Escaped White Pelican at Lough Beg, Cork Harbour © John N Murphy
Monday, September 22, 2014
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.
This pelican has been present since at least August 18th and has been an interesting addition to the birdlife of Lough Beg, creating some surprise for the unsuspecting birder! Unfortunately the bird's recovery from earlier pinioning has led to its demise today when it flew at turbine height. Its severely damaged carcass was found beneath one of the recently-installed wind turbines with injuries consistent with being struck by a turbine blade. This is the first reported fatality from this windfarm
ReplyDeleteCorrection: the pelican carcass was found on September 21st (not the 22nd as first reported)
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the great pictures, glad I only found out about it after it died or I might have gone done to see it thinking it could be a wild one! I live in hope:-)
ReplyDeleteSaw a similar pelican on the Glounthaune estuary this evening. Flying over and back to Harpers Island.
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