Willow Warbler

At this time of the year Willow Warblers have now settle in after returning from Africa in late March and females are already sitting on eggs.  They don't waste any time and we still have birds returning from Africa. 

Crossbills

I was back in North Mayo again this week and came upon lots of Crossbills and their young.  The adults were teaching the juveniles how to take seeds from the cones of Lodgepole pines. It was fantastic to observe their behavior and the noise the young birds make when begging to be fed.

Song Thrush

The Song Thrushes in my garden are actively collecting food for hungry chicks that are due out of the nest any day now.  I'm sure they will follow the trend of my Blackbirds and go for a second brood of chicks this year due to the early Spring.

Golden Plovers on the move

Many Golden Plovers have been moving through Ireland over the past few weeks.  There are still many more on the move northwards, including this bird that I came upon in west Limerick recently that has not yet change into breeding plumage.

Grey Wagtail

On my way home from Thurles, in Tipperary this afternoon, I made a detour to Abington Bridge on the Mulkear River near Cappamore in Limerick.  I knew that Grey Wagtails were nesting under the five arch bridge there, so I sat on the river bank for about 35 minutes as I watched the parents gather craneflies (Daddylonglegs) and bring them back to the nest for their chicks. It is amazing how many they can hold in their beaks as they keep catching more in mid air and piling them in on top of previously caught flies.

Galway Gulls

I had the opportunity to drop into Galway City and the slipway at Nimmo's Pier on my way home from Connemara this evening, where there were still seven Iceland Gulls and a good selection of other large gulls.  These white-winged gulls are still here due to the cold North west wind that is preventing them from heading home to Greenland and Arctic Canada.  As soon as the winds turn to a more favorable direction I'm sure they will head for the open sea and breeding grounds in the high Arctic.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mayo

I have been busy working a few sites in County Mayo over the last few weeks and have not had much of a chance to update the blog (as Floss keeps reminding me).  While in Mayo I come across loads of Crossbills on a daily basis in spruce and lodgepole pine plantations and a few other nice odds and ends.

 I come across Crossbills every day like these males © John N Murphy

Siskins are nesting in many Mayo plantations © John N Murphy

 Coal Tits are plentiful in the spruce plantations of North Mayo © John N Murphy

 Skylarks are back on their territories © John N Murphy

A small herd of Red Deer, North Mayo © John N Murphy