellied Brent Geese all of which finished a great days birding.

Chough looking for grubs in around the Dunnes

Least Sandpiper at Blackrock

And another couple of views.

A rock pipt busy looking for some flies

The Chough which were at Blackrock

Kesterl hoovering over a field looking for a meal

Chaffinch feeding on the shoreline

Fringilla montifingilla

I took a trip out to Curraghchase the other day as autumn is nearly over and I knew the Red Squirrels would be busy hiding away acrons to see them through the winter and spring of next year. I also had a feeling we might have a few returning visitors in the shape of Bramblings. I love these little birds as they blend in so well with the Chaffinchs. I was so happy to find 2 of them feeding with a flock of Chaffs. So here are a few shots I got.

Red Squirrel.

One of the 2 Bramblings I had.

Brambling busy looking for beech nuts

Another shot of a Brambling

Jay busy looks for some food.

Red Squirrel busy collecting acorns and then hiding them.

Another view of the Red Squirrel.

Gone for a twitch

It's not often I would be in the Jeep and off for a twitch, but last friday week my wife, Finbarr MacGabhann and John N Murphy of (murfswildlife.blogspot.com)were up in Doonbeg when they came across a American Golden Plover. I recieved the phone call but was 2 hours away in college so I was unable to make it down. But luckily for me the bird has hung around so I set off to Clare yesterday to get a couple of shots of this bird. Now I know going a week late couldn't really be called a twitch but it's the closest to a twitch for this year I've come. It's great to see birds like this and even better to get a couple of shots. So here are a couple of my favorites.

Birding in the UK

I took a spin over the water to the UK to do some birding for about 10 days. They have a few birds(some which are common)over there that we don't have. Those been Green Woodpecker, Dartford Warbler, Marsh and Willow Tit, Corn Bunting and Nuthatch. So I decided to split my trip between England and Wales. I wasn't disappointed as the weather was great and the list of birds was amazing. Species of birds see were..........
Med Gull, Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Artic Skua, Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Puffin, Kitiwake, Fulmar, Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet, Artic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Terns, Cormorant, Shag, Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtails, Dipper, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and Feral Pigeons, Starling, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Magpie, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Goldcrest, Spotted and Pied Flycatcher, Crossbill, Nightjar, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Stonechat, Wheatear, Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Bearded Tit, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Common Redstart, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Hooded Merganser, Goosander, Mute Swan, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Blacktailed Godwit, Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Greylag and Canada Geese. Also, heard a Tawny Owl calling.

Distant shot of a Artic Skua

Med Gull

Gannet

Common Tern

Canada Geese

Yellowhammer

Corn Bunting

Marsh Tit

Swallow

Dipper

Not the best of shots of a Nuthatch

Crossbill

Crossbill making off with a pine cone

Pied Flycatcher

Common Redstart

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

Red Kite, Buzzard and Raven at Grigin Farm in Wales

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker on a feeder in a RSPB Reserve.

Spotted Flycatcher

Great-crested Grede

Hooded Merganser

Linnet in Summer colours

Mistle Thrush

Whitethroat

Kittiwake

Manx Shearwater

Spotted Flycatcher and Peregrine Falcon

I took a spin out to my local woods over the weekend to see if I could spot any Spotted Flycatchers. I found a pair busy collecting food for their chicks so I was well pleased with that. While there I also had a pair of Jays and all the usual suspects. On sunday afternoon I decided to take a spin down the kerry way. I had a great days birding around kerry head with a pair of Peregrine Falcons been the highlight of the afternoon. Along with the falcons I had Rock Dove, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Chough, Fulmar, Guillemot, Gannet, Manx Shearwater, White-throat and lots of Rock and Meadow Pipits to boot.

Peregrine in flight

Adult Chough with one of this years chicks

The other adult and young.

Another shot of the peregrine in flight

And another.

Spotted Flycatcher in Curragh Chase in Limerick

Fulmar in flight

And another

Reed Bunting on Kerry Head.

Rock Doves

Whitethroat on Kerry Head

Another shot of the Spotted Flycatcher

Male Stonechat in Kerry