Sabine's Gull

This adult Sabine's Gull has been visiting Cobh in County Cork for the past eight winters.  I visited it over a month ago on a trip to Ballycotton for the Short-toed Lark.  Always a great bird to see and one of my favorite gulls.

 Adult Sabine's Gull, Cobh © John N Murphy

Sabine's Gull

I went west to Seafield and Qulty beach this evening. There was still a fairly stiff North-west wind and seabirds were milling about far out past the islands.  At Quilty beach there was a juvenile Sabne's Gull and two Grey Phalaropes flew over the sea not too far offshore.

 Juvenile Sabine's Gull with Black-headed Gull © John N Murphy

Sabine's Gulls

More Sabine's Gulls turned up today at Liscannor Harbour and pier.  I went there to drop off another storm wrecked manx Shearwater that was found near Crusheen, North East of Ennis town and well inland.  When I got to Liscannor there were two adult Sabine's Gulls, one juvenile, dozens of Arctic Terns, one Storm Petrel and a juvenile Arctic Skua came through later in the afternoon.  These Sabine's Gulls coincided with a large passage off the Bridges of Ross, see the following http://loopheadbo.blogspot.com/ for details.

Sabine's Gull

Also at Doonbeg this evening were three adult Sabine's Gulls.  They spent a short time roosting on the water with a flock of Black-headed and Common Gulls before heading off out to sea and southwards on their migration to southern oceans.