Solitary Sandpiper

I had today booked off work, so I decided to make the run to Wexford to try and catch up with the Solitary Sandpiper.  Killian Mullarney's fantastic photos of the bird spurred me, on as I was green with envy. I got to Mattie Maddock's house after 9.00 and immediately met Mattie who told me the bird did not arrive at his pond this morning.  With that he gave me directions to John Lamberts farm where the bird was originally found by John himself.  I got there met John and spent over one hour waiting for the bird to arrive back to his pool, but it never happened.  John arrived back and brought me off on his quad to a small wet corner of a field that remains wet most of the year round.. When we got there we immediately saw the Solitary Sandpiper and two Green Sandpipers (both of these flew off calling).  Here are the shots I managed to shoot before the bird flew off without either of us seeing it leave the field.  Thanks to John and the lads for all their help.  I was delighted to eventually get this bird on my Irish List.

Solitary Sandpiper near Duncormick, Wexford John N Murphy

Poms away

Got back west to Loop Head this morning as I had to lead a local Birdwatch Ireland walk in Kilbaha. In the late afternoon I got a couple of hours sea watching in where there was a decent passage of Pomarine Skuas.  Here are a selection of some of the birds that flew over the watching Point.

 

Pomarine Skuas off the Bridges of Ross John N Murphy

Red-eyed Vireo

This morning at Loop Head my buddy Finbarr and I managed to locate a Red-eyed Vireo.  It was skulking around in a ditch not far from the lighthouse.  This was the fifth record for the county.  There were three in 1995, one in 2006 and this bird make it five to date.  The bird was fairly approachable and looked tired as if it just arrived on the headland that morning,  It stayed up to about 15.30 and was not seen later in the evening, after a fairly widespread search.

Red-eyed Vireo near Loop Head Lighthouse John N Murphy

Loop the Loop

Back on Loop Head over the past two weeks trying to find a first Irish (in my dreams).  Not too much evident migration other than one Pied Flycatcher, a Whinchat, a Wryneck that I did not see, a handful of Spotted Flycatchers and lots of Wheatears.  Hoping that October brings better birds form across the Atlantic.  For now a few shots of one of the Spot Flies and Wheatears.

 Spotted Flycatcher in Gibson's Garden, Kilbaha, Loop Head John N Murphy

Wheatear at the tip of Loop Head John N Murphy

Little Egret in early morning

Now that the Loop season is in full swing I have been making early morning excursions back and forth to the Loop.  On the way I regularly stop off at Moyasta Creek at Poulnasherry Bay to search for waders.  One morning in the last week this Little Egret was so busy feeding she allowed me to drive up close and get the following series of shots.

 

Little Egret at Moyasta John N Murphy

 

White Pelican on my Irish List

I was down in Cork a couple of weeks ago and got a call to say that there was a White Pelican listed on bird guides or the British rare Birds Alert for Cork Harbour.  After a few calls I was told it was in Lough Beg near Ringaskiddy, the spot where I just so happened to be looking for rare North American waders.  I located the bird on the tern island in the middle of the bay and got the following series of shots.  I wanted to show these to some of the Irish and visiting birders just to prove that the bird had escaped from Fota or some collection, and was not a wild vagrant.  If you look at the photo with the outstretched wing, you can clearly see on the left wing where the primaries had been cut but some had grown back.  It was capable of flight and did so on a few occasions as I watch it.  VICTOR it is on my Irish List.

 Escaped White Pelican at Lough Beg, Cork Harbour © John N Murphy

Cape Verdes Shearwater

It feels like a lifetime ago since I added anything to this blog and I have almost forgotten how to update the pages. Late last year I made a trip to The Cape Verdes Island in November.  These Cape Verdes Shearwaters I got off a deep sea fishing trip for 7 hours one day during my stay on Boa Vista Island. During the trip the only seabirds or birds seen at sea were 8 Cape Verde Shearwaters, two Boyd's Shearwaters, a couple of Brown Boobies and two Cattle Egrets.  Very strange not to see any auks, terns gulls or other seabirds.

 

Cape Verde Shearwater off Boa Vista November 2013 © John N Murphy