Pacific Golden Plover a first for Clare

I went to Doonbeg in west Clare today to look for the American Golden Plover that Geoff Pearson found there yesterday. To all our surprise it turned out to be a Pacific Golden Plover and a first record of this rare North American wader to the county. 

 

Pacific Golden Plover at Doonbeg Bay John N Murphy

Barnacle Geese Return

The mild storm free winter has allowed the 300 or more Barnacle Geese that traditionally over-winter in Clare, to feed on offshore islands thus far this winter, and has not forced them to graze on the mainland so far this season. Last week on a trip around west Clare we came across the flock on open fields near Doonbeg which was a delight to see and hear.

 

 Barnacle Geese near Doonbeg © John N Murphy

Canada Geese

I got a text from an old friend Chris Meehan last week to say that there were three Canada Geese with the flock of Barnacles at Killard near Doonbeg.  So last Saturday 7th December, Finbarr MacGabhainn and myself stopped off briefly at Doonbeg, on a whistle stop tour of west Clare to try and relocate these birds to see what race they belonged to.  There were two small birds that were certainly Cackling Geese (Branta h. hutchinsii).  The third bird was a little larger and we were not sure if it was of the race (Branta c. canadensis or Branta c. parvipes) found in central Canada and the North-west.  Phone conversations with Dermot Breen about the bird in the right of the picture below does point towards parvipes but I need to dig out additional photos to show the full size, structure and shape of this bird before we can be sure. (more photos to follow later).

Canada Geese at Doonbeg © John N Murphy

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.

Curlew Sandpiper

After a day of trekking around Loop Head today I ended up at Doonbeg, searching for Waders on the high tide.  There was a large flock of Sanderlings with smaller numbers of Ringed Plover and Dunlin interspersed within the flock feeding on the high tide sandy beach at Doughmore.  There was also a large flock of Turnstones feeding along the rocky shore with three Curlew Sandpipers feeding amongst them.