After finishing survey work in north Mayo late this afternoon, I dropped into Killala Harbour to search for white-winged gulls before departing for the long journey home to Clare. There was one first-winter Glaucous, two adult Iceland Gulls and this Thayer's type individual. Hopefully, this will be confirmed as a first-winter Thayer's Gull by the experts over the coming days. To date, there have been nine claims of Thayer's Gull Larus (glaucoides) thayeri in Ireland. Details of all nine are as follows.
1989 Galway: juvenile/first-winter, Galway City Dump 11th to 31st March (Kilbane, 1989). Additional photographs in Dutch Birding 11:82 and Cottridge & Vinicombe (1986).
1990 Cork: juvenile/first-winter, The Lough, Cork City Dump and Cobh, 21st February to 5th March (Wilson, 1990). Additional photograph in Enticott & Tipling (1997).
1997 Antrim: juvenile/first-winter at Belfast Dump, 1st to 7th March 1997 (McGeehan, 1997; McGeehan & Garner, 1997). This record has been accepted by the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers' Association Records Committee (NIBARC) (Irish Birds 7:100).
1998 Donegal: adult, Killybegs, 22nd February to 10th March (McGeehan & Millington, 1998). Additional photograph in Birding World 15:73.
1998-1999 Mayo: juvenile/first-winter, Newport Dump, 19th December 1998 to 3rd April 1999 (Lonergan, 1999). Additional photograph in Birding World 12:93.
2003 Donegal: juvenile/first-winter, Killybegs, 2nd to at least 5th February. Photographs in Birding World16:50 and 16:124. This record has yet to be formally assessed.
2005 Mayo: First-winter, Barnatra, 5th to 19th March (M.O'Keeffe et al.) photographed (Birding World 18:105-106; Birdwatch 155:65; British Birds 98:227; Dutch Birding 27:140) (Mullarney and Millington 2005).
2010 Galway: juvenile/first-winter, Ross beach, Cleggan, 19th January to 10th February 2010 (Breen). This record has yet to be formally assessed.
2011 Clare: second-winter, Liscannor Harbour, Liscannor Bay, 1st February 2011(Murphy). This record has yet to be formally assessed.
1990 Cork: juvenile/first-winter, The Lough, Cork City Dump and Cobh, 21st February to 5th March (Wilson, 1990). Additional photograph in Enticott & Tipling (1997).
1997 Antrim: juvenile/first-winter at Belfast Dump, 1st to 7th March 1997 (McGeehan, 1997; McGeehan & Garner, 1997). This record has been accepted by the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers' Association Records Committee (NIBARC) (Irish Birds 7:100).
1998 Donegal: adult, Killybegs, 22nd February to 10th March (McGeehan & Millington, 1998). Additional photograph in Birding World 15:73.
1998-1999 Mayo: juvenile/first-winter, Newport Dump, 19th December 1998 to 3rd April 1999 (Lonergan, 1999). Additional photograph in Birding World 12:93.
2003 Donegal: juvenile/first-winter, Killybegs, 2nd to at least 5th February. Photographs in Birding World16:50 and 16:124. This record has yet to be formally assessed.
2005 Mayo: First-winter, Barnatra, 5th to 19th March (M.O'Keeffe et al.) photographed (Birding World 18:105-106; Birdwatch 155:65; British Birds 98:227; Dutch Birding 27:140) (Mullarney and Millington 2005).
2010 Galway: juvenile/first-winter, Ross beach, Cleggan, 19th January to 10th February 2010 (Breen). This record has yet to be formally assessed.
2011 Clare: second-winter, Liscannor Harbour, Liscannor Bay, 1st February 2011(Murphy). This record has yet to be formally assessed.
Thayer's type gull just left of adult Iceland in the middle back of the photo
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ReplyDelete2003 Donegal: juvenile/first-winter, Killybegs, 2nd to at least 5th February. Photographs in Birding World16:50 and 16:124. This record has yet to be formally assessed. A 9 year old record and still not formally assessed??? Jaysus the wheels turn slowly eh?
ReplyDeleteNice light on the top shot Murf.
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